Dr. Cheryl Hall-Russell, President & Chief Cultural Consulta

 The seed for BW3 was planted almost two decades ago when Dr. Hall-Russell, an Indianapolis native, began to merge her cultural influences with corporate leadership. 

Her current work is focused on organizational leadership, specifically how culture impacts outcomes and how unexplored DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) challenges can not only impact staff belonging but also reduce organizations' effectiveness. 

As a qualitative researcher, she conducts in-depth studies of organizational culture, using her education and experience to get to the heart of the challenges and opportunities for organizations to improve their culture and, thereby, their outcomes!

Hall-Russell is also in demand as a facilitator and moderator, both regionally and nationally. She works with nonprofit and governmental leaders to facilitate strategic planning, racial equity and cultural change management. She works as a consultant and also conducts retreats and workshops including working with the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. 

Nationally, she just completed a two-year contract with Independent Sector, where she facilitated conversations on racial equity, nonprofit advocacy, and workforce challenges. Additionally, for two years, she facilitated a live podcast, "What Black Pittsburgh Needs To Know," on 1Hood Media, which bought on guests to discuss current events. The show received multiple honors, especially for their work during the COVID crisis.

Hall-Russell is a executive coach who works with leaders on change management coaching leaders all over the U.S. and Africa. 

She received her primary education in the Indianapolis Public Schools and went on to get her BA from Indiana University (I.U.), a MA in Philanthropic Studies, and an MPA in Nonprofit Management also from I.U. She received her Ed.D in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University. 

As a researcher she has published multiple books while working for Indiana University, including seminal work on African-American philanthropy.   Known for her direct writing style, she has been a frequent freelance op/ed columnist for both the Indianapolis Star and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Prior to establishing BW3, she sat at the helm of several large nonprofits and also worked in international marketing in the corporate sector. 

Dr. Hall-Russell is the immediate past board chair for Planned Parenthood of Western PA and works with advocacy groups the Black Environmental Collective. She serves on the advisory board for the Lilly School of Philanthropy Alumni as well as the Indiana University O'Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Select articles:  

DEI Initiatives and Broken Cultures (on resisting the urge to establish DEI programs before a company's culture is prepared to handle them) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dei-initiatives-broken-cultures-resisting-urge-move-hall-russell/

Featured: Despite a few prominent appointments, Pittsburgh-area nonprofits still struggle to diversify leadership:  https://www.post-gazette.com/business/career-workplace/2019/11/17/Women-minorities-nonprofits-leadership-diversity-Pittsburgh/stories/201911070159