BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS (March 2004)-Business leaders, diversity experts and celebrities like boxing superstar Sugar Ray Leonard and Public Television's Ray Suarez will converge on Atlanta in late April as part of Linkage, Inc.'s 5th annual "Summit on Leading Diversity." Summit attendees share a commitment to understanding, supporting and doing business with a massive $1.5 trillion U.S. diversity market that is equal to the Gross National Products of France, Italy or the United Kingdom.

CEOs, senior executives, and diversity experts from organizations as diverse as Boeing, Cingular Wireless, Ernst & Young, Georgia-Pacific, Harvard University, The Home Depot, Johnson & Johnson, J.P. Morgan Chase, Lehman Brothers, Lucent Technology, MTV, Pepco Holdings, Inc. and Verizon will be attending Linkage's fifth annual "Summit on Leading Diversity," which is now considered one of the top diversity events in the world.

"Everyone talks a good game when it comes to diversity, but now it's time to start walking that talk. After all, the diversity markets represent $1.5 trillion in domestic buying power, and growing. Corporate America is learning to take the American diversity market as serious as it does those of the United Kingdom, France or Italy. Diversity matters and it's time for everyone to get connected, get going and get real when it comes to inclusion," says Robin Pedrelli, Vice President of Linkage and Summit Director.

The 5th annual Linkage Summit on Leading Diversity is taking place in Atlanta, Georgia at the Marriot Marquis from April 26th-29th and tackles practical solutions for leveraging diversity and creating productive work cultures.

A press conference will be held on Wednesday April 28th from 9:45-10:45a.m. at the Marriot Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia.

The conference opens with a keynote address by international sports legend and philanthropist, Sugar Ray Leonard. Other renowned speakers include:
" Naomi Tutu, the daughter of human rights activist, Reverend Desmond Tutu
" The News Hour with Jim Lehrer's Ray Suarez
" Frank Wu, the author of "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black & White"
" Comedian and author of "Don't Get Me Started," Kate Clinton

An annual reception, "Making Connections," co-sponsored with UnityFirst.com, will feature a host of businesses and community professional organizations from across the nation.

"This highly interactive gathering puts corporations in touch with new resources found in the diverse business and professional communities throughout the United States," says reception chair Janine Fondon.

Attendees will reflect on a sea of diversity challenges plaguing organizations across the country including:
1. CEOs/Visionary Leaders Talk about Diversity
" Edie Fraser, CEO of the Business Women's Network and Diversity Best Practices (an iVillage company) , will moderate a panel featuring Steve Miller, retired chairman of the board of directors, president and CEO of Shell Oil Company, John Ward, chairman and CEO of Russell Corporation and Barbara Krumsiek, president and co-chairperson of Calvert Group, Ltd. They will reveal why diversity registers so high on their radar screen and how it has impacted their bottom lines.

2. MTV Networks-Rosalyn Taylor O'Neal, Executive Vice President of Diversity Initiatives at MTV Networks will cover how to set the groundwork for a diversity program. She'll show how MTV took eight of their best managers, cleared 25% of their work-loads, replaced it with eight months of intense diversity and inclusion-focused education, and added 12 months of on-the-job diversity leadership experience.

3. Diversity at the Board Level-A panel led by the Coordinator for Calvert's Corporate Engagements and Shareholder Advocacy will reveal the expected return on investment in increasing diversity at the board level.

4. Expansion into New Markets-Asians, Latinos, African Americans
" Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics have a combined disposable income of $1.5 trillion (FORTUNE). Conference attendees will examine how organizations are adapting to meet the needs of these diverse consumers and employees.

5. Gay and Lesbian Marriage: Here to Stay
" Gays and Lesbians have $450 billion in buying power (www.diversitybestpractices.com).
" How will corporations act and react to the new rules of the marriage game?

6. A Look at Emerging Frontiers in Diversity
" White Males as Diversity Partners-Diversity and white men are often viewed as an oxymoron. White male expert, Bill Proudman, will discuss how to get this emotionally charged topic out of the closet.
" Portraying Diversity with Credibility-Communications guru, Jessica McWade, President of the McWade Group, will show how to develop messaging that makes diversity real and how to communicate diversity with clarity and credibility.

7. Tools and Tips for Loving your work by Loving your Life (LwL²)-Many corporations include work/life programs as part of their diversity efforts. A panel moderated by conference chair and author of Love your work by Loving your Life (LwL²), Martha R. A. Fields, will feature tips on how some of the nation's most successful people have discovered how to love their work and life. Best, interesting and radical practices will be highlighted.

"Our hope is that every participant will leave the conference armed with an action plan and fresh ideas to broaden their organization's diversity horizons," Fields states.

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