As Cincinnati’s oldest law firm, Graydon is dedicated to providing clients with top-notch legal services in a wide variety of areas—connecting with clients, colleagues, and their community. Understanding that the world is constantly changing, Graydon aims to be a leader in innovation—and this includes prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. While gender disparities in leadership and attrition are industry-wide challenges, the firm is committed to addressing them head-on.

Before joining a Queen City Certified cohort, they knew that women were leaving as they approached more senior roles, yet had limited data to understand the root cause of the talent loss. Graydon was committed to reconceptualizing their company’s culture and was ready to partner with Queen City Certified.

For a small-but-mighty nonprofit, the idea of dedicating limited resources to large-scale internal efforts can be daunting. But setting high standards when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion—and declaring them to the community you work alongside—is nothing new for Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF).

As the region’s leading community nonprofit foundation, GCF has been committed to connecting people with purpose for 50+ years. With $1.27 Billion in cumulative grants, GCF impacts 3,200 organizations locally, nationally, and globally. In 2019, with a new executive team in place, GCF wanted to better serve its mission by applying the same equity lens leveraged in its external efforts to its internal efforts. In order to be a leading-edge employer of choice that creates meaningful social change, the leadership team knew they needed the right people at the table. Queen City Certified (QCC) was a natural next step.

Working with some of the world’s biggest brands, from consumer packaged goods to health care to industrial agriculture, Barefoot Proximity delivers profound business results for their clients every day. As a leading advertising agency within a global network, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the key to remaining competitive.

Bottom line, ensuring the ability to hire and retain a vibrant, diverse workforce—one that reflects today’s clients and consumers—delivers the best work.

As a thriving, dynamic cultural institution in the heart of a rising city, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has a passion for and relentless commitment to artistry. But hiring and retaining top talent, especially at the national level, is very competitive, particularly when there’s a finite pool of experienced, top-tier performers. For the CSO, being on the leading edge of workplace policies and practices meant the difference between landing or losing a key hire, between keeping top talent or seeing them poached for better opportunities elsewhere.