Pride Month with the Rainbow Risk Alliance

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

JP Navarro is Director of Client Relations at Hanna Brophy and a Board Member and the Secretary of the Rainbow Risk Alliance. In this episode, Justin and JP discuss JP’s experience at RISKWORLD 2023, takeaways from LGBTQIA+ Community MeetUp, the objectives of the Rainbow Risk Alliance, and how the risk management community is addressing LGBTQIA+ issues. They also consider some effective initiatives and policies organizations can take to bolster inclusivity. They conclude with news of the June 22nd Second Annual PRIDE Social in West Hollywood.

 

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMScast.

[:27] About today’s episode: a discussion of Pride Month and LGBTQIA+ initiatives in the risk profession with a leader from the Rainbow Risk Alliance.

[:38] All about upcoming RIMS webinars, and more!

[1:09] The RIMS Canada Conference 2023 has been announced for September 11th‒14th in Ottowa! Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information.

[1:26] On September 14th, the Spencer Educational Foundation returns to New York City for its Annual Funding Their Future Gala. The event will be held at the Cipriani on 42nd Street. A link is on this episode’s notes. You can also visit SpencerEd.org.

[1:42] Head to the RIMS.org/Advocacy page to find information about The RIMS Legislative Summit, which is returning to Washington, D.C. on October 25th and 26th. [1:56] Be on the lookout for the call for submissions for the RIMS ERM Conference, which will be held November 2nd and 3rd in Denver, Colorado! The first call for submissions was emailed in early June. Remember to check your spam box! There is a link to the web version in this episode’s notes.

[2:14] RIMS is partnering with Conrad Clark Nigeria for a RIMS CRMP Exam Prep virtual workshop Saturdays in July: July 1st, 8th, and 15th. Start your RIMS CRMP journey today! The link is in the show notes.

[2:36] Happy Pride Month, folks! The Rainbow Risk Alliance was formed in 2021 to be a resource, networking hub, and center of support for the LGBTQIA+ community of the risk profession. JP Navarro is the secretary of the group and you might have seen him at RISKWORLD 2023 hosting a community meetup in the DE&I Lounge.

[2:58] We are going to continue those dialogs by having him join us here to discuss Pride Month, how he feels the profession successfully approaches the concept of inclusivity, and how some inclusivity initiatives can be strengthened further.

[3:20] Justin welcomes JP Navarro of the Rainbow Risk Alliance to RIMScast.

[3:45] JP works for Hanna Brophy, a law firm in California, that works primarily in workers’ compensation defense. JP does their marketing and business development, including a lot of networking. Hanna Brophy integrates into the world of risk as an advisor and provider of legal services to risk management throughout the community.

[4:20] While developing many new relationships through networking across California and nationally, JP came to be involved with the Rainbow Risk Alliance by networking with two of its co-founders a few years back. When they started the RRA, they tapped JP to be one of the founding board members.

[5:36] JP says RISKWORLD 2023 was fantastic. He loved being in Atlanta at a fantastic venue. Rainbow Risk Alliance had been invited by RIMS to host a community meetup session for the LGBTQIA+ community. They were placed next to some coffee! They drew quite a diverse crowd of people who networked and learned more about RRA.

[6:35] It was an opportunity for people who were interested in learning how they can be allies; how they can work within their organizations to promote LGBTQIA initiatives. They had excellent conversations with different facets of the industry, including RIMS members and other parties. JP thinks that’s one of the best things about RISKWORLD.

[7:39] Members of the Rainbow Risk Alliance are risk and insurance professionals and risk-adjacent service providers based in California from all walks of the risk world life. One of the co-founders, Tamara Corbin, is a VP with Gallagher Bassett. JP tells how the alliance arose from an informal LGBTQIA+ network to boost community representation.

[10:09] LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual people. The “+” ensures inclusivity. The board has seven members, all from California. They have over two thousand members across the United States.

[11:15] RRA is trying to get its roots grounded in the risk and risk-adjacent community spreading into a national organization with chapters supporting the various initiatives relevant to them and their community at large, with people who identify with LGBTQIA+ community and people who want to be allies and support it in their organizations.

[11:54]  RIMS plug time! Sponsor a weekly or dedicated episode of RIMScast! Contact us at pd@rims.org. The virtual workshop, “Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the U.S.,” will be June 20–21, Register by June 19! [12:43] A three-part virtual workshop on data risk management will be June 15.

Earn the RIMS Fundamentals of Risk Data Analytics and AI certificate when you complete this workshop series. See go.RIMS.org/dataworkshops. Registration closes June 14th. Additional courses are on September 14th and December 7th.

[13:24] The webinar “Large-Scale Risk: How Walmart Manages the Risks Unique to Large and Growing Companies,” will be on June 22, 2023. Scott Fenstermaker of Riskonnect will lead the session. Scott tells about the webinar featuring Chip Hargrave of Walmart. It’s going to be fantastic! Visit rims.org/webinars to sign up for webinars.

[16:20] One of the biggest steps JP has seen is curiosity about, as a risk community, what we can do, not just to support our organization … [but] how we’re impacting everything around us, and that curiosity leading to some pivotal discussions around what the risk community can do to support, taking a deep dive into important issues.

[17:25] JP shares an example. What have organizations done as risk professionals about issues that may detrimentally impact the LGBTQIA+ community in times of disaster? What legal, cultural, and economic issues would they face as a result of a disaster? What have we done to address that proactively?

[18:05] These are newer pieces of the risk conversation. JP sees this as a positive outcome from the risk community to address what they can do for the LGBTQIA+ community.

[18:21] Regarding DE&I, there have been a lot of conversations over the last several years about what we can do to bolster DE&I initiatives within our industry. JP brings up curiosity, bringing the conversations to the table in public forums like RISKWORLD 2023. These conversations are popping up at key points throughout the year in the industry.

[19:05] JP says that’s great because it furthers this idea of curiosity. We’re talking about it. As long as we’re talking about it, we’re making movement. JP says the risk community has picked it up and run with it.

[19:22] In JP’s professional work, he sees a lot of interest in understanding how organizations are supporting LGBTQIA+ and DE&I initiatives because it’s important to them. How are we fostering development and recruitment into our industry? They’re asking for metrics, conversations, and updates.

[20:45] LGBTQIA+ is a personal identification that comes with a lot of things behind it. If somebody isn’t comfortable with identifying at home, we can’t expect them to do it at work unless it’s anonymous. Surveys are not trusted to be anonymous. Think about what a safe workplace is. Are we inclusive? Look at the language of initiatives.

[21:49] JP was reminded of this when he reviewed case law recently that included the word “firemen.” Firefighters include both men and women. JP has seen positive responses to the way we’ve adjusted the pronouns within our existing policies. Ensure that the language in your policies is inclusive. That’s a huge step you can take now.

[22:52] Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be an excellent source of information and a way to put your finger on the pulse of a company’s culture as it’s perceived by each group. Be open to listening to what those groups have to say. Those can be really difficult conversations; what is intended by a policy may not be what is perceived.

[24:08] JP recommends that organizations consult with DE&I experts. Having a third-party perspective to help shape policies and craft initiatives is an excellent investment in an organization’s culture. That’s what speaks to the community at large.

[24:45] Rainbow Risk Alliance has a Second Annual Pride Social on June 22nd. There will be drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and a drag show. It will be a social networking event in West Hollywood from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Chapel at the Abbey, seen on reality shows like The Real Housewives and The Vanderpump Rules.

[27:56] Justin thanks JP for being on RIMScast and says he looks forward to seeing him at RISKWORLD 2024 in San Diego! JP thanks Justin and wishes everybody happy Pride! JP looks forward to being in San Diego and promises another Community Meetup!

[28:23] Justin says a “special thanks to JP Navarro of the Rainbow Risk Alliance for joining us here today.” Rainbow Risk Alliance links are on the show notes. Also, see the links on the show notes for past coverage of Pride Month and DE&I initiatives.

[28:51] Sponsor a RIMScast episode to reach a global audience! Justin shares other RIMS offerings, including a transitional membership, RIMS.org, Risk Management Magazine, and the Risk Management Monitor blog! Justin thanks you for your continued support and engagement!

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

RIMS Canada 2023 — Sept. 11–14 in Ottawa!

Spencer Educational Foundation — Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 14, 2023

RIMS ERM Conference 2023 — Submit an educational session by June 30.

Contribute to Risk Management Magazine

RIMS Diversity Equity & Inclusion page
Upcoming Webinars:

“Cyber Risk: Sharper Security or Dulled to the Danger?” | Sponsored by Beazley | June 20, 2023

“Large-Scale Risk: How Walmart Manages the Risks Unique to Large and Growing Companies” | Sponsored by Riskonnect | June 22, 2023

Upcoming Virtual Workshops:

“RIMS Fundamentals of Risk Data, Analytics and AI” | June 15, 2023 | 10:00 am–2:00 pm ET | Registration Closes June 14 | Enroll Now

“Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US” | June 20–21 | 10:00 am–5:30 pm ET | Registration Closes June 19 | Enroll Now

“Risk Appetite Management” | July 12–13

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops

Related RIMScast Episodes:

“Risk Insight with AAIN Leadership”

“Taking the “Next Steps” with NAAIA Executive Director and COO Omari Jahi Aarons”
“RIMS DE&I in June 2022: Pride, Juneteenth, and National Indigenous History Month”

“Launching DEI Initiatives with Tara Lessard-Webb” (2021)

“Pride Month: How Risk Pros Can Protect and Uplift LGBTQ+ Employees” (2021)

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Follow up with Our Guest:

JP Navarro

Hanna Brophy

Rainbow Risk Alliance

Rainbow Risk Alliance Royal PRIDE Social
❤️Rainbow Risk Alliance: PRIDE 2023

🧡June 22, 2023

💛5–9 p.m.

💚The Chapel at the Abbey

💙692 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

 

Tweetables (For Social Media Use):

 

“[The RISKWORLD 2023 Rainbow Risk Alliance meetup] was also an opportunity for people who were interested in understanding or learning more about our organization: How can they be allies? How can they work within their organizations to promote LGBTQIA initiatives?” — JP Navarro

 

“One of the biggest steps that I saw … is curiosity. Just the question of, as a risk community, what can we do, not just to support our organization … [but] how you’re impacting everything around you, and that curiosity leading to some pivotal discussions.” — JP Navarro

 

“It’s great because it furthers this idea of curiosity. We’re talking about it. As long as we’re talking about it, we’re making movement. And I think the risk community has really picked that up and run with it.” — JP Navarro

 

“Justin, I thank you so much for having me here! Happy Pride, everybody! I hope you enjoy it. Stay curious. Stay open. And I’m excited to be in San Diego next year and we will absolutely be there for another Community Meetup!” — JP Navarro