Associates
JOYCE SHABAZZ
Joyce Shabazz is an accomplished social justice entrepreneur, mediator, facilitator, educator, and coach with over five decades of experience.
Ms. Shabazz is the founder of Evolution LLC a consulting practice that works with individuals and organizations addressing challenges to the relational dynamics of race in organizations and leadership. She works to reframe equity and inclusion for leadership and relationships, based in humanity and empathy. Through her consulting practice, Ms. Shabazz has provided coaching and strategic planning support to organizations and community/business leaders in the United States, Canada, England. Switzerland, South Africa and Brazil. Ms. Shabazz’s work on racism is acclaimed for its inclusion of all identity groups.
Ms. Shabazz completed coursework at Tufts University, Boston College Law School and Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy. She credits culture, life experience and ancestral connection as key to the foundation of her knowledge. She has educated as an Adjunct Professor at Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts teaching coursework for the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialty in Conflict Resolution. She believes in the partnership of conflict resolution principals and systems constructs as critical to creating and sustaining equity and inclusion as a life practice
One of the streams of Joyce’s approach focuses on the impact of affinity group relationships as critical to equity and inclusion. She has designed and presented leadership development institutes for leaders of Black Race Identity for the past 29 years. For more than 3 decades she has directed and consulted to an International Diversity Leadership Development Organization, co-leading international institutes twice yearly. She has had the gift of supporting and guiding 7 Affinity Identity Caucus Directors as they frame direction for their affinity groups.
Joyce is a spouse, mother and grandmother, which is where her heart gets its deep passion for the work of social justice.
MELINDA BARBOSA
Melinda Barbosa is a facilitator and trainer for mission-driven organizations. She is a storyteller and facilitator who believes our narratives are the pathway to healing and social change. She carries her belief that each individual is capable of achieving the impossible into her coaching and facilitation practice.
In 2009, she began her career as a youth worker, while also building an international online following presence as a body-positive lifestyle blogger and consultant to plus-size fashion brands. Using her story as a catalyst, she wrote stories to empower women to apply consumer pressure to the clothing industry to be more size-inclusive.
She brings ten years of experience managing and developing program cultures that encourage youth-owned ideas and projects supported by staff members trained to nurture growth and who encourage youth to imagine inconceivable possibilities for themselves. Melinda regularly presents her work in curiosity and courage, positive youth development, and professional development of staff at local and national conferences.
Melinda brings her Youth Worker approach to help clients develop pathways through self-discovery and a strengths-based approach to solve their problems and confront their challenges with confidence and a sense of power. Melinda attended Bryn Mawr College and was a Posse Foundation Scholar where she committed herself to equity and transforming systems.