diversity, equity & inclusion
CHANGING NARRATIVES TO DRIVE RESULTS
when we change, the rules change
I’m proud to say that I’ve been working in the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) space since the very first days of my professional career, whether as
a volunteer member of the organizational DEI team,
a certified trainer in DEI & cultural change programming, or
a thought leader in the ongoing–and increasingly relevant–conversations about DEI’s role in the workplace.
My focus in this work is increasing self awareness through personal narratives to foster greater self confidence and skill in shifting cultures and achieving personal, organizational and community outcomes.
In short: know thyself. Start there and the rest unfolds.
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a timeline of progress
authorship & programming
2002 - Nationally-distributed brochure for American Red Cross Blood Services on the medical importance of African-American blood donorship
2011 - “Meet Me Where I Am” - how to expand comfort zones around perceived differences from others so trust can be built and faster outcomes can be achieved
2018 - “Authenticity in Business and Leadership” - 4 steps to getting personally “unstuck” in the DEI journey towards fostering more diverse and inclusive cultures at work
2021 - “Rethinking Outspoken: Elevating Women’s Voices in the Workplace” - the business case for why women’s voices must be heard at the highest levels of leadership, and how to serve as an ally in achieving greater equity for women
facilitation
2017 - Community researcher for Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI) - collected narratives from diverse working families living under the poverty line for qualitative data delivered to New York State
2022 - Department of Surgery at University of Rochester’s Medical Center on how they could leverage DEI-backed strategies to recruit and retain surgeons from underrepresented communities
2023 - Co-facilitated community conversation on behalf of Huther Doyle on how to overcome employment challenges uniquely affecting BIPOC community members emerging from incarceration and substance use disorder programs
leadership & advising
2022 - Co-founded the Fireseed Collective, an interdisciplinary, national team of coaches, scholars, educators and mental health professionals working together to support each other’s respective work in DEI.
2023 - Served on the advisory council for the R42 Latino Smoking Cessation Study; Goal was to increase the efficacy of recruitment initiatives that engaged Latino smokers in quitting.
coaching & training
2018 - Mentored and trained students in the MOCHA (men of color, honor and ambition) and WOCHA (women of color, honor and ambition) programs at Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Missouri
2021 - Certified as one of 3 senior trainers in Dale Carnegie’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion: Cultural Awareness & Competency program. I went on to work with high-risk clients on repairing broken trust and increasing capabilities to foster DEI initiatives in the workplace.
2018 - Inaugural presenter for the PRIDE Leadership Development Program at United Way of Greater Rochester
