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On November 12, NationSwell hosted a virtual Leader Roundtable dedicated to examining what’s ahead for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Amid a turbulent year for DEI, the discussion was designed to unpack the pressures, highlight innovative responses, and surface practical strategies that enable organizations to safeguard hard-won gains, navigate uncertainty, and continue advancing more equitable workplaces and communities.
Some of the most salient takeaways from the event appear below:
Key takeaways
Maintain progress over posture. It’s critical to make progress, not a just point—staying committed to tangible outcomes rather than symbolic gestures. This mindset demands both courage and strategy: being careful not to obey in advance to external pressures or political headwinds that discourage action.
Focus on the problem you’re solving: access, opportunity, and shared prosperity to strengthen its staying power. Get clear about naming the challenges you’re solving, like inequitable access to capital or opportunity, rather than centering the focus solely on identity. This approach to language helps protect the intent of the work while expanding its reach and legitimacy across audiences.
Reimagine investment for systemic impact. Practitioners are aligning the levers of philanthropy with the principles of venture capital, while ensuring that the return on investment accrues to the communities themselves. This means mobilizing catalytic capital that addresses the intersections of material conditions such as housing, economic mobility, and entrepreneurship.
Embed equity into leadership and institutional DNA. The shift from programmatic to executive–led initiatives ensures accountability at the highest levels. By developing collectives of teams and integrating initiatives across business units, companies can ensure inclusive work becomes a shared operational responsibility and cannot easily be targeted, defunded, or liable to scrutiny.
Build local, cross-functional ecosystems to spread the risk and keep moving forward. Leaders are forging stronger alignment among legal, compliance, communications, and other teams—working in lockstep to mitigate risk without compromising purpose. The question is not whether risk exists, but who can take on what risks, and where the risks lie. Consider which local partners you can work with to keep pushing beyond where your organization is able. Ask yourself: what costs are we willing to bear to uphold our values? And what do we lose if we don’t?
Adapt and sustain commitments amid scrutiny. Even as language shifts and brand sensitivity heightens, the overwhelming majority (94% of purpose-driven companies) continue the work. Many are increasing investment in ERGs, volunteering, and community engagement because changing words, not work, allows employees to feel continuity of mission while maintaining public trust and compliance.
A strong future hinges learning from our past, and having the courage for tomorrow. “History is repeating and rhyming, and it’s a great teacher.” By staying committed to the work while strategically responding to external conditions, organizations can thrive amid headwinds. Communicating clearly about what is changing and what remains constant, helps counter perceptions of retreat, while sharing authentic stories of impact reinforces enduring credibility.