PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Diverse City Group Team Members
Judy Blair – Chief of Staff & Senior Director of Consulting Services
Judy Blair - Chief of Staff & Senior Director of Consulting Services
I came to this position with over a decade of experience facilitating groups and coaching people in antiracism combined with a long career of administratively supporting individuals and teams in achieving their desired results. I am honored to be a part of Diverse City and to be able to serve and support the rest of the team.
Diverse City Group Consulting Team
ChrisTiana ObeySumner – DEI Specialist
ChrisTiana ObeySumner - DEI Specialist
ChrisTiana ObeySumner is a Black/ Indigenous, queer, non-binary, and multiply disabled person, community organizer and activist. They have multifaceted interests and areas of expertise pertaining to DEI, organizational and social psychology. Their particular areas of specialization are in social and organizational policy, transformative change, intersectionality, LGBTQIA+ equity, antiracism, and disability justice.
For two decades, they’ve dedicated their life and career to amplifying the importance of social equity – defined as the lifelong work of deconstructing inequitable sociological impacts and outcomes such as policies, systems, cultures, biases, and constructs. ChrisTiana enjoys facilitating strategic and embodied pathways towards the construction of equitable processes, accountability structures, and culture shifts.
They’ve worked with over 150 organizations across the U.S. and in Europe, given guest lectures at the University of Washington, Seattle University, and M.I.T., and featured in Business Insider, the Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle Times, Crosscut, Seattle Arts, Seattle Magazine, and Diverse City LLC’s online learning series.
Derrick Reyes – DEI Specialist
Derrick Reyes - DEI Specialist
In order to affect structural change in any organization, and rippling out into the planet, we must actively become aware of the systems of oppression we live in, uphold, participate in, benefit from, and internalize within us. Beyond that, it’s important to actively utilize the access, power, privilege, equity/coins, and other resources we have to create pushing against those systems of oppression within us, for others, and beyond. I do this work because my intersections of marginalized and minoritized identities plus my educational and career background allows me the nuanced lived experiences to understand, hold space for, and facilitate this work. With great power comes great responsibility. And the responsibility was there for me to take.
Derrick uses they/them pronouns and is a social entrepreneur, consultant, executive coach, speaker, model, and skincare enthusiast. They identify as an Afro-Latinx, queer, gender non-binary, native New Yorker. Derrick leads Queerly Health, a social mission-driven company leveraging concierge health and digital health to end LGBTQ+ health disparities by 2030. Their focus is in LGBTQIA+ inclusion, social impact businesses, digital health, and concierge health. Derrick has a clinical research background and earned their M.A. in Human Development and Social Intervention from NYU, along with an Advanced Certification in LGBTQ+ Health, Education, and Social Services. Derrick and Queerly Health have been featured in Forbes, SXSW, Product Hunt, NASDAQ, and SuperMaker. Derrick often advises and mentors other startup founders and, on occasion, co-facilitates a college class, walks a designer runway, or spends time at the United Nations as a delegate.
Dominique Burrell-Paige, PhD – DEI Specialist
Dominique Burrell-Paige, PhD - DEI Specialist
How would the world be if everyone looked and acted the same?
What if everyone had the same racial, social, and/or ethnic background?
Yup, you guessed it – BORING. It’s important for diverse and dual individuals like myself to embody the intersectionalities that make DEI work transforming and allow micro and macro-organizational and individual change.
I’ve actively been in the DEI space for approximately six years helping organizations and leaders reach their full potential by guiding them through antiracism and critical race practices from a holistic lens that reminds organizations, of all industries, that we’re all fallible. After receiving my Ph.D. in Business Psychology, I expanded my DEI toolkit to help organizations achieve racial equity through strategic advisory, training and development, executive coaching, and general consulting that supports sustainability.
Ayesha Pacholke – Senior HR Advisor
Ayesha Pacholke - Senior HR Advisor
I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life, there are some that matter most. It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail, and it is good to see,” spoken by Kicking Bird (from Dances with Wolves). Respecting and practicing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in every aspect of one’s life- not just in one’s work life – is sacrosanct and essential to becoming a true human being. But it is also inviolable to maintaining the rights, liberties and privileges of our democracy. Our way of life and our system of governing doesn’t work without understanding and appreciating that all people are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights. Protecting and honoring those rights, be they through DEI programs or just universal kindness, keeps us on the trail of a true human being.
Rebecca Clements – Senior HR Advisor
Rebecca Clements - Senior HR Advisor
I want to live in a world where people feel comfortable being authentic, where differences are embraced and supported, and where inclusion matters. I want to engage with communities that value and respect everyone. I aspire to build companies that are committed to building diverse teams and treating everyone equitably and with compassion.
In my human resource work, I have taken a whole person approach to building work environments and cultures. No person is just one thing; we have many different parts of our lives and experiences. By creating an environment that encourages the whole person to come to work – and feel safe and supported in doing so – we can provide the support they need to be successful and to feel valued.
Building diverse, equitable and inclusive companies is the right thing to do on a human level and companies that do will experience greater success. Most importantly, they will begin to change the world we live in for the better.
Shauna Chernicoff – Senior HR Advisor
Shauna Chernicoff - Senior HR Advisor
Two of my core values are kindness and empathy. Our world can be an extremely unkind place at times. We are surrounded by systems that were intentionally created to minimize and harm people from underrepresented backgrounds and abilities. Many people lack the awareness to recognize these systems or do not take the time to learn about the lived experiences of those that come from marginalized populations. My purpose in both my personal and professional life is to help create more opportunities for equity, kindness and empathy.
As a human resources executive, I understand that creating an anti-racist, equitable, inclusive and kind culture is a journey that requires a deliberate and long term commitment. It is not simply a moment in time. It requires that an organization does the hard work to look within its systems and changes both practices and behaviors. Cultivating a culture that acknowledges, celebrates and honors the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of its employees undoubtedly leads to better business outcomes, more engaged employees, and a more just workforce.
What is Diversity, Equity, and inclusion?
Cheryl Ingram PhD – President of Diverse City Group | CEO & Founder – Inclusology
What is Diversity, Equity, and inclusion?
Cheryl Ingram PhD – President of Diverse City Group | CEO & Founder – Inclusology
We Help Organizations, Small and Large, Build Sustainable Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategies.
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