by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
Attendees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s Diversity Leaders Conference and Luncheon Friday received a Hollywood treat.
Keynote speaker for the event aimed at helping Jacksonville business leaders learn how their companies can benefit from a diverse work force was Christopher Gardner, owner and CEO of Christopher Gardner International Holdings and the inspiration for the 2006 movie, “The Pursuit of Happiness.”
Gardener shared his story of self-empowerment, overcoming homlessness in the mid-80s and becoming a successful business owner despite a number of setbacks – all chronicled in his autobiography and later the movie. Gardner also shared his account of going from “just another guy” taking care of business to a Hollywood star.
“It was a great honor to have Mr. Gardner here. We can all learn a lot from his determination and perseverance,” said Tony Jenkins, Vice President of Cultural Competence and Diversity Systems for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, who added that the conference was a partnership between the the First Coast Diversity Council and Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
The day-long conference began with a presentation from Felipe Korzenny, P.h.D, co-founder of Cheskin and professor of Advertising and Integrated Market Communication at Florida State University. Korzenny discussed the Multicultural Marketing Equation – one designed to seamlessly blend different cultural needs for different markets throughout the world.
The conference continued with a Cultural Competence and Diversity Panel moderated by Betsy Silva-Hernandez, chief diversity and inclusion officer for BCBS of Massachusetts. Panelists included various speakers, including David Costello, senior vice president of Health dialogue and Sabrina Simmons, president of the First Coast Diversity Council, among others, who discussed a range of topics from cultural competence in healthcare to multicultural marketing strategies.
Following the panel, Author of the Medici Effect and Managing Director of Medici Capital Management Frans Johansson, provided attendees with a number of ways for corporations to drive conversations about innovations.