As Pride Month continues through the month of June, Kimball International showcased their ongoing commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) by supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and allies through events, education, and sponsorships.

Kimball International strives to provide a safe, positive, and caring environment for employees, customers, suppliers, and more. They have launched Employee Resource Groups called Connection Communities where employees can show their support and share common goals to advance understanding and acceptance for a variety of topics including LGBTQIA+.

Amy Witten, a Market Sales Manager in the Dallas, Texas area is also a Co-Chair of the LGBTQIA+ Connection Community. “I have seen our company transform over the past few years,” said Amy. “By embracing the LGBTQIA+ community and changing to the future, and for the future. Not everybody is the same. People are different. We need to embrace and respect those differences.”

As the Rainbow Level sponsor of the Dubois County Indiana PRIDE Festival, Kimball International provided financial support and a team presence at the event to welcome and support the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. The Festival, held on June 24, 2023, featured live music, food trucks, local retailers, and resources for the community. It raised money and awareness to ensure that the Dubois County community promotes diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. In addition to having a day-long celebration, attendees connected through service projects and raised money for a scholarship fund. Kimball International’s booth was staffed by employee volunteers and provided educational materials as well as buttons and other giveaways. Kimball International leaders also participated in the opening comments, sharing an inspiring message on the importance of respect and acceptance in celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“It was an amazing event,” said Landen Weidenbenner, Co-Chair of the LGBTQIA+ Connection Community and also a Customer Experience Specialist. “The day was full of positive messages of acceptance, love, and care for the LGBTQIA+ community. It was fantastic to see the quantity of LGBTQIA+ community, allies, families, and friends that participated in the Dubois County PRIDE Festival. A big “Thank You” to Kimball International for their sponsorship and to the Kimball International volunteers who helped make the event a great success! I am grateful to have been a part of the planning process and to be able to bring this event to our area. I’m also proud to be a Kimball International employee and to see their overwhelming support of the event.”

Kimball International’s showrooms, located throughout the nation, also held events to support the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. In addition to hosting events, the local markets also partnered with other venues to co-sponsor events. Landen shared, “These celebrations and events are not just for people who identify as LGBTQIA+, but also for people who want to be allies to their family members and friends who identify.”

In the Boston market, Kimball International recently co-sponsored the third annual True Colors Pride event. The event is an A+D tradeshow that honors and celebrates the local LGBTQIA+ and A+D communities. True Colors raised funds for the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (BAGLY), which is a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization, committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ community. In conjunction with Strategic Spaces and other industry brands, the event introduced new product solutions from top industry manufacturers, while guests enjoyed beverages, lite bites, and live entertainment.

For years, Kimball International has been on a journey of Creating Places to Belong for all employees through a carefully planned and orchestrated DEIB strategy, the foundation of which is education. Through their education session “DEIB Foundations”, employees learn about the concepts and definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They also explore the importance of respecting one another while valuing and embracing unique characteristics and opinions. As of June 2023, they have successfully delivered this session worldwide to over 2,000 employees through virtual and onsite sessions, including translation support in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Burmese.

About Kimball International

Kimball International is a leading omnichannel commercial furnishings company with deep expertise in the Workplace, Health, and Hospitality markets. We combine our bold entrepreneurial spirit, a history of craftsmanship, and today’s design driven thinking alongside a commitment to our culture of caring and lasting connections with our customers, shareholders, employees, and communities. For over 70 years, our brands have seized opportunities to customize solutions into personalized experiences, turning ordinary spaces into meaningful places. Our family of brands includes Kimball, National, Etc., Interwoven, Kimball