Guest Commentator: Jeff David, President, Fitler Club

What steps can businesses in the hospitality industry take to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Fitler Club was founded to be a community based on diversity, inclusion, and civic engagement. We built this club of, for, and with the City of Philadelphia and we stand on our commitment to Community First. Our vision has always been to create a community that looks like the city in which we reside.

Over the past several months, the pandemic and civil unrest have reconfirmed the importance of our mission to be an agent for positive change and social engagement in our city. We identified three pillars that pertain to the present time, both inside and outside our walls, which support our goals and serve as our guide:

1. Take care of your “family” first.

In a time when everything is uncertain, what is important becomes clear. When layoffs are inevitable, find creative ways to show care and compassion. Knowing lost wages could result in dire consequences to many team members in hospitality, we created a bi-weekly food bank for our furloughed employees and paid their health care costs for 100 days.

2. Engage in the rebuild of Philadelphia.

With a focus on civic responsibility, we created opportunities to support the city in which we live, as well as the membership community we have built:

  • We joined forces with our neighbors at the 23rd Street Armory and Philadelphia Youth Basketball to provide a safe place for kids to be active this summer which carried over to educational support and mentoring this fall.
  • We developed culinary collaborations with local chefs who were impacted by recent events, showcasing their talents and cuisine.
  • Fitler Club has always been committed to supporting Philadelphia’s diverse artistic community and our collections provide a platform for today’s ongoing and important conversations.

3. Be an upstander, not a bystander. Be intentional with your actions.

Like monks praying, a constant mantra is the way to ensure we keep this conversation at the forefront. We begin our daily team meetings by discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sometimes it’s heavy and sometimes it’s celebratory, but nonetheless we talk about it daily.

The Chamber positions diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical for business maturation and growth. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative drives economic competitiveness, highlights diverse employee populations, and promotes inclusive growth throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.