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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. 

2024 DE&I Influencers

Keilon Ratliff

Chief Diversity Officer | Kelly

Honoree profile

Keilon Ratliff, a two-time DE&I Influencer, hasn’t let 20-plus years in the industry stop him from being innovative or keeping the momentum going. “When I began my DE&I advocacy, I thought it was all about improving the African American experience in the workplace because that’s what I was passionate about based on my own experiences. Today, I understand it’s about humanity in all forms — not just about color or gender. It’s both the visible and invisible.”

In January 2023, Ratliff was promoted to chief diversity officer at Kelly, which has enabled him to expand his reach and make a bigger impact in the DE&I space. One of his big initiatives, Equity@Work, saw such an expansion. Ratliff saw three common job requirements among customers that are frequent barriers to employment for underrepresented groups: background checks, drug screens and education level requirements. “At the end of the day, is this relevant to the job?” he asked as he challenged customers to re-evaluate their policies. His goal at the beginning of 2023 was to work with 10 customers to remove barriers and help at least 500 underrepresented people find jobs. By the end of the year, the results were more than he could have imagined: He had partnered with 50 customers and helped over 6,000 people find jobs.

People need to understand the mission, but they also need to look at it through a financial benefit lens to really see the ROI of different DE&I initiatives.

In addition to dramatically surpassing his goal, Ratliff is also helping companies operationalize their DE&I strategies and remove barriers. He is dedicated to having tough conversations that are necessary to change minds. He also knows that businesses can’t ignore the bottom line. “At the end of the day, people need to understand the mission, but they also need to look at it through a financial benefit lens to really see the ROI of different DE&I initiatives.”

As he continues his work in this space, Ratliff champions collaboration among all staffing suppliers. “I would love to partner with other staffing companies to benefit more of the marketplace. We don’t work with everyone, so how can we bring staffing leaders together to work on a common goal? Let’s ask what else we can accomplish.”