Risha Grant Speaker Biography
Renowned Diversity & Inclusion Expert and Bestselling Author
Edgy, educational and motivational speaker, author Risha Grant is an internationally renowned diversity, inclusion and bias expert. She covers these topics as NBC KJRH TV News 2 for You community correspondent and host of the JustUs series, through her Tulsa World column, Risha Talks, as a contributor to Black Enterprise Magazine, in her book, That’s BS! How Bias Synapse Disrupts Inclusive Cultures and her corresponding “BS” Video Series.
Diversity and Inclusion
Risha Grant is diversity personified. From her race, gender and lifestyle choices, to being a young, small business owner and tackling economic issues, every area of her life intersects diversity. Her interest in societal isms like racism, sexism, ageism, classism and plain old stupidism began when she was very young, instead of playing outside, she was inside “playing” school — or more accurately — learning to count, read and write, just in case her darker skin tone cheated her out of an equal education. Risha would later learn how experiences like these would feed into her biases and with that realization, Risha planned to change the world, starting with the reddest state in the nation.
Consulting
Today, Risha is the Founder & CEO of Risha Grant LLC, an award-winning diversity consulting and communications firm. Their mission is to utilize diversity communication strategies, tactics and training as a catalyst to create an inclusive culture in every company and community. Additionally, Risha created DiversityConneX.com, a highly successful online recruitment tool utilized by both small organizations and Fortune 500 companies to connect diverse professionals to their career opportunities, internships, and non-profit and corporate board positions.
Clients
She has motivated and educated numerous corporations, associations and universities and lead them to a new place of respect and understanding. These audiences have included Discover Card Financial Services, Samsung Electronics America, Cox Communications, Wells Fargo, USAA Diversified Financial Group, Boy Scouts of America, U.S. Airforce, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, University of Oklahoma and Roger Williams University, to name a few.
Keynote Speaker
As a national speaker, Risha uses passion, knowledge and humor to empower attendees to increase their bottom line by giving them tools to get rid of their B.S. The engaging approach of her consulting and training has helped governors, NBA teams, mayors, Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and companies to reduce bias and further the understanding of Diversity & Inclusion.
Risha Grant Speaking Topics
GET RID OF THE BS & BUILD AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE
WHETHER IMPLICIT OR CONSCIOUS, BIAS IS THE NUMBER ONE THREAT TO HUMANITY AND ANY COMPANY’S SUCCESS. If your company’s goal is to create cohesiveness within your organization, increase revenue, be innovative and elevate your reputation-the bias in your workforce and community is a roadblock. You know the problem. Getting Rid of the BS is your answer. ATTENDEE LEARNING OUTCOMES Throughout this session, Diversity & Inclusion speaker Risha Grant allows attendees to express their biases, while giving them easily applicable tools to get over them, however screwed up they may be. Although diversity can often be an uncomfortable topic, Risha’s approach helps attendees to understand the concept, without feeling bored, judged or blamed. ATTENDEES WILL LEAVE THIS KEYNOTE UNDERSTANDING • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion • A thorough awareness of biases • A realization of how biases originated • A recognition of the symptoms and results of bias • Tools to address bias internally and externally • Benefits of Building a Culture of Inclusion • The stuff she thinks is important (that you should write down) as you establish your inclusive culture.
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE: BE BETTER THAN YOUR BS
EMPOWER AUTHENTICITY, CONFRONT BIAS AND CREATE A CULTURE OF INCLUSION THROUGH RADICAL ACCEPTANCE. This speech will help audiences and individuals to understand Radical Acceptance and how their BiaSphere, Belief Systems, and BS stop them from welcoming and embracing all of humanity, including their own. Our BS shapes how we feel about ourselves, how we perceive the world, and how we interact with others. Radical acceptance teaches that through authenticity we can connect with others on a deeper level, and create a culture of acceptance and belonging. Mental health and psychological safety are more important now than ever before in the workplace, and companies who create an environment where everyone is allowed to be themselves without fear of rejection, are at the cutting edge of what it means to be an innovative and profitable place to work. ATTENDEE LEARNING OUTCOMES Risha’s honest, memorable and practical presentation on Radical Acceptance: Be Better Than Your BiaSphere, Belief Systems, and BS blends together stories from her life experiences as a bisexual black woman, former division one athlete, and small business owner to teach audiences how their diversity can become their superpower! Learn how your own behaviors can be shaped by your own BiaSphere, which includes all of the subconscious beliefs, thoughts, feelings and emotions you have about yourself and the rest of the world around you. Radical Acceptance: Be Better Than Your BS will provide your audience members with the awareness and education to help them become better leaders, employees, colleagues, and people. ATTENDEES WILL LEAVE THIS KEYNOTE UNDERSTANDING • The power of authenticity to shift company culture • How to use diversity as a competitive advantage • The psychological need for belonging • How our BiaSphere has shaped our view of the world
BE BETTER!
THE GAME HAS CHANGED! It’s time to break free from initiatives that become silos in company culture. Every business loves to flex DEI, employee wellness, sustainability, corporate responsibility, plus customer experience upgrades–all aimed at crafting a top-tier workplace vibe. But rather than keeping them separate, it’s time to integrate them seamlessly into a dynamic overall environment that screams, we rock with our people, we roll with our community, and we support a world that wants to be better than the BS. personal growth ignites a slow but powerful transformation that positively impacts your team’s hustle, morale, and connection to consumers. Let her take your company culture from divided and disconnected to cooperative and connected. WE WANT TO BE BETTER! HINT: IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR PEOPLE! A top-notch workplace thrives on its people. The atmosphere isn’t shaped by your plans and initiatives; it’s defined by the folks making it happen. Your people-led integrated approach to culture starts with having the right leader and team in place. Cultures vibe better when every team member understands their role, feels safe, and trusts the process. THIS IS WHERE THE BADDEST CULTURE COACH IN THE BUSINESS HITS NOTHING BUT NET! In this keynote, Risha shares stories of empathetic, emotionally intelligent badasses who embrace connected culture and cultivating tight-knit teams because they chose to be better than their BS. The heart of the message revolves around her BET Framework, which demonstrates how personal improvement is the foundation to achieve organizational growth and transform culture. She also shows how We’ve got you! International Speaker, Best-selling author, and Corporate BS Finder, Risha Grant will coach your team to success. Named one of the top ten most powerful women in HR and one of the top 40 female keynote speakers, she is poised to take your culture from toxic to transformational. Not because of the accolades, but because recognizing and conquering her own BS is what propelled her to reach every goal, she set for herself. From securing a Division One basketball scholarship to building a thriving multi-seven figure business that allows her to speak on global stages and hit several bestsellers lists, including the Wall Street Journal with her latest book, Be Better Than Your BS. Risha’s got the playbook locked and loaded. With half of her life dedicated to basketball and the other half grindin’ in the business world, she brings a unique perspective to educate and motivate by mixing in her DE&I-infused expertise with 25 years of business acumen.
GET RID OF THE BS TO ATTRACT DIVERSE MARKETS
COMPANIES NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GET DIVERSE CUSTOMERS TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. WHY? Because of business sustainability, competitive advantage, a constantly changing economy and trillions in buying power. During this session, D&I Speaker Risha Grant will share with attendees the keys to effectively engage various diverse groups and provide them with tips to increase their bottom line. ATTENDEE LEARNING OUTCOMES Biases are always working against you in business. During this session, Risha will teach attendees to examine their own decision-making processes and identify ways to minimize biases in order to attract diverse markets and increase sales. With a majority of diverse communities holding $14 trillion in disposable income, Risha makes the case for how profitability and diversity can coexist. This session will review the benefits of advertising and marketing to diverse communities in order to attract them to your company’s products and services. ATTENDEES WILL LEAVE THIS KEYNOTE UNDERSTANDING • How unconscious bias keeps companies from recruiting diverse candidates • How to reach diverse candidates through unconventional methods • Marketing ideas for recruiting diverse candidates • The buying power of diverse groups
Risha Grant Books
That’s B.S.: How Bias Synapse Disrupts Inclusive Cultures and the Power to Attract Diverse Markets
Purchase BookRisha Grant Videos
Risha Grant Articles
Risha Grant Speaker Testimonials
People thought she was very engaging and were very excited by the conversation: • “Great energy, very insightful. Loved the presentation.” • “I thought Risha was a great speaker. I appreciated her humility and openness, it made me feel more comfortable to see myself in the context of the concepts she was explaining”
- Human Resources, Levi Strauss & Co. |
Risha provided an excellent presentation that had record attendance - with some of the highest evaluations ever. Risha’s presentation teed up a critical conversation for our membership, one that we plan on continuing. Thank you for helping make it a success.
- CEO, The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) |
I just want to take the time to sincerely thank you for everything. This entire process has been seamless, Risha's management office assisting with the facilitation, to Risha’s incredible presentation. Our employees have already expressed such incredible feedback and appreciation for Risha’s session, and that means so much to us as an organization. Again, THANK YOU all for the part you have played in ensuring we had a successful event.
- HR Operations Analyst, NICE Systems |