November 13, 2018
Boston, MA, November 13, 2018 – Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh presented the 2018 AJC New England Co-Existence Award to Colette Phillips, CEO of Colette Phillips Communications, at a dinner reception at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston.
This award recognizes Phillips’ deep and very personal commitment to transform Boston’s attitudes regarding diversity and race. As the founder of Get Konnected!, Boston’s premier inclusive multi-cultural business networking project, Phillips has provided a forum for thousands of people from diverse communities to learn from one another, build new relationships and work together to remove barriers to understanding and co-existence.
“Colette is a widely recognized expert on issues of diversity and inclusion and is frequently consulted by corporations and nonprofits on how to establish healthy working environments for their employees,” said Robert Leikind, director of AJC New England. Colette has been cited by Boston Magazine as one of Boston’s 100 Most Influential People and the Boston Globe has credited her with “changing the conversation on diversity in the city.”
In 2016, Get Konnected! made history by unveiling the GK100, a first-of-its-kind list highlighting Boston’s 100 Most Influential People of Color. The GK100 list spotlighted, documented and recognized the important work of these individuals of color that is often overlooked.
The AJC New England Co-Existence Awards were established to celebrate leaders who have dedicated their lives to advancing a collective commitment to co-existence, and who contribute to a more peaceful, pluralistic and democratic world. In 2016, AJC honored former Governor Deval Patrick as the first recipient of the Co-Existence Award.
“For more than a century, AJC has dedicated itself to building vital democracy at home and abroad. Our work was born out of the struggle against antisemitism and racism. Today, it reaches across six continents, from Boston to Brussels, from Jerusalem to Bahrain, and from New Delhi to Tokyo. Establishing an appetite for co-existence has been central to our work, which knows no greater champion than Colette Phillips. Her example is one that warrants our celebration. No one is more deserving,” said Leikind.
