Afraid of DEI? Be more afraid of losing business.

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For two glorious cold winter days a bunch of improv comedians gathered in Bethlehem, PA for the Steelstacks Improv Comedy Festival. This was a treat for several reasons: 

1. I was performing with my newest comedy venture, The Town Criers, where we base our scenes off local history from the town we’re playing in!

2. Watching teams perform from all over the country was a fun learning experience to see what other creatives are doing. 

3. I’m a mom so getting away for 2 days is stealing time.

Improv comedy has a reputation of skewing white and male, because…well, that’s a whole other post that I’m not writing today. Just go see an improv show.  

At the festival, out of the more than 20 teams I watched most players were white (including mine). I was happy to see many women players and a few all-women teams. But what really jumped out at me was two teams: one all Latino team, and one all Black team, mixed genders in both.

Why does diversity matter in comedy? 

Improvisers are trained to bring their lived experiences to their craft, so when people from varying backgrounds come together the comedy is not only different, but it’s better. By better I mean more surprising and delightful, and more creative.

These two teams were FUNNY! Their characters and jokes were rich with cultural references.The players challenged stereotypes and touched on what it means to be an American today. They created stories that I would have never thought of because I’m white. 

And although I will never know what it's like to be Latino or Black today, through comedy I was able to empathize and see the world through a lens beyond my own. 

Why does diversity matter in business?

DEI is business critical and about fostering talent, which is why Delta Airlines is not changing their current policies. Vista Equity Partners CEO Robert Smith says diversity is a great for business, and that diverse teams are more productive.

—> Read more in this Forbes piece about the current war on DEI. 

Just as watching an entire comedy festival with all white male performers would be stale, companies with no DEI strategies will be less competitive, uninventive, and unproductive. Which seems bad for business, no?

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