By using this site you consent to the storing of cookies on your device to improve your experience, personalize content, optimize your shopping experience and assist in our marketing efforts. View our cookie policy

page banner Diversity, Belonging, Community

Diversity and inclusivity

September 23, 2021

In February, we formed a Diversity and Inclusivity Committee that meets once a month to discuss, plan and act on our mission to cultivate an inclusive organization that nurtures a sense of communal belonging, celebrating both the similarity and diversity in our unique experiences.

Our goals are to improve diverse representation in the field of Pilates and mind-body movement, and to ensure that people across race, body type, ability, gender, age, religion, identity and sexual orientation feel welcome and supported by Merrithew®.

Here is a brief progress report on the five key areas that we believe will contribute to long-standing positive change in our organization and industry.

  1. Internally: Our 15-member Diversity and Inclusivity Committee has been meeting once a month to discuss the company’s policies, practices and culture, and to find ways to foster an environment where people feel listened to, valued and supported. The committee’s goal is to educate and empower staff to learn and become more aware of the importance of diversity and inclusion and their role in promoting racial equity
  2. Education: Our Instructor Trainer Conference this November will include Diversity and Inclusivity training led by keynote speaker Anthony McLean who will be discussing diversity, anti-racism and mental health. The presentation will be made available to everyone at Merrithew
  3. Training: Ahead of any staff traveling overseas for events, symposia or trade shows, we will provide them with enhanced cultural awareness training. An internal representative from each country will assist with the creation of documents and training, or we may hire an external consultant if required
  4. Accessibility: Contribute to Pilates Diversity Scholarships awarded by Merrithew Licensed Training Centers for Merrithew instructor training programs
  5. Representation: Adapt content and image use to ensure we better represent our diverse community in catalogs, blogs, social media and other communications materials. We encourage our community to continue sharing relevant and diverse content that we will then credit and highlight in our communications, blogs, social media and beyond

Thank you to our community for sharing their stories and experiences as we continue to develop and evolve our plan to support diversity and inclusivity in our organization and industry. Check back as we update this page with further actions.