Ze Min Xiao
President and CEO,
Center for Economic
Opportunity and Belonging
Live Panel Conversation
Bridging Policy & Business: Effective Engagement with Utah Legislature
Live Panel | Monday, November 18 | 3-5pm MST
Join us for an informative gathering designed for business leaders interested in building meaningful relationships with Utah’s state legislature. Leaders often ask: “How can we contribute to legislation that benefits businesses, our workforce, and the community in a productive way?” This event offers clear answers, practical guidance, and effective strategies.
You’ll hear from experienced legislative policy experts, including:
Ginger Chinn
EVP, Public Policy
& Gov’t Affairs
Salt Lake Chamber
Marina Lowe
Policy Director
Equality Utah
Todd Weiler
Utah State Senate
These experts share a common goal: to drive results through effective relationships with policymakers. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how to engage with Utah’s legislative process and drive change through bridge-building approaches.
Special thanks to Edison House for providing this comfortable setting. Please bring a valid ID, as Edison House is a private social club. While complimentary food won’t be available, a cash bar will be open throughout the event. Afterward, feel free to continue networking at the Atrium down the hall over tasty bites and drinks, available for purchase!
Previous Sessions
Virtual Webinar Program
Belonging: The Bridge to Inclusion, Productivity, and Innovation
“Belonging” is no longer just a buzzword—it’s a powerful driver of business success. But without a shared definition or clear frameworks, many organizations and leaders don’t realize its full potential. Ze Min Xiao, President and CEO, and Bailey Rivera-Wymes, Projects Manager at Center for Economic Opportunity & Belonging will give leaders a deeper understanding of belonging and its core principles. They will explain strategies for belonging as an innovative tool to build inclusive and productive environments. You’ll learn how to bridge and overcome the challenges of othering that traditional DEI methods can generate. This virtual session is valuable to DEI practitioners, people leaders, or any group or team leader.
Presenters
President and CEO,
Ms. Xiao is the President and CEO of the Center for Economic Opportunity and Belonging (Center). The Center envisions a Utah in which all residents experience a sense of belonging and equal opportunity so they can contribute their best selves to the growth and enhancement of the economic, social, and political life of the state. The Center achieves this vision by identifying and promoting actionable solutions to opportunity gaps through engagement with communities and by catalyzing private, philanthropic, and public partnerships. The Center is rooted in the belief that transformational change requires individuals closest to the problem to become active participants in identifying, implementing, and evaluating effective solutions.
Bailey Rivera-Wymes
Special Project Manager,
Center for Economic
Opportunity and Belonging
Bailey works for the Center for Economic Opportunity & Belonging as the Special Project Manager. She is the author of the “We Are Utah: A Toolkit for Building Belonging in the Workplace” and co-leads the Bonding & Bridging: Young Professionals Networking Socials. As a second-gen Mexican American, Bailey is dedicated to uplifting community voices and wisdom. She is a graduate of Westminster University where she pursued a degree in History with a dedicated focus on social movements and revolutions. In her spare time, Bailey is out with her dogs (Ziva and Ziggy) or at home reading.
Virtual Webinar Program
The Strategy-First DEI Learning Series
This virtual learning series introduces a “strategy-first” approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Unlike traditional identity-first DEI approaches, a “strategy-first” DEI approach positions executive leadership as co-creators of DEI strategy. In this version, DEI is a business lens applied to core business strategies, rather than a series of initiatives, activities, or programs that are not core to the business. You’ll hear real stories and experiences from experienced DEI strategists who have worked with several executive teams building strategy-first DEI approaches.
Session 1
How Zapier Leaders Co-Created Their DEI Strategy
This session shared the real journey of how Zapier developed a strategy-first DEI approach. Maggie Roque, Head of Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging & Equity (DIBE), and Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier, shared how they partnered with Zapier’s Executive Team and founders to co-create the DEI strategy together. They provided insight on how DEI integrates into their core business strategy and the business outcomes they have achieved so far.
Session 2
A Deeper Dive into Zapier’s DEI Strategy
In this session, Sara Jones interviewed Maggie Roque, Head of DIBE at Zapier, to dive deeper into how she operationalizes DEI as a strategic business element. Maggie delved into how she aligns DEI with business goals and KPIs, and how DEI has driven business outcomes and innovation. Maggie shared insights into embedding DEI into business operations, including product development, sales, and customer experience.
Session 3
Transforming DEI Roles into Strategic Leadership
In this session, Sara Jones and Maggie Roque, Head of DIBE at Zapier, shared insights into transitioning from a DEI practitioner to a strategic leader. They spoke about their own professional development journeys to becoming a DEI strategy consultant and an in-house DEI strategist. They shared tips for DEI practitioners who are aspiring to executive leadership. This session is valuable to DEI practitioners aspiring to executive leadership. Executives and HR leaders should also view to understand different skill sets they should be looking for in hiring for strategic DEI leaders or consultants.
Guest Presenter
Maggie Roque
Director of Diversity, Inclusion,
Belonging, & Equity,
Zapier
Maggie believes in breaking barriers in our workspaces and communities in order to enhance the employee and human experience. In her work as a DEI practitioner, She has learned that innovation and creativity don’t thrive in a one-size-fits-all environment. Maggie drives companies and organizations to develop sustainable culture and strategy that focus on the holistic outcome.
Having worked in academia and in tech, she is uniquely qualified to transform theory into practice. Maggie is passionate about inventive approaches and at her best when given the autonomy to find a solution by building a new experience, strategy, or team. Advocacy, relationships, and accessible education energize and center her.