It was an honor to speak to to the team at Forward Financing last week. Juneteenth and Pride Month are proof of how we can take significant and painful moments in history, like today, and turn them into movements that show us as better and stronger when we see each other fully.

On Tuesday, join Managing Partner Omari Jahi Aarons (@omari.jahi) for the first of a three-part DEI in Insurance series: From Ally to Accomplice - hosted by The Insurance Library and sponsored by Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. This program is free for Library members; $50 to the public. Register today: https://lnkd.in/eU3u7ACq

Proud to be a member of @becmainc!

New headshots by @osa.igiede. Which one is your favorite for proposal decks?

@aaronsgroupllc is proud to announce that our Founder & Managing Partner @omari.jahi will be speaking at the inaugural How to Boston While Black Summit, Apr 28th - 30th, hosted by @bostonwhileblack! The Summit is 3 days of workshops, panels, and experiences to align Boston’s Black leaders, community, and our allies on the solutions and strategies to create the city we all want to live in. Join Omari on Thurs Apr 28th as he leads a discussion on opportunities for Black workers and entrepreneurs in the clean tech economy with @revrenddoctor and @nsjacob. Tickets are almost sold out so get yours at summit.bostonwhileblack.com. #BWBSummit

Aarons Group LLC is proud to announce our certification as an LGBT-Owned Business Enterprise by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (@nglcc)! "We work with organizations on their supplier diversity strategies," says Managing Partner Omari Jahi Aarons. "It made sense that we 'walk the walk' as we advise our clients to do." To learn more about the LGBTBE certification, visit https://lnkd.in/eSyj3vx. To learn more about Aarons Group, visit https://lnkd.in/gqJ-akFJ.

In this workshop, participants will be led through exercises to assess their organization’s current state and set an aspiration for future state combined with tools and strategies to achieve their goals.

The public is demand for change extends to internal workplace culture. Participants will use a new methodology - moments that matter - to assess their employee value proposition and implement elements to make their workplace more inclusive.

Data captures well the perspective of an organization’s majority demographics, yet much can be learned from underrepresented voices to create a more inclusive workplace. Attendees will learn three steps for leveraging unheard voices in everyday workplace interactions.

The events of the spring of 2020 forced the world to reckon anew with longstanding issues surrounding race and social justice. Many are wondering: where we are now? Particpants will examine their personal and institutional commitments and take steps to advance them further.

Diversity and inclusion is more than a passing movement. In this workshop, attendees will discover the allyship spectrum from bystander to accomplice and take steps to become a champion.

The words “diversity” and “inclusion” are often talked about, but many don’t know what that means for them. This workshop introduces DEI terminology - from microaggressions to antiracism - and invites attendees to explore their diversity dimensions and the lens they bring to their work.

Managing Partner @omari.jahi | @omarispeaks was interviewed by the @bostonchamber_ on Black History Month and achieving equity for Black entrepreneurs in Boston. https://www.bostonchamber.com/our-impact/insights-blog/black-history-month-with-omari-aarons/

Looking for a workshop that meets your organization's specific need? Aarons Group offer custom workshops that employ an agile method in the instructional design to co-create the experience and learning transfer you need.

You have leaders that want to do the right thing but aren't sure where to start. You have identified executives to become DEI champions and want to build their cultural competence and fluency. Whatever your situation, Aarons Group can guide your team on the next steps.

When disruption occurs, getting to the other side of who you are now takes some work. Aarons Group can help you protect the timeless and tradition-bound parts of your identity and connect them with an updated brand that reflects this moment and sets the stage for who you aspire to become.

You have identified your next generation of leaders and want to ensure they're prepared to lead a 21st century company. Aarons Group can help coach and develop your high potential people to take on new assignments as skilled managers and thought leaders.

Unsure of whether you need a multicultural employee resource group, diversity council, or business resource group? Are your ERGs looking for new ways to grow? Aarons Group can help you conduct a needs assessment and match strategies to the stage you are in and where you're trying to go.

Whether you have a plan or need one, Aarons Group can help you build or refresh a diversity, equity and inclusion plan to meet your needs, and integrate fully with culture change initiatives under way. Together, we can foster belonging among your employees, clients, partners and public.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

We are so appreciative of all our partners and clients this year. Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

For organizations to become more inclusive, everyone has a role to play. Visit http://www.aaronsgroup.org to learn how we can help.

Managing Partner @omari.jahi | @omarispeaks spoke on Thursday with recruiters and HR managers about creating an inclusive culture.

Managing Partner @omari.jahi | @omarispeaks will be the final presenter for Xavier’s Recruit XU Series!

Don’t miss @aaronsgroupllc Managing Partner @omari.jahi speaking at the Embrace Summit hosted by Women of ALPFA Boston on October 7! A boss is a person who knows what they want, knows how to get what they want, and gets it when they want. Join the Women of ALPFA Boston in an exciting conversation on how each person embraced their uniqueness to pave their own road to success. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dC4yD6Jz

Learn how successful companies approach hiring, company culture, building a mentor network and managing a remote workforce. Join me at Startup Boston Week’s People Ops events. RSVP here >> https://bit.ly/3z584nS #SBW2021

Managing Partner @omarispeaks | @omari.jahi has joined @blackexecutivemen as a certified speaker and facilitator! Today at 4pm, Omari is speaking at @theblacksummit on Breaking Mental Health Stigmas. There’s a tangible effort throughout Black America to break stigmas the community holds around mental health and mental illness. As a result, access to therapy and conversations around it are increasing. Join the conversation with experts to strategize solutions to address mental health needs and self advocacy around personal health. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-america-summit-ii-tickets-162219752647.

For more ways to make your workplace more inclusive, schedule a consultation with the Aarons Group.

Tomorrow, Aarons Group LLC Managing Partner Omari Jahi Aarons (@omarispeaks) will discuss the epidemic of social exclusion in the workplace and share three steps for building an inclusive environment where every employee can thrive. We are excited to present part two of this three part series: Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Insurance hosted by The Insurance Library and sponsored by Arbella Insurance Group Foundation and Boston Chapter CPCU Society.

Last week, @omarispeaks of @aaronsgroupllc presented a co-lab session on the #futureofwork titled Redefining Our Work Spaces for the HR Development Community’s series on the new business landscape. Aarons presented research from a 2015 German Ministry of Labor study on Work 4.0 and a 2019 World Bank report that predicted 2030 as the year flexible and remote work would take hold.

Today, Managing Partner Omari Aarons kicks off the first of a three part series: Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Insurance Industry with a presentation on allyship. Cost is $50 and you can register at insurancelibrary.org.

On Friday, @omarispeaks | @omari.jahi was the guest co-host of an Intentional Conversational with Dr. Nika White | @nikacwhite. Look at the key takeaways and listen to the full vodcast through the link in our bio.

Next Friday at 11am EST, Omari Jahi Aarons of @aaronsgroupllc and @omarispeaks will join Dr. Nika White of Nika White Consulting for an Intentional Conversation on how companies can move past statements and activate diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplaces.

This Sunday, Omari and Andy Tarsy join the St. Cecelia Rainbow Ministry for “A Journey to Antiracism.” LGBTQ Catholics Unite Monthly Meeting Sunday, May 23 | 1:00 p.m. | Zoom Virtual Meeting Andrew Tarsy is principal and co-founder of Conscious Customers, a consulting firm that helps companies put Black and Latin owned businesses at the center of their purchasing and procurement - and engages employees to do the same with their personal and household spending. He is also the principal and co-founder of Emblem Strategic, a Senior Fellow at UMass Boston's McCormack School of Policy and Global Studies, and former President of the Edward Kennedy Institute for United States Senate. Omari Jahi Aarons is a Howard Thurman Fellow at Boston University School of Theology and a minister at Charles Street AME Church in Boston. He is a graduate of Xavier University (Jesuit) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Omari is the founder and managing partner of Aarons Group LLC, a consulting firm that helps people and companies embrace disruption through a Diversity, Equity, Inclusive lens. He was recently named one of Ten Outstanding Young Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Everyone is welcome—including allies! If you would like to receive a Zoom invitation, please email stceciliarainbowministry@gmail.com.

Early morning client meetings. Let’s make work better!

We are fresh back from vacation! I spent a few days away from the computers and Zoom calls and instead focused on the beach, the pool, great food and music. Why is this important? You want a consultant who is bringing a fresh perspective because they are REFRESHED. Before you sign your next contract, ask your consultant about their last vacation. We’re happy to tell you about ours! #workhard #playeasy

Wishing everyone good vibes this Monday!

Today, Managing Partner @omarispeaks presented to The Insurance Library on “Where Are We Now?”, a look back at the diversity and inclusion commitments made across the insurance industry following the public outcry from George Floyd’s murder. Have you seen change in your workplace?

Join me tonight at the 2021 Inspire STEM Gala hosted by NSBE Boston Professionals - National Society of Black Engineers and Everquote. Show starts at 630 pm EST and registration is free. We’re raising money to support $35,000 in direct scholarships and $20,000 in programming to create a generation of culturally responsible Black engineers and STEM leaders. https://www.nsbeboston.org/inspire-stem/

Enough is enough.

Did you miss the Colors of Tech program sponsored by NSBE Boston Professionals (@nsbeboston)? "AI is so incredibly exciting. I truly believe general AI will be the most transformative event in human history. We're now in process of creating something potential more intelligent than us." - David Sendor "I'm looking forward to seeing how AI can help solve some of those wicked problems like poverty, food security, multicultural integration. That is the capability." - Jo Bentley Replay available. Link in bio.

The moment is always now.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have revealed a new problem: the conscious and unconscious biases of programmers and data collection systems that can be harmful to women and people of color. Join the NSBE Boston Professionals - National Society of Black Engineers for a joint virtual panel event with Liberty Mutual Insurance for Black History Month. Panelist will explore the field of AI, the intersection of AI and race, and the importance of racial and gender diversity in the field. Program moderated by Aarons Group LLC founder and managing partner Omari Jahi Aarons. RSVP today at https://lnkd.in/d_ztkyt. #diversity #ai #insuranceindustry

Spent today making updates to the website: new imagery, brochure, news features and services!

If your 2021 started with unexpected conversations on racial justice, democracy and building psychological safety for your employees, you are not alone and we can help.

Aarons Group (@aaronsgroupllc) is excited to announce that our Founder and Managing Partner Omari Aarons (@omari.jahi) was named as a 2021 40 LGBTQ Leader Under 40 by Business Equality Magazine (@bizpridepiper). The list features young LGBTQ leaders from across North America who are demonstrating exceptional leadership and major contributions in government, corporate, academia, non-profit or small business. “Aarons admits the experience helped him reveal parts of his truth he didn’t realize were hidden. He had often “felt pulled to be either Black or gay”, as if he existed in parts and not as a whole in many spaces. The sweetness is in knowing what self-empowerment is. For Aarons, it has something to do with defining and establishing what he felt was missing. Being the change the world—his world—needed to see.” To read more about the 2021 BEQ Pride 40 Under 40 Class, follow the link in our bio.

A few months ago, our Founder and Managing Partner Omari Jahi Aarons sat down with Amy C. Waninger, CPCU (she, her) of Lead at Any Level. Omari discussed his role at Liberty Mutual Insurance, the importance of employee resource groups in his recruiting and onboarding experience, and the formation of the NAAIA Boston Chapter (@naaiaboston) Check out this conversation on Living Corporate's See It to Be It. Follow this URL to check out the full show: https://bit.ly/3qMUZMR or follow the link in our bio! #livingcorporate #podsincolor #diversityandinclusion #professionaldevelopment #corporateamerica

We are so grateful to each of you joining us on this journey. Happy Thanksgiving! - Omari

Today, Ako Insurance Consulting, LLC (@ako.insurance) announced our Founder & Managing Partner Omari Aarons is joining as part of the #AkoSyndicate! Ako Insurance Consulting's interest is the diversification and increased representation of Black talent in the insurance industry. To advance this interest, Ako Insurance Consulting has aggregated a team of experts in the Syndicate who are committed to the effort. Omari brings 15+ years of culture change management, human resources and executive coaching experience to this work. #diversityandinclusion #insuranceindustry #talentpipeline #AkoAdvantage

Today, Aarons Group LLC Founder and Managing Partner Omari Jahi Aarons was published in HR Tech Outlook Magazine for his article: Disrupting Ourselves: Inclusion Work Needs You. "Take an honest look at your (virtual) table. Who's there and who's not? Go find people to join the conversation and be their champion." To view the article, click the link in our bio. #diversityandinclusion #humanresources #techbusiness

Our why. Visit the Aarons Group site today; link in bio.

Always proud to be a Musketeer and grateful to have my alma mater celebrate the recognition from @bostonchamber_ and @cityawake with me. Let’s go, X!

I, along with @naaiaboston, am proud to be a signatory with over 30 Black and Brown organizations in the Boston area as part of the 1619 Project, A Voter Protection Campaign organized by the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (@ypn_ulem) and the Lawyers for Civil Rights. Those of us in insurance know that risk is our business. Far too frequently in this century and the last, the ability to vote for people of color, women, and people in a lower socioeconomic brackets have been at risk from voter suppression, disenfranchisement, and intimidation efforts. This is certainly true for people who identity in more than one of those at-risk categories. Enough is enough. In 2020, we join in this non-partisan effort to ensure our friends, family, colleagues and neighbors are able to freely exercise their right to vote. We need your voice and action to ensure that happens. The 1619 Project offers several ways for you to participate, including safely from your own home. Please visit https://bit.ly/ULEM1619 to browse opportunities available to participate. If you’re outside of Boston, please consider joining efforts like this in your neighborhood.

Since 1952, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (@bostonchamber_ ) and City Awake (@cityawake) have named Ten Outstanding Young Leaders who strive to make Boston a best place for business and people to thrive. This year, they picked me. I am truly humbled to be recognized for my leadership in diversity and inclusion at Liberty Mutual Insurance (@workatliberty) and as the Inaugural President of the NAAIA Boston Chapter (@naaiaboston). In neither of these efforts did I do the work alone and I am grateful for the support and encouragement of my friends and family, co-laborers and colleagues. I join the ranks of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Brooke, both in the first class of honorees; and all who followed including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Splaine Rollins and Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell. If their careers and impact to community are any indication, I would pull these lines from Hamilton: There’s a million things I haven’t done. Just you wait! #diversityandinclusion #myboston

Very excited to be an inaugural Leading the Change award recipient alongside 29 of my racially diverse colleagues in the insurance industry!

Registration is open for the @diveinfest and we are hosting two programs in Boston. Visit Dive In’s site and register for Toward a Racially Just City on September 22 at 5pm today!

I’m thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the @naaiaboston chapter receiving its charter at our national conference. Join me on Sept 10!

In our third installment of Big Talks on August 13th at 5pm, we’re having THE talk. We’re talking about race. This conversation comes at a moment in our society where we’re all asking ourselves what we can do to make things better. 70% of the Littles/mentees in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts programs identify as people of color, and the guidance we provide as Bigs and mentors has real consequences for their everyday lived experiences. I’m excited to be joined in this conversation by my friends and fellow Big Ambassadors Jessie Stettin, Andrew Johnston and Anthony Britt. We’re creating a safe space to listen, share and ask the questions we’ve been conditioned not to address. The program is free and all are welcome; you don’t have to be affiliated with the Big Brothers Big Sisters to join us. Register today! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-talk-a-discussion-on-race-tickets-115083734548 #diversityandinclusion #mentoring #leadership #allyship #leanin #BigTalks

Talking is not enough if it doesn’t lead to real change.

Going live in 30 mins for the Women in Insurance Boston Conference!

Excited to share the promo video for the CXFS conference this Thursday! Join me as I talk about the importance of the social capital of brands in responding to #crisis at the #FutureDigitalFinance Virtual Event. I will share advice for how organizations in the insurance and financial service sector can respond to the twin crises of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Don’t miss the session on 7/9 at 11:05am ET: http://wbresear.ch/fdfve

On July 14, I’m excited to serve a panelist for a discussion on the urgency of diversity from an age, racial, and gender perspective in the insurance sector.

Join me for my fireside chat with Matt Millman on the twin disruptions of COVID-19 and racial injustice, and how employment brands gain or lose social capital through their response or inaction. My session is next Thursday from 11-1135 ET and free to attend.

Join me for this free upcoming webinar with D. Whitney Consulting on Belonging - Your Key to Building a Healthy Workplace Community. July 15 at 9AM ET. Registration link in comments.

I just finished recording a session for the Customer Experience in Financial Services Conference on Building Brand Equity through Crisis Response, relating corporations’ responses to COVID-19 and racial injustice. Session is free to attend next Thursday, July 9 at 11:20am ET.

I’m excited to join this year’s #diveinfest and lead efforts to promote #inclusion in the #city of #Boston! Follow us on LinkedIn at Dive In Festival Boston for updates on our September program!

I am not an anarchist by nature. My default position has always been to outwit the system, earn our seat at the table and then change the system to be fair and equitable from a position of power that is unassailable. The truth is, after almost 15 years in Corporate America, the rules for black people change. We reach a mile marker only to discover it has been moved another mile down the road. Anarchy and rebellion look more promising every day. It’s beyond my own experience. The frustration and the tears I’ve managed for others along this journey weighs on me. I keep encouraging people to stay in the fight. Stay present, have hope... I didn’t understand what people meant when they said hope is frail. I get it now. This moment is a defining moment for society. If we believe that past performance predicts future potential (as my HR peers and management theories are fond of saying), our outlook is less than dreary; it’s nearly impossible. People who say hope is frail also say it’s hard to kill. I have unwavering faith in the promise of the human condition, in the possible. Imagination has always been the trait I admire most in others and look for on my teams. So let’s imagine better. Let’s imagine a world where everyone is safe and secure. Let’s imagine that we can mean it when we say: bring your whole self to work. Let’s imagine that fear and distrust have limits, and that joy is limitless and unending. Let’s imagine better, together. ✊🏾

#blackoutday check out @nextstepstogether for more resources.

I’m excited to be part of this discussion on Wednesday: Mind The Gap: COVID-19 & African American Education – a dialogue on education access, school closures, HBCUs and cybersecurity threats. Featuring: - Edward Burroughs, Vice Chair, Board of Education of Prince George’s County, MD - Rick Grimes, President of Professional Risk Solutions, LLC - Anthony Nelson, PhD, Dean, School of Business at North Carolina Central University - Allyson L. Watson, PhD, Dean, College of Education at Florida A&M University Moderated by @omari_speaks. Program is proudly presented by @Atlanta Association of Insurance Professionals, @NAAIABoston Chapter, @NAAIAFlorida, @naaiaghc and @naaianewyork. Visit NAAIAEdGap.eventbrite.com to register today! #insuranceindustry #covid19 #diversityandinclusion #educationmatters #publiceducation #hbcu

On April 9, join the conversation on Masculinity and Mentorship: What it means to be a Big Brother in 2020. The panelist will discuss how their lives have been shaped by their relationships with their Littles and Mentees. #BeABigMan

I’m excited to present and facilitate a case study on preparing leaders for the future of work at the Human Resource Development US Summit!

I’m speaking on the business case for diversity at the Women in Insurance Boston conference on April 7th! Let’s make it clear that diversity drives innovation and engagement, leading to higher productivity and profitability.

I’m excited about the Women in Insurance Conference coming to Boston in April! I’ll be speaking on a panel about the business case for diversity and what men can do to advance women’s careers through mentorship and sponsorship.

Stepping into the new year live and in color!

The year is ending, and we’re just getting started!

Meeting people is about being present with them in every step of the conversation.

I love asking an audience to imagine with me. I can hear them thinking with me in each moment.

Recognizing my privilege as a man has been a critical part of my D&I journey, especially carrying two historically disenfranchised and underpowered identities.

I was invited to share thoughts about why giving back through volunteerism is important to me.

Laughter is the best medicine.

Addressing a group of new mentors and mentees at their program kickoff.