Indy Standard

KPMG Celebrates 125 Years with Investment to Business Equity for Indy

Business Equity for Indy (BEI) was recently announced as one of the recipients of the KPMG Foundation’s community giving. KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year by continuing to invest in and positively impact communities across the country. In honor of this milestone, the firm and KPMG Foundation will invest $125 million over the next five years in programs helping underrepresented groups confront systemic barriers to opportunities in education, health care, and economic opportunity.

“We are beyond excited to be an investor in Business Equity for Indy and share their same vision to inspire and enable more diversity within the Indy region,” said Eric Sutphin, KPMG Indianapolis managing partner and Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio market leader. “It’s our commitment to create better and more accessible talent opportunities for Black and other underrepresented community members.”

BEI dedicates time and energy addressing the inequities that hinder individuals’ ability to prosper, businesses’ ability to thrive, and the vitality of our community. As a joint venture of the Indy Chamber and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) with support from the Indianapolis Urban League, BEI serves as a key recommendation of the Indy Chamber’s regional economic development strategy, Accelerate Indy.

“Public investment and involvement, like that of KPMG, is imperative for BEI’s success,” said Stacia Murphy, director of equity, outreach, and strategic partnerships at Indy Chamber. “Diversity efforts and actions used to be considered a nice-to-have, but we now understand they’re necessary for businesses to thrive. The relationship between talent initiatives and inclusive practices strengthens the likelihood of organizational success over time.”

Employers struggle to fill knowledge and skill-based positions with the talent they need that is representative of the Indy Region’s Black population. Investments like KPMG’s go directly toward their priorities—hiring and promotion, procurement and participation, learning and talent, impediments to health, and public policy.

BEI’s recent Workforce Equity Pilot is working to solve workforce disparities in Indianapolis. Talent acquisition and retention efforts continue to plague companies post-pandemic in ways that hurt businesses’ bottom lines. A commitment to equity can help address this challenge and attract and retain talent throughout the Indy region.

“Talent is a pillar of both Accelerate Indy and BEI. Our ability to attract, retain, and develop talent while focusing on our core value of diversity, equity, and inclusion is critical to the future of the Indy region,“ said Sarah Iglehart, vice president of Indy Partnership. “We couldn’t do that without the community and investors coming along with us.”

For information about Accelerate Indy and their key recommendations like BEI, investment information, and to participate in upcoming BEI events, visit IndyChamber.com/AccelerateIndy.

Original source can be found here.