Our Commitment: Cultural Competency and embracing Prospero teammates as their authentic selves

Last spring in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Prospero’s Chief Executive Officer, Doug Wenners, wrote an open letter to his entire team (and also shared it publicly here) addressing racial injustice, its impact, and how Prospero seeks to foster an inclusive community and address inequities in the healthcare system and our larger society.

In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to update you on what Prospero’s been doing since Doug’s letter of commitment.

Bolstered by the formation of “Prosperity: A Coalition for Change”, Prospero has set a company-wide goal of cultural competency for all teammates. The coalition, comprised of Prospero teammates, works alongside Prospero’s leadership team to advocate for the creation of programs, encourage the evaluation of policies, and provide insight for how Prospero can support employees during unprecedented challenging times.

“With goals centered around awareness, education, and training, Prosperity: A Coalition for Change has become Prospero’s ‘True North’ for cultural competency.”

Jenn Crenshaw, Prospero’s Chief People Officer

Showing up as your true authentic self and feeling valued is not only important to our organization as a whole, but it also improves the work we’re able to do for the people in our care. According to a study by Deloitte, “When employees believe their organization is committed to diversity and they feel included, innovation increases by 83%.”

Prospero leadership supports the work of Prosperity, particularly as it encourages every team member to bring their authentic self to work. Inclusion makes us stronger. 

“If you want to make a difference, it’s more than just messaging. It’s setting an enterprise-level goal. The work of cultural competency is as important as anything else we do.”

Doug Wenners, Prospero Chief Executive Officer