On October 18 and 19, eBay’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team hosted the company’s first-ever Be for Everyone Experience — a two half-day virtual summit featuring interactive learning sessions with global thought leaders and experts on topics such as the business case for DE&I, understanding burnout and strengthening advocacy in the workplace.
“We set out to create a unique interactive experience that will inform, inspire and connect our entire eBay employee community,” said Josefina Aguayo, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
To kick off the event, our Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Beric Alleyne sat down with comedian Trevor Noah to discuss the role that empathy has played in his career, what companies can do to help underserved communities and how to be more inclusive in the culture.
“I'm constantly trying to assemble teams that can amplify my thoughts […] and can create ideas that I may have never come up with from my own mind,” Trevor said about assembling a diverse team for “The Daily Show.” “I think of diversity as creating more dynamism because if you’re trying to think creatively, one of the best things you can do is surround yourself with people who don’t think exactly the same way you do.”
More than 1000 eBayers tuned in from around the world for Trevor’s fireside chat, eager to hear his advice about how he embraces fear in order to pursue new opportunities, how he uses comedy and optimism to better understand the world and how eBay can lead with inclusivity and fairness.
“You’re trying to define a culture and create a common experience for people so they become their own community,” said Trevor. “I think that’s what a successful work environment and company is about — a place where people find an additional community where they come every day, so it becomes an extension of their life, instead of being a break from their life to come to work.”
The rest of the Be for Everyone Experience featured guest speakers and thought-provoking discussions, including:
- Understanding Burnout: An interactive learning session led by Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia
- Corporate Advocacy and the Workplace: A workshop led by Megan Reitz
- Courageous Conversations: An intimate ask-me-anything with the Human Library
- The Business Case for Representation and Inclusion: A speaker session led by Claudia Romo Edelman
- Global Cultural Awareness and Responsibility: An exploration with Platon
- Festival of Communities: An open house for eBay’s Communities of Inclusion (COIs)
- The Art of Mixing Music: A lesson in DJing from Fly Lady Di
- Global Culinary tour with Aarti Sequeira
Employees came away from these sessions with a number of important takeaways. For example, Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia taught attendees how to create wellness and belonging at work by examining the relationship between fear, stress, trauma and resilience.
“Listening is a form of love,” said Dr. Alisha. “Safety is driven by seeing, hearing and valuing people. The more safety and belonging is discussed, the better a leader becomes at creating the conditions for safety and belonging.”
In Platon’s session, eBayers explored cultures from around the world through the lens of photography, art, design and food. Claudio Romo Edelman used data trends in employee retention costs, customer lifecycles, brand integrity and social impact to explain why having diverse employee and customer bases is required for business growth.
“We need to look at the ways we make intersectionality a reality,” said Claudia. “Let’s get organized and mobilized and invest in people and places that are making a difference.”
At eBay, diversity, equity and inclusion is the foundation on which our culture was built. Together with our global team of innovative minds, identities and experiences, eBay will continue to strive for more inclusivity and representation so that the millions of people on our marketplace can continue to work, grow, buy and sell together.