The CIO Corner | Featuring Kelly Solomon, VP of Enterprise Architecture

Driving Inclusion Through Visibility, Voice, and Culture

In this month’s edition of The CIO Corner, we’re proud to feature Kelly Solomon, Vice President of Enterprise Architecture at Vestis Corporation, a company known for its operational strength and people-first mindset. Kelly believes that visible culture drives diverse hiring and that inclusion is more than a value, it’s a business driver.

Kelly brings a powerful perspective to the intersection of technology and talent. For her, diversity isn’t a side effort; it’s foundational to growth. And the key to unlocking it? Visibility.

“It is essential for organizations to make their diverse culture visible to build trust with candidates and ensure alignment. This is key to driving future growth and opportunity for those hired.”

This belief guides how Kelly and her peers think about hiring, engagement, and brand building across the enterprise.

Culture You Can See

Diverse hiring starts with trust, and trust begins with what people can see. Kelly emphasizes making culture visible through employee voices on social media, at events, and in the community.

“It is an opportunity for the company to demonstrate that they walk the walk and that their culture is real, active, and vibrant.”

By empowering team members to show up as ambassadors, companies prove that visible culture drives diverse hiring, not just as a slogan, but as a strategy.

Employees as the Brand

Kelly sees employees as a company’s greatest asset and its most authentic storytellers. When supported in engaging with diverse organizations and professional groups, employees create powerful partnerships and open new talent pipelines.

“Employees are the most powerful brand ambassadors, showcasing culture through social media, speaking engagements, and networking,” she says. “Supporting employees who engage with diverse organizations creates partnerships that can fundamentally diversify the organization’s ecosystem.”

This approach turns inclusion into action. It broadens the organization’s ecosystem and strengthens its long-term innovation capacity.

Walking the Walk

What sets Kelly apart is her clarity: culture isn’t a slogan. It’s something you live, share, and prove every day. By focusing on authenticity and employee-driven storytelling, she’s helping Vestis build a truly inclusive workplace from the inside out.

Because when companies walk the walk, they don’t just talk about diversity. They build teams and futures that thrive on it.