Client-Partner Testimonials
America's Essential Hospitals
"EBDI's consultants took care to maximize the time of the leadership team."
"EBDI’s supportive coaching allowed a safe environment for leaders and staff at all levels"
"Within the past year, EBDI has taught us so much."
As part of our commitment to a culture of inclusion, America’s Essential Hospitals partnered with EBDI to develop an executive strategy that ties our day-to-day diversity, equity, and inclusion activities to our overall vision of connectedness. EBDI took us through a series of steps that included facilitating listening sessions, synthesizing feedback from a variety of sources, providing guidance to the HR department, and leading a day-long interactive strategic planning workshop for our leadership team.
EBDI’s supportive coaching allowed a safe environment for leaders and staff at all levels to feel comfortable sharing differing perspectives on our roles within our organization’s DEI journey. EBDI’s consultants were extremely generous with their availability and took care to maximize the time of the leadership team as well.
Within the past year, EBDI has taught us so much. EBDI helped us to learn that our DEI work is not just an important initiative, it is an all-encompassing concept that influences every pillar of our culture and every aspect of our business. They provided a customized, supportive space for us to confront our discomfort and set the stage for us to become the learning organization we strive to be. We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with the EBDI team.
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—Jen Church, Director of Human Resources, America’s Essential Hospitals
America's Essential Hospitals is an association representing hospitals dedicated to equitable, high-quality care for all.
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Ampact
"EBDI listened to our needs and delivered a solution that was customized, thorough, and timely."
EBDI listened to our organization's needs and delivered a solution that was customized, thorough, and timely. They provided us with thoughtful guidance and advice. I am especially appreciative of their evidence-based approach, which is critical for our work. Ultimately they provided us with practical advice that we could act on in meaningful ways.
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—Julia Quanrud, Former Chief of Staff, Ampact
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Ampact runs programs supporting AmeriCorps members in the areas of Education, Environment, and Healthy Futures.
Braven
"They built trust with our team through one of the most powerful exercises in creating awareness across lines of difference that I've witnessed in my 20-year career."
"Ahmmad and Jéssica have been incredible thought partners and facilitators."
"EBDI's support to Braven...was truly catalytic."
EBDI was an incredible partner for Braven. We brought EBDI in because our annual staff culture survey indicated that our staff were having different experiences of belonging and inclusion across lines of race and between our regional hub teams and our central support teams. For context, Braven is a non-profit that works on the bridge between college to career for first-generation college students. Our founder is a Black woman from the south side of Chicago who shares the lived experience and background of many of our students, so DEIJ is in many of our foundational policies and structures.
EBDI's support to Braven, which combined both data and story gathering in the discovery phase and focused on structural solutions that benefit all staff, but especially folks from historically marginalized backgrounds and identities, was truly catalytic. As a result of a 5-month engagement with EBDI that started in June of 2021, we have done the following: 1) significantly improved our onboarding for new staff with a cohort model, 2) built out very explicit statements of what can be expected in organizational roles to improve transparency, and 3) created an extra week of team shutdown time on teams where heightened programmatic responsibilities make resting and rejuvenating difficult during the school year.
Ahmmad and Jéssica have been incredible thought partners and facilitators. They built trust with our team through thoughtfully constructed listening sessions and an introductory session with our whole organization that was one of the most powerful exercises in creating awareness across lines of difference that I've witnessed in my 20-year career. They remain thought partners and part of the Braven family to this day. We are deeply grateful to EBDI for their model, approach, and the gifts they've given to Braven.
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—Catherine Chandler, Chief of Staff, Braven
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Braven provides networking and career transition support to college students from underrepresented backgrounds.
CareerVillage
"I had been looking to match intentionality with strategy and execution."
"The executive coaching I got from EBDI was phenomenal."
The executive coaching I got from EBDI was phenomenal. I found Ahmmad and Lauren to be thoughtful and knowledgeable, and they really came to understand me both as a person and in the role that I play in our organization and our work.
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Prior to working with EBDI, when it came to DEIJ work, my heart was always in the right place, but I had been looking to match that intentionality with strategy and execution—to bring the head to the heart, if you will. EBDI’s coaching was incredibly valuable for getting the frameworks and advice I needed to guide our team through the strategic and execution stages of this work. Working with EBDI was a game changer for me as a leader.
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—Jared Chung, Executive Director, CareerVillage
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CareerVillage is an online community where students can get free, personalized career advice from working professionals.
Creative Goods
"They kept us on track, helped us accomplish our short-term goals, and set us up to continue this work in the years to come."
EBDI and Melanated Futures worked with my team and I for a year coming out of covid. Along with the increased attention to equity and inclusion in our space, I had a new vision for our organizational structure and HR systems and processes. Simone and Ahmmad worked side by side with us to refine and implement the vision with input from the broader team.
From our corporate team to our retail team they touched all aspects of employee interaction, digging into issues that needed addressing. They kept us on track, helped us accomplish our short-term goals, and set us up to continue this work in the years to come.
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—Pete Milano, President, Creative Goods
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Creative Goods is a boutique full-service merchandising agency that specializes in live theater.
Harvard Dance Center
"They have helped us deepen and widen our DEIJ work in rewarding, productively challenging, and transformative ways."
"Their impressive interdisciplinary expertise that integrates narrative-based dialogue and social science is dynamic, synergistic, and meaningful.
"EBDI and their work have been exceptional. They’ve been exemplars of integrity, grace, compassion, and skillful insight."
Harvard Dance Center (HDC) engaged EBDI to create and facilitate a suite of equity assessments and engagements across HDC’s constituencies, pedagogies, and programming. Over a period of nine months, EBDI led community listening sessions, generated an Equity Findings Report, facilitated staff and leadership workshops and project meetings, developed HDC’s DEIJ Strategic Priorities for the academic year 2021/22, and created an annual DEIJ survey to track progress and for DEIJ accountability to our community.
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EBDI and their work have been exceptional. From the first intake meeting and engagement with our community, to the delivery of materials and ongoing dialogue, they’ve been exemplars of integrity, grace, compassion, and skillful insight. Not only did they exemplify the highest level of understanding, research, and experience, they employed these capabilities as our partners in the process rendering customized guidance and materials that truly reflected our value system and organizational mission.
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They listened deeply and guided HDC staff through hands-on, in-depth processes in every component of their work with us. They lead with generosity, curiosity, efficacy, and joy. Their impressive interdisciplinary expertise that integrates narrative-based dialogue and social science is dynamic, synergistic, and meaningful. They were professional, organized, flexible, responsive, and brought their work to completion reliably and on time. EBDI went over and above in all aspects of their work with us, were always prepared for meetings and presentations, and adeptly managed time.
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EBDI’s commitment to their work is evident not only in what they create, but also in how they build relationships with the very people who are striving to create equity in their organizational structure, culture, and content. EBDI helped to advance the Harvard Dance Center mission of equity, dignity, transformation, and justice for all people through dance education and community action. They have helped us deepen and widen our DEIJ work in rewarding, productively challenging, and transformative ways.
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—Jill Johnson, Director, Head of Dance & Senior Lecturer in Theater, Dance & Media, 2011-2021, Harvard Dance Center
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Harvard Dance Center is a program of the Office of the Arts at Harvard University, providing dance education and advocacy on campus and beyond.
Internet of Water at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
"We reaped benefits from the first meeting."
"EBDI transformed our understanding of DEI with respect to our specific work context."
The Internet of Water Coalition engaged the EBDI team on the ground floor of the formation of our association, and we reaped benefits from the first meeting. With patience, deep listening, and expert insight, EBDI transformed our understanding of DEI with respect to our specific work context, allowing our coalition to proceed with clarity, integrity, and intention in our next steps.
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—Peter Colohan, Director of the Internet of Water at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
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IoW is a coalition of organizations working together to build foundational water data infrastructure across the US and enable better decision-making related to water management.
Nova Credit
"Above other providers we interviewed, what struck us about EBDI was their emphasis on developing a custom approach for our company and meeting us with deep understanding."
"The EBDI team pushed us to much more depth in our definitions, understanding, and interactions with DEI."
"I would recommend the EBDI team wholeheartedly and without reservation."
We worked with the EBDI team for a period of six months in 2020, directly addressing the turmoil of this socially challenging time. Above other providers we interviewed, what struck us about EBDI was their emphasis on developing a custom approach for our company and meeting us with deep understanding.
And indeed, their practical approach is truly anchored in listening and facilitating at all levels of the company—our team was heartened to have a voice in all proceedings and be able to bring up a whole range of difficult topics, and the EBDI team also drove our leadership team to alignment on our DEI strategy. This points to their dexterity as facilitators, being able to hold discomfort, to push team interactions, and to be trusted by all.
Moreover, in a field filled with easy rhetoric and quick statistics, the EBDI team pushed us to much more depth in our definitions, understanding, and interactions with DEI. I valued their ability to weave in insights from academic literature, to offer practical solutions from other companies, and to push on the very foundations of equity. They produced powerful reports and learnings which we are now using as the cornerstone of our 2021 DEI strategy, as part of our aspiration to build the company model of the 21st century.
Beyond shifting our strategy, one of their greatest contributions to Nova Credit has been altering the fabric of the company and how we interact through the Dialogues program. As a personal participant in Dialogues, EBDI's work helped me to more deeply articulate my social experience, as well as to create a space to more openly discuss with others.
I would recommend the EBDI team wholeheartedly and without reservation. I believe that this is a team that will do powerful things in this space—and I am very grateful we got to work with them.
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—Nicky Goulimis, Co-founder and Board Director, Nova Credit
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Nova Credit helps global citizens apply for financial services in their new home using credit history from their country of origin.
Pomona College Office of Admissions
"The six months our leadership team spent with EBDI was 100% worth it."
"Ahmmad worked hard to understand our challenges before offering any solutions."
"Working with Ahmmad has absolutely changed our leadership culture for the better."
The six months our leadership team spent with EBDI was 100% worth it. Ahmmad and his team initiated the critical conversations our office needed, and helped staff engage in the work required for long term culture change.
During the engagement, Ahmmad worked hard to understand our challenges before he offered us any solutions. His commitment to engaging deeply and learning how our office works resulted in more honest conversations and better problem solving at the leadership level.
EBDI gave our leadership team a new suite of tools. Today, the leaders in our organization are having better meetings, engaging staff more authentically, and breaking down old silos.
As a leader, receiving quality, honest advice can be hard. Ahmmad taught our leadership team to listen better and gave us space to have honest conversations with each other. Working with him has absolutely changed our leadership culture for the better.
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—Adam Sapp, Assistant Vice President and Director of Admissions, Pomona College
The Office of Admissions handles all matters related to admissions at Pomona College.
RPM
"We are on the frontlines of an industry that is undergoing meaningful EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) work."
"Through their leadership, we were able to create new paths for EDI at the agency."
RPM had an incredibly valuable experience working with EBDI and Melanated Futures. As an advertising and marketing agency in the live entertainment space, we are on the frontlines of an industry that is undergoing meaningful EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) work, and we wanted to participate in that work in full force.
When we hired Simone and Ahmmad, we knew we needed to create a new vision for what inclusivity and belonging meant at RPM. They helped us by taking us back to basics - identify our core values, and more importantly, figure out how to connect them to our EDI efforts. Through their leadership in this process, we were able to create new paths for EDI at the agency, new ways of defining goals around EDI, and an understanding for the staff of how everyone can contribute in small and meaningful ways to EDI efforts. EBDI and Melanated Futures, broadened our understanding of the meaning of inclusivity and made us a stronger and more open company as a result.
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—Ilene Rosen, Managing Partner, RPM
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RPM is an advertising and marketing agency for Broadway shows.
Unruly Studios
"It has been such an incredible experience."
"They were able to cater their advice and programs to a small team. They helped us build muscles as a team."
"This experience had a positive impact on our team and culture well beyond the facilitated sessions."
We reached out to EBDI when we wanted an experienced facilitator for full-team dialogues and training around DEIJ at Unruly Studios. We are a small, growing startup and what I loved about working with EBDI is that they were able to cater their advice and programs to a small team. They helped us build muscles as a team to have tough conversations about diversity and race with each other—this experience had a positive impact on our team and culture well beyond the facilitated sessions.
With my leadership team, EBDI took more of a coaching approach to help us continue to lead the team and to build and reinforce these values into our day-to-day work. They helped us define a vision for DEIJ at our company, something we felt was important to do early so we could embed those practices into our culture. I highly recommend working with the EBDI team to anyone, large or small, who is looking to make meaningful change within and beyond your organization.
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I can't thank the EBDI team enough for their partnership. It has been such an incredible experience.
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—Bryanne Leeming, Co-founder and CEO, Unruly Studios
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Unruly Studios teaches coding to students through their active, play-oriented educational products.