Christopher “CJ” Gross is a TEDx speaker, international organizational development consultant, and founder of Ascension Worldwide, a full-service minority-owned consulting firm committed to helping clients achieve workplace inclusion, employee, and client diversity. CJ has 18 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, local and national nonprofits, and government agencies. He also serves as a business management, adjunct faculty for the Community College of Baltimore County and a diversity, equity, and inclusion master faculty for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Center for Innovation. CJ is a former mechanical designer with General Electric, avid traveler, and adventure junkie living in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania with his wife Kerryann. Together they have three children who are attending college.

If leaders aren’t talking about social class at work, they’re “missing a big piece of the puzzle,” warns diversity and inclusion consultant Gross in this original…guide. Gross asks both employees and leaders to reflect on their “zip code stories,” or the childhood experiences and cultural norms that reflect their class…. It’s a much needed conversation starter about class in the workplace[.]

• AcknowledgmentsForeword: by Howard J RossIntroduction1 Why Does Social Class Matter?2 My Zip Code Story3 What's Your Zip Code Story?4 Zip Code Bias5 10 Things Managers and Class Migrants Need to Know6 How Businesses can Incorporate Social Class into their Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Initiatives7 The Power of Belonging8 Mentorship the Bridge to EquityBibliographyNotesIndexAbout the Author

Christopher “CJ” Gross is a TEDx speaker, international organizational development consultant, and founder of Ascension Worldwide, a full-service minority-owned consulting firm committed to helping clients achieve workplace inclusion, employee, and client diversity. CJ has 18 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, local and national nonprofits, and government agencies. He also serves as a business management, adjunct faculty for the Community College of Baltimore County and a diversity, equity, and inclusion master faculty for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Center for Innovation. CJ is a former mechanical designer with General Electric, avid traveler, and adventure junkie living in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania with his wife Kerryann. Together they have three children who are attending college.

If leaders aren’t talking about social class at work, they’re “missing a big piece of the puzzle,” warns diversity and inclusion consultant Gross in this original…guide. Gross asks both employees and leaders to reflect on their “zip code stories,” or the childhood experiences and cultural norms that reflect their class…. It’s a much needed conversation starter about class in the workplace[.]

• AcknowledgmentsForeword: by Howard J RossIntroduction1 Why Does Social Class Matter?2 My Zip Code Story3 What's Your Zip Code Story?4 Zip Code Bias5 10 Things Managers and Class Migrants Need to Know6 How Businesses can Incorporate Social Class into their Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Initiatives7 The Power of Belonging8 Mentorship the Bridge to EquityBibliographyNotesIndexAbout the Author

Christopher “CJ” Gross is a TEDx speaker, international organizational development consultant, and founder of Ascension Worldwide, a full-service minority-owned consulting firm committed to helping clients achieve workplace inclusion, employee, and client diversity. CJ has 18 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, local and national nonprofits, and government agencies. He also serves as a business management, adjunct faculty for the Community College of Baltimore County and a diversity, equity, and inclusion master faculty for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Center for Innovation. CJ is a former mechanical designer with General Electric, avid traveler, and adventure junkie living in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania with his wife Kerryann. Together they have three children who are attending college.

If leaders aren’t talking about social class at work, they’re “missing a big piece of the puzzle,” warns diversity and inclusion consultant Gross in this original…guide. Gross asks both employees and leaders to reflect on their “zip code stories,” or the childhood experiences and cultural norms that reflect their class…. It’s a much needed conversation starter about class in the workplace[.]

• AcknowledgmentsForeword: by Howard J RossIntroduction1 Why Does Social Class Matter?2 My Zip Code Story3 What's Your Zip Code Story?4 Zip Code Bias5 10 Things Managers and Class Migrants Need to Know6 How Businesses can Incorporate Social Class into their Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Initiatives7 The Power of Belonging8 Mentorship the Bridge to EquityBibliographyNotesIndexAbout the Author