Thursday Buzz: Inclusion Takes Center Stage at ESPYs

Diversity and inclusion took center stage at last night’s banner television event.

The ESPY Awards, broadcast live Wednesday at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, became more than what it has been in the past: an annual event for sports fans to see their favorite athletes dress up and win awards. It was a landmark event that captured audiences across the country through stories of diversity in the sports world, particularly that of Caitlyn Jenner, who received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for “the courage to embrace a truth that had been hidden for years.” Jenner has recently shared the story of her transition from male to female, but this was her first live appearance in front of a crowd of fellow athletes.

“Trans people deserve something vital; they deserve your respect. From that respect comes a more compassionate community,” she said  (opens in a new tab) as she accepted the award.

The reality show star, previously known as Bruce Jenner, is familiar to millions of sports fans as the winner of the gold medal in the 1976 Olympics Decathlon.

Also honored was the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won the Best Team award  (opens in a new tab) for its recent World Cup win. The squad beat out a number of high-profile men’s teams  (opens in a new tab), including the Chicago Blackhawks and the New England Patriots. And Mo’ne Davis, the first girl to earn a win and pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series, took home the award for Best Breakthrough Athlete.

The 2015 ESPYs illustrate how highlighting diversity and inclusion can make a big impact at events, creating standout moments that people remember.

Successfully Tackle Your Meetings

How To Streamline Meetings And Get Work Done http://t.co/Sf6pwg0TDf  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #nptalk  (opens in a new tab)

— Kellen (@KellenCompany) July 15, 2015  (opens in a new tab)

Do you sometimes go to a meeting and think, “Why are we even here?” Sometimes it feels as though meetings have no point or they drag on and on. On Business 2 Community  (opens in a new tab), writer Stephanie McCall addresses how  (opens in a new tab) to prioritize and approach meetings to maximize productivity.

Bonus Links of the Day

“Social media is constantly evolving and reinventing itself,” says Hootsuite founder and CEO Ryan Holmes. He recently spoke to CMSWire‘s Bill Sobel  (opens in a new tab).

This group is streamlining democracy. Yes, for real. The Electronic Frontier Foundation this week debuted democracy.io  (opens in a new tab), a website where people can easily send notes to their U.S. senators and representatives.

It’s the end of the week. Need tips to stay productive? Over at Inc., Wild Creations cofounder Rhett Power explains  (opens in a new tab) three things that super-productive people do to accomplish more than others.

(ESPN handout photo)