“Bringing Diverse Voices to Your Table,” an essay by Karen Karp, founder and president of Karen Karp & Partners, is featured in the Jan-Feb issue of Trade & Industry Development Magazine.

In the column, Karen discusses how planning and implementation of last November’s City Harvest Leadership Summit in New York City included many panelists and thought leaders beyond food activists, including speakers from non-food-oriented business sectors including banking, design, health, economics, employment, development, public policy and government.

Karen writes, “What was unique about this event was getting this diversity of voices in one room in one place for an entire day for a provocative exchange of ideas that ordinarily might not take place. This sort of cross-sector communication is essential to planning for change efficiently, but all too often it’s not a priority, as planners remain in their own comfort zones and plod ahead without taking into consideration the big picture.”

Karen concludes that the lessons to be learned are applicable to anyone in any sort of business – not only food-related companies. She writes, “Next time you are considering some sort of reassessment or innovation in how you operate, be sure to bring as many folks to the table as you can, to make your discussions as meaningful and enlightening as they may be. It might just improve your bottom line.”

Read the entire essay here.