Worcester Business Journal

36 Worcester Business Journal | April 29, 2024 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 1 0 0 D I V E R S I T Y , E Q U I T Y & I N C L U S I O N Brian Gibbs Vice president and chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer UMass Memorial Health, in Worcester Employees at UMass Memorial: 17,587 Residence: East Greenwich, R.I. Colleges: Eastern Michigan University; California State University, Dominguez Hills; Brandeis University Gibbs joined UMass Memorial as the hospital system's inaugural vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer in 2020, selected from a nationwide search. Since his arrival, Gibbs has executed initiatives within the healthcare system to promote equity for underserved communities. With the help of Gibbs' leadership, UMass Memorial released its first health equity report in 2022 along with the system's pledge to triple its purchases over the following five years with minority- and women-owned businesses. In March 2023, Gibbs' office collaborated with the university's talent acquisition team to put on a multicultural fair hosted by the Ghanaian Church of Pentecost in Worcester to address disadvantages applicants of color encounter when finding and interviewing for healthcare positions. The event helped more than 100 individuals apply and interview for available roles. In September, Gibbs' team joined forces with UMass Memorial clinical teams to host a health fair for local multicultural, multigenerational communities. The fair allowed for attendees to receive health education and screenings by on-site providers, vendors, and specialists. Gibbs is the co-founder of Roxbury's Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls coalition, which works to eradicate racial and ethnic health disparities. "To succeed in [organizational culture shifts] in health care has required me to have great faith in myself, my community, and our common humanity, and to always approach my work with patience and persistence, meeting people where they are, encouraging them, and – most importantly – listening to them," said Gibbs. - M.K.M. Adriana Vaccaro CEO Culture Redesigned, in Worcester Employees: 3 Residence: Shrewsbury Colleges: Northeastern University, Nichols College Aer founding her company in 2018 in Shrewsbury, Vaccaro is at the forefront of a small, new wave of entrepreneurs and businesses in Central Mass. helping com- panies fill their job vacancies amid the ongoing workforce shortage while achieving their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Born in Columbia, learning English as an adult, and working to find success in the United States, Vaccaro had to fully embrace her authenticity, and it is exactly people's differences with which Vaccaro works with organizations to celebrate, instead of dampen. e firm consults with businesses on their workforce develop- ment and organizational culture efforts through an approach incorporating behav- ioral science, Six Sigma methodology, and inclusive leadership. rough its culture and DEI training, and consulting, Culture Redesigned supports various industries, including human resources, nonprofits, manufacturing, and robotics. "Organizations can measure and track improvements to their culture, which ultimately activates a positive domino effect including benefits for the organization, the employees, the clients they serve, and the community," said Vaccaro. In March, she secured a Women's Business Enterprise certification for Culture Redesigned by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, granting her company access to a new network of corporations and government agencies look- ing to purchase products and services. March also marked the release of "Extraor- dinary Latinas Vol III: Shattering Barriers and Driving Change", a book Vaccaro co-authored, which highlighted the stories of 17 Latinas. It is from her efforts to platform these successes that Vaccaro earned a 2023 Extraordinary Latinas Amplifying Voices Award from Florida-based advocacy organization United Latinas. - M.K.M. Elizabeth Cruz President Latin American Business Organization, in Worcester Employees: 2 Residence: Shrewsbury College: Worcester Junior College Cruz founded LABO in 2013 driven by a passion for community empowerment. Since its inception, Cruz has grown the nonprofit's network to where it is today, as an affiliate of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, with more than 100 businesses having completed one of the organization's small business training programs. Following 2022 when the nonprofit accumulated $161,991 in revenue, LABO hosted its 2023 Latin American Business Expo showcasing more than 85 businesses. e free event offered businesses the opportunity to meet potential customers, partners, and industry experts by showcasing their products and services. In 2023, Cruz founded Empowering Latina Leaders Affirmation following about 30 years of meditating on the concept. ELLA offers resources, mentorship opportunities, and a supportive network to empower Latina women to become influential figures in their communities. Cruz leads the organization as president with a 10-person board of directors. In its inaugural year, ELLA awarded its Che Poderosa Scholarship worth $4,000 and held its first ELLA Poderosa Leadership Summit to celebrate 12 local Latina leaders, bringing together 150 Latina community members in attendance. Cruz is heavily involved in the area's real estate sector, with more than 30 years experience in the industry. She owns and operates Cruz Control Property Management, founded in 2014, in Shrewsbury. e company manages 26 units in Worcester County. She is the CEO of Cruz Realty Group of Century 21 North East, also in Shrewsbury, with four employees, where she's assisted hundreds of Hispanic families to become homeowners and investors. "Ultimately, my success comes from a deep-rooted desire to upli and empower my community, combined with a relentless drive to turn that vision into reality," Cruz said. - M.K.M. PHOTO | COURTESY OF CULTURE REDESIGNED

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