Riikka Salonen, the Managing Director of Health Equity at BCT Partners, is a seasoned professional with nearly three decades of dedicated experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, access, and intercultural awareness. Specializing in strategic planning and process improvements, Ms. Salonen's work is focused on fostering health equity and culturally responsive care. She leads a team of 30 professionals committed to serving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. They promote the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care and manage the Think Cultural Health website, which has provided educational programs to over a million healthcare professionals, enhancing cultural competence in healthcare settings. She works with various health systems nationwide to improve their health equity efforts. She also leads BCT Partners' globalization efforts and the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Benchmarks product line. Ms. Salonen held leadership roles at Oregon Health & Science University and PeaceHealth, where she spearheaded health equity, diversity talent acquisition, and DEI strategy efforts. She has also provided strategic planning consulting services to organizations such as Tuality Healthcare and the University of Vermont Medical Center.During the pandemic, Ms. Salonen collaborated with various organizations to advance health justice through testing, vaccinations, PPE distribution, food distribution, and community-based health services. Her expertise in diversity talent acquisition has been instrumental in implementing programs promoting economic prosperity for diverse communities, including supplier diversity and developing a BIPOC healthcare workforce.Ms. Salonen's commitment to advancing equity and inclusion extends beyond her professional roles. She advocates for racial justice on the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition board. Additionally, she is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences, including The Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit in India.Her contributions to the field have earned her numerous accolades, including being named a Top 21 DEI Influencer by HonestCulture Inc. and receiving awards for her commitment to inclusive hiring practices from organizations like the Diversity Employment Network. Ms. Salonen's dedication to fostering inclusive workplace cultures and advancing health equity continues to make a significant impact nationally and globally. She has worked in 20 countries.