Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are essential to building resilient, innovative, and forward-thinking organizations in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. It’s 2025, and it’s time we collectively set a higher standard for workplaces to reflect the diversity of the world we live in. Beyond checking a metaphorical box, this conversation merits the depth of our attention because it provides a blueprint for business leaders to create more success and impact.
To gain deeper insight into what’s driving DEI in 2025, we asked top industry leaders about their inspirations, challenges, and advice for those striving to build more inclusive and equitable workplaces. By challenging outdated norms and advocating for systemic change, they are redefining what it means to lead in an equitable world. These visionary leaders understand that true inclusion goes beyond policies and quotas. It requires a deep cultural shift, intentional leadership, and a commitment to creating spaces where diverse voices are not just heard but celebrated.
AANG LAKEY
Aang Lakey, the founder of Increasing Consciousness, believes true inclusion starts with self-awareness and intentional leadership. With an extensive background in executive leadership, military planning and operations, and violence prevention, their work equips executives with the tools to create equity in action, embedding inclusion into leadership practices, decision-making, and organizational culture.
Their approach is rooted in three interconnected areas of mastery: personal, social, and systems mastery. Personal mastery cultivates self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to recognize one’s own biases by integrating reflexivity, intentionality, and congruence in the leader. Social mastery focuses on fostering cultural intelligence, inclusive leadership, and effective communication within diverse teams. Systems mastery expands this lens to the broader organizational and societal structures, empowering leaders to drive systemic change. By guiding executives through these areas of mastery, Aang ensures that inclusion, equity, and impact are not just ideals, but foundational elements in how organizations operate and evolve.
MISSY KELLY
As the co-founder and CEO of CatTongue Grips, Missy Kelly built a multi-million-dollar global brand by redefining innovation and leadership in traditionally male-dominated industries. What started as a simple idea to create a non-slip phone grip quickly evolved when she saw how the product could serve real-world needs. After Paralympian Chris Waddell shared how CatTongue’s Gription Roll transformed his daily life, Missy recognized a greater purpose: designing solutions that improve accessibility, safety, and independence for those who need it most. That realization sparked a deeper mission at CatTongue Grips, leading to an expansion into adaptive solutions for the disability community and, more recently, aging-in-place safety products. By prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity in product development, Missy proves that companies thrive when they reflect and serve the world around them.
CAROLINA LÓPEZ SAGLIETTI
As a global leader in education and the founder of the Superhero Programs, Carolina López Saglietti is transforming the way children develop confidence, resilience, and emotional intelligence. Her mission goes beyond the classroom—she is reimagining education to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to the tools they need to believe in themselves and thrive. Through her children’ s books, including the recently published How I Became a Superhero, coaching programs, and the Coach to the Kids Certification, she equips educators with strategies to foster self-worth, inclusion, and leadership in young learners.
Carolina understands that diversity and equity start early. By instilling a mindset of empowerment in children from a young age, she is building a future where more voices are heard, more leaders rise, and every child has the opportunity to realize their full potential. Her work is a testament to the idea that true inclusion begins with the way we educate, nurture, and inspire the next generation.
REENA MERCHANT
As a seasoned tech leader and advocate for inclusive leadership, Reena Merchant has spent over 20 years reshaping workplace culture at global giants like Google, YouTube, and Sony PlayStation. Through her Leadership From Within framework, she challenges traditional leadership norms, emphasizing authenticity, empathy, and psychological safety as the foundation for true inclusion. Reena understands that a diverse environment cannot thrive without cultural transformation—where leaders model vulnerability, elevate diverse voices, and foster an environment where everyone feels valued. Her work with OurVoice, a community-driven initiative, extends this mission beyond the corporate world, empowering individuals to embrace self-expression and lead with purpose. By championing a more human-centered approach to leadership, Reena is helping to build workplaces where equity isn’t just a checkbox—it’s the driving force behind innovation and collective success.
AKANKSHA PANDEY (Acanxa)
As a globally trained health coach and founder of her wellness platform, Akanksha Pandey is redefining what equity and inclusion look like in healthcare. After being diagnosed with an “incurable” gut condition and healing herself through a blend of Ayurveda and evidence-based nutrition, Akanksha made it her mission to help others reclaim their health, especially those who have been dismissed or underserved by conventional systems. Her integrative approach combines ancient wisdom with modern science, advocating for a food-first, medication-last philosophy that empowers people to listen to their bodies and take healing into their own hands.
Akanksha’s work goes beyond individual transformation to challenge systemic gaps in global healthcare by offering accessible tools rooted in both tradition and innovation. Educated by Harvard University, the University of Wageningen, IFM, and Kerala Ayurveda, she supports clients from all walks of life to overcome lifestyle-related health issues. For Akanksha, true inclusion in wellness means honoring cultural heritage, valuing lived experience, and ensuring everyone has the knowledge to thrive. Through her coaching and online platform, she’s building a future where holistic health is not a privilege, but a right.
LISA THOMAS
As an Epigenetics Catalyst, TEDx speaker, and founder of Epigenetics for Global Impact, Lisa Thomas’s approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion starts at the deepest level: healing generational trauma. While inequity is often discussed in terms of race, socioeconomic status, and education, what’s rarely acknowledged is the emotional DNA that accompanies it—limiting beliefs, inherited fears, and survival patterns that unconsciously shape behavior. These unseen patterns don’t just influence individuals; they shape workplace culture, leadership decisions, and systemic inequities, reinforcing the very barriers DEI efforts seek to dismantle. This is why the myth of meritocracy persists—the idea that people facing inequity should simply work harder ignores the reality of generational trauma. True change requires not just opportunity, but deep shifts. Lisa’s work helps forward-thinking organizations bridge the gap between personal transformation and systemic change, ensuring that inclusion isn’t performative, but deeply integrated and sustainable.
ALENA UZHNYEVA
As the founder of I Am Creation Retreats and Alonafish OU, Alena Uzhnyeva believes authentic leadership is the foundation for meaningful change in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Through the transformational events she hosts around the world, Alena helps entrepreneurs and executives develop what she calls “mind-body-heart coherence”—a way of leading with integrity, vulnerability, and purpose that allows organizations to foster innovation, inclusion, and belonging. Alena’s own journey from corporate burnout to building a thriving, purpose-driven company shaped her belief that lasting transformation begins at the top. Through I Am Creation Retreats, she empowers leaders to align their values with their impact, ensuring DEI isn’t just a policy but a lived experience that reshapes businesses from the inside out.
HANALEI SWAN
A born creator and visionary entrepreneur, Hanalei Swan has been redefining the meaning of leadership and self-expression since launching her first six-figure sustainable fashion brand at just 10 years old. Raised on six continents and immersed in cultures from around the world, she developed a unique perspective on creativity as a tool for transformation. Her journey has taken her from designing ethical fashion to becoming a fine artist, speaker, and author—blending storytelling, art, and advocacy to inspire others.
Hanalei believes that creativity is a force for equity. Whether in business, art, or fashion, she continues to push for a world where diverse voices are not just included but celebrated—proving that when we use creativity to reimagine possibilities, we pave the way for a more just and inclusive future. She believes that leadership isn’t about age or titles—it’s about showing up, taking risks, and using your voice to make an impact. Through her art, writing, and global experiences, Hanalei continues to push boundaries, proving that the time to pursue your dreams is always now.
RHONDA SWAN
As the CEO of Unstoppable Branding Agency and Co-Founder of Wild Global INC. and founder of the Women Gone Wild book series, Rhonda Swan is a powerhouse in PR, branding, and media strategy, dedicated to amplifying the voices of visionary leaders. Recognized by Forbes as a “Woman of Diversity to Watch,” Rhonda believes that true Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not just about representation—it’s about visibility, storytelling, and making sure unheard voices are seen and recognized on a global stage.
Through Women Gone Wild, she has built a platform that spotlights women’s stories of resilience, leadership, and transformation, ensuring they don’t just exist in the margins but take center stage in the world’s most influential conversations. With over 15 years in PR, Rhonda turns underrepresented leaders into industry icons. She sees PR as a tool for systemic change—a way to challenge outdated narratives and create lasting impact by elevating diverse voices in spaces where decisions are made and legacies are built.
Her work is a call to action for business leaders: it’s not enough to support DEI—we must actively use our platforms to drive visibility, tell untold stories, and shape a future where multiple perspectives lead the way.
JULES SCHROEDER
As a visionary leader, artist, and entrepreneur, Jules Schroeder has spent years pioneering new ways to bridge personal transformation with business, creativity, and leadership. Through her company Unconventional Life and her top-ranked podcast, she empowers individuals to break free from societal molds and create lives of impact on their own terms. Jules is known for hosting signature 5-day life and business accelerators for entrepreneurs and creatives in exotic locations all over the world with her next one being in Peru, May 22nd-26th 2025. Jules believes true inclusion starts with radical self-ownership—when people align with their purpose and unapologetically take up space, they open doors for others to do the same. Her work has guided millions in stepping into greater alignment, visibility, and impact. Through diverse modalities—meditation, music, and creative expression—she helps others bypass the logical mind and tap into the heart of the experience. Her artistic approach as music artist Jules King fosters purpose, wholeness, and deep connection, inviting full self-inclusion without judgment.
The Future of Inclusive Leadership
As we look ahead to the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, one thing is clear: visionary leadership is the catalyst for change and impact. The trailblazers highlighted in this article are reshaping the way we think about leadership, innovation, and the collective responsibility to create more inclusive spaces.
These leaders prove that true inclusion is not about performative policies but about embedding equity into the way we lead, build businesses, and engage with the world. Their work challenges the status quo, ignites important conversations, and paves the way for a future where every individual—regardless of background, identity, or circumstance—has the opportunity to thrive.
The question now is: how will you contribute to the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?
