The Art & Science of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI): Leading with Courage in a Divided World
An intensive 6-week live, virtual program designed by and for DEI professionals (whether you have the title or not). Deepen your knowledge, access best practices, and tools, and cultivate the support critical to sustaining any DEI professional's impactful work.
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Next Session Starts Thursday, August 14, 2025
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Investment: $2499 (payment plans available)
When I first launched this program, DEI was gaining momentum. In January 2020, a popular headline read:
“Chief Diversity Officers: The hottest & toughest job in business.”
…and, just a few short years later, we’ve witnessed political rollbacks, legislative attacks, and organizations quietly stepping away from the commitments they once proclaimed as values aligned.
What was once seen as progressive is now labeled divisive. What was urgent is now considered “optional.” And too many DEI, HR leaders and champions for equity are left navigating this new terrain with little support, dwindling resources, and unclear expectations.
I’ve lived this shift in real time. I’ve had to evolve -fast- to remain effective. To stay bold. To stay sane.
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And I know I’m not alone.
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When I accepted my first DEI role nearly 20 years ago, I didn’t realize that I was stepping into a lifelong calling. I had no roadmap, no mentor, and no one to call when things got hard. I had to build resilience from scratch and design strategies in rooms where people didn’t always understand (or welcome) what I was trying to do.
That’s why I created The Art & Science of DEI™. Not just as a training, but as a strategic learning community for people like us, leaders navigating culture, politics, identity, and performance all at once.
Cecilia Stanton Adams
Chief Executive Officer
The Diversity Institute
Whether you're officially in a DEI or HR role or the unofficial culture keeper on your team, this course is for those who refuse to give up. It’s for leaders who know this work still matters even if the language has changed, the pressure has intensified, and the support has dwindled.
This isn’t just about frameworks and metrics.
It’s about courage. Strategy. Influence.
It’s about learning how to lead when people are divided and still bring them together.
I’ve spent the last two decades helping organizations transform. But more than that, I’ve helped people stay whole while doing this work. This program is my way of passing that on.
If you're carrying the weight of equity work and wondering how to keep going, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
The Art and Science of DEI™: Leading with Courage in a Divided World is where we gather, learn, build tools—and reclaim the power and purpose of this work.
Join me. Let’s do it together.
What This Program Is
The Art & Science of DEI™ is a six-week, cohort-based experience designed for brave, strategic leaders who are committed to workplace culture, equity, and human dignity. This isn’t performative window dressing. This is real leadership training for people navigating the messy middle.
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Who This Program is For:
This isn’t just for DEI officers.
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It’s for:
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Managers who feel caught in the crosshairs and want tools that actually work
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HR and L&D leaders who care about culture but are being told to “tone it down”
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ERG and DEI Council members trying to do something meaningful—not just performative
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Change agents with no formal title but a front-row seat to the harm
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Executives who want to stay committed without becoming the next headline
If you’ve ever thought, “How do I speak the truth and still keep my job?”, this is where you come to find the answers.
You'll Learn How To:
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Assess the current state of DEI and determine what’s legal and what’s not
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Respond to fear-based pushback without compromising your values
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Reframe DEI in terms of business performance, innovation, and trust
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Lead tough conversations with grace
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Build influence from any position, not just the top
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Restore psychological safety across generational, racial, and political lines
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Design your own DEI leadership plan that’s strategic, courageous, and sustainable
What We Cover in the Program:
The DEI Reset: What We’re Really Up Against
Understand the shifting landscape, unlearn outdated playbooks, and anchor your “why.”
Influence Without a Title
Learn how to navigate power dynamics, and healing leadership even if you’re not the boss.
Identity, Belonging & Polarization
Explore practical tools like systems thinking, cultural intelligence, and team dynamics.
Real-Time Strategy & Peer Coaching
Bring a challenge from your work, get coached, and walk away with
a real plan.
Frameworks That Work (and What to Leave Behind)
Learn how to address race, class, gender, and ideology in a way that builds bridges, not silos.
DEI by Design: The Path Forward
Build a plan you can actually follow and a purpose you can sustain.
What You'll Get:
The program combines an online learning platform, live Zoom sessions, group coaching, and comprehensive course materials to support you in your DEI professional journey.
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Insightful & Interactive Learning
Small class size fosters trust and community-building in sharing and testing innovative ideas.
Collaborative Instruction
Group coaching, guest DEI professionals and networking opportunities
Online Platform
Access to a cohort-only discussion forum and an online platform filled with experiential exercises, worksheets, and more
Recommended Resources
A curated and customized list of educational materials, including case studies, interviews, and inspirational stories
Professional Certification Upon Completion
A certification showing your ability to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you've gained.
Past Participants Say:
“Cecilia gave me the courage to lead from where I am. This wasn’t theory, it was real, relevant, and practical. I didn’t just learn DEI, I became a better leader.”
- Shanna Williams
“This is the first program I’ve been to that felt like it was made for this political climate. Not sanitized. Not safe. Just smart, strategic, and grounded.”
Become a DEI Gamechanger
Now accepting applications for Fall 2025 Program
Meet for six (6) Thursdays,
August 14, 2025 - September 18, 2025
(via Zoom)
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (CST)
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Registration is open until August 10th or all seats are filled
Space is limited to 12 participants
Investment: $2,499
No money down to complete the application.
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Payment Options
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When completing your application, designate your payment preference.
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1. Pay in Full
2. Pay in (3) installments
3. Submit a PO #s from your organization if they are covering tuition.
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When you receive a letter of acceptance you will have 7 days to set up your payment method. If you are accepted and unable to attend at this time you may defer your acceptance for up to a year.
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Questions?
Please contact us if you have any questions about the program, materials, format, or schedule.
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