Scott A. Thacker, president and CEO of Ivory Consulting Corporation, served as founding chair and longterm leader of ELFA Equity, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s inclusion initiative now known as ELFA Power of People. Under his leadership, the committee recognized observances including Black History Month, AAPI Heritage Month, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Neurodiversity Awareness, and organized an annual inclusion conference.

“Engage with someone you don’t know and ‘walk a mile in their shoes’ so you can understand how they see the world and feel the way they feel,” Thacker says.

Thacker measures DEI progress by tracking how many people from diverse backgrounds are celebrated, hired, promoted and mentored, noting that companies that champion diversity tend to be more profitable and more highly regarded in the marketplace.