Who I Work With

I coach and advise:

• Individual leaders and activists who want to get clear on privilege (and privileged systems) and what it means for their work and working relationships.

• Executives who want coaching on best practices in inclusion and cultural competency.

• Leaders and teams who want to bring in expertise and guidance on how to integrate equity work into strategic development work.

I often coach and consult with a team or a partner. When you reach out to me, know that you are reaching out to my network of skilled leaders who I trust and work alongside. These consultants are…

• Fierce Black women leaders

• Skilled anti-racist and/or feminist thinkers 

• Transformational change leaders

• Heart-centered executive leadership coaches

• Embodied positive psychology coaches

• Strategic Equity and Inclusion consultants 

• System-changing philanthropy and investing leaders

Let’s Stay Connected!

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What I Do

Equity & Inclusion Consulting

I design equity and inclusion work plans for organizations and advise on diversity, inclusion, and culture initiatives. This often means guiding individuals and teams to develop a “power and privilege analysis” that they can use to cultivate resources and/or expand access to resources for themselves and others. I meet my clients where they are at in their leadership, equipping them with powerful new tools and language.

I offer highly customizable cultural competency, multicultural education, and literacy and proficiency training programs for groups of all ages and professional, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds. I work with corporations and financial institutions, secondary and higher education institutions, law enforcement, public health institutions and hospitals, arts organizations, and leadership institutes. I use the IDEA framework with clients to support organizing and clarifying their process, goals, and work; build organizational muscle around inclusion, diversity, equity, and access; and foster accountability in the integration of new concepts into their work. I also lead interactive trainings on how to address social, political, and community issues with courage and knowledge of best practices.

Event Curation

I guide individuals and teams in designing inclusive conferences, convenings, and trainings. From civil rights conferences (Berkshire County Civil Rights Conference) to festival celebrations (e.g. The W. E. B. Du Bois 150th Festival, Great Barrington 250th anniversary ethnic fair), I have vast experience in creating educational and culture shifting events that lead to positive impact on public policy. I offer customized virtual retreats and deep dives into race, justice, and equity issues. I also advise boards and senior leadership teams on how to work with an equity and inclusion lens as they establish strategic goals that are culturally relevant. Increasingly, I work with coalitions of organizations on movement building.

How I Work

I hold certifications in anti-racism, diversity leadership, social work, positive psychology, education, and political and public impact. With deep experience as an educator and nonprofit director, I guide teams in building individual and organizational leadership muscle, competency, and fluency in as many open and willing spaces as possible. I listen to where my clients want to go, where they have been, and where they are now.

I work alongside my clients without doing the work on behalf of them. I share practices for self-assessment and accountability, especially during the early, incremental stages of integrating new equitable practices and policies.

Whether you’re in search of a trusted advisor, skilled facilitator-trainer, or designer for public humanities work, equity and justice work, or and/or equitable board governance work, I make your team stronger and more resilient.

My Values

• I work through a clearly defined equity framework. I hold a strong feminist lens from a Black woman’s perspective.

• I create and hold spaces for multiple identities to be present and activated. As an African American woman, mother, and professional, I integrate my personal experiences with my professional experiences. You can always be guaranteed an authentic perspective that invites more authenticity from others. I strive to pave the way for authentic conversations in my own interactions and trust it will “ripple” out for others.

• I am passionate about demonstrating the value of the trusted advisor role that many African American women so generously hold. I commit to upholding and steadily demanding the reciprocity and humanity in this exchange.

• I am accountable to: myself; my family: my mother, sister, brother, sons, daughters, and husband; my extended family by blood and marriage; African American women and girls; women of color; African American men and boys; women and girls; my friends and allies; and my colleagues, peers, and my fellow social change leaders near and far.

Previous clients & Partners

Jacob’s Pillow Festival of Dance, The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Berkshire Museum, Berkshire United Way, Uni-Stress, King Arthur Flour, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Berkshire County ARC, Fairview Hospital, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Brien Center for Mental Health, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Amherst College, Berkshire Community Action Council, Athlete Ally, Railroad Street Youth Project, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts Leadership for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), ReflectUS, Working Cities Pittsfield, Unitarian Society of Northampton, Unitarian Universalist of South Berkshire, Berkshire United Church of Christ, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Volunteer Lawyers Project, BFAIR, Town of Great Barrington, City of Pittsfield, Stacie Collier | Nixon Peabody Law Firm, Jaclyn L. Kugell | Morgan, Brown & Joy, Pittsfield Public Schools, Berkshire County Kids’ Place, Massachusetts Non-profit Network, 1Berkshire, and more.

My clients are...

...dedicated to positive cultural change within everyday interactions personally and interpersonally at work, at home, and in community.

...dedicated to justice, community, and collaboration.

...demonstrate a generosity of spirit and generously give of their “time, treasure, and talent.”

...courageous leaders willing to commit to cultural humility, authenticity, and inclusive leadership.

...committed to structural change

...people who accept not knowing what the future looks like and therefore are willing to work collaboratively and persistently to get there.