Todd Adams, co-founder of Visibility Marketing, says the importance of international talent adds new dimensions to diversity and inclusion efforts. Watch video
Business consultant Todd Adams says the global economy demands a new, more holistic approach to diversity and inclusion.CLEVELAND, Ohio--As they size up a global economy, area businesses are trying to assemble the resources they need to compete--including international talent.
That requires some understanding of the process of sponsoring immigrant workers, of course, but also insight into what foreign-born professionals are looking for in an American job.
The new demands call for a new, more holistic approach to diversity and talent attraction, says Todd Adams, the founder of a consulting firm that specializes in communication with diverse audiences.
Adams, who holds the title of chief of sustainability and innovation at Visibility Marketing in Beachwood, is teaming up with Cleveland immigration lawyer Richard Herman to offer a new kind of diversity workshop, one that sees immigrants as part of the mix.
"Smart Companies: Winning with H-1Bs, Diversity and New Talent Strategies" runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 3, at the Embassy Suites on Rockside Road in Independence. A multicultural happy hour will follow.
The free workshop is timed to precede a key date in workforce management. On April 1, the federal government will begin accepting applications for H-1B visas, the temporary work visas for high-skilled immigrants. The annual allotment of the specialty visas is typically exhausted quickly, sometimes in a single day, so employers are encouraged to be ready on April 1.
The workshop will attempt to demystify the visa process by offering the basics of sponsoring immigrant workers, organizers say. It will also offer tips for attracting those employees to Cleveland and for integrating them onto the team and into the community.
"That becomes very important," Adams said. "You're really competing for talent. And once you get that talent, you have to make sure people feel welcome."
That can often be accomplished with simple innovations, like organizing staff lunches or cultural events, Adams said. More challenging will be fostering an office environment sensitive to cultural diversity.
"The landscape is changing," Adams said. "Human capital is critical. There's a need to create more of an ecosystem--a sustainable diversity and inclusion model. And that model should include immigrants."
To register for the workshop, call or email Connie Cook at the Herman Legal Group: 216-696-6170; connie@asklawyer.com.
Cleveland Whiskey to thank city for its quicker liquor
When it celebrates its first anniversary next month, Cleveland Whiskey intends to send out a big "Thank You" to the city that inspired its label.
Tom Lix, the 61-year-old founder of the downtown distillery, said he doubts he could have realized his dream anywhere else.
"I was surprised at the reception they gave to a very early stage company," says Lix, an experienced entrepreneur from Boston.
Cleveland Whiskey uses Lix's patented, fast-maturing whiskey process to age and bottle bourbon. The finished product has impressed many a connoisseur at blind tastings. It's also winning over consumers as it rattles the venerable bourbon industry.
The startup sold a little more than 50,00 bottles in its first year of business. It's now expanding from Ohio into other Midwest markets.
Lix credits his early success, in part, to the region's support system for entrepreneurs. His noisy distillery commands space in an incubator run by MAGNET. He received business advice from JumpStart and a $25,000 startup grant from the Lorain County Community College Innovation Fund.
Now he employs 12 people and he's become one of Cleveland's biggest cheerleaders.
"I think Cleveland is on the verge of becoming a great city once again and I'm here to stay," he said.
On March 17, Lix intends to say thanks to his new hometown from a float in the Cleveland St. Patrick's Day Parade. Afterward, he's inviting the public to a birthday party at McCarthy's on the West Bank of the Flats. The party will feature music by the Cleveland Celtic rock band, Craic, as well as samples of the newest whiskey in town.