To become a true ally in the fight against racial injustice requires tough conversations—not just with yourself, but also with family, friends and, yes, co-workers. Finding a starting point isn’t always easy, and it’s likely to be uncomfortable (take that as a sign you’re doing it right). Fortunately, there are experts out there who can help you tackle this challenging process, especially in the workplace.
In recent years, a host of nonprofits and consultants have developed curricula for workplaces large and small. Their offerings range from daylong seminars to substantial organizational development with a focus on racial equity.
Arkansas-based designer Kymberlyn Lacy is also a certified diversity and inclusion trainer; in her work, she starts with a needs assessment of the team before creating a customized education plan. “You want to take the way everybody feels into account and [have a conversation] about what causes cultural biases. It’s about asking, ‘What is diversity and inclusion—what does that mean for you?’” she says. “From there, how can we move forward? What can we do as a company to assist? And then being able to go back and measure the outcome. It’s about building each other up and building a diversified community.”
As the Harvard Business Review reports, studies show that the best programs are tailored to your employees’ goals and experiences—and engage them over a significant period of time. Studies also show that programming is more effective when company leaders endorse and embrace its teachings.
BOH has gathered a list of speakers, workshops, consultants and training programs that work with various organizations to educate and strategize around inclusion in the professional sphere. Want to help us grow the list? Please drop us a line.
ACLU
Founded in 1920 by a small group of citizens fighting unconstitutional arrests, the American Civil Liberties Union has grown to include around 1.5 million members nationally, advocating and educating on well over a dozen issues. Businesses and events can request a speaker from local ACLU chapters to lead a discussion on a chosen issue of civil liberty.
All Aces
Through its diversity, equity and inclusion transformation (DIET) framework, All Aces Inc.’s mission is clear: “To activate consciousness, catalyze critical thinking, and transform capabilities that advance racial equity and build resilience.” The coaching organization is based in Boston, but also has online learning offerings.
AORTA
AORTA (Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance) is a worker-owned cooperative that offers workshops, consulting and training to advance social justice and a solidarity economy. Specific programming is available to educate and strategize around anti-racism and anti-oppression, as well as ableism and queer liberation.
Awaken
The Oakland, California–based organization’s mission is to develop inclusive leaders and teams through its compassionate approach to the often-uncomfortable conversations surrounding issues of diversity and inclusion. Seminar topics include understanding unconscious bias and practicing thoughtful allyship.
Be More America
Be More America uses data-driven tools to enhance workplace performance and sense of belonging. The New York–based learning and development company helps senior leaders assess their organizations, identifying how unconscious racial bias impacts service delivery, product development and workplace interactions.
Biwa Consulting
Biwa Consulting has merged with Emergent Equity to offer organizational development consulting through a racial equity lens. Their approach focuses on engaging in productive conflict, transparent communication, participatory decision-making and equitable practice of policies and procedures.
Both/And
Using its network of educators, trainers, organizers and artists, Both/And provides equity-focused training, facilitation, coaching and strategic planning to dismantle systems of oppression in the workplace.
Candour
Founded by Seattle-based inclusion strategist and speaker Ruchika Tulshyan, Candour offers lectures and workshops that address workplace diversity and equity by using a common language to problem-solve.
The Center for Equity and Inclusion
Based in Portland, Oregon, the The Center for Equity and Inclusion was founded in 2015 to develop a long-term model of equity building for nonprofit organizations. Today, the center offers structured support to organizations and businesses in both the public and private sectors.
Cook Ross
For over 30 years, Cook Ross, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, has partnered with businesses and organizations around the globe to co-create solutions to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.
Courageous Conversations
Founded in 1992, the Pacific Educational Group, based in San Francisco, has committed to increasing racial equity through dialogue. Courageous Conversations is the group’s award-winning framework, which engages and deepens productive interracial conversations for individuals and organizations.
The Equity Paradigm
The Equity Paradigm offers highly interactive racial equity workshops that take a historical look at racism to examine its impact on our modern environment.
Equity Solutions
The Brattleboro, Vermont–based training and consulting company works toward fair compensation, access to food, shelter and physical and mental health for all. “Our team is motivated by a belief that there is enough for everyone and that it is possible to create a society where all people are thriving,” reads the organization’s site. “We believe that to get there, one place to start (or continue putting attention) is with each of us recognizing the ways in which we make assumptions about each other’s identities and experiences, what each person does or doesn’t have to offer, [and] whose voices and opinions are most in need of being heard.”
The Good Peoples Group
Using dynamic team-building and problem-solving, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania–based Good Peoples Group helps individuals and teams achieve personal and professional growth by fostering cultural humanity.
Inclusion Ventures
Inclusion Ventures takes a holistic approach to its equity and inclusion coaching: First, IV takes a look at an organization’s recruiting and hiring process and existing team. Company culture comes next, followed by a broadening of the demographic that the company serves. While the company has offices in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Philadelphia, it works with clients around the globe.
Intersectional Agenda Consulting
New York–based psychotherapist Lauren Appio offers workshops and trainings in diversity and inclusion, focusing on the interpersonal dynamics within an organization.
The Justice Collective
Social impact consultancy The Justice Collective focuses on organizational transformation and strategic planning, equity-rooted management and implicit bias training, improving HR processes, public-speaking coaching, and more—all customizable for an organization’s needs.
Kymberlyn Lacy
The founder and designer behind International Flair Designs, Kymberlyn Lacy is also a certified diversity and inclusion trainer. Her work focuses on building a customized plan for a team to help them build diversity into their organization.
Libélula Consulting
TEDx speaker and bestselling author Minda Harts knows what it takes for women of color to “secure their seat at the table.” She speaks to audiences from college students to corporate executives on gender and race inclusion in the workplace—and also hosts a podcast titled “#SecureTheSeat” for professional women of color.
Natania Malin Gazek
Anti-bias, gender equity and inclusive management are just some of the trainings offered by Natania Malin Gazek, a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant based in New York.
the Racial Equity Institute
The Racial Equity Institute is an alliance of trainers, organizers and institutional leaders committed to creating racially equitable organizations and systems. In addition to a blog and podcast, the Greensboro, North Carolina–based group offers workshops to help spread their mission.
True North EDI
True North EDI founder and diversity consultant Cardozie Jones and his team facilitate workshops that feature storytelling, movement, critical thinking and imagination around the core values of equity, diversity and interdependence. “The arts allow us to send the deepest and most vulnerable parts of ourselves out into the world,” he says. The New York–based organization’s programming includes corporate trainings, leadership coaching and consulting to support systems-level change.
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