As one of only a handful of Black students on campus at Davidson College in the mid-80s, Janet Stovall experienced racism and exclusion firsthand. Rather than retreat, she initiated difficult conversations. By graduation, she had devised a plan that even now is referenced as the catalyst for changes that created a more diverse and inclusive Davidson.
As Senior Client Strategist at NeuroLeadership Institute—a global research firm and cognitive science consultancy—Janet helps companies evolve diversity, equity and inclusion practices to be more brain-friendly and human. Her responsibilities range from delivering C-suite briefings and keynote presentations to facilitating workshops and contributing to solution development for some of the world’s leading corporations.
Prior to joining NLI, Janet served as Senior Director, Social Impact and The UPS Foundation, working to advance UPS’s global philanthropy, social impact and community engagement efforts. She oversaw the foundation’s largest grant portfolio, comprising more than 40 diversity, equity and social impact grantees and The United Way. She also served as UPS’s DE&I communications lead.
Janet joined UPS in 2017 as the primary speechwriter for UPS’s CEO and Executive Leadership Team, one of the few Black speechwriters working at the C-level in the FORTUNE 500. She is uniquely adept at building objective frameworks and formulas to understand, communicate and dismantle systemic racism.
A popular speaker and workshop facilitator, Janet’s work tackles systemic racism, focuses on understanding the value of diversity, and offers straightforward, objective solutions to unlock that value. Her TED talk challenging business to get serious about inclusion has nearly 2 million views.
Before joining UPS, Janet founded The Point Communications, a marketing communications and PR consultancy. Over 20 years, she developed, implemented, and managed marketing strategies and executive positioning projects for leading U.S. companies, advising, scripting, ghostwriting articles, books and presentations for some of the country’s most influential thought leaders. Her work has been published extensively in Vital Speeches of the Day and has garnered numerous awards.
Janet graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, NC with a bachelor’s degree in English. She is a member of the Davidson College Board of Trustees and Davidson College’s Commission on Race and Slavery. She holds a master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from Georgetown University, where she was named a member of the Hoya Professional 30, promising individuals who go beyond their job descriptions to demonstrate leadership, potential, and excellence in their fields. She also holds post-graduate certificates in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and Yale University.
Session Information
Main Stage: Driving the Future with Purpose, Diversity and Inclusion
Thursday, July 8
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Diversity, equity, inclusion and purpose aren’t just “nice to have” elements you can incorporate into your events, experiences and other touchpoints at the last minute. Rather, these are crucial principles that must be included at the beginning, using intentional strategies and efforts that welcome all audiences and remain accountable to the culture and commitments you make. Learn the business case for diversity, equity and inclusion, glean why it’s so important that your organization’s values align with your consumers’, and pick up inspiration for integrating these efforts to drive business events, experiences, and the marketplace of the future with purpose and meaning.