The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce will be hosting, as part of Third Thursday, a series of Interactive workshops and masterclasses designed to help small/independent businesses thrive. June 20, 2019 we welcome guests to join us for a limited seating workshop that focuses on the importance and benefits of increasing diversity at your workplace. Join Alexis Martinez, Jackie Boyd, and Iggy Ladden from the Chicago Therapy Collective for a 1 hour workshop to answer your questions about Best Practices of Inclusive Hiring and Building Safe Spaces.
We all desire safe and inclusive employment and workplaces. Access to housing, healthcare, education and feelings of self-worth, purpose, and belonging are all inextricably linked to our ability to earn an income. This truth is especially poignant for transgender individuals and queer people of color facing disproportionate discrimination and violence at work and in many other areas of their lives.
Employment is the hallmark of inclusion: as business owners, managers, and staff we are uniquely positioned to support marginalized individuals and communities. Join the Chicago Therapy Collective (CTC) for a workshop about creating and expanding inclusive hiring practices and cultivating safe, engaged spaces and culture at your place of work.
CTC organizer Alexis Martinez, a local latina transgender woman who’s lived in Andersonville for 40 years, will share about her difficulties finding employment in Andersonville and CTC trainer, Jackie Boyd, a long-time LGBTQ+ advocate and aging expert, will discuss strategies for addressing these challenges at your place of work. The conversation will be facilitated by CTC founder and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Iggy Ladden. You'll walk away from the workshop with (1) more knowledge about how to identify and fix inadvertently exclusive hiring protocols, (2) a practical understanding of how to attract a broader range of job candidates, and (3) having identified your organization’s next steps for creating safer work spaces for transgender individuals and queer people of color.
Ready for a call to action? Join the Chicago Therapy Collective’s #HireTransNOW initiative and challenge your workplace to interview (and hire!) a transgender individual for your next open position!
Alexis Martinez (she/her) is a core organizer for Chicago Therapy Collective’s Trans-Inclusive Chicago! Campaign and #HireTransNOW initiative. Alexis wants nothing more than to see businesses hiring trans. Alexis is a long-time Chicago activist in the Trans community, a prior business owner of 20 years, wood-worker, grandmother, and 35 year Andersonville resident. She has been and continues to be a core organizer for the the Dyke March Collective and works part-time for the Transformative Justice Law Project. In addition to spearheading #HireTransNOW, Alexis brings invaluable experience and perspective to Chicago Therapy Collective’s education and outreach initiatives.
Jacqueline Boyd (she/her) is a lead trainer for Chicago Therapy Collective's Trans-Inclusive Chicago! Campaign. She brings passion and expertise to the field of aging and LGBTQ+ advocacy. A dynamic speaker, facilitator and entrepreneur, Jacqueline has consulted with national and local organizations such as SAGE, Howard Brown Health Centers, AIDS Foundation Chicago, and Affinity Community Services to enhance services offered to LGBTQ+ older adults. She is the founder and owner of The Care Plan, (
www.the-care-plan.com), the country's first LGBTQ+ centered care management company, and author of Create Your Care Plan: An LGBT Person’s Guide To Preparing For Medical Procedures.
Iggy V Ladden (they/them) is founder and core organizer of Chicago Therapy Collective and its Trans-Inclusive Chicago! Campaign. Iggy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in Andersonville, a registered yoga teacher, and a long-time Andersonville resident. Iggy was named one of Windy City Time’s “30 under 30” in 2014 for their service to the Trans community and founded CTC in 2018 in response to the ongoing negative impact of minority stress on their clients health and wellbeing. Iggy believes in the power of relationship-building, deep listening, social accountability, and community-member empowerment in their community organizing work.