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There’s a pattern I keep seeing—and folks rarely name it out loud. Some people enter values-driven spaces, especially those led by people of color or folks with marginalized identities, and immediately treat the environment as a place to exercise or exorcise (depending) whatever they’ve never dealt with in their past workplaces. Why Some People Misuse […]

The first thing you notice is how loud he’s gotten. Not about deliverables. About being seen. Ever since hybrid work became the norm, the Grown-Man Baby has been restless — pacing digital hallways, missing his reflection in the eyes of others. Before, the office gave him a stage: the open floor plan was his arena,

We like to believe food is constant — that a home-cooked meal passed down from our grandmother or a dish we’ve made for years carries the same meaning, the same comfort, maybe even the same nutritional value. But what if that’s no longer true? I call this nutritional dissonance — the quiet, uneasy gap between

You’ve been applying for jobs for months. Your resume is tight, your LinkedIn crisp. You’ve actually made it into interviews. You come away from those calls thinking…

“Thrilled to collaborate.” “Excited to announce.” “Honored to be part of this team.” It’s not that celebration is bad. It’s that it sounds less like people talking to each other, more like people posting about each other. The workplace is becoming LinkedIn with Zoom squares and cubicles. Spin Before Substance I’ve sat in multiple meetings

Why Interpersonal and Interorganizational Repair Must Go Hand in Hand The United States is in the midst of political and cultural upheaval. Deepening divisions amplify some of our most pressing social justice issues: racial inequality, labor rights, and equitable access to food. While conflict and crisis can breed disengagement or hasty attempts at damage control,

(Spoiler Warning for Severance Season 2)   I come from a family that adores Sci-Fi TV shows, from Watchmen, to Star Trek, to The Outer Limits, to The X-Files, to Babylon 5. Naturally, Severance intrigued me from the start. It’s first season tackled questions of identity and free will, thanks to a dystopian corporate experiment

We’ve seen this playbook before.   In the late-1940s through the 1950s, McCarthyism weaponized fear, suspicion, and state power to crush movements for social and economic justice. Under the guise of fighting communism, the U.S. government and its allies monitored, blacklisted, defunded, interrogated, and dismantled organizations that fought for racial and economic equity.   Today,

For Black and Brown leaders, the aftermath of this election—or any moment of renewed crisis—can bring a stark and painful clarity. You may be watching in real-time as colleagues, neighbors, and even friends make decisions that contradict everything they’ve said about equity, justice, and solidarity. It can feel disorienting, even shocking. But this isn’t new.

During this Martin Luther King Jr. Day week, I hold Dr. King’s words and vision even closer as we reflect not only on his legacy but also on the reality of this moment in our nation’s present. January 20, 2025, marked the inauguration of an administration that has openly professed its will and intention to

At StrivEquity Consulting LLC we know that in every organization, there are two stories being told: the official narrative and the unofficial narrative. While the former is outward-facing, polished, and rooted in an institution’s ideals, the latter often resides beneath the surface, shaping the lived experience of many employees, especially those from undervalued communities. These

Taking a sabbatical or career break can offer space for deep reflection, facing some hard truths, and discovering what it takes to truly grow from them. From June through December 2021, I did exactly that. It was a humbling, insightful, and life-changing journey. Before I share some reflections that came out of this experience, I

Black and Brown Leadership in Crisis: Investing Where It Matters For Black and Brown leaders, prolonged crises—whether political, economic, or institutional—can wear us down. The constant push to stay engaged, advocate, and resist can leave us exhausted. And when institutions continue to demonstrate harm rather than transformation, disengagement can feel like the only path forward.

What Comes After the Single, Heartfelt, Post-Election Zoom Call? With the 2024 election behind us, organizations across the country are taking a hard look at what lies ahead. For many, including at StrivEquity Consulting LLC, this reflection isn’t just about preparing for the usual shifts; it’s about navigating a deeply polarized, dangerous, high-stakes environment. After

Choosing the Right Metaphors: Ensuring Respect and Dignity in Organizational Change Organizational change is a nuanced process that demands more than good intentions; it necessitates a thorough understanding of the implications of the methodologies we use. As the year closes and we shift from theoretical change initiatives to annual actionable plans, the importance of the

We’re announcing the launch of a passion project close to my heart – the Not 4 Prophets podcast – a brand new podcast co-hosted by my friend and colleague, Trenia Parham. Not 4 Prophets is your backstage pass into the nonprofit industry, where we peel back the curtains to reveal the unfiltered truth. From behind-the-scenes insights to personal

🌟 Introducing StrivEquity Consulting LLC: Guiding Transformation with Purpose and Equity! 🌟 We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of StrivEquity Consulting LLC! Founded in 2022, StrivEquity is a dynamic consulting firm with a passionate commitment to individual and team executive coaching, leadership development, and training. Our minority-owned firm pursues equitable departmental cultures through investing

What does “I’m not surprised…” mean for Black, Brown, and people of color leaders? A year ago, during a casual text with a friend, we discussed the idea of refraining from using the phrase “I’m not surprised…” as our immediate response to the ongoing challenges our nation faces. This sentiment, though simple, turned out to

How do the quieter moments contribute to your leadership? From Spring 2019 to February 2020, I participated in a collaborative project in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This initiative focused on the often understated, but significant moments contributing to the Equity-Responsive Leadership work I lead StrivEquity Consulting LLC. Although the project did not fully realize its goals of

The recent layoffs impacting DEI staff and therefore initiatives at Google, Meta, Zoom, others, prompt us to consider what this means for those who remain and are committed to change. see more At StrivEquity Consulting LLC, we focus on guiding leaders, especially who identify as Black, Brown, and leaders of color, to navigate and influence

From Brockton to Newton: Shaping Equitable Futures in Education and Leadership Over the past few weeks, both towns where I called home have faced very different, but very public fights about the future of their district schools. In Brockton, MA where some city councilmembers are pushing for national guard troops in the high school (https://shorturl.at/isx13),

Reclaiming Our Narrative: Insights and Reflections from ‘Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome’ As Founder & Managing Principal of StrivEquity Consulting LLC, I’ve recently reread Dr. Joy DeGruy‘s “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome,” (joydegruy.com) and I’m excited to share insights from Dr. DeGruy’s impactful book. Her work sheds light on the lasting effects of the institution of slavery on Black

Reflections from Nairobi: Confronting Systemic Racism, Embracing Global Solidarity As I sat in Nairobi during July 2016, on my first trip abroad, I saw the news emerging from the country printed on the front of my passport, and was reminded of a conversation I kept having with the loved ones in my life: What are

🌍 “This business sounds half antebellum revival, half science fiction. I don’t trust it.” – Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower 🌰 In her visionary work, Butler, a Black woman, touches on themes that resonate deeply with the challenges and opportunities we explore at StrivEquity Consulting LLC. Just as Butler’s narrative wrestles with the discomfort of

The Paradox of Learning from History: Reflections for Equity-Responsive Leaders In an era marked by regression and constraints on freedoms, the words often attributed to Winston Churchill, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” resonate amid his own legacy of oppressive leadership and dehumanization. While intended as a warning, this

When Professional Development Collides with Power In our professional journeys, especially as Black and Brown professionals navigating majority white institutions, the guidance and support of a manager can be transformative. A manager’s mentorship can illuminate our paths, offering invaluable insights and opportunities for growth. However, there comes a moment in some of our careers when

Beyond Individual Effort: Systemic Barriers Facing BIPOC Leaders in Nonprofit Leadership In her compelling Nonprofit Quarterly article, “Pushed into Leadership, Hung Out to Dry,” Cyndi Suarez paints a sobering picture of the challenges that BIPOC leaders face in the nonprofit sector. The declining interest among BIPOC professionals in executive roles is not just a matter of personal

From High School Sit-Ins to StrivEquity: The Roots of My Leadership Journey 🔎 Reflecting on my high school days in Massachusetts amid the current wave of student activism, I’m vividly reminded of my first encounter with activism – a defining moment that shaped my approach to leadership at StrivEquity. 🗞 During my time as a reporter