With learning comes increased awareness and accountability. - Delta Dental of Minnesota CEO Rod Young
Delta Dental: changing within “We need to learn before we can act and try to understand before we can change,” Delta Dental’s Young said. “If we learn, we will do some things differently.” He said that includes asking questions that are inclusive, rather than exclusive, making sure the company’s hiring practices are equitable and working to make sure diverse individuals feel valued and welcome. After Williams’ presentations, Delta Dental of Minnesota wanted to keep the momentum going, so leaders set a goal of having 100% of the workforce participate in incentivized learning activities about racial justice as part of the company’s strategic plan. “With learning comes increased awareness and accountability,” Young said. The learning could take any form, but team members had to share what they had learned. Young cited a team member in Bemidji who spoke with a grandparent about race in the 1960s civil rights era. Retaining and attracting a diverse workforce
through its foundation, has invested $24 million since 2009 to expand access to dental care for underserved populations. Building on that community outreach, the company is partnering with Mortenson Construction and the Restore-Rebuild-Reimagine Fund to help business owners on Lake Street get back on their feet after their businesses were damaged during the civil unrest of 2020. Delta Dental’s foundation contributed $5 million to this effort, Young said. Young has become somewhat of an evangelist for the Racial Justice Initiative. He engaged Williams to make a presentation to Delta Dental’s national board of directors, which includes the other 39 Delta Dental CEOs around the country — some of whom have since engaged the Racial Justice Initiative to work with their own companies. Young, as the only Black CEO of a large company in the Twin Cities, said he feels obligated to do all he — and Delta Dental — can do to bring about change. When people ask him what they can do, Young tells them:
is another key goal for Delta Dental. The company is conducting “stay” interviews with all its team members, with a focus on the 10% who are diverse, said Kathie Eiland-Madison, Delta Dental’s chief engagement and inclusion officer. Joining Delta Dental around the time it became involved with RJI, she has partnered with Young to implement changes
“You have to learn first. You can’t take a step until you understand where we were and where we are today.” And to do that, he points them to Dr. Yohuru Williams and the Racial Justice Initiative. n
and expand the company’s pipeline for diverse talent. Delta Dental of Minnesota,
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