ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Speakeasy, Inc., the leading global consulting firm focused on professional communication development, today celebrated its ongoing commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion by pledging its continued support for the T. Howard Foundation (THF), a nonprofit organization focused on increasing the number of diverse and underrepresented groups and underserved communities in the media and entertainment industries. THF was established three decades ago by Speakeasy’s CEO Scott Weiss. Weiss has maintained active involvement with the Foundation as its founder and chairman emeritus and has committed to continuing to support the Foundation’s mission both personally and through Speakeasy.
Since the inception of THF, thousands of interns have been through its programs, with most being offered permanent positions. The organization’s highly competitive internship program receives interest from more than 1500 applicants each year; the 10% who are selected represent the best of the best in their respective classes. All participants in THF programs are ushered through an extensive orientation and training program before they are placed in internships with some of the most respected media companies on the planet, including Paramount, NBCUniversal, Comcast, Disney, Univision, ESPN and Hearst.
“I recognized the need to address an obvious lack of diversity in the media industry three decades ago, when I was working as an executive vice president for Turner Broadcasting,” said Scott Weiss, CEO, Speakeasy, Inc. “I founded the T. Howard Foundation to make a meaningful difference long before DEI became a widely implemented business objective, for the value of diversity of thought positively impacting business. Diversity has long been part of Speakeasy’s DNA for those reasons. Not only have we tapped into the T. Howard Foundation’s programs to recruit young leaders, but we’ve also made a deliberate effort to drive diversity at Speakeasy’s managerial levels.”
Speakeasy routinely hires THF interns and graduates. Christian Ortega, one the company’s most successful consultants, is a product of the Foundation. Another is the company’s most recent hire, Meagan Perry, who today is Speakeasy’s marketing manager.
“Speakeasy walks the talk when it comes to diversity in hiring,” said Perry. “As a student who was accepted into the T. Howard Foundation’s internship program, I knew that my Speakeasy internship put me in a unique position to work closely with THF founder Scott Weiss. The authenticity I felt reverberating through the hallways at Speakeasy communicated to me that there was something special about the way this company approached diversity. I was thrilled to accept the full-time job they offered to me, even before my internship was complete.”
THF’s biggest fundraising event of the year occurs each September. As part of the event, THF recognizes notable leaders in the industry for their efforts in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. This year’s event has attracted more than 700 VIP attendees and the honorees include:
- Paul Buccieri, President & Chairman A+E Networks Group, who will be accepting the Corporate Excellence Award
- George Cheeks, Chief Executive Officer, CBS, who is this year’s recipient of the Corporate Leadership Award
- Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, NBCUniversal, who will be honored with the Executive Leadership Award, and
- Abby Phillip, Anchor and Political Correspondent, CNN, who will receive the Diversity Advocate Award
This year’s gala event will take place on September 14 at Cipriani in New York.
For more information about the T. Howard Foundation, please visit www.t-howard.org. For more information about Speakeasy or any of its programs, please visit www.speakeasyinc.com.
About Speakeasy, Inc. – Unlocking the Communication Potential Within Us All
Founded in 1973, Speakeasy provides communication development, training, and business communication consulting services to some of the most influential business leaders and respected companies in the world, including EY, Accenture, Nestle, Visa, Microsoft, and Google. Driven with a unifying philosophy that communication excellence starts from within the individual and all individuals have the capability to be effective communicators, Speakeasy has improved the communication capabilities of thousands of clients and individuals around the world. From young professionals to some of the most recognized names in the C-suite, their corporate communication programs are tailored to empower communicators, at all levels, to look within and realize the communication potential they already possess. The company’s suite of more than 15 proven learning experiences are led by full-time, highly credentialed faculty with decades-long track records of success at Speakeasy, inspiring real, behavioral change through effective and authentic communication development and training. With corporate communication programs delivered at their offices in Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Amsterdam, and on-site at clients’ offices around the world as well as virtually, and digitally, Speakeasy works each year with thousands of executives representing 350 client companies.
