Culture Design: How to Build a High-Performing, Resilient Organization With Purpose
Presented by Krista White and James D. White
In today’s fast-changing and divided world, business leaders face unprecedented pressure. They’re expected to take a stand on social issues, embrace challenge and expected to take a stand, meet the demands of Gen Z, and deliver results—without compromising culture. But a weak culture erodes trust, disengages employees, and weakens performance.
This session challenges leaders to get intentional about culture. Based on insights from their new book, Culture Design: How to Build a High-Performing, Resilient Organization, James D. White and Krista White discuss a practical, forward-thinking approach to lead with a strong organizational culture. It combines design-thinking principles with inclusive-leadership best practices to shape a culture that is resilient, inclusive, powerful, and effective.
Key Takeaways:
- Awareness of empathy as an essential skill
- Understand how to tie culture to strategy
- Best practices in what top leaders have done to shape their cultures
About Krista White
Co-Founder, Culture Design Lab
Krista White is a multi-genre non-fiction author and fiction writer. As a co-founder of Culture Design Lab, her work focuses on research, in-depth interviews, and harnessing her writing and storytelling skills to craft powerful narratives. She collaborates with the team to weave their incredible combined experiences into digestible communications, reports, and publications for Culture Design Lab’s clients.
In addition, Krista consults with individuals and companies on their strategies for intentional culture design, inclusion, and racial justice. She is also the founder and CEO of Kiki for the Future, a platform for LGBTQIA+ sex education, and recently graduated with her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) at Sarah Lawrence College. All of her work ultimately centers around her values of liberation, connection, and joy.
About James D. White
Board Chair, Honest Company
James D. White is a transformational leader with over thirty years’ experience as a CEO and operating executive in the consumer products, retail, and restaurant industries. He also brings two decades of service as a corporate director and adviser, having served on more than 15 public and private boards.
James currently serves as Board Chair of The Honest Company, among other board roles. As Chair, President, and CEO of Jamba Juice from 2008–2016, he led the successful transformation from a made-to-order smoothie shop to a global healthy-lifestyle brand. His leadership experience includes senior roles at Safeway, Gillette, and Nestle Purina PetCare.
In 2020, James founded Culture Design Lab, a firm that coaches and trains CEOs, boards, and executives to operationalize his DEI playbook. His work is regularly featured in Harvard Business Review, The Mentor, Shark Tank, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, Savoy, and Black Enterprise.
