Sy Stokes, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

Cambridge, Ma, Us

Serving as a strategic advisor and external consultant for the leadership team, supporting their efforts toward improving the collective competency and capacity for advancing DEI within and beyond the organization

Founded in 2019, REDI is a national network of consultants comprised of expert scholars, practitioners, and organizational leaders whose talent is strategically leveraged to provide various aspects of DEI service delivery to higher education institutions.Responsibilities include:• Lead REDI’s three primary portfolios: (1) Assessment and Evaluation, (2) Trainings and Workshops, and (3) Executive Coaching and Strategic Advising• Conduct workplace climate assessments to identify opportunities for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion • Coach senior leaders in equity-minded and anti-racist approaches to leadership, shifting organizational culture, succession planning, and implementing scalable policies and practices

New York, Ny, Us

• Lead and manage a $3 million global research portfolio focused on improving the workplace experiences for diverse employee populations across the Americas, APAC, and EMEA regions• Develop and cultivate strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies across various sectors, including technology, media, education, financial services, legal, advertising, marketing, public relations, healthcare, auto-manufacturing, music and entertainment• Advise executive leaders (i.e., CEOs, CHROs, CDOs, MDs, and other senior-level professionals) on how to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of employee engagement, organizational development, People Strategy, and business operations (e.g., adjusting to complex legal landscapes, global Self-ID data collection and analysis, talent and performance management, culture, community impact, etc.)• Utilize data to support over 120 executive sponsors from 60+ companies in linking DEI to enterprise people strategy through various global initiatives• Provide executive counsel for ERG leaders from the US, Mexico, Brazil, UK, Germany, India, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, and Singapore on cultivating synergy amongst multinational employee populations and their regional and global DEI efforts• Communicate insights to key stakeholders by facilitating over 200 presentations and keynote speeches for multinational companies• Formulate data-driven solutions for how companies can achieve DEI-specific KPIs in unison with financial and operational objectives

New York, Ny, Us

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Us

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Us

• Advised university leaders on how to construct and operationalize a 5-year DEI strategic plan (2020-2025), which included strategies for enhancing the recruitment, retention, and academic success of marginalized student populations• Created and taught graduate-level courses at the U-M Rackham Graduate School of Education focused on race and racism, diversity and inclusion, intersectionality, and systemic inequity• Mentored junior team members across several departments

Los Angeles, California, Us

• Led several cohorts of K-12 superintendents, principals, and other senior-level leaders through a series of “Equity Institutes,” overseeing the design, implementation, measurement, accountability, assessment, and sustainability of their respective DEI strategic plans• Launched the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC)—a national quantitative survey on campus racial climate—by spearheading the initial stages of the partnering institutions' enrollment contracts through the recruitment of survey participants and the implementation of survey methodology on-site• Completed an award-winning research project that received Dissertation of the Year from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and was a finalist for the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s (ASHE) Bobby Wright Dissertation of the Year award

• Founded a free private-tutoring program (the "Buddy" program) for low-income K-8 students in partnership with administrators/school leaders at De Anza High School in Richmond, California• Developed and executed recruitment strategies of high-performing high school students to serve as academic mentors for BGC's "Buddy" program• Served as an academic counselor for high school students pursuing higher education• Connected parents and guardians to financial advisors who provided guidance on FAFSA applications, financial literacy training, and budgeting strategies• Led fundraising efforts to support low-income families via community-based events and programming

Oakland, Ca, Us

• Coordinated the planning and implementation of the Four Phases of Financial Aid for Oakland Unified School District and its 16 public high schools• Organized the recruitment and training of volunteers for financial aid workshops, fundraising events, and learning seminars that provided access to critical information for low-income families in the Bay Area• Led the implementation of common measures as outlined by the East Bay College Access Network (EBCAN) through strategic data collection and analysis

Los Angeles, California, Us

• Completed a multi-year research project and led a social media campaign focused on Black male retention that raised over $2 million in grant funding to support Black college students in Los Angeles• Utilized funding to create "Sister-to-Sister," an undergraduate research program for Black women that focuses on mental health, intersectional identity development, career pathways, and academic achievement• Collaborated with the Racial Equity and Justice Institute, Education Trust, and the United Black Student Unions of California on nation-wide programming opportunities to promote civic engagement in higher education

Ph.D. In Education

M.S.Ed. In Higher Education, Higher Education

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), African-American/Black Studies