About Us

Inclusivity and equity are at the heart of everything we do.

Co-directors Razia Aziz and Jess Taylor have over 50 years’ combined professional experience, working in the UK and internationally.

Read on to find our more about them and the ea network of associate consultants.

Razia Aziz, a dark skinned woman with short hair, looks to the camera with an empathetic smile

Razia Aziz

Co-Director 

MPhil, Adv Dip Exec Coaching, Adv Dip Integ. Counselling, Cert. in Facilitation for Leaders, Cert. Voice Breath & Bodywork, Licensed Trager Practitioner, Interfaith Minister

Founder & co-Director of the Equality Academy (the ea), Razia has worked as an independent consultant in the diversity, equity, inclusion and leadership space since 1996, serving individuals, groups and teams at all levels of organisations, from the smallest of community groups to multi-national corporations 

In that time her ea work has involved coaching, mentoring, supervision, coach and mentor training, breath voice and body work, learning programmes, training, facilitation, diversity audits and reviews, investigations, chairing and speaking engagements and team building. Taking a holistic, relational approach that engages mind, body, emotion and spirit or greater purpose, Razia encourages people to develop clarity, confidence and effectiveness in their leadership at all levels in organisations & teams and in community settings.

 

Razia’s roots in a three-parent, multi-faith, multi-racial family that has experienced transcontinental migration, and her own intersectional lived experience, have been her continual classroom in diversity, equity and inclusion. Her commitment is to learn to live congruently in thought, speech and action, whilst recognising the necessary fallibility and imperfection of being alive!

 

Razia’s focus going forward is on 1-2-1 and group coaching, inspirational / provocational speaking and supporting longer term learning and growth amongst those committed to conscious leadership – whatever their role or context. She believes that the challenge is the same for all of us – to stretch beyond the comfort zone of habitual patterns so we can grow in wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all beings, including ourselves.

 

In supporting people to meet this challenge, Razia’s draws upon her long experience as a creative practitioner in voice, written word, song and performance. Her embodied and intellectually acute approach helps people to recognise and sense into who they truly are; their location in the terrain of diversity; how they have been formed by what came before; the impact they can have upon others; and what legacy they will leave behind.

 

Most importantly, Razia supports learners of all kinds to focus on the great gift of their potential for creative leadership now and their power to act for the good of all by making friends with life the present moment.

 

Razia is deeply influenced by wisdom traditions from around the world and by the ancient practice of meditation in particular. A mother, partner, and community builder, she is privileged to live, work and wander in the beauty of the Sussex Downs.

Jess Taylor

Co-Director 

MSc OD & Leadership PGCert. Supervision

Of Welsh Canadian origin, Jess Taylor lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between 6-17 years old and grew up in an international environment, attending international schools where she was educated in a global community of teachers and students. This has had a fundamental impact on her understanding of herself herself as a white woman and the structural privileges this brings, alongside holding other intersecting identities as a lesbian with hidden disabilities. Deepening awareness of these different positions and how she uses it to personally and professionally engage and contribute to social justice is a life’s work and commitment. 

With an MSc in Organisational Development and Leadership and a PGCert in coaching and supervision, Jess is a consultant with 20 years’ experience in strategically developing and delivering services with a wide range of corporate, statutory, higher education and voluntary sector organisations.

 

These include social and health care services for women, multi-agency domestic violence and counselling services, mentoring and coaching, leadership programmes, and cross sector partnership projects for LGBTQ people with a range of complex needs such as domestic violence, substance misuse, mental health and housing related issues. 

 

Jess has supported a wide variety of organisations implement  transformational change programmes grounded in the principles and practice of equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I). With a passion for partnership, diversity and social justice, Jess utilises a range of systemic tools to ensure quality, value and sustainability of service provision in contexts involving highly complex processes and conversations.

 

ea associates

Jess and Razia work with a diverse network of highly skilled and experienced Associate Consultants to offer the best bespoke service.

Mark Allison

Mark is passionate about people’s potential to create positive behavioral and systemic change. He works as a mindfulness-based leadership coach to facilitate growth and development in organizations, corporations and individuals. He helps senior leaders manage stress, connect with their sense of purpose and lead from a place of authenticity and trust. 

 

Mark also enjoys facilitating conversations in organizations around themes of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion helping his clients identify and overcome unconscious bias and other obstacles. 

 

With a degree in East Asian languages and a Masters in International Law, Mark spent three years working in education and cultural exchange in Japan before taking up positions in legal research and advocacy at an international human rights organization. 

 

During his 12 years’ human rights career based in London and Hong Kong, Mark developed skills in strategic and analytical thinking, project management, team leadership and facilitation. He also took a leading role in promoting greater visibility and integration of LGBT rights within the organization’s mandate. 

 

In 2015 Mark joined the Asian Leadership Institute where he delivers team-coaching programs to help create more connected and supportive leadership teams within organizations. Mark is fascinated with the scientific research that supports an “inside out” view of life where our inner state largely determines our external experience. By taking an approach that harnesses intuition alongside cognitive and analytical skills he catalyses a shift in his clients that helps them reach their goals. 

 

Mark is from the UK, but currently based in Valencia, Spain. He has lived and worked in Asia for 12 years as a human rights researcher, somatic therapist and coach. He also owns a successful restaurant business in Thailand with his husband, Anon. 

 

Khetsiwe Dlamini and team
at Triple C Advisory

Unleashing Capital, Catalyzing Change by delivering women powered solutions

 

Triple C Advisory is a female owned, African based and originated global gender lens & impact advisory firm.  The firm provides strategy, management consulting and impact assessment services with a gender edge to countries, companies and communities all over the world.

Alex Hendry

Alex Hendra is a business and leadership consultant, and trainer. She brings to her work 30+ years employment history in not-for-profit organisations working on equality and rights of Disabled and neurodivergent people, for the past decade specialising in supporting the development and growth of organisations led and run directly by Disabled or neurodivergent people.

 

Alex’s current main focus and specialisms are in developing and delivering lived experience leadership programmes; neurodiversity training or coaching; and in facilitating coproduction/codesign of services and initiatives which enable Disabled or neurodivergent people to actively participate and take control within design and development of change.

 

Proudly neurodivergent herself, Alex is driven by a passion for supporting individuals and organisations to develop pride in diversity and flexible practices that make the most of people’s varied strengths.

Colin Heyman

Colin Heyman is a Diversity and Inclusion expert, having worked in the field for over 20 years. His aim is to improve organisations’ Diversity and Inclusion practice, and to make D&I discussable. 

 

He has worked with  a range of organsiations from large public sector organisations to small private companies, and with people at all levels from boards to people working on the front line. 

 

He has particular expertise in working with Diversity and Inclusion champions and in the housing, arts, and university sectors.

 

His passion for inclusion and better leadership arises from both his own experience, and from a belief that improving people’s leadership and EDI practice are vital to improving our world.

Shelly Hossain
BA PGDIP MBA NTL

Shelly is a highly experienced OD consultant and educator. She currently holds a number of global leadership positions. She is a founding Board member and past Co-Chair of ODN Europe a professional organisation for Organisation Development practitioners. She is Co Dean of the prestigious NTL Global OD Certificate Programme that delivers in the UK and Singapore. She is also a Board member of NTL Institute. Her work also includes running Masters level programmes and coaching senior leaders across the globe. Shelly is the Director of Global Learning, a consultancy specialising in OD capability building.

 

All her work has a strong thread of Diversity and Inclusion. This recognises the global marketplace organisations operate in today as well as societal and cultural dynamics in an organisation. Shelly has led the design on several award-winning D&I initiatives including BP’s Global Diversity and Inclusion programme, the Department for Transport ‘Green Light’ programme for BAME staff, National Probation Service’s ‘Accelerate programme for BAME and disabled managers and the Civil Service Positive Action Pathway. Shelly is currently leading an innovative ‘Flourishing Together’ to upskill OD practitioners in proactive anti-racist work.

Louisa-Joseph

Louisa Joseph

Louisa Joseph is a Consultant with the Equality Academy. Her passion is working with businesses to develop Black and Asian talent and talent from minority ethnic backgrounds into leadership roles; building high-performing, and diverse teams, which in turn impacts organisational culture. 

Louisa enjoyed a 17-year career starting in operations management and a variety of HR roles including diversity and inclusion, employee and industrial relations, people transition, and talent management. Louisa has developed a career coaching programme for professionals aspiring to move up in their careers called “Be Visible, Be Confident”.   

Louisa is also a Trustee of Magic Me, a charity focused on intergenerational arts activities in communities.  

Louisa has IAPC&M accreditation. Louisa is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and the British Psychological Society. She is an accredited assessor of Personality and Ability and a certificated Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner

Khrys Kyriacou

Khrys has a diploma in social work and post grad diploma in management, supervision and Leadership and qualified in 2005. As an independent social worker specialising in domestic abuse and so called HBV, providing court reports for care proceedings, a qualified practice assessor and supervises social workers in training, has worked in the voluntary, statutory and private sector.  

 

Most recently, Khrys completed a Mental Health First Aid trainer programme and delivers mental health first aid to organisations.  An experienced and inspirational trainer with over 15 years delivering training, with the last two years as the Lead Associate Trainer with the Equality Academy. She is also an associate trainer with Sussex university where she teaches modules on Domestic Abuse and child protection to social work students on the BA and Ma Courses.

Madhu Malhotra

Originally from India, Madhu brings a wealth of experience from her senior leadership roles in various countries and sectors, including INGOs, government, UN, and civil society. With a Master’s degree in social sciences and certification as a facilitator from the Asian Leadership Institute, Asia’s longest established executive coaching 

 

Madhu’s diverse background enables her to listen attentively and offer valuable perspectives. She is dedicated to supporting groups in identifying and transforming their limiting patterns and team dysfunctions. Her ultimate vision is to guide leaders and teams in consistently rediscovering themselves, fostering conscious alignment with the evolving needs of their organizations.In addition to her individual work, Madhu specializes in facilitating transformative journeys for executive teams, fostering enhanced trust, collaboration, innovation, and profound transformation.

 

Fluent in English, Hindi, and knowledgeable in various South Asian languages, Madhu’s multicultural experiences have ignited her passion for conscious living. She integrates the wisdom gained from living among Indigenous communities worldwide into her work, empowering clients to push their growth boundaries. Madhu finds joy in facilitating healing circles, allowing communities to connect on a deeper level. 

Gemma North

Gemma North

Gemma North is a training consultant and coach with extensive experience of working with individuals and groups as a social worker and educator in a range of organisations such as universities, charities, social enterprises and local authorities. Gemma is committed to meaningful inclusion; enabling people to fulfil their potential and improve their outcomes. 

Gemma North Consultancy

Sumanta Roy

Sumanta is an experienced qualitative researcher with a passion for social and structural change on human rights, gender, race, inequality and social justice. Sumanta has over 20 years of specialist expertise on violence against Black and minoritised women/girls leading on strategic research, needs assessments and evaluation at Imkaan a second-tier infrastructure body.

 

Sumanta has also supported charities with community engagement exercises, fundraising, quality assurance, equality audits, monitoring and evaluation and needs assessments.

Stuart Taylor

Stuart is a seasoned innovation & systemic consultant, producer, programme manager, group work facilitator, qualitative social researcher, published writer and Aikido Sensei with thirty years of international professional experience.

 

He is accustomed to working at Board and Senior Management Team client levels and designing work programmes leading, commissioning, and managing multidisciplinary collaborative professional teams.

 

His depth of experience includes coaching and consulting on diversity, equality, inclusion, innovation, leadership, and organisational development in the corporate sector, government and NHS systems, the performing & media arts, cultural, environmental campaigning, civil rights activism, mental & physical health innovation, community development, community & higher education and social enterprise sectors.

 

His inspirations include environmental and social justice, service innovation, systems thinking / systemic constellations and leading high-performing collaborative teams.  

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