Impactivize Advisory Board
Keline Adams, Director, DEI, Penguin Random House
Wajahat Ali, founder of ‘The Left Hook’ and former attorney, prominent Muslim American writer, public speaker, commentator and podcaster
Laura Castañeda, Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism, Associate Dean of Community and Culture, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Angela Cheng-Cimini, fractional Head of HR for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, former Senior Vice President, Talent & Chief Human Resources Officer for Harvard Business Publishing
Shari Dunn, JD, Northwestern, author, Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work (Harper Collins)
Jon Hyman, Esq., shareholder and the chair of the Employment & Labor practice group at law firm Wickens Herzer Panza in Avon, Ohio
Regina Lawrence, Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication, Portland, Research Director for the Agora Journalism Center, University of Oregon
Erwin de Leon, Inaugural Chief Diversity Officer, Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, Board Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York
Kellie A. McElhaney, Lecturer and Founding Director, Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley
Michael Moffitt, Philip H. Knight Chair, Professor, former Dean, University of Oregon School of Law
Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC is a disability writer, speaker, and consultant who works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility
Rachel Ann Williams, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, former head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Motley Fool, Google X, StubHub, and Yelp
Keline Adams
Keline Adams is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Penguin Random House (PRH). She brings over two decades of experience as a social justice advocate, educator, and artist. Her expertise lies in working with companies and organizations to elevate the role of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) within their company culture and programming. Keline holds a master’s degree in applied theater and is an adjunct professor at CUNY School of Professional Studies where she co-teaches graduate level course intensives centered on anti-racisim, anti-oppression, and DEIB in the workplace and serves as a thesis advisor.
Before joining the DEI Team at PRH, Keline worked with Pregnancy Justice (formerly National Advocates for Pregnant Women) for four years to shape programming, DEIB priorities, and facilitate the organization’s endeavors on a national scale. From 2019 through 2021, she served as interim managing director and consulting producer for DNAWORKS, an arts-based wellness organization, working with leadership on strategic planning to scale the organization and expand its impact within the local community and beyond.
Keline is a playwright whose pieces create strong, non-stereotypical, multi-layered roles for Black women. She is a recipient of a fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for Playwriting and her plays include ‘Finding Home’ (Billie Holiday Theatre, Inc.), ‘Couch Side Chats’ (John Houseman Theater, NYC) and ‘The Squeeze’. She is the co-creator, with her sister Christie, of Voice Be Heard!, a creative arts initiative that empowers and supports Black women writers to connect and share their work through digital and in-person events.
Wajahat Ali
Wajahat Ali, founder of ‘The Left Hook’ on Substack and former attorney, is a prominent Muslim American writer, public speaker, commentator and podcaster. He is known for his analysis of political discourse and the immigrant experience. Wajahat co-hosts the “Democracy-ish” podcast. In addition, he is also a playwright, best known for his play “The Domestic Crusaders” and is lead author of the investigative report “Fear Inc: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America.”
As Creative Director of Affinis Wajahat Labs, Wajahat worked to create social entrepreneurship initiatives to support and uplift marginalized communities. He also worked with the US State Department to design and implement the “Generation Change” leadership program to empower young social entrepreneurs. Wajahat initiated chapters in eight countries, including Pakistan and Singapore. For his work, he was honored as a “Generation Change Leader” by Sec. of State Clinton and recognized as an “Emerging Muslim American Artist” by the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
He has given keynote speeches around the world such as TED, The Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, the United Nations, and The New Yorker Festival. His writing appears regularly in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. He’s a Senior Fellow at The Western States Center and Auburn Seminary and co-host of Al Jazeera’s The Stream.
Laura Castañeda
Laura Castañeda, EdD, an award-winning professor of professional practice in the USC Annenberg School of Journalism, has been a member of the faculty since 2000. Before joining USC Annenberg, she taught at Temple University and worked as a staff writer, editor and columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, and The Associated Press in San Francisco, New York and Mexico. Her freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, TheAtlantic.com, and Columbia Journalism Review magazine, among others. Her scholarly articles have appeared in Journalism and Mass Communication Educator and Journalism Studies.
Castañeda is co-editor of News and Sexuality: Media Portraits of Diversity, which was published by Sage Publications in October 2005. She is the co-author of The Latino Guide to Personal Money Management, which was published by Bloomberg Press in May 1999, and was released in Spanish by Seven Stories Press in 2001.
She earned undergraduate degrees in journalism and international affairs from USC, a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a doctorate from the USC Rossier School of Education. She also was awarded a Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in business and economics reporting from Columbia’s School of Journalism.
Castañeda served as associate director and assistant director of the School of Journalism between 2010-2014, where she oversaw undergraduate and graduate curriculum revisions. She also served as the academic at-large officer for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) from 2016-2018, and is a currently a member of the Advisory Board for Report for America. She teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses focused on reporting, writing and diversity.
In 2019, Castañeda was awarded the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship by the American Society of News Editors in recognition of an educator’s outstanding efforts to encourage students of color in the field of journalism.
Angela Cheng-Cimini
Angela Cheng-Cimini most recently served as the Senior Vice President, Talent & Chief Human Resources Officer for Harvard Business Publishing. In this role, Cheng-Cimini led the Human Resources and Facilities & Administration units, spearheaded efforts to develop a talent roadmap that supports the business strategy and created a deeply engaged and diverse workforce. She is now the fractional Head of HR for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the preeminent source for nonprofit professionals, committed to the advancement of the common good.
Angela brings 30 years of both generalist and specialist Human Resources experience, having worked across consumer product goods, professional services, and high-tech as well as nonprofits. She has shepherded businesses through start-up, growth, and maturity with key responsibility for helping organizations identify and build the necessary organizational capabilities. Angela previous roles included the VP of HR at ClearMotion, Inc. an automotive technology startup where she accelerated the evolution of the function from administrative to strategic and the Global Head of Human Resources for Crabtree & Evelyn, where she led an international team spanning four continents and prepared the brick-and-mortar business to go completely digital.
In addition having served on the Alumni Board of Directors for Cornell University, she is a member of CNBC’s Workforce Executive Council, a body of CHROs dedicated to advancing the practice of HR; is a Strategic Board Advisor for several early-stage startups supporting the future of work; and serves as an advocate for the AAPI community for several nonprofits.
Shari Dunn
Shari Dunn, JD, is the author of the book Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work (Harper Collins), a Publishers Weekly Top 10 pick in business and economics, Spring 2025. An accomplished journalist and consultant, former practicing attorney, news anchor and university professor,
Shari’s work has been cited in the Wall Street Journal and many other outlets. In her interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Shari challenges the false narrative that diversity equates to a lack of qualifications.
As the CEO and Principal of ITBOM, LLC, Shari specializes in institutional consulting, systemic equity and inclusion, change management, and workforce development.
Shari received her JD from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. In her groundbreaking book Qualified, Shari uncovers the impact of “Competency Checking,” a practice that unjustly scrutinizes Black people and other people of color, forcing them to repeatedly prove their worth, intelligence, and even their right to be in the workplace. Shari argues that competency checking is a key reason why Black people and other people of color are underrepresented in many industries and why there continues to be a revolving door of Black talent, even after the hiring surges of 2020. Qualified illustrates the scope of this issue, exploring how we got here and how, through both identification and correction, we can go forward into a future where all people are truly seen and valued for their talents and contributions.
Jon Hyman
Jon Hyman is a shareholder and the chair of the Employment & Labor practice group at Wickens Herzer Panza in Avon, Ohio. In this capacity, Jon works with businesses to help them proactively manage their workforces, comply with employment laws, and foster inclusive, respectful workplace cultures.
With nearly three decades of experience advising employers, Jon has developed a deep understanding of the intersection between employment practices and diversity, equity, and inclusion. He regularly counsels organizations on creating equitable policies, addressing systemic bias, and developing training programs that promote inclusive leadership and belonging.
Jon is also a frequent speaker and writer on workplace issues, including the legal and cultural aspects of DEI, and is committed to driving meaningful change within organizations and the broader community. Ask Jon and he will tell you that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just legal requirements, but moral imperatives and business essentials.
Regina Lawrence
Regina Lawrence is Associate Dean of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication in Portland and Research Director for the Agora Journalism Center. She is a nationally recognized authority on political communication, civic engagement, gender and politics, and the role of media in public discourse about politics and policy. Her two latest books are Hillary Clinton’s Race for the White House: Gender Politics and the Media on the Campaign Trail and When the Press Fails: Political Power and the News Media from Iraq to Katrina, winner of the Doris A. Graber Outstanding Book Award from the Political Communication section of the American Political Science Association.
From 2011 to 2015, Lawrence directed the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas-Austin. She has served as chair of the political communication section of the American Political Science Association and as a research fellow at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is currently the editor of the journal Political Communication.
Erwin de Leon
Erwin de Leon, Ph.D. is the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies and a Lecturer in the Nonprofit Management Program. He serves as a Board Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York and the Saamarthya Foundation. He is also a Research Fellow at Knology, and a member of the Empire State Bioethics Consortium. His research and teaching interests include nonprofit organizations; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); organizational ethics; and AAPI and immigrant communities.
Prior to his current position, Dr. de Leon served as the Deputy Academic Director for the Nonprofit Management Program. He was also a Research Associate at Urban Institute’s Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center and Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, where he headed research projects and authored or co-authored reports and articles on nonprofit-government contracting, immigrant organizations, public-private partnerships, and place-based collective impact initiatives. He has served in various organizations, including the Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness; The Aspen Institute; Center for Progressive Leadership; Human Rights Campaign; Episcopal Relief and Development; Educators for Social Responsibility; and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. He was also an executive committee member of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, an organization that led the effort to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino-American WWII soldiers.
In 2022, he was named one of Crain’s Notable LGBTQ Leaders and included in City & State’s Responsible 100. In 2023 and 2024, he was recognized by PoliticsNY as one of its Power Players in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Dr. de Leon received a Ph.D. in Public and Urban Policy and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from the New School’s Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment. He also earned an M.S. in Bioethics from Columbia University. A native of the Philippines, he completed his B.S. in Management Engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University.
Kellie A. McElhaney
Kellie McElhaney is on the Berkeley Haas faculty as a Distinguished Teaching Fellow and the Founding Director of the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership (EGAL).
Launched in November 2017, EGAL’s mission is to educate equity fluent leaders to ignite and accelerate change. Equity fluent leaders understand the value of different lived experiences and courageously use their power to address barriers, increase access, and drive change for positive impact. McElhaney helped develop the equity fluent leadership concept and teaches it across the country and around the world.
In 2003, McElhaney founded the Center for Responsible Business, solidifying corporate responsibility as a core competency and competitive advantage for the Haas School. Haas was rated #1 in the world for corporate responsibility by The Financial Times. She received the Founder and Visionary Award at Haas in 2013 for this work.
McElhaney wrote a book entitled “Just Good Business: The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand.” She writes case studies of companies who are investing in women and equity-fluent leadership (Wal-Mart, Gap, Inc., Boston Consulting Group, Zendesk), and conducts research in the area of equal, pay, conscious inclusion, equity fluent leadership, and value-creating strategies of diversity and inclusion.
McElhaney consults and keynotes for Global 1000 companies and organizations all over the world on her areas of expertise, and has a TED talk. She is the mother of two incredibly strong teenage daughters.
Michael Moffitt
Michael Moffitt holds the Philip H. Knight Chair in Law at the University of Oregon, where he also teaches as a Faculty Fellow at the Clark Honors College. Michael previously served for six years as the Dean of the Law School at Oregon and for two years as the Roger D. Fisher Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School.
A graduate of Marietta College and Harvard Law School, Michael has consulted on high-stakes negotiations for private and public sector clients in more than twenty countries. An award-winning teacher and scholar, he currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Marietta College (Ohio) and as Chair of the Board of Directors of Consensus Building Institute (Massachusetts).
By the final year of his deanship, the law school had the highest percentage of students of color in its history, the highest percentage of women in its history, and the highest percentage of students of color of any graduate school or college at the University of Oregon.
Catarina Rivera
Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC is a disability public speaker, DEIA consultant, and content creator with over 14 years of experience in the public sector. Catarina works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. She is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling and advocacy. Catarina has worn hearing aids from a young age and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disability at 17 years old. She has a BA from Duke University, an MSEd from Bank Street College of Education, and an MPH from Hunter College. Catarina is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (IAAP).
She is a member of KeyNote Women’s Global Speakers Directory. She has been featured in Nasdaq, POPSUGAR, ABC News Live, and as an unstoppable woman by Telemundo. She was also named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy. Past clients have included HarperCollins Publishers, LinkedIn, Hachette Book Group, Whole30, Grant Thornton, ColorStack, and BCG Digital Ventures. Catarina is a TEDx Speaker and her TEDx talk “Creating Inclusive Workplaces for All” has over 69,000 views.
Rachel Ann Williams
Rachel Ann Williams is a forward-thinking HR executive and trusted advisor with over 15 years of experience transforming workplace culture and organizational effectiveness at the intersection of strategy, people, and purpose. Known for her ability to bridge human capital insights with business impact, she has led transformative talent and culture initiatives at some of the most innovative tech organizations, including Google X, The Motley Fool, and Yelp.
Rachel specializes in enabling R&D and operational teams to scale with intention, integrating inclusive principles into early-stage design, talent systems, and workforce architecture. As a former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Head of Talent, she has built global programs that align leadership development, data-informed decision-making, and workforce equity, resulting in measurable gains in performance, engagement, and innovation.
A graduate of UC Berkeley and holder of a CHRO certificate from Wharton, Rachel is often sought after as a speaker, advisor, and mentor for her insights into future-of-work trends, inclusive leadership, and strategic organizational design. Whether advising executives or mentoring rising professionals, Rachel’s approach is rooted in clarity, empathy, and a fierce commitment to unlocking human potential.