Jury 2023

Two independent juries will select the winner of the Swiss Diversity Award from the projects submitted to Swiss Diversity in each of the categories "LGBTQ+", "Gender", "Age", "Disability", "Education & Social Background", "Nationality & Ethnicity", and "Religion & Spirituality". Download detailed document (PDF)

Ellen Kocher, President

Ellen Kocher is an economist and certified workplace wellness consultant with a master's degree in Health & Wellness Coaching. Ellen has been dedicated to workplace wellness for over 20 years. Most recently, Ellen's work has focused on the 50+ age group and the 5-generation workforce, espousing the slogan "Don't grow old waiting!".

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander

Gudrun Sander is a titular professor of business administration with a special focus on diversity management. She completed her PhD (Dr. oec. HSG) at the University of St. Gallen in 1997. In 1998, she received the recognition award of the Swiss Society for Organization and Management (SGO) for her dissertation. Gudrun Sander is director of the Competence Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and director of the Research Center for International Management at the University of St. Gallen. For three decades she has been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in research, practice, teaching and continuing education.

Damien Cottier

Damien Cottier is a Swiss politician. He was elected to the National Council in 2019 for the FDP. A former chief of staff to Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, he was a member of the Neuchâtel cantonal parliament from 1997 to 2008, parliamentary group president of the FDP (2001-2005) and vice president of the Neuchâtel FDP (2009-2012). In 2022, he was elected parliamentary group president of the FDP Switzerland.

Vanessa Grand

Vanessa Grand, a name that has long since found its place in the folk music and pop scene. Born with a handicap, it is now a normality for the singer to stand on stage in a wheelchair. Her musical vita is worth reading, which shows successes such as: Countless live performances at home and abroad, open airs, victory to the Musikantenkönigin and production of 6 successful albums.

Bruno Barth

Bruno Barth has been Managing Director/National Director of Special Olympics Switzerland since 2011. Special Olympics creates space for encounters and conveys values of diversity and inclusion.

Hans-Peter Nehmer

Hans-Peter Nehmer is Head of Corporate Communications & Sustainability at Allianz Suisse. Communication defines his life: "It is the link between us people, allows us to understand each other," says Hans-Peter Nehmer. His motto: "Use every communication as an opportunity!"

Beatrice Simon

Beatrice Simon was elected to the Bernese Government Council on March 28, 2010 and has headed the Finance Directorate since June 1, 2010. She was elected President of the Bernese Government for the 2016/2017 and 2021/2022 term of office.

Christoph Stuehn

Christoph Stuehn is vice director of the Kunsthaus Zürich. Since its expansion in 2020, the Kunsthaus Zürich is the largest art museum in Switzerland.

Aleks Damchevski

Aleks Damchevski has made it his mission to make the world a better place. The world we live in, the world we work in. The way we lead and the way we are led. As a Diversity & Inclusion executive with more than 10 years of international experience in Digital and HR, Aleks brings a unique, human perspective to create a more inclusive society.

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Jury Religion 2023

Michel Müller, President

Rev. Michel Müller is President of the Church Council of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich. Previously, he was a parish priest in Thalwil for 17 years, focusing on teaching, youth and culture. He has been president of the church council since 2011 and has held various other offices in church bodies and foundations.

Ellen Kocher, President

Marc Blumenfeld

Marc Blumenfeld is founder and managing director of Alithis and has been active in the field of ethics, compliance and governance for many years. He is also passionately involved as President of the association "Sportler:innen für Offenheit und Vielfalt" (VSOV), which campaigns against racism and discrimination in sports, and is a member of the Zurich Centre Committee at STEP, the professional organization for counseling experts of families across generations.

Ellen Kocher, President

Lilian Bachmann

Lilian Bachmann is a lawyer and, since the end of November 2020, President of the Synodal Council of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Lucerne, of which she has been a member since 2016. Since 2023, she has also been a member of the Council of the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church, where she is responsible for the Public Relations and Works Department and sits on the HEKS Foundation Board.

Ellen Kocher, President

Omar Kassab

Dr. Omar Kassab works at Swisscontact, the Swiss Foundation for Technical Development Cooperation. Previously, he was a lecturer and sustainability officer at ETH Zurich. He is co-founder of the NGO "recollect Syria", which supports past and future work of Syrian people who have experienced war, violence and flight. As a member of the Foundation Board, he is also involved in the Zurich Institute for Interreligious Dialogue (ZIID).

Ellen Kocher, President

Valentina Anzini

Valentina Anzini is a theologian from Ticino and coordinator of the youth ministry of the diocese of Lugano. She is also one of the co-initiators of a new youth center in Locarno. She is also a kickboxer and ice hockey fan.

Ellen Kocher, President

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Nominees 2023

Category: LGBTQ+
Nominated : A bit of Sofia

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity means being yourself. Diversity means being true to yourself. Diversity means accepting all people. It is important to live this diversity and also to carry it to the outside world. Through visibility, we strengthen acceptance for everyone. Only through presence can we advance society and promote acceptance. Those who do not actively fight against discrimination are supporting the intolerant world as it is today.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
This award would show me that I am on the right track. It would show me that my work is important and can move others to be themselves and live. It would be a huge boost to my motivation to continue and get my message out there to help others.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
Unlike many other organizations and individuals, my project clearly distances itself from labels. The focus should be on the individual and not on pigeonholing. At the end of the day, we as people are much more alike than different. The world would be a better place if this were presented more.

Category: LGBTQ+
Nominee : Kim de l'Horizon

KIM DE L'HORIZON, born in 2666 on Gethen. Before 'Blood Book', Kim tried to gain attention with young talent awards - including the Textstreich competition for unwritten poetry and the Damen Processor. Today, Kim has had enough of "ME," studies witchcraft at Starhawk, and texts collectively at DELIRIUM magazine. 'Blood Book' was awarded the Literature Prize of the Jürgen Ponto Foundation in 2022, as well as the German Book Prize and the Swiss Book Prize. The novel is translated into 16 languages.

Category: Gender+
Nominated : Project "Préaux en tous genres"

What does diversity mean to you?
Our intersectional approach to inequalities has enabled us to avoid a binary analysis of gender. We believe that diversity is reflected in the multiplicity of personal and collective needs and desires that need to be recognized, valued and defended. When we think and act for those who are marginalized, all people can (re)find their place and the community is enriched and strengthened.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
Aside from the results, which we consider extremely insightful for researchers and public agencies, the award would recognize our original approach and, in particular, the public's participation in the actions that affect them.

What sets you apart from others in the field of diversity?
Many educational practices, administrative and political approaches tend to perceive children as innocent and not affected by the (re)production of gender inequalities. On the contrary, we tackled this issue head-on and wanted to make it legitimate, even necessary, to problematize these resistances.

Category: Gender+
Nominated : Phenomenal Women Global

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity meansallowing unique experiences, perspectives and identities to drive innovation and better decision making. We have mentoring programs that bridge the gap between networks and underserved communities. Our panels inspire innovative solutions. We provide internships for talented individuals from underrepresented groups to give them valuable experience and access to the marketplace.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
Winning the award would be an affirmation and recognition of our efforts to promote diversity and empower women from underserved communities. It would validate that our mission, vision and core values are having a significant impact and making positive changes in the lives of women and girls.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
Our uniqueness lies in our focus on women from disadvantaged communities, especially minorities, African women and women of African descent. We create safe spaces where women can network, share experiences, and support each other.

Category: Gender+
Nominated : Tribus Urbaines

What does diversity mean to you?
Cultural and economic richness, diversity and inclusion are core values at Tribus Urbaines, a company founded by two people with a migration background. Openness is reflected in positive discrimination, preference is given to applicants with a "diversity background", especially women. 12 out of 14 employees have a migration background, including a transgender woman of Algerian origin.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
Tribus Urbaines is multicultural, all employees and trainees have a migration background. The company focuses on working conditions beyond the CLA and promotes career prospects. It fights for self-confidence and identity and supports sustainable inclusion of people with diversity backgrounds. The award strengthens the visibility of feminist entrepreneurs and encourages them to realize their potential.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
In our company, the appreciation and integration of migrant backgrounds and/or atypical life trajectories is firmly rooted. Tribus Urbaines was founded by women from diverse backgrounds who understand the challenges involved.

Category: Age
Nominated: goMENTAL

What does diversity mean to you?
Very different people meet in our training sessions. We experience that we are not alone or weird and that others accept us if we are authentic. Conversely, we realize that people we might have judged because they look different or come from a different context have a lot of similarities with us. That's a very profound experience of diversity.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
It would give visibility to our approach in the context of an issue that is very important to us. It would allow more young people to learn about us and help build and use goMENTAL.

What sets you apart from others in the diversity space?
There are so many great initiatives! With our work, we are working at a deeper level on the inner foundations needed to live diversity authentically: When we better understand our insecurities, we have less need to project them onto other people.

Category: Age
Nominated : Loopings

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity must not be a facade. It is the real foundation. We build on it! Our focus is on diversity in the world of work. We promote the recognition and appreciation of individual differences, the participation of all stakeholders, and the sharing of responsibility and power. Everyone should be heard, be able to go their own way, and actively and creatively shape their professional careers.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
That would be a valuable recognition of our commitment as a charitable foundation, as well as an acknowledgement of the high relevance of our topic areas - aging and work.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
We are looking for common ground - people and organizations that have a desire to spin forward-looking ideas, to work together, to learn from each other. What sets us apart from others in our topic area is that we are very broad in terms of content and take different perspectives into account.

Category: Age
Nominated: SenopiVR

What does diversity mean to you?
The 65+ age group is afflicted with stereotypes, often portraying them as incapable of operating technology. However, we are convinced of the opposite, which is illustrated by the positive application of our VR solution. For us, diversity means being open to all people regardless of their age, abilities and background.

What would winning the award mean to you?
Winning the award would provide us with a platform to raise awareness about ageism and stereotypes. It would enable us to spread our message further and draw attention to the outstanding skills and potential of older people.

What sets you apart from others in the field of diversity?
Our focus is to provide innovative solutions specifically for older people, as there are few applications that specifically address their needs. We actively challenge stereotypes and show that older people are perfectly capable of using and benefiting from technology.

Category: Disability
Nominated : Ecoute Voir

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity is the essence of our humanity. Taking individual characteristics and needs into account opens the door to new worlds of perception, to further horizons. When welcomed and respected, diversity is an asset to our society.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
For Ecoute Voir, winning the award would increase the visibility of its commitment to people with disabilities and be a recognition of the tremendous work of the organization's team.

What sets you apart in the field of diversity?
Ecoute Voir is the only association in Switzerland that offers barrier-free access to the arts for both audiences with visual and hearing impairments. As a pioneer in this field, it has worked since 2014 to introduce this accessibility and raise awareness among a wide range of theater structures and public bodies. She has also advised other organizations to develop accessibility in Switzerland.

Category: Disability
Nominated : BewegGrund

What does diversity mean to you?
BewegGrund stands for equal rights, for self-determination, equal opportunities and inclusion: Our goal is the natural coexistence of people with and without disabilities in cultural projects. For 25 years BewegGrund has been working tirelessly for the inclusion of people in the dance sector and offers a unique platform in Switzerland for people who have long been excluded from the cultural sector.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
It would be an excellent recognition of our work, it would raise our profile, even more people would find out about us. Of course, we would also simply be very pleased.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
BewegGrund lives inclusion from the office to the stage. Workshops are led by inclusive teams of two, the website is accessible with audio description, and performances are translated into sign language. The board and team are inclusive. The work is based on the idea that everyone, regardless of age or physical ability, can dance.

Category: Education & Social Background
Nominated : Nicky B Fly

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity shows the diversity of our society, regardless of gender, age, religion and origin. It takes into account ethnic, political, cultural, sexual, social and spiritual backgrounds, promotes the diversity of a person and questions how we deal with it. Diversity means acceptance, recognition and respect for all.

What would it mean to you to win the award?
For me, the award means recognition, appreciation and responsibility. I see it as an honor and an opportunity to represent diversity in the country with respect and love. It allows me to educate others about the issue and shows that my passion and efforts are being noticed.

What sets you apart from others in the diversity field?
What sets me apart is that I try to unify everything and show people that you don't have to choose something, it's ok to be a mix. This is one reason why my music is also a mixture of different styles. I mix styles, languages (DE,EN,FR,Lingala) colors and try to live the diversity, radiate and pack with my lyrics so that everyone feels welcome.

Category: Education & Social Background
Nominated : Ting

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity means more knowledge, more ideas, more perspectives, more alignments. In general, it stands for greater creative potential. In a society that is forced to respond to pressing challenges, diversity is the only way to quickly find and try out intelligent, new approaches to solutions. Diversity is the catalyst our society needs to act sustainably in the future.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
It would allow us to reach people, draw attention to our idea and give media professionals the opportunity to embed the concept behind Ting in a societal value shift. The award would bring recognition to our team and 471 members by acknowledging that we are seen for our efforts to offer more people the opportunity to create a positive impact on themselves and society.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
We unite the old and the young, the financially independent and the less well-off, people with ideas and those who are inspired by them, the marginalized and the mainstream. We show what happens when diversity proactively generates actionable opportunities. Ting is diversity extracted and applied. As such, we serve as a springboard for new ideas from those who previously had no access to support their project.

Category: Nationality & Ethnicity
Nominated: "Who's Afraid of the White Man?" Play

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity means to me, especially in my profession as an actress, that people who are as different as they may be are judged according to their talent. That roles are cast more courageously and that a reflection of our society is shown in the theater, on the screen or on television, and not what goes on in most people's heads.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
If we won this award, perhaps not much would change at first glance. We have already made a mark and will continue to do so. The real "work" takes place outside. In places where we are not yet welcome. Personally, it is still a concern for me to play this piece in places where people have not (yet) dealt with the issue of police brutality in Switzerland. Perhaps this award will open doors that were previously closed.

What sets you apart from others in the area of diversity?
Our piece 'Who's Afraid of the White Man?' brought together artists:inside who have one thing in common. We are BLACK. And are therefore often passed over or are alone in productions, rarely in pairs. With our collective we are the first BLACK production in Switzerland, only the costume department is read WHITE. They are simply the best! Talent sometimes comes first.

Category: Nationality & Ethnicity
Nominated: auticon

What does diversity mean to you?
For us, diversity means focusing on people and understanding their personal experiences, characteristics, challenges and opportunities as added value for society. Not only are the living conditions of minorities sustainably improved in this way, but the culture of Switzerland expands piece by piece into the future.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
Our goal is the inclusion of people who were previously often unemployed for a long time. We encourage companies to give these people a new chance and thus create added value for everyone. Winning the award reinforces our message that there is enormous potential in the inclusion of autistic people that has not yet been tapped in Switzerland.

What sets you apart from others in the field of diversity?
Autism is an "invisible" disorder that affects about 1.5% of the Swiss population. Autist:in are not a closed group, but highly individual. Often neurodiversity is overlooked when other factors such as age or origin are in the foreground. We always work intersectionally. The inclusion of other factors is very important to us. Unfortunately, this is often missing with other interest groups that only emphasize "their" factor and represent a defined group.

Category: Nationality & Ethnicity
Nominated : Lisa Bosia

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity is richness, beauty, inspiration, a challenge. On the one hand, diversity defines us and on the other hand, it allows us to expand our identity beyond our borders. But in my personal experience, diversity is also a source of great suffering, because for many it means discrimination, not having the "right" passport, speaking a different language or having a different skin color.

What would it mean for you to win the award?
Winning the award would be a recognition on behalf of all the people fighting for the right to citizenship of migrants worldwide and especially in Europe. The issue of migrants' rights is painfully relevant today. There are dozens of volunteers fighting for the recognition of these rights at the borders of Europe. And their work is often obstructed, stigmatized, trivialized and ridiculed. This award would be dedicated to all those invisible people.

What sets you apart in the field of diversity?
Every person who fights to recognize and promote diversity is a piece of a single puzzle. I don't think I have any special merits or qualities, I just do what I believe in with great passion. But I recognize myself in the voice and work of my brothers and sisters who are fighting for the same goal.

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The OC 2023

Sabina Brägger, Producer

As a designer, I often find myself in an uncomfortable predicament. On the one hand, I want to realize my visions of new products, on the other hand, I am bothered by the lack of awareness of consumers regarding the origin and the often questionable nature of production. It is a difficult balancing act for me to expand the market with my ideas and at the same time to avoid the wasteful use of resources. How can I still survive as a designer in the market? And what contribution can I make to sustainability? For this reason, I see the solution for me in working with leftover materials. I would like to locate unused materials, which would otherwise no longer find a use, develop them further and make them usable for product design.

Fernanda Wüthrich, Swiss Diversity Ambassador Latin America

Communication scientist, accredited business mediator and expert in intercultural communication.

Simone Müller-Staubli, Food & Beverage

Entrepreneur in gastronomy as well as hotel and communication expert

Reyn Ffoulkes, Entertainment

A born showman, Reyn hails from the sunny shores of South Africa and lights up the stage as a singer and actor, combining his passion for music with his love of entertainment. In 2012, he followed his heart to Switzerland and quickly established himself in the arts and culture industry. Before coming to Switzerland, Reyn performed in several professional musical theatre productions and was an official artist at international events. During his career in Switzerland, he has appeared in several television commercials and local musicals, and was recently a contestant on The Voice of Switzerland.

Thomas Thommen

"Be yourself the change you wish to see in this world" by Mahatma Gandhi

A fitting saying that perfectly describes my life until now. My career has been as colorful and turbulent as this earth is. From confectioner to dramaturge (Theater Basel) and some more, I slipped over the family business quickly into the self-employment of the dipl. med. masseur to the successful founder and managing director of rainbowshop.ch. Private life: Married for years to my husband, with whom I enjoy love and life to the fullest despite my physical limitations and remain curious and open to new things. Live and respect your life. It is short and precious.

Simone Aemmer, Allrounder & Hotels

With my commitment and my work, I would like to contribute to ensuring that every person has a place in our society where they are respected and can develop. I pursue this goal both in my free time for Swiss Diversity and in my intended career field of diversity management and internal communications. I believe that diversity is not only a value in itself, but also a critical success factor for companies and organizations. I strive to ensure that we all have the opportunity to reach our full potential in our society and especially in the workplace, regardless of gender, origin, age, sexual orientation or other characteristics."

Achim Schäpper, live direction

Marketing & Communication Specialist

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Award Night

Diversity. Exchange. Gala.

Photos Award Night 2023

Photos Award Night 2023

Program on 09 September 2023

17:00

Doors Open

18:00

Welcome

18:15

Show start

22:00

After-Party

Secure tickets now for the Swiss Diversity Award Night on 09 September 2023

Nominations

LGBTQ+ education for wwwerkschau

LGBTQ+ education for wwwerkschau

Music Acts

The Artist in the Background & Guests

Carmen Lopez-Sway

Reyn Turner & the Swiss Diversity Band

Moderation

Patricia Boser

Jury 2023

Ellen Kocher, President

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander

Damien Cottier

Vanessa Grand

Bruno Barth

Hans-Peter Nehmer

Beatrice Simon

Christoph Stuehn

Aleks Damchevski

Jury Religion 2023

Michel Müller, President

Ellen Kocher, President

Marc Blumenfeld

Ellen Kocher, President

Lilian Bachmann

Ellen Kocher, President

Omar Kassab

Ellen Kocher, President

Valentina Anzini

Ellen Kocher, President

Nominees 2023

Category: LGBTQ+Nominated : A bit of Sofia

Category: LGBTQ+Nominee : Kim de l'Horizon

Category: Gender+Nominated : Project "Préaux en tous genres"

Category: Gender+Nominated : Phenomenal Women Global

Category: Gender+Nominated : Tribus Urbaines

Category: AgeNominated: goMENTAL

Category: AgeNominated : Loopings

Category: AgeNominated: SenopiVR

Category: DisabilityNominated : Ecoute Voir

Category: DisabilityNominated : BewegGrund

Category: DisabilityNominated : Regards Neufs (project), Base Court (organization).

Category: Education & Social BackgroundNominated : Capacity Zurich

Category: Education & Social BackgroundNominated : Capacity Zurich

Category: Education & Social BackgroundNominated : Nicky B Fly

Category: Education & Social BackgroundNominated : Ting

Category: Nationality & EthnicityNominated: "Who's Afraid of the White Man?" Play

Category: Nationality & EthnicityNominated: auticon

Category: Nationality & EthnicityNominated : Lisa Bosia

The OC 2023

Sabina Brägger, Producer

Fernanda Wüthrich, Swiss Diversity Ambassador Latin America

Simone Müller-Staubli, Food & Beverage

Reyn Ffoulkes, Entertainment

Thomas Thommen

Simone Aemmer, Allrounder & Hotels

Achim Schäpper, live direction

Music Acts

Review Award Night 2022

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Category: LGBTQ+
Nominated : A bit of Sofia

Category: LGBTQ+
Nominee : Kim de l'Horizon

Category: Gender+
Nominated : Project "Préaux en tous genres"

Category: Gender+
Nominated : Phenomenal Women Global

Category: Gender+
Nominated : Tribus Urbaines

Category: Age
Nominated: goMENTAL

Category: Age
Nominated : Loopings

Category: Age
Nominated: SenopiVR

Category: Disability
Nominated : Ecoute Voir

Category: Disability
Nominated : BewegGrund

Category: Disability
Nominated : Regards Neufs (project), Base Court (organization).

Category: Education & Social Background
Nominated : Capacity Zurich

Category: Education & Social Background
Nominated : Capacity Zurich

Category: Education & Social Background
Nominated : Nicky B Fly

Category: Education & Social Background
Nominated : Ting

Category: Nationality & Ethnicity
Nominated: "Who's Afraid of the White Man?" Play

Category: Nationality & Ethnicity
Nominated: auticon

Category: Nationality & Ethnicity
Nominated : Lisa Bosia