Michael Bach

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• The Right IDEA: Doing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Right

  “Diversity” and “inclusion” have become buzz words. They’re used in casual conversation by CEOs and world leaders alike. But how do you actually do diversity and inclusion right, in a way that isn’t performative and has the intended impact?

  Knowing that diversity and inclusion are important and knowing where to begin when developing an IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) program, or strategy, are two different things. Many workplaces know that IDEA is both the right thing and the smart thing to do, but simply don’t know where to start.

  “The Right IDEA: Doing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Right” is an engaging and witty look at how organizations can get started on their IDEA journey. Based on his bestselling and award-winning book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right, Michael Bach presents his six-step model on how an organization can start and stay on its IDEA journey.

  Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of:

  • The pillars of an IDEA business case.
  • What components to include in an assessment.
  • The secret ingredient to a successful IDEA strategy.
  • How to measure IDEA.

• The Smart IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility is Good Business

  “Diversity” and “inclusion” have become buzz words. They’re used in casual conversation by CEOs and world leaders alike. But what do these words mean, why do they matter, and how are they going to impact your ability to operate?

  It is undeniable that a focus on IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) is a necessity for every employer, but can every employer articulate the infamous “business case” as to why IDEA is critical to their success?

  The Smart IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility is Good Business is an engaging and witty look at the business case for why any organization should be applying an IDEA lens to everything they do. Based on his bestselling and award-winning book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right, Michael presents a clearly articulated business case for IDEA, based on data and research, that shows why any employer not only should have a focus on IDEA, but must in order to ensure success in the future.

  Learning Objectives

  Participants will come away with a clear understanding of:

  • The terminology commonly used, such as “inclusion”, “diversity”, “equity” and “accessibility”.
  • The depth and breadth of what diversity really is.
  • The people imperative: looking at the massive demographic shifts that are driving the need for change.
  • The research that shows the positive impacts an IDEA focus can have on the top and bottom line of an organization.

  This program is ideal for any organization that is trying to understand why they should be focused on diversity and inclusion. It is applicable for for-profit and non-profit audiences, across any industry, with special focus on leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs.

• My Superpower is Privilege: Understanding Your Secret Weapon to Create Inclusive Spaces

  The word privilege gets thrown around a lot, and often not as a compliment. But what is privilege? How do you get it? And how can you use it to make your organization, and society, a better place for all?

  A privilege is defined as “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.” When it comes to inclusions, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA), we tend to talk about things like “white privilege” or “male privilege”. What about “financial privilege” or “educational privilege”? There are many forms of privilege and while not everyone possesses every type of privilege, many people have some form of privilege, in some way, whether they know it or not.

  My Superpower is Privilege: Understanding Your Secret Weapon to Create Inclusive Spaces is an entertaining and informative look at the concept of privilege, and how it can be used to the advantage of others. Based on his award-winning and bestselling book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right, Michael Bach focuses on the individual and how those of use with certain privileges can use that privilege to make our spaces more inclusive for all people.

  Learning Objectives

  Participants will come away with a clear understanding of:

  • The concept of and various kinds of privilege.
  • How privilege can impact people’s lives.
  • How they can use their privilege to the advantage of others.

  This program is ideal for any organization that is looking to take their IDEA journey to the next level, by engaging their people in a conversation about how they can be more active participants in true inclusion. It is applicable for for-profit and non-profit audiences, across any industry, and appropriate for all potential attendees.

• Safety in Numbers: Ensuring your Space is a Safe Space

  In simple terms, a safe space is defined as one where people can be safe, in every way, and where they can be themselves. But the world isn’t safe for many 2sLGBTQI+ people. There are 71 countries where it’s illegal to be 2sLGBTQI +. In eleven of those countries, the punishment is death. Closer to home, many 2sLGBTQI + people still face significant rates of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia – where they live and where they work.

  How can organizations create safe spaces? What are the things that an organization needs to consider beyond hanging a rainbow flag for Pride Month?

  “Safety in Numbers: Ensuring your Space is a Safe Space” examines the concept of safe space; articulating what it is, and how organizations can ensure they are providing it. Based on his new book Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work, Michael Bach uses humour, storytelling, and his own lived experience to teach participants how they can create safe spaces for 2sLGBTQI+ people.

  Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of:

  • The concept of safe space.
  • Key components to consider.
  • Potential pitfalls to avoid.

• Strength in Numbers: How to be an Active Ally

  Winston Churchill once said, “There is at least one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.” The circumstances may have been dramatically different, but the intention remains true. The 2sLGBTQI+ communities would not be where we are today without our allies — straight cisgender people — who have seen the terrible realities faced by 2sLGBTQI+ people and joined in the fight.

  The word “ally” comes from the Latin word “alligare,” meaning “to bind to.” In essence, it means to join forces; to align with a particular cause. But what does that mean for individuals?

  “Strength in Numbers: How to be an Active Ally” is an engaging and informative look at the concept of allyship, and the key factors in being an active ally. Based on his new book Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work, Michael Bach focuses on the individual and how each person plays a role in creating an inclusive space for 2sLGBTQI+ people.

  Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of:

  • The difference between an armchair ally and an active ally.
  • Tips and tricks for being an active ally.
  • Potential pitfalls to avoid on your journey.

• ChatGPT Can’t Fix This: Why AI Can’t Fix your IDEA Issues

  Talk about AI has reached a fevered pitch. It seems like everywhere you turn, there’s a new AI-based solution to help with one challenge or another. And the inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility space has not been immune. Many solutions have come to market that claim to help address IDEA challenges, but do they? The reality is that AI can’t fix your IDEA issues — at least not in their current format.

  “ChatGPT Can’t Fix This” examines why AI isn’t a magic solution to issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Drawing from his book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and his extensive experience in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, Michael Bach explores the problems with AI using practical, real-world examples, while sharing his insights into how AI can be used effectively if it’s managed correctly.

  Audiences will leave with a clear understanding of:

  • Why AI fails the inclusivity test.
  • What employers need to consider to ensure AI isn’t creating more problems than it’s fixing.
  • How AI can be used effectively and can be more inclusive.

  This program is ideal for any organization looking to take its IDEA journey to the next level. It is applicable for for-profit and non-profit audiences across any industry and appropriate for all potential attendees, with a particular focus on people managers, HR professionals, and leadership teams.

• Becoming an Attraction Magnet: How to Improve Your Talent Attraction Process to Attract Diverse Talent

  As organizations seek to diversify their employee population, they need to accept that talent attraction processes, as we know them, are rife with potential for bias and exclusion. A study from Harvard found that, even when an employer uses pro-diversity language in their job postings, they are just as likely to exclude candidates of colour as those employers that don’t have a stated commitment to diversity and inclusion. To attract a broader range of diversity in candidates, we have to be willing to change our talent attraction processes to make them more inclusive and equitable.

  “Becoming an Attraction Magnet” presents the case for the “gold standard” of inclusive talent attraction processes. Based on his book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and his extensive experience in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, Michael Bach shares ideas of how to eliminate bias from talent attraction and make the process more inclusive, with the goal of diversifying the people you hire.

  Audiences will leave with a clear understanding of:

  • Areas where the talent attraction process is exclusive, including areas where bias may be at play.
  • Leading practices in how to improve the talent attraction process to make it more inclusive.
  • Ideas to successfully implement the change.

  This program is ideal for any organization looking to take its IDEA journey to the next level. It is applicable for for-profit and non-profit audiences across any industry and appropriate for all potential attendees, with a particular focus on people managers, hiring managers, HR professionals, and leadership teams.

• The Four Fundamentals of Inclusive Leadership: The Secret Ingredients to Turn People into Inclusive Leaders

  An organization is only as inclusive as the people in it. As employers look to embed inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) into their DNA, a vital tool in the toolbox is inclusive leadership, ensuring that the leaders in their organization are acting inclusively and supporting the overall IDEA strategy. But what does it take to be an inclusive leader? And why aren’t more leaders acting inclusively?

  “The Four Fundamentals of Inclusive Leadership” focuses on understanding bias, cultural competence, empathy, and privilege, which leaders must comprehend to actively make their organization more inclusive. Leveraging research from his book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and his extensive experience in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, Michael Bach lays out the details of the four ingredients to help create inclusive leaders.

  Audiences will leave with a clear understanding of:

  • Bias, cultural competence, empathy, and privilege.
  • A look at how not understanding these four things can become a barrier to acting inclusively.
  • Tips and tricks for starting on a journey of understanding bias, cultural competence, empathy, and privilege to become actively more inclusive.

  This program is ideal for any organization looking to take its IDEA journey to the next level, with a particular focus on its leadership. It is applicable for for-profit and non-profit audiences across any industry and appropriate for all potential attendees, with a particular focus on people managers, HR professionals, and leadership teams.