SOUTH BEND, IN—Addressing concerns over his campaign’s marked lack of inclusion, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg touted significant progress he made Friday connecting with black Fortune 500 executives. “I’ve heard your concerns, and over the past few weeks, I’ve made great efforts to not just talk to but listen to prominent members of the African American consulting community,” said the former South Bend mayor, emphasizing that he had hosted several round tables across the country where he had personal, one-on-one conversations with black VPs of weapons manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley tech giants. “While I might not have lived the same experiences, I hope that my campaign will feel inclusive to all executives of color, in all management levels, regardless of whether they attended Harvard or Yale. As someone who worked at McKinsey myself, I know firsthand that we can’t win the presidency without them.” At press time, Buttigieg unveiled a new plan to diversify his campaign staff by hiring a single black finance executive to the Pete 2020 board.