We’ve all heard the phrase, “diversity and inclusion,” but what does it actually mean to make an organization or even our personal lives more diverse and inclusive? How can we get beyond grouping and labeling of other humans according to the color of their skin, the religion they practice, or the country in which they were born? Can we really build a just and inclusive world, especially in this time of such division?

Even more, how can we make our organizations and lives more inclusive of those who are “Other” and different from “us?” Isn’t it time to at least consider a new approach to human inclusivity—where all humans regardless of differences are valued?

Join national speaker, transgender writer and “human inclusionist” Ellen “Ellie” Krug as she talks about organizational culture and culture change and conducts her highly valued human inclusivity training, Gray Area Thinking^®. This training will provide an easy-to-understand toolset on how to be more welcoming of anyone who is “Other” in our society.

 A Brief Bio for Ellie Krug: In 2009, when she was a civil trial attorney in Cedar Rapids with 100+ trials, Ellen (Ellie) Krug transitioned from male to female; she later became one of the few attorneys nationally to try jury cases in separate genders. The author of Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change (2013), Ellie has trained on diversity and inclusion to court systems, law firms, Fortune 100 corporations, and colleges/universities on more than 1000 occasions. A hopeless idealist, Ellie has presented her inclusivity training, Gray Area Thinking^®, across the country. Ellie is the recipient of a number of awards and recognition, including the 2023 Stonewall Award from the American Bar Association, a 2019 OutFront Minnesota Legacy Award, and Advocate Magazine naming Ellie as one of “25 Legal Advocates Fighting for Trans Rights.” She is also a columnist for Minnesota Women’s Press and a weekly radio host on AM950 radio, where her 250+ episodes of “Ellie 2.0 Radio” highlight idealism and idealists working to make the world better for all humans. Her monthly e-newsletter, The Ripple, reaches 9000+ readers and can be found at www.elliekrug.com . In November 2022, Ellie was elected to her local school board in a rural-urban county outside the Twin Cities, making her one of a handful of transgender school board members in America. Rev. 2.23