DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TESTIMONIALS From Stanford School of Business Graduates in their 2019 LGBTQ Executive Leadership Program

Sheila’s approach to bringing to life the real applicability of privilege to everyone’s day to day life helped us all to understand the realities that many members of society are faced with, at a personal level. Overall, it continues to reinforce the importance of inclusion in our activities, either at work or in our home life, to tackle systemic bias, and to promote equality across society.

– Peter Husar
TD Bank

Sheila is a star! She initiated and led two engaging discussions of privilege in our group with such grace and strength. It was a tricky topic with a mixed group dominated by mostly white, mostly wealthy, mostly cis gay men. Everyone there had felt the sting of someone else’s unearned advantage before, and her gentle humor built empathy across the group and brought everyone to see their own privilege, too.

– Chris Beckmann
Google

Sheila approaches seemingly difficult conversations in a way that is non-threatening and allows for participants to dig deeply into their own experience and mindset without judgment. I found Sheila to be incredibly open and supportive but also matter-of-fact, which gets people’s attention and emphasizes the importance of conversation about things like power and privilege.

– Melissa Brown
Pearson

It was a pleasure to be in the room with you, but moreover, to learn from you. Your generous spirit was effective in commanding the room and getting the message across in an easily digestible way. This is the key to influence and you masterfully did it. Thank you.

– Paul Moore
David Bohnett Foundation

You have experiences and perceptions that open up perspectives. You lay valuable context to the inequities that exist and are often avoided in conversation and you do it in a way that is empowering and inclusive.

– Betsy Cerulo
AdNet

Miss Alexander Reid is a powerhouse of inclusion with an enormous capacity to make people reflect on who they are, where they stand and what they can give back from a privileged position. She has a great ability in bringing up those topics without making people feel uncomfortable or threatened with the classic “guilt trips” which is so commonly used by others. I feel grateful for knowing her and getting her deep insights on how to improve societies.

– Herman Duarte
Duarte Legal

Sheila has a unique ability to highlight the importance of D&I and the privilege that we all bring in a way that both the most and least informed people can all resonate with her. She is at once extremely knowledgeable about diversity, insightful, down-to-earth, funny, and a joy to be around.

– Andy Levine
Boston Consulting Group

My observations have shown that Sheila is a teacher. She brings new ideas to the table, sometimes provocative ideas, and invites the participants to lean into the conversation and learn. She takes diversity and inclusion to a level that is not routinely seen when people glaze over the surface of uncomfortable topics. No one is left behind in Sheila’s conversations.

– Geoff Burbridge
USAA

Sheila is a true leader who inspires others to find their voice when discussing issues around D&I. Specifically, she offers simplistic, but impactful, ways to elevate the conversation through effective facilitation. She makes it tangible for those not engrossed in the work. However, for those of us well-versed in the work, she provides a sounding voice and support to inspire us to be more intentional in our approach.

– Heidi Ellis
HME Consulting/Advocacy

With the tumultuous climate of today’s society, we need more people like Sheila pushing the conversation forward. She is able to eloquently address difficult conversations surrounding race, gender and LGBTQ equality with ease and sensitivity, all while pushing individuals to get uncomfortable, go deep and challenge what they thought they knew about themselves.

– Ryan Sturdevant
Recovery Works

The last day in LGBTQ Executive Leadership Program at Stanford was amazing. We had a discussion that was brilliantly conducted by Sheila Alexander-Reid and Vinay Kapoor about privileges and intersectionality and it was really important to us. The creation of an social-economic conscious in business leaders is absolutely necessary to create more inclusive business and more inclusive society.

– Debora Gepp
Braskem

Sheila is a courageous leader who can initiate, facilitate, and navigate conversations about sensitive yet important topics while establishing and maintaining a candid but professional environment for diverse viewpoints to be heard. She embodies authenticity, which imbues her with legitimacy and authority as a subject matter expert, but more importantly it earns her the respect and trust of colleagues, who are assured that the space is safe to share their personal stories and exchange ideas and debate challenging issues.

– Paul Jonathan Saguill
TD Bank Group

Sheila is a force and the voice of truth. Her power comes from her confidence and her ability to communicate truths in a hearable way to a diverse audience. She is a rare combination of directness and empathy. Her skills as a communicator and educator are indeed formidable!

– Jim Schufrieder
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Sheila provides an honest and essential perspective on the influence that leaders have on organizational inclusion and culture. She challenges those around her to leverage their power, status and privilege to impact positive change. I am witness to Sheila’s remarkable ability to bring together group cohesion in a thought-provoking professional manner.

– Thanh Vo
Altria

Sheila Alexander-Reid brings deep knowledge and lived experience to her facilitation of exercises on understanding intersectionality and privilege. She brings compassion and humor to the work and leaves people more reflective and connected as a group.

– Deena Fidas
Out & Equal