By Dionna Johnson Sallis, Ferguson Partners

To maximize the impact of DEI efforts, DEI programs must evolve. DEI’s second chapter should focus on five elements, including intersectionality, data and analysis, and structural and systemic change.

The 2020 murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were a catalyst for a reexamination of DEI efforts across our world thus far. Following these grim events, which occurred during the height of the Covid19 pandemic, historically homogenous industries like commercial real estate (CRE) reflected upon their own DEI efforts, realizing that to create change they needed to increase their DEI commitments and investments.

Over the past three years, efforts made by the CRE industry to become more diverse and inclusive have resulted in an increased focus on hiring diverse talent, as well as training and development for diverse employees. Companies increased their diverse recruiting efforts, created DEI committees and promoted their awareness of existing, systemic structural disparities, publicly signaling commitments to do better.

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