Delve into a thoughtful exploration of how we can build more supportive and inclusive workplaces for everyone. Many neurodivergent colleagues and professionals of color navigate the workday with a complex, sometimes unconscious, invisible effort known as "masking" —a survival strategy that can entail suppressing natural traits to appear neurotypical or to perform cultural code-switching, which involves altering one's language and presentation to navigate systemic biases. Running these multiple layers of "behavioral software" to ensure they are perceived as safe and palatable requires constant hyper vigilance, often resulting in severe mental exhaustion, missed support opportunities, and chronic burnout. By understanding the heavy toll of these intersecting realities, we can learn to breakdown invisible barriers and foster compassionate environments where every team member feels valued and empowered to safely bring their authentic self to work.
Join this September webinar to learn how to:
1. Audit your own workplace environment
2. Discover hidden barriers through guided reflection
3. Be a better ally

President, Next Leader Up
Dr. Shelby Hill, president of Next Leader Up, is a leader in executive coaching, leadership development and strategy. He and his team have worked with over 500 companies spanning from the health care, finance, non-profits and tech industries (including AV). Dr. Hill has also presented at InfoComm as a Diversity Council keynote speaker.
Connect with Dr. Hill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drshelby/
Learn more about Next Leader Up: nextleaderup.com

Design Engineer, AVI-SPL and AVIXA Diversity Council Chair
Jenn Steinhardt, a Design Engineer at AVI-SPL, brings nearly a decade of experience to the audiovisual industry. Her extensive background spans consulting, rentals, sales, service, project coordination, and engineering. Jenn holds dual certifications from AVIXA (CTS and CTS-D).
As the 2024-2026 council chair for the AVIXA Diversity Council, Jenn advocates for an equitable, inclusive, and diverse audiovisual industry, fostering a culture of belonging. She has been recognized in SCN: The Nine and Commercial Integrator’s 40 Under 40. Jenn earned her Bachelor of Science in Media Arts & Design from James Madison University and a Master's in Sociology from The New School for Social Research.
Connect with Jenn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsteinhardt/