You found our list of best DEI consultants and advisors.
DEI consultants and advisors are professionals who provide expert advice and support to organizations on all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Examples include Wayne Sutton, Deborah Levine, and Elizabeth Williams. These experts help organizations create a more inclusive and equitable workplace for all individuals. DEI efforts will eliminate workplace discrimination regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or age.
These activities will ensure that companies enjoy the key benefits of diversity and boost diversity program ideas for the workplace. These consultants can strengthen allyship in the workplace and create more inclusive workplaces.
This list includes:
- DEI consultants for nonprofits
- diversity and inclusion consultants
- gender diversity consultants
- racial diversity consultants
- diversity hiring consultants
- DEI leadership consultants
- DEI advisors
- DEI educators
- DEI consulting firms
Here we go!
List of DEI consultants and advisors
The role of DEI consultants cannot be ignored, especially in a world where diversity and inclusion issues are at the forefront. By guiding and supporting organizations, consultants and advisors help to create a more inclusive and fair society. From Angelique Hamilton to Azeb Kinder and Uché Blackstock, here is a list of the best consultants and advisors that companies can hire to reinforce DEI efforts.
1. Agatha Agbanobi
As one of the best diversity and inclusion consultants, Agatha Agbanobi strives to transform organizations by attracting and retaining minority individuals. The consultant partners with organizations and provides strategic plans to develop DEI initiatives that benefit all stakeholders. Agbanobi is an expert in organizational DEI program design, group coaching, and professional development course design. You can also contact Agatha for DEI change management, implementation practices, and equity and inclusion assessments across your organization. As a former school leader and educator, Agbanobi is now the founder of Optimal Leadership LLC, a DEI consulting organization.
Connect with Agatha Agbanobi.
2. Wayne Sutton
As the Tech Inclusion and Change Catalyst co-founder, Sutton is a key player in reinforcing DEI efforts in tech. The consultant has years of experience in the field and creates change as a speaker, coach, and also via numerous media outlets. Sutton is also the founder of Icon Project, an organization focusing on the professional development and mental health of brown and Black men in tech. With his passion for storytelling, Sutton is a great choice of consultant for companies that want to engage teams in open DEI talks.
Connect with Wayne Sutton.
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3. Michele Heyward
As a certified D & I professional, Michele Heyward is one of the best racial diversity consultants for organizations. The consultant had a successful civil engineering career, including working with Eaton and NASA. Heyward focuses on reducing attrition costs by helping organizations retain Latina, Black, and indigenous women workers. As a DEI consultant, Heyward delivers strategic recommendations on leadership development, conducts attrition assessments, and delivers training on bias and equitable leadership. In addition, the consultant is the founder of PositiveHire, an organization that focuses on reducing the number of women of color leaving STEM careers. Heyward also offers human resources, executive coaching, leadership development, project management, and training services.
Connect with Michele Heyward.
4. Deborah Levine
Deborah Levine is a founder, award-winning author, religious diversity expert, and cognitive diversity inventor. The consultant is also an inventor of the matrix Model Management System, a cultural implicit bias and cross-cultural training tool. Deborah Levine also uses her storytelling skills to educate diverse teams, improve emotional intelligence, and promote inclusion. As a consultant, Levine works with clients in varying industries, such as professional associations, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and international sectors. Organizations can also check out Levine’s American Diversity Report, which includes podcasts and articles.
Connect with Deborah Levine.
5. Amber Cabral
Amber Cabral is an excellent choice if you are looking for DEI educators. As one of the most sought-after DEI speakers, Cabral can lead conferences, panels, and industry events on diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations. Amber Cabral helps inclusion leaders and organizations achieve individualized DEI goals through speaking, teaching, and coaching. In addition, you can seek Cabral for DEI-related services such as unconscious bias, learning and development, onboarding, and strategic planning. The consultant also offers mentoring resources, talent management, project management, and leadership behaviors. Amber Cabral is renowned as a best-selling author, executive coach, and TEDEd speaker. Cabral partners with educational institutions, nonprofits, and corporations to offer more DEI services.
Connect with Amber Cabral.
6. Dr. Shelton Goode
Dr. Shelton Goode is a commendable DEI consultant with over 20 years of experience in the human resources industry. The advisor, a Diversity Leadership Academy graduate, helps organizations create inclusive cultures that provide a competitive advantage. The former air force veteran offers DEI services such as executive coaching, organizational development, talent management, and leadership management. Dr. Shelton Goode has also earned various titles, such as Forbes’s top 10 D&I trailblazers and the Roosevelt Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Shelton Goode is the CEO of Icarus Consulting, LLC, which focuses on developing inclusive cultures in organizations.
Connect with Dr. Shelton Goode.
7. Angelique Hamilton
Angelique Hamilton is a fantastic option if you are looking for DEI consultants for nonprofits. The award-winning diversity and inclusion thought leader and human resource is notable for her strategic leadership and innovation within HR. Her experience in service organizations, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 puts Hamilton in a position to provide excellent consulting services. Hamilton offers DEI-related services, including talent acquisition, culture management, and workforce planning. The consultant also provides HR consulting, management consulting, change management, and leadership development. You can also seek other services from Hamilton, such as executive coaching, labor and employment law, and employee training.
Connect with Angelique Hamilton.
8. Dorianne St Fleur
With her extensive work experience with global tech companies such as Google, Dorianne St Fleur is now a top DEI consultant. Through her company, Dorianne St. Fleur Consulting, the DEI consultant builds customized programs per every organization’s needs. Fleur provides DEI consulting services through training, coaching, and advising organizations on the best initiatives. The consultant focuses on inclusive hiring, onboarding, retention, and employee engagement. Organizations can also enjoy other services, including inclusive leadership and career coaching, change management, and culture clarity. Fleur’s DEI strategy for organizations revolves around helping companies become dream employers.
Connect with Dorianne St Fleur.
9. Azeb Kinder
Azeb Kinder is a fantastic choice for organizations that are seeking DEI advisors. As The Kinder Group founder and CEO, the consultant focuses on training communities, organizations, and individuals. These training sessions focus on abolishing racial inequalities by changing participants’ assumptions, beliefs, and behaviors. Kinder also empowers teams with communication skills that enable participants to serve diverse groups. Organizations can benefit from consulting services on DEI-related services, including implicit bias, racism, and prejudice. Kinder also offers one-on-one coaching services for managers and leaders to help them serve people of color better.
Connect with Azeb Kinder.
10. Elizabeth Williams
Elizabeth Williams is an award-winning DEI and anti-racism coach. The over two decades of experience in the field enables her to provide excellent services in DEI training, facilitation, and coaching. This training can help individuals navigate the increasingly diverse society while removing institutional oppressions. Throughout her DEI career, Williams has served audiences in nonprofits, global corporations, youth service agencies, and education institutions. Williams is also the founder and CEO of Dash Consulting LLC, which aims to make workforces more inclusive.
Connect with Elizabeth Williams.
11. Khalilah Lyons
Listed among the top 100 DEI leaders in 2021, Khalilah Lyons is among the best DEI leadership consultants for small corporations, startups, and nonprofits. Her extensive engagements, experience, and knowledge in the DEI sectors make Lyons a sought-out thought leader for organizations. Companies can also seek the consultant as a speaker, facilitator, content creator, and coach. Lyons also founded Answer the Moment, LLC, where she bridges gaps in the DEI sectors. The DEI consultant is also a director and co-founder of Candidly Connecting. Through the organization, Khalilah Lyons equips parents and guardians with resources and tools that provide a dialogue for diversity.
Connect with Khalilah Lyons.
12. Effenus Henderson
Effenus Henderson tops the list of internationally renowned DEI leaders. The consultant is renowned for speaking sessions in various forums, such as the General Assembly of the United States. Organizations that want to educate their workforce on DEI matters can invite Henderson. Beyond DEI consulting, Henderson also provides business, change management, political, and HR consulting.
Connect with Effenus Henderson.
13. Mary-Frances Winters
As the president and CEO of the Winters Group, Mary Frances Winters is a fantastic choice for DEI educators. Mary uses her 35 years of experience in the DEI sectors to steer positive changes in other organizations. The consultant, who encourages dialogues and provokes tough conversations, focuses on ethnic and multicultural issues. With Winters as a DEI consultant, companies can benefit from her experience in change management, training and facilitation, and strategic planning. Organizations can also seek systems thinking, development, and research services. Winters is also a sought-after workshop leader and keynote speaker. Organizations can also teach DEI through the consultant’s books that focus on religion, race, politics, and diversity leadership.
Connect with Mary-Frances Winters.
14. Jes Osrow
Jes Osrow is a DEI consultant who strives to create change in companies’ operations. As the co-founder and COO of The Rise journey, Osrow focuses on strategies promoting sustainable organizational cultures. Her specialty in DEI also encompasses accessibility and belonging. Osrow bases her consulting services on real-life experiences in her engaging, relatable, and action-oriented work. The consultant’s focus includes imposter syndrome, disability advocacy, career development, and diversity recruitment strategies.
Connect with Jes Osrow.
15. Uché Blackstock, MD
If you are looking for racial diversity consultants, then you should connect with Uché Blackstock. The Harvard graduate and thought leader has a keen interest in bias and racism in the workplace, especially in health care. The former physician is the proud founder of Advancing Health Equity. The organization partners with startups and healthcare organizations to address racial health inequities. The company also has an analytic tool that enables other organizations to access racial equity policies and practices. Blackstock is also an excellent keynote speaker who will capture your audience’s attention to deliver vital DEI lessons. The consultant’s writing is also featured in the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and Scientific America.
Connect with Uché Blackstock.
16. Lily Zheng
As an independent consultant, Lily Zheng strives to help organizational leaders achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The consultant works with leaders who want to implement outcome-based DEI strategies. Lily Zheng is also a proud author of DEI Deconstructed, a resource that addresses DEI issues such as gender ambiguity in the workplace. The DEI strategist uses vital trade tools to implement DEI efforts, such as management science, organizational sociology, and intersectional analysis. Zheng works with nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies, and startups on small and large DEI-based projects. As a professional speaker, Zheng is also open to open discussions and speaker sessions on DEI issues, such as effective leadership and LGBTQI issues.
Connect with Lily Zheng.
17. Anj Handa FRSA
As the founder of Inspiring Women Changemakers, Anj Handa is an excellent choice for companies looking for gender diversity consultants. The DEI consultant has over 20 years of experience that provides a deep understanding of employment laws, good governance, and digital systems. Handa leads the organization in creating a safe, fairer, and equitable place for women. In addition, the DEI consultant helps build and communicate organizational effort-inclusive initiatives. Through her work, companies can benefit through the right policies, strategies, and procedures that promote gender inclusion and equality. In addition, Handa can support organizations through DEI efforts, including board development, inclusive and transformative leadership programs, and impact coaching. Handa is also a multilingual lobbyist, writer, and speaker.
Connect with Anj Handa FRSA.
18. Dr. Kristen Liesch
Recognized as a Forbes D&I trailblazer, Dr. Kristen Liesch strives to serve other organizations with tools to promote inclusion and equality. The provocative thought leader advocates for equitable change in systems, organizations, and communities. Liesch focuses on innovative and research-based leadership to lead change in her DEI efforts. Organizations can also utilize the consultant’s educator skills to better their workforce. Liesch is also the CEO and co-founder of Tidal Equality, which aims to create an equal world. The DEI strategist is also a co-creator of Equity Sequence, a company that strives to create equitable change across the globe.
Connect with Dr. Kristen Liesch.
19. Ashish Kaushal
If you are looking for diversity hiring consultants, then Ashish Kaushal is an excellent option. The consultant is the proud founder of HireTalent, a Certified Minority Business Enterprise that provides recruitment services. Companies can take the first step in enforcing DEI measures through the team of proprietary technology solutions and account managers. Kaushal also drives DEI efforts through the Consciously Unbiased organization as a co-founder. In addition, the company supports organizations that want to increase their diversity footprint and also supports anti-racism initiatives.
Connect with Ashish Kaushal.
20. Yasmine Laurent
Yasmine Laurent is a results-oriented consultant who aims to promote diversity in organizations. Laurent is also the founder of YJLaurent Consulting, which provides transformative DEI-related development solutions for organizations. Some key areas of expertise include leadership coaching, talent management, data analysis, and talent acquisition. The consultant also offers various services, including DEI coaching and personalized strategic solutions for inclusive and equitable workspaces.
Connect with Yasmine Laurent.
Conclusion
DEI consultants are individuals who help organizations to create and maintain a diverse and all-inclusive workforce. These consultants typically have expertise in areas such as diversity training and unconscious bias training. Through DEI consultants, organizations can assess their current level of DEI and develop implementation strategies to address those issues. Depending on your organization’s needs, DEI consultants may conduct workshops, train stakeholders, and facilitate discussions. These advisors can also develop DEI policies and practices and assess the effectiveness of existing initiatives.
Next, check out our list of virtual diversity and inclusion activities and ideas for workplaces, fun community-building activities, and relationship-building games.
Grace He