Members are practitioners who have their own powerful virtual community:
Members engage on an app hosted by Justice Informed and the Leadership Team of the CDA. Membership is application-based, and open to any DEI practitioner who has working in the DEI sector for at least two years, and within the past two years. Membership is annual, practitioner-held (meaning your employer does not own your membership), and voluntary. It is open to anyone and everyone in the Chicagoland region (the five counties surrounding Cook County in Illinois) who is actually employed as a DEI practitioner. We do not accept members who are not working in the sector. If you are interested in joining, please click the Prospective Members page
Members get 100% of what we are here to do:
Current Members of the Chicagoland DEI Alliance enjoy access to our member-only intranet where they have the ability to engage weekly tactical sessions to crowdsource answers for emerging workplace or business challenges they face, participate in sector-specific roundtables where they discuss and refine best practices for all of our work, meet at membership social events and attend semi-annual DEI-focused summits. From strategy support, to finding consultants and speakers, to just having a space to vent, Current Members get 100% of what the Alliance exists to do.
We advocate for our work as a powerful community of practitioners:
Our work to support members is advanced through the cultivation of a dynamic community, investments in their learning and support of the DEI sector, and having the Alliance as a public-facing advocate for DEI in ways that our members may find challenging due to their employment status, regional politics, or other risks. We speak up for our members, crowdsourcing their needs and values and presenting them as an aligned stance to the broader public.
Roundtables
Roundtables
The Chicagoland DEI Alliance has established two distinct Roundtables to foster a vibrant and impactful community among Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) professionals across the region. This separation into In-House DEI Leaders and External DEI Consultants/Practitioners was made in response to significant member feedback, aiming to address the distinct challenges, concerns, opportunities, and goals faced by each group. It allows for focused, confidential discussions where in-house practitioners can address internal organizational challenges and strategies without proprietary concerns, and external consultants can share best practices and market insights without potential conflicts of interest or solicitation dynamics. This structure also enables the Alliance to deliver more relevant and "surgically tactical" contenttailored to the specific needs of each group. Upon applying for membership, prospective members must self-select into their preferred Roundtable track, and those with dual roles are asked to choose one primary track to ensure consistent engagement. To remain eligible, Roundtable members are required to attend at least nine of the 12 annual meetings in a member year.
The Roundtables' objectives align with the overall goals of the Chicagoland DEI Alliance, which activates these goals through the distinct populations within the Alliance. These primary objectives are: Engagement, aiming to cultivate a dynamic network of DEI professionals for shared learning, support, and idea testing, providing valuable information and tactics for real-world challenges. Innovation, which seeks to maintain a generative space for practitioner-derived ideas, leading to the development of standardized best practices, effective strategies, and proof-of-concept opportunities for the entire DEI sector. Advocacy and Education, which involves advocating for important issues facing DEI practitioners, elevating successes, supporting organizations embracing DEI, and serving as a unified local voice to educate the Chicagoland community on the nature of DEI work.
