Introducing…the 30 by 2030 Summit

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Project 99 is an organization by millennials, for millennials to “engage, retain, and advance diverse talent through peer-led and experiential workshops and events.” Founders of Project 99, Yulkendy Valdez and Josuel Plasencia are able to accomplish this with their 99 Accelerator program that works with cohorts of ten to fifteen professionals.

One of the main missions of Project 99 is to get thirty percent of Black and Latino senior leadership in Corporate America by the year 2030. They are hoping to achieve this through the introduction of the 30 by 2030 Summit on Wednesday, October 18th.

“When we look across the private and public sectors, right now, senior leadership is only three percent when it comes to representation of Black and Latino individuals,” says Valdez. “The country is thirty percent Black and Latino, so clearly there’s a huge gap. We’re asking everyone to join us in the goal to achieve thirty percent racial, ethnic diverse leadership at the top by 2030. It would require nonprofit leaders, business leaders, creative artists, [and] advocates to be part of the journey to fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces.”

According to Valdez, by the year 2050, the minority will become the majority.

Speakers for the 30 by 2030 Summit include Benaree Pratt Wiley, Principal of The Wiley Group; Danielson Tavares, Chief Diversity Officer for the City of Boston; Matt Norquist, President and CEO of Linkage, Inc.; Kenn Turner, Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Compliance for the Massachusetts Port Authority; Maryanne Ravenel, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; and Justin Kang, VP of Strategy and Growth for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

“The folks in the room can also expect to hear about the latest with Project 99 and our vision for the future and there will be opportunities to connect with other guests,” says Plasencia.

“After our featured panel, we want the audience to own the room,” says Valdez. “We’re going to have an open mic session to just hear what everybody’s vision is of how to accomplish the 30 by 2030 goal.”

The Project 99 team is expecting approximately 150 attendees ranging from students and young professionals to senior executives.

“I think that’s the magic of what we do at Project 99,” says Plasencia. “It’s convening people from different worlds and bringing them together for this common mission.”

“This ecosystem of diversity and inclusion is fast and we admire all the players that are doing this along with us,” says Valdez. “We want to have them in the room because they are our inspiration and moving forward as a young organization, Project 99 hopes to continue the legacy that they’ve built in this very challenging space.”

The 30 by 2030 Summit will take place on Wednesday, October 18th! Click here to register.