Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Influencers
The DE&I Influencers list honors individuals who are advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations and across the workforce solutions ecosystem at large.
Den Mondejar
Honoree profile
Den Mondejar once worked in a predominantly female organization where a team-building event was planned as a spa day, with team members segregated by gender. “I instantly thought, what’s the point of a team-building event when everybody is not in it together?” he recalls.
This incident was an eye-opener for Mondejar, as it shed light on the broader importance of DE&I principles in everyday decisions — and how they must be inclusive of everyone, regardless of gender or identity. While DE&I has always been integral to Mondejar’s life, this experience underscored the importance of his role in making a tangible impact in this field.
Today, as director of diversity enterprise and talent solutions at Aquent, Mondejar helps Fortune 500 companies as well as small to midsize businesses to achieve workforce diversity goals through diversity recruiting. With extensive experience consulting renowned brands, fostering dialogues and implementing data-driven solutions to enhance access for underrepresented groups, Mondejar removes barriers and biases from the hiring process.
The loudest voices are not always the most informed, and we must combat misinformation by leading with empathy and engaging with people on a human level.
“For me, it’s all about being able to grow and inject the principles of DE&I throughout the organization,” he says.
Mondejar is also a member of Aquent’s North American DEIB Council and chairs the BIPOC employee resource group. Through his initiatives, Aquent has experienced significant growth in supporting clients with DE&I commitment, doubling its business in this area and now assisting 22 clients with their DE&I priorities. Additionally, the organization witnessed an increase in the diversity of its talent representation, with 55% female, 49% BIPOC and 15% LGBTQ+ representation.
As Mondejar continues his efforts, he plans to keep pushing boundaries and double down on DE&I efforts despite the Supreme Court’s June 2023 affirmative action ruling that caused some private employers to pull back on diversity hiring.
“The loudest voices are not always the most informed, and we must combat misinformation by leading with empathy and engaging with people on a human level,” Mondejar says. “DE&I is not a one-time event but a continuous journey we all are on together, forever.”