“Michael’s exceptional leadership not only with his team, but successfully navigating … one of the largest healthcare organizations during the pandemic, has been absolutely incredible,” Atallah said. Presenting the Outstanding Business Leader Award was Atallah, who noted he “couldn’t be prouder” to give the honor to “dear friend” Ricks, who has served as CEO of Providence St. During the panel, Taylor promoted several City initiatives like the Buy Local campaign and the Most Loved contest as ways to get a local business noticed. The panelists were City of Santa Monica Economic Development Manager Jennifer Taylor, El Camino College Small Business Development Center Director Starleen Van Buren and California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-BIZ) Director of Innovation Christopher Earl. The final panel, hosted by Chamber CEO Judy Kruger, was a discussion on business growth and procurement with representatives of the local, regional and state levels. “You have no idea how quick it’ll get picked up … you just don’t know how amazing it is the simplest things can really make a big difference,” Oliver said. Oliver added that online services like the Chamber’s directory of local businesses are crucial for getting businesses seen on Google searches and other social media platforms. Both Dye and Lucas explained how their services can be used within businesses, such as Botcopy’s expertise in AI-centered contact and customer relations live chat interfaces. Business Partner Solutions’ Rick Lucas and Chamber Marketing and Events Manager LeAnn Oliver. Other panels at the summit included discussion on AI marketing, with comments from Botcopy CEO Dustin Dye, Snap, Inc. The Chamber and SMC recently began the Chamber Talent Connect program based on these growing industries. Beardsley noted that the strength of SMC is in its flexibility to develop new programs or pathways in “emerging areas,” such as cloud computing and aquaculture. Having strong educational roots locally also cultivates a strong workforce, with Santa Monica College Vice-President of Academic Affairs Jason Beardsley commenting how SMC is an “anchor” of the community with resources that can help businesses connect with students. “If COVID showed us anything, it was the balance in the wellness that was prioritized with organizations that were able to keep their employees … to the extent that we are prioritizing, ensuring that the whole person is taken care of both in terms of leadership people management, the development of a person is being kind of woven into the fabric of the culture and the organization,” Chatman said. The policy director also touched on how caring employers who offer living wages are also seen more fondly in a world recently impacted by the economic anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also noted that another trend which is “long overdue” is focusing on “skills-based hiring,” with employers looking for “demonstrated capacity for growth” instead of focusing on more strict educational requirements which “created barriers for entry.”Ĭhatman expanded on how employers can keep talent once acquired, stating that employees want to see advancement opportunities and that businesses should create a culture where “upskilling and advancement is visible.” On the day-to-day, Chatman added that new employees strive to find roles that are “connected to meaningful impact,” which can spark joy even during mundane tasks. “We are making sure that we are having ongoing education for our employees on the principles and making sure that we have processes, hiring processes, recruitment processes, that are equitable and transparent and present an equal playing field across the board for candidates,” Quintero said. Both UNITE-LA Director of Policy Amber Chatman and Lionsgate Head of Talent Acquisition Tami Quintero spoke of equity in employment opportunities, with Quintero adding that a workforce trend she’s seen is in inclusive hiring practices, including at the Santa Monica-based Lionsgate.
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