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Meet Our Training Team

Diversity Builder’s facilitators lead dynamic experiential classes that use industry-specific real-life exercises to produce optimal learning outcomes.

Building Better Workplace Cultures

“When learners see the workplace from others’ perspectives and set actionable diversity goals, true change begins. Our trainers’ engaging facilitation approach encourages a high level of participation and accelerates progress in building a culture of inclusion.”

Each Diversity Builder trainer brings a unique set of life experiences, expertise and passion for inclusion.

What our Clients are Saying

“Our firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), is responsible for some of the world’s most technically and environmentally advanced buildings and significant public spaces. Our approach is highly collaborative, and our interdisciplinary team is international. We needed a DE&I training and consulting resource that would meet our varied needs and found that in Diversity Builder, Inc. We have worked with Diversity Builder to train our leadership teams on inclusive practices as well as coaching individual employees and managers in developmental areas. Diversity Builder always listens to our specific needs and offers custom solutions that are both well-received and impactful.”

Karen O’Doherty | Senior Manager of Human Resources
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

Chicago, Illinois

“We are a global consulting company that needed a dynamic diversity trainer who would hold the attention of our group and help them move toward creating an environment of inclusion and respect. Diversity Builder was quick to respond and offered several trainers with strong diversity training bios. The trainer was amazing! He was prepared and customized the content specifically for us, considering not only the work we do but the roles of the employees who were signed up for the class. This was a challenging situation for our organization. I didn’t think anyone would be able to hold their interest and provide an interactive training, but he succeeded with flying colors. Thank you, Diversity Builder.”

Kim Ash | Employee Experience and Process Leader
J.S. Held, LLC

Jericho, New York

Locations Chicago *New York City  *Houston *San Diego *Atlanta *Seattle *Boston *Washington DC

Diversity Builder facilitators, consultants, and employee coaches are located across the nation in nearly every state and major metropolitan area. This geographical strategy makes scheduling and travel easier and helps us contribute to global sustainability. Locations include New York City, Washington DC, San Diego, Nashville, Seattle, Boston, Nashville, St. Louis, Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Fort Worth, Baltimore, San Antonio, Austin, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Denver, and Chicago.

Work Experience

Our trainers and consultants bring a variety of skills and life experiences into building the curriculum and facilitating engaging training. As a team leading diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, we are diverse with different intersectionalities. Our trainers have diverse lived experiences and identities including races (BIPOC, Black, African American), ethnicities, religions, disabilities, age (multiple generations), genders (non-binary and binary), Latinx, and LGBTQIA+. This differentiation in lived experiences and identities provide the trainers with diversity of thought and perspective to bring to the classroom and shift the paradigm to more insightful and actionable training programs. Racial diversity training and social justice expertise is critical to the team in working toward resolving bias, challenging microaggressions, and moving toward allyship. Our trainers put a different spin on compliance programs. In addition to making sure they meet state, local, and federal guidelines, the programs go further by building a safe space where employees are empowered to speak up and be who they are at work. Team members have earned law or doctorate degrees as well as racial diversity,
ADA and LGBTQI+ training. Other diversity trainers are world-wide travelers adept at cultural competence  and best practices in cross-cultural communication and inclusion.

Police Diversity Training

A Diversity Builder trainer led listening sessions, race conversations, and training sessions with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (DC Police) after experiencing challenges related to gentrification. The same trainer facilitated diversity and inclusion sessions with the Cuyahoga County Police Chiefs Association during a period of heightened racial tensions. An inclusion-focused session was held for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington, DC. for purposes of diverse-hiring and improved relationships with served communities.
One of our trainers serves on the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Board for the El Protector Program. Others led cultural competency police training for the Metro Nashville Police Officer Recruits and taught them about the diversity and culture of the communities within Nashville.

Get Started with Diversity Training


    Spanish Language Capability

    Diversity Builder has trainers on our team who are fluent in Spanish and English and who teach California mandated harassment training (SB 1343) in English and Spanish. Other topics available in Spanish are leadership, diversity and inclusion, respect in the workplace, and unconscious bias. Other classes may be available in Spanish. Please send an inquiry with specific questions or call us directly.

    Higher Education Programs

    Diversity Builder has instructors are accomplished as teachers in the academic space and have been instrumental in creating educational programs in colleges and universities such as the University of Chicago, Belmont University (Nashville), Lincoln University of Missouri, Rutgers University of New York, DePaul University School of Law and primary school environments in Chicago, Illinois, Eastern Illinois University, City University of New York (CUNY), Farmingdale State College, University of the South, City College of New York, and Columbia State Community College in Tennessee. They have learned about unconscious bias in the classroom and effective ways in how to address it. One trainer is a professor at Tennessee State University. Diversity training in higher education often involves learning how to inclusively communicate with fellow faculty and staff along with the student population.

    Chicago Facilitators

    Our Chicago-based training instructors have led important projects and have notable accomplishments. One team member was part of the leadership group at the University of Chicago that developed the Office of LGBTQI Student Life. One of our trainers served as the Assistant Director of Student Life at Loyola University Chicago and as the Director of Multicultural Affairs at DePaul University. In the Chicago area we have facilitated D&I training for Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill’s architectural design and engineering employees, Buschman Homes, and Laramar Group’s real estate employees.

    Published Works

    One of our diversity leaders has written some best-selling books, published numerous journal papers, submitted published works to newspapers on the topic of workplace diversity. Simma Lieberman is the author of three books, Putting Diversity to Work, How to Successfully Lead a Diverse Workforce, The Diversity Calling, Building Community One Story at a Time, and 110 Ways to Champion Diversity and Build Inclusion.

    Armida Russell coauthored the book The Diversity Directive: Why Some Initiatives Fail & What to Do About It. 

    Melody Fowler-Green has published works in several legal treatises, law-related journals, and newspapers. Her article entitled, “Syrian refugee question deserves a civil discussion” was published in The Tennessean. She has studied the science of unconscious bias extensively and weaves that knowledge into her education programs in a novel way. She served as Editor-in-Chief of the top law journal on the topic of poverty, Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy.

    Training Certifications

    Two of our facilitators are Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Senior Certified Professionals. team members hold the following advanced degrees:
    Doctorate in Philosophy Higher Education: Loyola University of Chicago
    Doctorate in Leadership and Organizational Development from Walden University in Minneapolis

    Doctor of Law (J.D.), Law from Georgetown University
    Master of Science, Human Resources Management
    Master’s of Science Degree in Quality Systems Management with specialization in Change Management: The National Graduate School (Falmouth, Massachusetts)
    Master’s Degree in Public Administration: Troy University (Troy Alabama)
    Master’s Degree in College Student Counseling: Loyola University of Chicago
    Doctorate in Business Administration: California International University
    Ethnic Studies and Race Relations: Department of Defense
    Master’s Degree in Economics from University of South Florida and Western Kentucky University
    Master’s Degree MBA in Organizational Leadership from Marylhurst University (Oregon)
    Master’s Degree in Education from Lipscomb University
    Master’s Degree in Family Therapy from Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions
    Master’s Degree in English Literature: City University of New York City College
    Master of Arts in Women’s Studies
    MBA in Human Resources
    Master’s Degree in College Student Affairs

    Program  and Assessment Certifications:

    • StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment
    • MBTI: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
    • EQi 0– Emotional Intelligence Certification for EI assessments
    • CSI – Change Style Indicator
    • Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode instrument
    • DISC assessment
    • SHRM-SCP
    • Strengths Performance Coach credentialed by Gallup University (StrengthsFinder)
    • CAEL – Career and Educational Advising
    • TESOL
    • ISO 9001
    • SHRM-CP
    • Design Thinking Practitioner
    • Advanced Smartboards
    • SCRUM Master facilitator of agile development team that allows employees on teams to self-organize

    One of our Chicago trainers completed the Harvard Kennedy program on Change Management Leadership (Effective Change Through Public Policy and Management), the Executive Leadership Program from National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), Mediation education, and Executive Leadership Training Program from the Center for Creative Leadership.

    Our time management trainer holds certifications in the following;

    • Certified Professional Organizer
    • Workplace Productivity Specialist

    Our Charlotte, North Carolina-based instructor and coach completed the Predictive Index human resources certification program and our Maryland-based trainer has received certification as a Human Capital Strategist. One of our executive coaches is a certified StrengthsFinders Performance Coach, credentialized by Gallup University. She is also certified in Career and Education Advising.

    Curriculum Specialties

    We have a number of trainers and consultants on our team. Here are a few of our team members….
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    Taryn

    Colleen

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    Charlie

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    Simma

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    Nalani

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    Melody

    Companies Where We Have Worked

    Our team members have held sales and leadership, instructor, and/or human resources roles within corporate company and organizational workplaces as detailed in the chart.

    Trainer Companies & Organizations
    The Walt Disney Company CIGNA HealthCare George Washington University
    Bank of America Laromme Hotels Disability Rights California
    YMCA The Pentagon (Department of Defense
    US Government – Arlilngton, VA)    		 Banana Republic
    Salesforce ABB Optical Group General Motors
    Capgemini Aetna Inc. Re/Max Realty
    TripleLift (NYC) Burberry State of Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation
    Randstad Fuze T-Mobile
    IBM Southeastern University Wells Fargo Bank
    Gaylord Entertainment Nike Nordstrom
    The American Bar Association Apple Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
    United States Government
    Department of the Navy    		 Dillards Office of Secretary of Defense (Almeda, CA)
    State Farm Insurance Macy’s Virginia Military Institute