We caught up with the brilliant and insightful CoSandra Dent a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi CoSandra, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission behind starting a talent placement firm, CoCreate Solutions, is to bridge the gap in representation at all levels in particularly, leadership, for minority talent. After over a decade of working as a Talent Acquisition Executive for Fortune 100 and 500 companies, I recognized the need for a more intentional approach to building diverse candidate slates and sourcing talent from underrepresented backgrounds. Too often, decision makers lack access to a truly diverse pool of candidates, not due to a lack of qualified individuals, but because the right channels were not in place. At CoCreate Solutions, my goal is to prioritize inclusivity and ensure that diverse talent is effectively presented and advocated for in opportunities at all levels.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

CoCreate Solutions was started by me. After graduating from Tuskegee University, my journey started in Social Services, serving the foster care community, matching therapeutic foster care children to families that could support their growth and development. This was the beginning of recognizing my gift to connect people and their strengths against company and business needs.
My transferable skills afforded me the ability to expand into the corporate sector, specifically in the staffing agency industry. There I met people who saw my core strengths and provided an opportunity to expand my skills in matching to placement of talent for a variety of industries including finance, software, technology, supply chain and logistics as well as hospitality and retail.
I spent over ten years within the FinTech industry, growing and developing HR professionals globally, learning that there was a need to gain insight on navigating the corporate world through change. Building key relationships within this environment presented the opportunity to understand the competencies needed to be effective within my role as a leader.
I attribute my ability to navigate successfully to the following key qualities:
1. Work Ethic and Perseverance: Growing up on what most would consider a farm taught me to truly appreciate hard work. As the youngest of five siblings, we all had our part in managing daily chores, both indoors and outdoors, which started early in the morning and often lasted late into the day, even on Saturdays. I wouldn’t trade this upbringing for anything, as it instilled in me a strong work ethic and the importance of completing tasks – we didn’t stop until the work was done. This mindset has carried over into my adult life, where I understand that diligence is the key to success. As a child, I didn’t appreciate the necessity of hard work but now as an adult I thank my parents for instilling in me the importance.
2. Passionate Advocate for Change – I’m deeply committed to challenging the status quo, especially when it comes to creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. My journey in Talent Acquisition has been fueled by my passion for making a tangible impact to build inclusive teams in the corporate sector.
3. Relationship Builder: I excel at relationship building, which has been instrumental in my career progression. I understand that creating meaningful, long-term changes requires trust, influence, and the ability to bring diverse stakeholders together to support a shared vision.
4. Innovative and Data-Driven: Known for my ability to merge data-driven strategies with a human touch, I’ve successfully integrated technology solutions like AI-powered applicant tracking systems while never losing sight of the human side of recruiting. My ability to analyze data to enhance recruitment strategies makes me stand out among my peers.
5. Empathetic: my foundation in Social Services taught me the value of empathy in every interaction. I carry this mindset into my role as a player/coach in the corporate sector, ensuring that every candidate and employee feels heard, respected, and valued.
6. Mentor and Coach: Throughout my career, I’ve been a mentor to others—particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds—and has played an active role in helping them advance to opportunities including leadership positions. I understand the challenges of navigating corporate environments and actively work to help others overcome these obstacles.
7. Champion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): I’m not just an advocate for DEI; I’m also a champion who puts action behind my words. My leadership initiatives have created pathways for diverse talent to thrive, and I continue to push for more equitable practices across the companies I work with.
8. Work-Life Balance and Fun: I believe that success is not just about working hard but also about enjoying the journey. My sense of humor and ability to foster a positive work environment makes me a leader that others want to collaborate with seek for career guidance.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Early in my career, while working in Social Services, I faced one of the most challenging aspects of the job—reading through the profiles of children in the custody of the state. Each profile was a heart-wrenching story of hardship, filled with struggles and behavioral challenges that many foster parents were hesitant to take on. My role as a Therapeutic Foster Care Recruiter was to find foster parents who were willing to open their hearts and homes to these children, despite the daunting behaviors and the traumas they carried.

Day after day, I read through these profiles, sometimes feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of what these children had been through. It would have been easy to become discouraged, to see the task as impossible, or to let the emotional weight affect my ability to continue. But instead, I chose resilience which stems from my upbringing. My parents instilled in me the ability to navigate challenges by encouraging hard work and perseverance from a young age. Therefore, I pushed forward because I knew that for every child there was a chance—a possibility to find them a loving and supportive environment.

This experience taught me not only the power of persistence but also the importance grit, hope, and optimism. It was a formative period that shaped my approach to challenges, which later proved invaluable in the corporate world. When I transitioned to the corporate industry, I applied the same resilience—whether it was creating a global diversity hiring initiative in the face of resistance, navigating complex cultural dynamics across global teams, or encouraging C-suite executives to adopt a more inclusive mindset despite their past behaviors.

My ability to stay focused on the bigger picture, even when facing obstacles, became my strength. Whether finding a child a safe home or ensuring a diverse candidate slate was presented to decision-makers, I’ve always faced challenges head-on, demonstrating that true resilience is about pushing through difficulties to create meaningful and lasting impact.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In the early stages of my corporate recruiting career, I believed that securing talent was primarily about having the perfect checklist—a combination of credentials, experience, and technical skills that matched a job description. Coming from Social Services, where my role was all about matching very specific needs, I thought this approach was the key to success in the corporate world as well.

But as I moved through the ranks, I encountered a leader who challenged me to focus on finding talent rather than a specific skill. When I met with the leader to discuss the role, he described the type of talent he was looking for, emphasizing the candidates’ potential. This approach was different from what I was used to, but after speaking with candidates and understanding their unique strengths, we successfully identified the right person for the role, prioritizing their skills over rigid requirements. I compared this to the fact that even candidates who checked every box didn’t always turn out to be the best fit for the organization. Sometimes, the “perfect” candidates struggled to adapt, lacked empathy, or weren’t able to work well in diverse teams. Meanwhile, those who might have lacked one or two technical skills but showed resilience, adaptability, and a passion for growth often thrived beyond expectations. I am grateful to have met a leader who encouraged me to think differently about how I identify talent and fit.

I realized that I needed to unlearn the idea that hiring was purely about finding a perfect match on paper. It became clear that cultural fit, emotional intelligence, and potential for growth were just as crucial as experience and skills. This realization prompted me to develop a more holistic approach to talent acquisition—one that looked beyond the resume and focused on the individual’s story, their values, and their ability to contribute to a diverse and evolving team.

This unlearning helped me advocate for more inclusive hiring practices, champion diversity initiatives, and ultimately create environments where underrepresented and unconventional talent had a chance to shine. It transformed my career approach, from simply filling roles to building teams that are dynamic, diverse, and capable of leading companies into the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cocreatesolutions.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosandradent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theCocreateSolutions/?_rdc=1&_rdr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104968465/admin/dashboard/
• Twitter: https://x.com/CoCreatesol2024