WGIC DEI Trailblazer Awards recognize and celebrate exemplary leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the geospatial industry. The awards recognize individuals and geospatial organizations that make proven efforts to promote and execute workplace DEI policies and celebrate WGIC member companies’ corporate-wide efforts to promote DEI. Through these awards and recognition, WGIC strives to motivate the larger geospatial community to move from awareness to action in its DEI efforts. WGIC’s DEI Committee led the efforts for these awards.
Esri India won the WGIC DEI Trailblazer – Corporate Impact Award for the DEI policies, programs, and practices the company implements to foster an inclusive culture within Esri India and its areas of influence within the larger geospatial community.
Delighted over receiving the award, Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, “I am very happy and grateful to the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) for this recognition to ESRI India in the form of DEI Trailblazer – Corporate Impact Award.”
Clinton Johnson, President & Founder of GIS NorthStar, won the WGIC DEI Trailblazer 2022 – Individual Champion Award for his outstanding contributions to advancing DEI, which resulted in meaningful advancements in the geospatial community. Johnson approaches leadership through a holistic lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion and displays a solid commitment to expanding community understanding and knowledge of DEI.
Johnson assists organizations in developing equitable policies. He adopts an empathic approach to technology, beginning with understanding the problems different individuals face in the real world and then looking for creative solutions. He also advocates for under-represented groups’ participation and equity in GIS and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in general. “Since 2017, the NorthStar of GIS has delivered engaging and educational events for over 3000 guests showcasing dozens of black students and GIS professionals sharing innovative solutions for business and social impact. On behalf of all of the people I collaborate with, thank you all for supporting and promoting initiatives that increase justice, equity, and belonging,” said Johnson.
WGIC DEI Committee advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion through different means. In an interview with INTERGEO TV’s Denise Wenzel, Albert Momo, WGIC DEI Committee Chair, briefly introduced the work carried out within the committee, what the Trailblazer Awards are focused on, and how the awards fit into the work and goals of the WGIC. “We should be proud of the leadership of member companies within WGIC. They have been doing a great job increasing awareness and putting together DEI policies within their companies,” said Momo.
