The Mastering Diversity Conference 2024, by multi-award winning Founder and EDI Expert, Bernie Davies is a Wales focused event, with a global reach, encouraging the advancement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces, organisations, and communities. The event on 16th September 2024, held in the Principality Stadium, attracted over 1,500 attendees from a diverse group of professionals, thought leaders, and changemakers committed to building more inclusive and equitable environments.
With the theme “We Go Together or Not at all,” the 2024 edition explored new strategies and cutting-edge approaches to DEI through a series of dynamic sessions. Keynote speakers, interactive workshops, expert panel discussions, and networking events provided attendees with the tools and insights to create lasting change in their organizations and beyond.
Some key highlights of the conference included:
- Keynote Presentations: Talks by renowned DEI experts and influential leaders who shared their experiences, trends, and best practices for creating inclusive workplaces.
- A chat with BBC traitors Andrew Jenkins and Welsh International Rugby Legend Glenn Webbe on what diversity meant to them, and how they’ve watched Wales change and champion inclusion.
- Hearing personal stories from Former FM Vaughan Gething, Baroness Tanni Grey Thomson DBE, GB News presenter Steve Brown and neurodiversity champion Toni Clarkstone on their personal challenges and inspiring outcomes.
- Closing the show was Young Women’s Health campaigner Molly Fenton BCAh on how we must work cross generations to ensure this work doesn’t die out and can be continued be Molly and her peers.
- Over 40 exhibitors with innovative DEI tools, technologies, and solutions for organisational implementation.
INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO SPONSORSHIPS:
Bernie is full of praise for the series of panels and ‘fireside chats’ to address key EDI issues ran by event sponsors, namely, Gender Equality zone sponsored by Ogi, Cognitive and Neurodiversity zone sponsored by Toni Clarkstone Global, Sports zone sponsored by Commonwealth Games- Team Wales, Public Sector zone sponsored by Browne Jacobson, Education zone sponsored by Scouts Cymru, Representation zone sponsored by Bevan Buckland LLP, Business zone sponsored by Natwest Cymru, Digital Inclusion zone sponsored by Welsh Ambulance Services University Trust NHS, and the Leadership Zone with Cody Gapare, Gafyn Stiff and Phil Jones, sponsored by Bernie Davies. “These sponsors were not ticking boxes. They were creating the change,” said Bernie.
MASTERING DIVERSITY CIC ADVISORY PANEL
What better day to break good news than this occasion and Bernie declared, to the hundreds in attendance, “ I’m happy to share that I’m formalising my EDI work and I am now CEO and Founder at Mastering Diversity!
“I am so thrilled that we have an Advisory Panel replete with varied expertise who mostly started with the mission last year. I’m excited for all the work which we will be able to achieve together!” The “Pioneering Advisory Panel” as Bernie calls them, consists of Nathan Martin from NatWest , Mark Davies curator Tedx Swansea, Sarah Jones of FinTech Wales Hayley Dunne of Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, Andrew Martin FRSA MBA of Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, award-winning Filmmaker GEORGIOS DIMITROPOULOS, Akmal Hanuk of Assadaqaat Community Finance, Samuel Jolapamo FCCA FMAAT of MFP Services Ltd, Anwen Aspden David Aspden of Stable Resource Cardiff, Lisa Brunt of Crew Cymru and Toni Clarkstone Toni Clarkstone Global Ltd.”
MASTERING DIVERSITY DOCUMENTARY LAUNCH
Attendees were treated to the launch of the Trailer of the Mastering Diversity Documentary on the state of inclusion in Wales with Director Georgios Dimitropoulos, and co-writer and co-producer Bernie Davies. The full length feature film will be launched in January 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-UYnwwNbEU
“Take a Punt on Wales”
Bernie Davies, closed the event with a rousing call for us to “take a punt on Wales again, and remember that the answer is with us, the answer is around us, the answer is within us and the answer is us!” She announced the Finalists for the first Bi-annual Mastering Diversity Awards scheduled for October 16th, 2024 at the Senedd Cardiff Bay, Sponsored by the Hon Mark Drakeford. In her words, “The work has just begun with the formation of Mastering Diversity as a CIC.”
About Bernie Davies
Ethnic Minority Welsh Women’s Achievers Association Lifetime Achievement 2023 Award winner, Bernie Davies, is a multiple award winning TEDx Speaker, Bestselling Author, Diversity and Entrepreneurship Leader, with a previous outstanding legal career in property, of over 21 years. Bernie is Past Chair of the Neath Chamber of Trade, 1st Black female appointed to the Advisory Panel of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Board Chair, Women’s Business Club, Board Member, Business In Focus, Fio Arts Charity, Black History Wales Management Committee, Ambassador for the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club and Ambassador for Peace for the world esteemed Universal Peace Federation. A sought-after Mentor she supports Business Wales, and Equal Power Equal Voice Mentoring Programmes, is a Welsh Government Excelerator Coach and the Founder of Bernie Davies Global and Mastering Diversity CIC. As Featured on ITV Wales’s Face2 Face with Adrian Masters, Bernie supports entrepreneurship programmes with a focus on diversity, for major banks, universities and government projects and sits on the Diversity Panels for S4C and ITV Wales.
In September 2023, Bernie launched Mastering Diversity, an annual multi-disciplinary Diversity and Inclusion Conference in Wales, which was hailed as an historic event by the Welsh Government, Women Mastering Change Sessions in Westminster and the UK House of Lords and Mastering Diversity Taskforce Wales. She has since launched Bi-annual Mastering Diversity Awards 2024. Bernie’s work is guided by her passion and famous mantra… “We Go together or Not at All!”
