Karith Foster, chief executive of Inversity Solutions, is set to headline the inaugural Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Keynote Speaker Series at the 2024 Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM 2024).
It starts with a title. For Foster, her keynote begins with an ending: “Finishing the journey to inclusivity through belonging, intention and respect.” The address, which falls in line with the meeting’s overall theme of embracing unity, promises to delve into the elements needed to create an inclusive culture in today’s world.
“Let’s shift the focus from what separates and divides us and focus on what we have in common—being truly inclusive but, most importantly, introspective,” Foster tells Vascular Specialist of her intentions for the keynote. “That doesn’t mean that we’re glossing over issues. It doesn’t mean that racism, sexism and all those things don’t exist. They absolutely do, but the only way we’re going to deal with those issues appropriately and effectively is if we’re speaking to one another in a healthy way.”
Foster, an alumna of Stephens College and Oxford University, brings considerable expertise, which is rooted in personal experiences. After transitioning into corporate America, she sensed an opportunity. She wanted to merge her passion with her purpose. This led to the establishment of Inversity Solutions, a consultancy that challenges traditional diversity paradigms.
Now 13 years in under her leadership, the company has a singular focus. “I’m a big fan of firsts,” Foster remarks, acknowledging the significance of her role. “I was inspired to know that the SVS was committed to their journey of diversity, and I’m honored to lend my voice to that cause.”
Foster says she is dedicated to uniting people. Her outlook reflects a diverse background. With a degree in broadcast journalism, she initially pursued a career in mass media, before turning to stand-up comedy. “I’ve always had this desire from the time I was a child to bring people together, and I thought mass media was the way to do it,” she explains. “When I found comedy, it sealed the deal that so much can come out of laughter and that communication of life, which is sometimes hard and painful, but there is catharsis in that.”
Foster says primary diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) challenges stem from a reactionary rather than anticipatory approach. The upheavals of 2020, from the pandemic to the George Floyd incident, caught many organizations off guard, and revealed a lack of readiness to tackle diversity issues, she continues. To Foster, the turbulent times brought everyone’s attention to entrenched issues, but addressing them took more than placing people in diverse roles without preparing them or providing the funds to support long-term efforts.
Through a blend of humor and insight, Foster advocates for genuine inclusivity, urging organizations to shift their focus from division to commonality. “I love being able to use messaging that unites people, that brings people together and lets people see that the things that we think separate and divide us are surface things in reality,” she says. “This conversation doesn’t have to be an attack, but it also still needs to exist.”
Foster argues that embracing diversity needn’t be daunting, but rather empowering: “This isn’t scary. This is empowering, and it’s exciting, and it’s about also coming into yourself, right? Because that’s where it must start. That’s kind of the idea behind even the word Inversity.”
As she prepares to address the vascular surgery community, she emphasizes the importance of personal connections in the medical field. “As a surgeon, respect and trust are key,” Foster adds. “If those don’t exist, it’s going to affect how comfortable people are when they show up, it’s going to affect how you perform. It’s about personal interactions, relationships and connection, and it doesn’t get more personal than surgery. There has to be acknowledgement of the patient as an individual, just as there needs to be confidence in the physician.”
The inaugural SVS Keynote Speaker Series will take place at 5 p.m., Central Time, Wednesday, June 19, at VAM.
