International Women’s Day x DEPT®: Inspiring Inclusion in the Workplace
Join us for a conversation where we’ll explore some of the amazing strides women have made within the workforce, and discuss how we must continue to work together toward building truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.
International Women’s Day x DEPT®: Inspiring Inclusion in the Workplace
What to expect
This year’s International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate women and their incredible achievements, but also an important reminder that forging a gender-equal workplace—and world—is a collective endeavor. Join us for a conversation where we’ll explore some of the amazing strides women have made within the workforce, and discuss how we must continue to work together toward building truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.
As a global company, it’s our responsibility to create a culture where everyone feels included, safe, and celebrated. And doing so is no passive effort. That’s why this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Inspire Inclusion, resonated deeply with us. Inspiring inclusion means leading by example from the C-suite to the team level, equally recognizing employees of all genders and identities, and prioritizing gender parity across all facets of the workplace.
The DEPT® team is more than 4,000 people strong, spanning 30+ cities and five continents. We’re an amalgamation of various cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives—and we believe that every employee’s unique experience has the potential to make our work better, stronger, and more impactful.
Meet our speakers & hosts
Mutale Nkonde
CEO of AI for the People
Mutale Nkonde is an AI policy advisor and founder and CEO of AI for the People. This nonprofit seeks to use popular culture to increase support for policies to reduce algorithmic bias.
Nkonde led the advocacy for the introduction of the
Algorithmic Accountability Act to the US House of
Representatives in 2019 and testified in support of the Act to the House Commerce and Energy Committee when the Act was reintroduced in 2022.
AI for the People is currently providing input for the
forthcoming UN Declaration for the Rights of People of African Descent in which they advocate for freedom from Algorithmic Bias should be a basic human right. Nkonde is a member of the TikTok Content Moderation Advisory Board, a Columnist for msmagazine.com, and much sought-after speaker and media commentator. in 2023 she was named on the 10 Leading Women in AI by Nasdaq.
Missy Foristall
Global COO + Americas CEO at DEPT®
Missy Foristall is the Chief Operating Officer at DEPT® and CEO of DEPT® Americas with over 20 years’ experience working at the intersection of media, marketing, and technology. Prior to joining DEPT® in 2021, Missy spent 5 years at IBM where she first led an internal agency of 1,700 people, and then managed the company’s marketing platforms and digital design teams.
She has held executive roles at JP Morgan, MediaLink, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and spent 12 years at Razorfish, where she managed delivery, creative, user experience, technology, and functional analyst groups.
Missy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Hartwick College and has been a board member of The Ridgefield Playhouse and She Runs It (formerly Advertising Women of New York). Missy is also the executive sponsor of the DEPT® Women Employee Resource Group.
Missy lives in Connecticut with her husband and 2 teenage daughters.
Claire Shalbrack
Managing Director at DEPT®
Claire leads a team of 70+ that brings to life digital creative solutions for clients that drive business results. She’s obsessed with the intersection of culture and social media. She has deep experience in managing clients like Spotify, Google, the E! Network and Beats by Dre to connect to their consumers in these digital spaces. Over 6 years at DEPT®, she’s led the growth of creative offerings across top accounts in the business.