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2026 Leadership Workshop Series: Looking Inward: How Self-Awareness Shapes Decisions with Heather Jones-Brown and Jawanza Evans

October 13, 2026 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CDT)

Description

Our brains are wired for speed—especially in leadership. We size people up, move toward familiar options, and make quick calls that can unknowingly reinforce exclusion or misjudgment. This workshop helps leaders slow the tape down.
Facilitated by Heather Jones-Brown and Jawanza Evans, this interactive session explores the shortcuts our brains rely on, known as schemas, and how they affect who we trust, who we promote, and how we build relationships. You’ll learn seven proven strategies to increase awareness, sharpen your decision-making, and reduce the impact of bias, without shame or blame. Participants will leave with a clear, practical toolkit to apply in real-world situations.
Takeaways include:
  • A breakdown of 8 common cognitive shortcuts that shape decisions
  • Hands-on practice with 7 actionable bias reduction strategies
  • A take-home reflection tool to support long-term growth
This session is for leaders and team members who want to move from reaction to reflection—and build habits that support more thoughtful, inclusive leadership.


Meet Jawanza and Heather

Jawanza Evans is the Assistant Chief Diversity Officer for Community, Training, Education, and Belonging at Grinnell College, where she leads campus-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion education focused on intercultural competence, belonging, and inclusive leadership. With experience spanning higher education, K–12 systems, and nonprofit organizations, she has facilitated equity-centered professional development, supported institutional strategy, and partnered with community stakeholders to advance inclusive practices. She holds a master’s degree in Management with a concentration in Communication Management and is a Qualified Administrator for both the Intercultural Development Inventory and Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory. 

Heather Jones-Brown is an equity champion and civic advocate whose work spans higher education, public service, and community organizing. Rooted in the Midwest and shaped by international experience, she brings a citizen diplomacy lens to coalition-building; drawing from her time in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Sister Cities International, and Iowa Sister States, where she worked in an international environment fostering cross-cultural partnerships. Heather’s approach is relationship-centered and accountability-driven, focused on preventing harm, building trust, and helping systems serve people more justly. She currently serves as Assistant Chief Diversity Officer for Staff Equity at Grinnell College, where she leads efforts to embed equity into hiring, retention, and daily practice. She’s held leadership roles with the Des Moines NAACP and continues to support civic education and grassroots organizing across Iowa. Heather holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from William Jewell College and a Master’s in Business Leadership from William Penn University. Learn more at www.heatherjonesbrown.com. 

Location

C3 Center

Parking is available on the west side of the C3 Center or at the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation's Finkbine Mansion building on Grand Ave immediately south of the C3 Center. Street parking is also available on Ingersoll Avenue. 

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