On October 5, 2021 Richard spoke at a ground-breaking summit organized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan. Attracting some 200 executives from around the globe, the summit addressed Workplace Mental Health and Wellness and profiled strategies, programs and approaches to create a mental health-friendly workplace. In tandem with Jim Towey, Founder and CEO of Aging with Dignity, Richard spoke about how he and his wife Marcia were able to find fulfillment during her 160-day bout with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Marcia's mandate that she did not want to be treated as a tragedy and to face an impending end with clarity, order, an open heart, and an understanding that her life is bigger than her cancer, enabled the couple to make the most of Marcia's remaining time, rather than be roiled by every negative turn. Marcia's firm, Rubenstein ,played a substantial part in honoring her during her illness.
Richard's final words: "My workplace advice: let your colleagues who may be ill, in grief or having difficulties know that you are thinking about them and are available for support. There is tremendous value in humanizing the workplace, dissipating stigmas and providing empathy and compassion for our colleagues. Rubenstein was not only wonderful to Marcia during her illness, they have also been wonderful to me after her passing. This warmth breeds endless goodwill."