Erwin Lee Acox, Jr. With more than 20 years of experience working with executive leaders in complex organizations, Erwin L. Acox, II is a diversity, equity & inclusion expert focused on transforming organizations from the inside out. Based in San Francisco, Erwin is Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Tides. In addition to crafting and implementing sustainable DEI practices, he advises organizational leaders, through culture shifting, for positive employee experiences. His DEI practice focuses on getting to the root causes of organizational inequities to provide sustainable approaches to creating workplaces where employees feel valued and respected for their humanity and contributions. Previously, Erwin has led system-wide diversity and inclusion efforts for the Illinois Department of Transportation, where he supported nearly 6,000 employees through culture shifting, while also shifting contracting practices to be more equitable and inclusive of women and BIPOC. He has also coached leaders on discovering and understanding the impact of their actions on the workforce, especially how they could lead to negative impacts on women, and People of Color. His areas of expertise are diversity and inclusion strategy and implementation, employee relations, coaching, training development, and transforming toxic cultures to human-centered. Originally from the Southside of Chicago, he LOVES house music, Chicago pizza, hot dogs sans ketchup (mustard, relish and sport peppers only), and chilling with his family and friends.