Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cindu Thomas-George. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cindu, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

The work I do as a DEI and Anti-racism practitioner and Professor is focused on developing inclusive agents of change.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers. What sets you apart from others and what are you most proud of?

I am a DEI and Anti-racism practitioner and a tenured professor of Communication Studies at the College of Lake County. It was my lived experiences of being the daughter of Indian immigrants and navigating my role in Higher Education as a woman of color that drew her to a career committed to driving inclusion, equity, and anti-racism forward. My experiences of being on the wrong side of inclusion is what prompted me start Shakti Diversity and Equity Training.

In my role as the Founder and Principal Trainer of Shakti, I work with organizational leaders, DEI councils and other key stakeholders to help creating a workplace culture that is inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist. I offer customized DEI professional development, and organizational and leadership DEI coaching.

I believe that culture change requires both awareness building and skill building and I implement that into the DEIA solutions I offer my clients. I also strongly believe that experiential and customized learning is essential to effectively develop inclusive and equitable agents of change. There are no “off- the shelf” or “one size fits” all training solutions when it comes Shakti Trainings. Also, my extensive experience of designing and facilitating adult learning and my ability to engage audiences and communicate effectively (I have taught public speaking in Higher Ed for 18 years) sets me apart from other DEI practitioners. Additionally, I embed all of my DEI solutions with theoretical frameworks grounded in academic research, industry relevant data along with the ever-evolving knowledge I gain from the ongoing and active professional development I pursue. I think one of my biggest differentiators is that I am a practitioner who is also a full-time employee of color actively working on DEI initiatives within my own institution. Many DEI practitioners rely on the observations and experiences they had in their former workplaces or on the teachings of publications written by other practitioners to bring solutions and insight to their clients. This is not the case for me, as I am actively engaged in my institutions DEI initiatives and also bring my lived experiences of being a minoritized employee and the lessons I have gained working as a DEI leader into my work.

I am most proud that I have been instrumental and effective in cultivating inclusive organizational cultures for my clients. This work can be complex, messy, and challenging and I am very grateful that I have been able to empower and educate employees at all levels of the organizations I have worked in to be inclusive leaders. The work of DEI is never ending and it truly takes everyone in an organization to collectively work towards inclusion and belonging. I am also extremely proud of the leaders I have worked with who have courageously stepped out of their comfort zones to lead the DEI conversations and initiatives. This requires shakti (which means strength and courage in my native language of Malayalam) and not everyone has the dedication to find their shakti.

I am also very proud of being a dual career working mom. My children are my biggest accomplishment. Also, part of the reason I do the work I do is to build a better tomorrow for my children and their future children. It’s a challenge to balance so much at once, but the reward in this work is well worth it. I am hopeful that my children are learning the importance being an inclusive person, having a good work ethic and being passionate about the career they will one day choose.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the idea that I was less intelligent, less capable, or less credible regardless of my pedigree or the fact I don’t hold a doctorate degree. Elitism is embedded into the industry of Higher Education, and it is something that you subconsciously learn to subscribe to the minute you enter into Higher Ed. As a first-generation college student and the first woman to graduate from college in my family, I was extremely proud of my undergraduate degree from the State schools I attended and never considered that where I went to college would be an indicator of my intelligence or success. I never placed an ounce of attention on the fact that I didn’t go to an Ivy League college or didn’t have a doctorate degree until my credibility was questioned. This questioning by others caused me to feel inferior to my peers. I unfortunately have countless experiences of others questioning my credibility and competence based on the pedigree I hold. Below are just two of those experiences that illustrate my experiences with elitism.

The first time I was made to question myself was when I was approached to work at a boutique DEI consulting firm. I had just graduated with my master’s degree and was in the first year of teaching in Higher Ed as an adjunct professor. I had also just entered the DEI consulting world and had worked on a few projects with a fellow South Asian woman for an organization that we both volunteered for at the time. This woman had her own DEI consulting firm and was interested in bringing me on to her team. She visited a few of my undergraduate classes to watch me teach as part of the interview process and after the final observation she sat me down for a more formal interview. It was then that she asked me how I got to where I am in my career considering the credentials I hold. I was too naïve in that moment to realize that she was questioning my credibility based on the schools I attended, and I answered her with some modest answer about hard work being the key to my success. She was an Ivy League degree holder and wasn’t impressed with my pedigree. Although I had the skill set and the experience required for the position, I did not look as good on paper as I did in person. I never heard from her again.

Another experience happened about eight years ago during a period when I was co-chairing the DEI council for my college and simultaneously running an inclusion and equity focused professional development program for faculty. This was a very heavy lift to execute outside of my teaching roles, but it was something I did because of my passion and because I was asked by college leadership to fulfill these DEI related roles. My work was well received and even praised, but not everyone was happy that I was working to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable learning experience for our students.

There was a particular faculty member with a PhD who felt she was a better qualified to lead the professional development program that I had founded and ran for years. Out of frustration, this woman barged into a meeting I was having unannounced accompanied by her Dean. The Dean proceeded to question my credentials, my credibility, and told me that if anyone should be teaching faculty about inclusion and equity it should be his faculty member who holds a PhD with several publications under her belt, not someone with a mere master’s degree who has not published a thing. I was shocked into silence and the painful experience still lives within me.

These experiences among many others made me to begin questioning myself. After being questioned several times, I bought into the idea that I needed a doctorate, or I that I shouldn’t be forthright about where I got my degrees out of fear that I would be judged and shamed. This went on for several years until I began to unlearn the elitism and see the beauty of my story. I began realizing that my background of being a first-generation college student, daughter of immigrants who did not have fancy degrees could be a source of empowerment for my students- many who were also first generation college students. I also started to learn that holding a PhD doesn’t guarantee that you are intelligent or effective at teaching. I eventually learned to reclaim the pride I once felt for my academic accomplishments and today, I make it a point to call out elitism whenever I see or hear it.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe that my reputation in the DEI/Anti-racism industry comes from my roughly twenty years of experience helping organizations to develop inclusive leaders, employees, and organizations that help foster a sense of belonging for today’s increasingly diverse workforce. The DEI field exploded after the murder of George Floyd and during that time period there were thousands of new faces who began doing the work of DEI and Anti-racism. Some of these folks were not prepared, experienced, or educated to take on the complexities of this work. I entered that moment as a seasoned and extremely knowledgeable and sincere practitioner which helped set me and my services apart from less experienced practitioners.

Additionally, my commitment for diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism is very much a personal commitment, not just a professional one. I think the sincerity I bring to my work and the strong belief I have that every one of us has the ability to be cultivators of inclusion and agents of change is clearly communicated to those who work with me. This is not a job for me, this is my life passion and calling,

Finally, I think the hundreds of testimonials I have are key to building my credibility and reputation. There is no other better reputation builder than other people vouching for you. I update my website and illustrate testimonials in my proposals to help build trust and credibility with my potential clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cinduthomasgeorge.com and www.shaktitraining.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaktidiversityandequity/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindu-thomas-george/

Image Credits
@NINA OTTOLINO