Season 1, Episode 19: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Movement with Robyn Frank

Notes To My (Legal) Self

Robyn Frank is responsible for all legal matters at Centerforce USA, an enterprise which develops and hosts conferences around the country on issues that concern female and minority leaders in the legal profession. Robyn oversees the Diversity Division, including speaker recruitment, panel prep, creation of all content, and on-site management of the Women in the Law Summit Series, where she moderates panels on diversity, equity, and inclusion before audiences of 150+ attendees. She also founded Frank Talk as a powerful resource for professionals and organizations that want to further their DEI initiatives by participating in one-to-one training, workshops, and retreats that deliver high-impact results toward full inclusion.

Robyn’s expertise in workplace equity goes back even further, to her days as General Counsel at Great Eastern Energy in Brooklyn, New York. There she headed the legal and regulatory departments, and she led the development of the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Robyn holds a B.A. in Social Sciences from the Ohio State University, a J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University, and a Master’s in Energy Law from the University of Tulsa. Robyn is also a Member in Good Standing of the New York State Bar.

In this episode, we discuss her journey from GC of an energy company to a spokesperson and advocate for DEI. Why has DEI become such a hot button topic? Why should companies prioritize DEI as a core value as we head into 2021? What advice can she offer to those organizations that want to embrace DEI but don't know where to begin? What other resources can she suggest in order to further these initiatives?