Cynthia Owyoung Email & Phone Number

California, United States

San Jose, Ca, Us

Translating business and people needs into actionable and practical initiatives to embed diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into all aspects of BILL's community, processes and business decisions.

New York, Ny, Us

I wrote this book to address one of the most challenging people problems organizations face - making progress in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Based on my 20 years driving leading edge people and DEIB practices inside companies, I give leaders pragmatic, proven strategies to achieve business success. Released in Feb 2022, "All Are Welcome" has ranked in the top 5% of books sold on Amazon. "Cynthia takes a business mindset approach by laying out the why, how, and what on building an inclusion ecosystem. An essential read for those ready to build a more equitable future."—Zaina Orbai, Chief People Officer of The RealReal"This book is a primer on how building a culture of inclusion and equity will also lead to a successful and resilient organization. I recommend it to every CEO, business leader, and professional who cares about building a great company."—David Windley, President of IQTalent Partners and former CHRO of Yahoo!

San Francisco, Us

I founded this boutique people strategy firm to accelerate the progress of organizations in building cultures that attract, engage and retain great, diverse talent and to develop the next generation of leaders who will change the face of corporate America. Representative projects include:- Assessing people practices and developing an inclusive culture strategy and roadmap for an automotive tech company with 7K+ employees, resulting in a 7% increase in inclusion sentiment - Defining company values for a 350 person software development startup- Conducting inclusive leadership training for a 100K+ person e-commerce company - Facilitating a career development program for 40 people at an edtech startup- Developing a management resource library and innovative mobile coaching program used by 2K+ people leaders at a biotech companyLaunched annual Women of Color Leadership Forum in 2016. More than 1000 people have attended over a dozen learning events addressing intersectional issues. 97% of participants highly recommend. See more of my work at www.breaking.glass

Redwood City, Ca, Us

I joined AbilityPath to provide guidance and oversight in support of their mission to empower people with special needs to reach their full potential. AbilityPath serves over 1000 children and adults on a daily basis with therapy, family support and employment opportunities. Elected Secretary and member of the Executive Committee in January 2022. Served as Vice Chair, Governance Committee since 2021. Merged with Abilities United in 2019.

Menlo Park, California, Us

As part of the People Experience leadership team, developed and implemented effective people practices across the entire talent lifecycle during a period of hyper growth and IPO. Partnered with leaders at all levels to design and build the company's first DEIB strategy and team, embedding inclusion, equity and belonging across all HR and business functions. Increased total representation of Black and Latinx employees across the organization by more than 1% in 6 months, exceeding industry benchmarks by ~4%.Improved equity and inclusion across performance management, compensation, benefits, employee relations and talent development by integrating innovative DEI analyses and bias disruptors into talent processes.

Westlake, Texas, Us

Tapped to oversee culture and engagement team and establish a change management center of excellence, in addition to DEI responsibilities, for 30K employees. Supported enterprise transformation initiatives including merger of TD Ameritrade and roll out of new employee time tracking system, accelerating integration and adoption. Decreased time to productivity and increased employee engagement by redesigning onboarding and recognition strategies. Supported pandemic response and move to 95% remote work environment. Improved alignment and collaboration across teams responsible for leading 250+ people by designing and facilitating leadership effectiveness working sessions among senior team members. "I had the great good fortune to work directly with Cynthia and see her approach in action. She made a significant, practical difference to workplace culture, to understanding of and commitment to DEI across the organization, and to workforce engagement. Cynthia has outstanding strategic skills and the ability to convert her strategy to implement meaningful change."—Elaine Logue, retired SVP of First Line Risk Management at Charles Schwab

Westlake, Texas, Us

Joined the HR Leadership Team to transform the D&I function, elevating it from a compliance and programs focus to a leader-led and integrated strategy. Drove D&I hiring, retention and development goals as part of annual operating plans for 25+ teams across retail, operations and technical organizations. Increased ERG membership by 75%, improving members' sense of belonging, career advancement and retention. Developed client offerings for LGBTQ+ and women to support future $30 trillion market."Cynthia is an experienced DEIB leader who accelerates change and inclusion in the organizations she joins. I'm lucky to have seen her in action and learned from her."—Tobin McDaniel, former SVP of Digital Product Development at Charles Schwab

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Built the first Talent Development, Employee Engagement and Diversity and Inclusion function within HR at this software development platform startup during a period of hyper growth. Supported 2x headcount growth by launching new learning programs on manager effectiveness, performance feedback, essential communication skills, mentoring and inclusive interviewing.Achieved rare 100% agreement by inclusive interview training participants that it was a valuable use of time and they would recommend to others to increase hiring of more diverse talent.

Sunnyvale, Ca, Us

Established, sustained and evolved employee engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives through 6 CEOs, 3 organizational transformations and several significant rounds of layoffs as the company attempted to regain market share. Achieved 85% employee engagement action plan completion by CEO Staff resulting in 7% YOY improvement in overall engagement. Earned #4 ranking out of 14 leading tech companies on diversity by Fortune, leveraging high ROI, employee-driven strategies and partnerships. Increased organizational alignment to goals by 25% for teams across finance, PR, R&D and HR using customized organizational effectiveness sessions.Retained 56% of high potential women tech leaders during major organizational change by designing an accelerated leadership program focused on innovation, mentoring and executive presence.Developed a new career management framework, supported by customized career navigation workshops, career conversations with senior leaders and redesigned career tools and website.Managed volunteer-run $12 mil employee foundation with $1 mil annual grant budget. Relaunched CSR team and community service initiatives after years of decline.

Sunnyvale, Ca, Us

Managed new org and talent review process to identify top 150 talent for succession in critical roles. Drove 100% completion of profiles and development plans where none existed before. Increased employees’ engagement 7% by launching Global Career Development Events leveraging Employee Resource Groups, leadership panels, career workshops and internal career fairs.Drove new vision, brand values and leadership behaviors across the organization by creating social learning experiences used during onboarding. Increased participation in employee engagement survey from 60% to 94% by redesigning survey, leveraging strategic internal communications and focusing on action planning.Increased ROI on diversity organization sponsorships by 7x, partnering closely with Talent Acquisition and Employee Resource Groups.

Mountain View, California, Us

As part of the founding D&I team, increased “Treatment and Inclusion” score from 78% to 87% Favorable by establishing Intuit's first corporate DEI strategy, infrastructure and programs. Partnered with Executive Diversity Council to drive initiatives and deliver company’s first diversity training to 10% of employees, who rated it 4.5/5.0. Developed diverse leadership bench by identifying high potential talent to launch and lead 6 employee networks whose membership spanned 20% of all employees.Closed 6 AAP audits within one year, significantly reducing risk of litigation for the company.

Developed business plans for social enterprises to create 200+ jobs over 5 years. Implemented HR policies and training for retail and nonprofit organizations. Delivered consumer insights crucial to successful advertising campaign development. Clients included Accenture, Microsoft and the Sharper Image.

New York, New York, Us

Reversed sales declines and increased brand awareness up to 30% by developing $10M+ brand campaigns for clients including Levi Strauss and Kikkoman.

New York, Ny, Us

Increased revenue up to 40% for clients including Apple and Glendale Federal Bank by delivering effective brand campaigns based on key consumer insights.

Mba, Organizational Behavior

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Marketing And Finance

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Psychology With Honors