Tolonda M. Tolbert, Ph.D., is the Co-Founder, and Head of Strategy and Culture at Eskalera, Inc. She comes to the role with almost two decades of hands-on experience in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) and culture change. Prior to that, she served as Senior Director of the Inclusive Leadership Initiative and Consultant for Catalyst, partnering with global organizations to build their capacity to create and sustain inclusive workplaces, specializing in D&I strategy, curriculum design, and implementation. She also led the Employee Resource Leadership Initiative (ERLI) with a mission to engage and connect affinity group leaders to share ideas and best practices while learning how to amplify inclusion. Previously she led special anti-bias projects at the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute and GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network). She was also a staff developer at Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility and a faculty member at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work teaching graduate and faculty courses on Inclusive Pedagogy. She holds a BA from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University, she is a published writer, independent scholar, and community activist.