Biographies of Keynote Presenters

Friday, October 22; 6:00-9:00pm

AWARDS DINNER & KEYNOTE ADDRESS 

Featuring Dr. Robert Livingston

Dr. Robert Livingston is a social psychologist and one of the nation’s leading experts on the science underlying bias and racism. For two decades, he has served as a diversity consultant to scores of Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining the Harvard Kennedy School in 2015, he held professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and the University of Sussex, where he was the chair of the organizational behavior area as well as the founder and faculty director of Centre for Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity (LEAD).

Dr. Livingston’s research has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. His ranges from micro-level investigations of the psychological and physiological processes that underlie unconscious bias—to more macro-level examinations of how biases impact organizational diversity, leadership representation, and social justice. For example, his research on the “Teddy Bear Effect” finds that Black CEO’s uniquely benefit from having facial features that make them appear warmer and less threatening (i.e., babyfaceness). He is also known for his research on the intersectionality of race and gender, and how the nature of bias systematically differs for White women, Black women, and Black men.

His work has been published in top-tier academic journals such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Academy of Management Journal, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Psychological Science, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and Leadership Quarterly. He is the author of The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations published by Penguin Random House in February 2021.

In his spare time, he enjoys jazz, wine, and whiskey tasting, gastronomy, philosophy, interior design, real estate investing, hiking, and nature documentaries. He has resided in five countries and speaks four languages.

Friday, October 22; 12:00-1:00pm

Lunchtime Keynote

Featuring Berwick Mahdi Davenport

"Accountability and Truth Telling" 

Berwick Mahdi Davenport, AKA “M” is a social justice, anti-racist facilitator with more than thirty years of experience. Mahdi is a pioneer in the field of Life Coaching. He is a coach who coaches coaches, facilitating and mentoring thousands of leaders from all over the globe.

M is the prodigy behind the Ego Reduction Formula, which makes possible the integration of social & political consciousness with spiritual consciousness. M is a celebrated author and loving father of three very beautiful daughters.

Mahdi's Keynote message will invite leaders to reflect on the African proverb called Ubuntu that says: "I AM because YOU ARE." And in doing so, realize more clearly the power of interconnectedness and the role accountability plays in the constant improvement and elevation of humanity.

Saturday, October 23; 12:00-1:00pm

Lunchtime Keynote

Featuring Yvette Modestin

Yvette Modestin is a writer, poet, and activist who focuses on shedding light on the Afro-descendent experience in Latin America. She was born and raised in Colon, Panama, and is the founder and executive director of Encuentro Diaspora Afro in Boston, MA. She was named in the 30 Most Influential Afro Latinas of the world. She is the diaspora coordinator of the Red de Mujeres  Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y de la Diaspora a national and international network of Afrolatinamerican women. She sits as the representative of this network at the UN Office for Women and the African Union. Modestin has been profiled by The Boston Globe as “The Uniter” for her work in bringing the Latin American and African American communities together. She received the Fundacion Bayano 2013 award for Afro-descendent leadership in her home country of Panama, and is one of the editors and writers of the book, “Women Warriors of the Afro Latina Diaspora.” The book was named in the top five Latino books in the country for 2013. She is one of the featured poets in the book, “Rapsodia Antillana,” was a contributor to “The Afro Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the US” and is one of the featured poets in the “Antologia de Poesia Colonense.” She is also a contributor to the book, “The Psychological Health of Women of Color.”  She was the 2009 recipient of the Drylongso Award by Community Change Inc. for her extraordinary anti-racism work. Modestin writes a blog about the events and experiences in the community called Reflections. As an artist, a licensed mental health clinician, and wellness facilitator, Modestin speaks to the acknowledgment of the historical pain of people of African descent and the awareness of the connection that would lead to the healing of our communities. @soulfulafro