How We Help Our Clients
Trusted Thought Partnership
Advisory support and collaboration with experienced DEI practitioners
Measurable
Outcomes
Practical solutions to address and navigate real-time complex organizational challenges
Sustainable Infrastructure
Strong foundation to maximize the long term impact of your efforts and address DEI fatigue
Trusted by the World’s Best Companies
Client Case Studies
DEIB Strategy Creation @ Lyra Health
Many companies are starting to focus on embedding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within their organization, but often struggle with the creation of a clear, cohesive and actionable strategy to achieve their DEI goals. Lyra Health brought in Converge Firm to develop a robust DEI strategy that would embed a true sense of belonging within Lyra employees specifically, and more broadly for their clients and practitioners. Lyra is focused on changing the way we think about mental health by increasing access to vital mental health services and leveraging technology to deliver more personalized and effective care.
The strategy began with Converge conducting a series of listening sessions across the entire organization - executive-level, Lyra employees and Lyra providers and clinicians - to understand the unique needs and goals across the company of all members, as Converge believes DEI can and should become everyone’s responsibility if all voices are heard and represented. Converge also conducted a DEI survey across Lyra to create qualitative and quantitative benchmarks that informed the broader DEI strategy for Lyra. Converge also developed a business model and specific corresponding objectives that guide the strategy, which Lyra now uses to execute on their various DEI-focused projects, an important element in any DEI journey as implementation and execution are key drivers for success.
Through subject matter expertise in the DEI field and a collaborative partnership, Converge was able to develop a long-lasting DEI strategy for Lyra Health that had top-down support from leadership and grassroots buy-in and ideas from Lyra employees. As thought partners for Lyra, Converge created actionable steps and targets for Lyra to take forward, ensuring their DEI strategy is sustainable, measurable and goal-oriented.
Cierra Gillison, Director of DEIB, Lyra Health
Racial Equity Strategy @ BCGDV
Companies often bring-in experts in the fields of operations, technology, accounting, etc. when faced with challenging and complex problems. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work follows a similar path: leaders in DEI spaces are frequently best-suited to help address and evaluate a company’s DEI programs and commitments.
For that reason, in 2020, BCG Digital Ventures conducted an RFP (Request for Proposal) and interviewed 11 different firms to ask for 2 key outputs:
Review Digital Ventures’ current people practices around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Develop a go-forward strategy for Digital Ventures’ approach around DEI broadly and racial equity specifically to better understand the experience of diverse employees, specifically Black employees and female employees
Of the various firms interviewed, Digital Ventures (DV) selected Converge Firm to execute on their goals and primary outputs. Through a variety of engagements on behalf of DV, Converge fostered close, personal connections with a wide range of DV employees and ultimately became an extension of the DV community - strengthening the partnership between the two firms and providing for more collaboration throughout their time working together. Specifically, Converge hosted dialogues across all levels of management and employees and leveraged the Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmark (GDIB) to assess DV’s current people practices and provide specific and concrete recommendations.
Converge conducted analysis on both an emotional and scientific baseline to connect with all parts of the DV community and create action-oriented steps and recommendations for DV’s DEI strategy moving forward. In addition to the initial scope of this RFP, Converge also delivered several workshops focused on Anti-Racism in the Workplace and developing Allyship Skills.
The impact Converge had on Digital Ventures’ culture has changed the attitude of many individuals within the organization to realize the value and necessity of DEI work, including feedback from several senior stakeholders as being “one of the best - if not the best - DEI consulting project we have worked on.” This partnership has increased the levels of trust and education around DEI issues across DV, and the specific actions recommended will ensure that DV is the most inclusive and equitable firm they can be.
In the words of one key partner at DV, “Converge became counsel for us on key culture moments when DV needed support, advice, an ear to listen or a swift kick in the ass. Within DV’s Racial Equity Task Force, many senior-level executives (including members of Fortune 500 Companies) are so impressed with Converge.”
Ian Moran-Kolitch, Director of People & Talent at BCG Digital Ventures
Global LGBTQIA+ Advisory Support @ Spotify
Creating and developing workplace strategies that center on the most marginalized groups in our society can be very challenging, particularly because the field of social justice is not always easy to emulate within corporate environments. To that effect, Spotify wanted to create a robust LGBTQIA+ strategy for their employees - both LGBTQIA+ members and allies - and brought-in Converge Firm to jumpstart this project.
To develop a successful LGBTQIA+ strategy, the first step for Spotify was to listen to their people: to hear their employees’ thoughts, opinions, ideas and more to inform the strategy. Converge was hired to put together a series of listening sessions across the organization and provide a comprehensive outcome from the listening sessions. Converge hosted 8 listening sessions total to hear from both the LGBTQIA+ community and allies within Spotify. Over 80 Spotify employees participated in these sessions, held globally across the U.S., EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and Asia to ensure all perspectives, identities and voices were heard and would be thoughtfully considered and intertwined into the broader LGBTQIA+ strategy. Each session was held with anonymity and in the strictest of confidence, to allow for Spotify employees to share their true thoughts and opinions without any fear or restriction in the suggestions they shared.
Spotify’s primary goals for their LGBTQIA+ strategy included heightening and elevating the lives and engagement of their LGBTQIA+ members and to attract, retain and develop LGBTQIA+ talent. Converge put together key themes, highlights and recommendations from the listening session in a way that protected the identities of the session participants while providing Spotify’s DEI team with critical information to help inform their strategy. Converge also provided specific steps Spotify could take to develop a well-rounded and inclusive strategy, including recommendations not only from the listening tour but more broadly to inform the DEI efforts within Spotify through Converge’s expertise in this field.
Converge’s expertise and knowledge across a wide spectrum of DEI work proved invaluable in both creating strategic recommendations to inform Spotify’s LGBTQIA+ strategy and building a collaborative, trusting partnership with Spotify employees and their DEI team. As one representative from Spotify shared, “Converge wants not only to get to know the organization and their partners, but what their values are, how they can meet you where you’re at right now. They asked many insightful questions and were as collaborative as they can be - we really developed a true partnership.”
Marc McKenna-Coles, EMEA Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Strategy Lead
