Eric L Kelly

I had the privilege of sharing my leadership insights with Adam Bryant in his latest "Art of Leading" interview. As a second-generation entrepreneur, I'm proud to be able to share my knowledge and experiences to help the next wave navigate the cultural nuances of the global business landscape.

Read my interview here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-need-understand-different-cultures-how-navigate-them-adam-bryant/

You Need To Understand Different Cultures And How To Navigate Them Eric Kelly, chairman and CEO of Overland Tandberg, shared his key leadership insights in my latest "Art of Leading" interview. Subscribe here to receive future interviews.

Bridge 2 Technologies is the catalyst for systematic and radical change in Bridging the , encouraging more diversity and global intellect, and closing the wealth gap. Our mission with Bridge 2 Technologies is to foster a new paradigm that leverages technology and the establishment of new global partnerships to substantively bridge the digital divide.

Susan L. Taylor, American editor, writer, and author, revered as "the most influential black woman in journalism today" by the American Libraries, was the recipient of the 2022 Global Intellect Summit Trailblazer Award. For over 40 decades, Susan has been empowering, uplifting, and championing historically underrepresented and silenced voices during her incredible professional tenure.

It was an honor to present Susan Taylor with the Trailblazer Award, as she paves the way for many other individuals and communities through her advocacy, her work as Founder & CEO National CARES Mentoring Movement, and the amazing legacy she left at Essence Magazine as Editor-In-Chief Emeritus.

I recently participated in the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (WRMSDC) for its First Annual Golf Classic! The WRMSDC was founded 45 years ago to support the growth and welfare of minority communities by championing the use of minority-owned businesses. I am a proud WRMSDC sponsor because of their commitment to diversity and inclusiveness.

We launched Bridge2Technologies (B2T) to solve the widening skill gap, particularly in underserved communities. According to a study conducted by Korn Ferry, ​​by 2030, the global talent shortage could reach 85.2 million people, costing companies trillions of dollars in lost economic opportunity.

B2T’s global ecosystem includes business leaders that highly value diversity and inclusion, so together we can address the compounding effects of the digital divide.

Jason W. Gallo, Vice President of Cisco’s Global Partner Organization, was a panelist for our Global Intellect Summit Strategic Growth Panel. Jason is an incredible example of , championing and advocating for diverse talent in companies. Jason was named one of the Top 100 under 50 Executive Leaders for 2019 by Diversity MBA magazine, and leads a team that drives comprehensive global channel strategies with 50,000+ global Cisco Partners.

Thank you, Jason, for participating as one of our panelists at the Global Intellect Summit! Your expertise in Strategic Partnerships, Strategic Growth, and directly aligns with Bridge2Technologies and Cisco's missions.

Mary C Daly, 13th President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, is an exceptional example and embodiment of thought leadership. A strong supporter of Bridging the Diversity and Digital Divide, Mary attributes uneven access to education as one of the biggest obstacles holding the US economy back. In recounting her mentors and sponsors along the way, she remarked: “they stopped thinking of me as a statistic and started thinking of me as a person. I’m probably one of the luckier people in the world…So many people helped me. I just want to earn a high rate of return for all those people.”

Thank you, Mary, for leading one of the Global Intellect Summit’s Fireside Chats! It was an honor to have someone who aligns so deeply with the vision and mission of Bridge2Technologies.

This is why I was honored and excited to be with 100 leaders at the Global Intellect Summit in New York at the Nasdaq. This group has committed their talent and resources to drive change.

The Global Intellect Summit was not meant to be a single event, but a starting point to address the effects of the Digital and Diversity Divide.

Our action items are clear, the hard work continues and I am more excited than ever to share updates along the way.

Stay tuned.

Top Left Image: From L to R: Shelley Stewart Jr., Chairman, Billion Dollar Roundtable; Kimberly Evans, EVP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Inclusion and Social Impact, Northern Trust Corporation; Farryn Melton, Sr. VP, CPO, Bristol Myers Squibb; Eric Kelly (Eric L Kelly), Founder and CEO, Bridge 2 Technologies; Lauren Richardson, CPO, Colgate Palmolive; Jason W. Gallo, VP, Global Partners, Cisco

Bottom Right Image: From L to R: Susan L. Taylor – Founder, CEO, National CARES Mentoring Movement - National Office, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Essence Magazine; Eric Kelly (Eric L Kelly), Founder and CEO, Bridge 2 Technologies, Jalina Porter – Principal Deputy Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State; Hardmon Williams – VP of Believes, AT&T.

On behalf of the entire Bridge 2 Technologies team, I am thrilled to share that our Global Intellect Summit in New York at the Nasdaq in Times Square was a success! Thank you to the incredible executives and thought leaders from various industries around the world who came together to address how to bridge the Digital and Diversity divide.

I look forward to continuing our discussions and engaging in the actions necessary to drive change!

Diversity is directly linked to profitability, and the numbers don’t lie. A study conducted by Boston Consulting Group in 2018 surveyed 1,700 companies and found that companies with above-average total diversity had on average,19 percent higher innovation revenues.

https://bit.ly/3wh9fB6

As a certified Corporate Plus member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Overland-Tandberg believes strongly that a diverse supply chain is the cornerstone of success! Why? Because it encourages innovation and strategic sourcing, while maintaining business growth. It's simple, a diverse supply chain, is good for business.