Skillsoft and SumTotal Systems today announced that Special Olympics leadership will be featured presenters at the 24-hour, follow-the-sun Perspectives 2020 digital experience. On May 13, Special Olympics athletes and Special Olympics International CEO Mary Davis will attend, speak, and share firsthand experiences of building unified teams dedicated to empowering people with and without intellectual disabilities.
At this entirely digital experience, designed to give learners and managers alike the tools to unleash their full potential, Davis will appear live, from Dublin. Her presentation will unpack the meaning of true inclusion and its impact as a business imperative.
“We’re honoured to work with Skillsoft and engage a global audience through the Perspectives 2020 conference. We have an opportunity to discuss the need to develop strong, visionary leaders with and without intellectual disabilities and begin to practice what we call Unified Leadership,” said Davis. “Even in troubling times like these, we have a unique opportunity to introduce tangible change and make fully inclusive workplace cultures a reality for all.”
Two Special Olympics athlete leaders, Kiera Byland of Special Olympics Great Britain and Ben Haack of Special Olympics Australia, will share stories of perseverance and success while giving actionable advice on tackling today’s challenges in the fight for inclusion.
“We are so grateful to have Special Olympics on board for Perspectives 2020 and look forward to having a valuable conversation about the need for true inclusion in the workplace,” said Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, Skillsoft CMO. “The way we work has shifted dramatically. With the advent of new and different work environments, now is the time for organisations to focus on and adapt to the needs of a diverse workforce from the outset and reap the benefits that learning, specifically leadership development, can have on business.”
Since 2016, Special Olympics has been working collaboratively with Skillsoft and SumTotal Systems to develop skills trainings, career maps and other projects to inspire and empower unified leaders. Furthering investment in this partnership, the company will make a donation to Special Olympics for every registrant who attends Perspectives 2020. Attendees will also have the opportunity to contribute to Special Olympics live, knowing that their donations will be matched by Skillsoft and SumTotal.
Perspectives 2020 will be held on May 13 beginning at 9 a.m. AEST in Sydney (7 p.m. EDT on May 12) and ending the day at 4 p.m. PDT in San Francisco (7 p.m. EDT on May 13).