Warsaw’s residents from 70 different countries illustrate a key demographic. The city’s leaders know understanding this diversity is paramount to drawing and keeping diverse talent for its booming orthopedics industry, while contributing to a culturally rich, harmonious community.
One Warsaw
Aided by a Welcomeness Study by OrthoWorx, a non-profit organization which supports the orthopedics industry through talent initiatives, a group of volunteers in the non-profit organization One Warsaw strive to inspire
inclusion through the assistance, education, and celebration of all people.
Local attorney Travis McConnell presides over One Warsaw, made up of around 50 volunteers and 15 board members. “Our community is good, but can be better. We’re looking to bridge the gaps highlighted by the study and make the community a better place for everybody,” he said.
“In a world divided by social media, getting people face-to-face lets them see
similarities rather than differences,” says McConnell. To accomplish that, One Warsaw sponsors a number of events to help neighbors to discover likenesses and enjoy cultural diversity.
Celebrating Us
A main event, Celebrating Us, lets everyone enjoy international food, performers, a dunk tank, and even a cricket experience, with most players drawing from the city’s continental Indian population. This year, Celebrating Us will be hosted on September 23rd.
Other Events
We work with organizations to support them all year, to connect them with
community resources. For example, the City of Warsaw is working to incorporate a cricket field in a new park by the Warsaw Municipal Airport,” McConnell said. One Warsaw also supports the Guadalupe Church Festival organized by Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Church, and last year supported DePuy Synthes and OrthoWorx to host the first Pride event to celebrate the local LGBTQAI+ community.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth, a federal celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people, is a second major One Warsaw event, in partnership with employee resource groups at DePuy Synthes and Zimmer Biomet. African-American foods
and speakers spotlight the holiday’s meaning. More information is available on One Warsaw’s website, onewarsaw.org, and its Facebook page.
Spreading Love & Kindness
Board member Heather Lardino, a business banker with Warsaw’s 1st Source Bank, hopes One Warsaw spreads love and kindness. “We need not agree, but we can love, respect and exist beside one another,” she said. She pointed to Zimmer Biomet’s ABLE and Danco’s Northeast Hispanic Coalition as groups formed by the industry to help diverse employees build connections within the local community.
“The Welcomeness Study empowered our leaders with a greater understanding of how the community as a whole sees diversity,” said Nichole Rouached, Talent Director at OrthoWorx. “We want to foster a sense of belonging so we can attract and retain diverse talent for our global industries.”
“We’re continuing to foster welcomeness through education and to be more
intentional in supporting diverse talent. OrthoWorx is thankful for One
Warsaw’s continuous efforts to celebrate our differences.”