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Dria James
Helping agents of change and communities thrive | Founder & CEO • Leadership Coach • Talent / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist
Dria James is the Founder and CEO of Black In Diversity, a company dedicated to empowering leaders and organizations through coaching, consulting, and community-building with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She has over a decade of experience in talent management, leadership development, and DEI strategy. Dria started her career at Goldman Sachs, where she rose to Vice President in the Human Capital Management Division. She later joined Bain & Company as Head of Americas DEI, leading initiatives to promote racial equity and social justice.12
Dria holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, with concentrations in HR and Organizational Behavior, as well as minors in Africana Studies and Inequality Studies. Her work emphasizes supporting underrepresented professionals and fostering systemic change in corporate environments. Through Black In Diversity, she offers coaching, consulting, and speaking services to equip leaders with tools to thrive while driving meaningful DEI progress.23
Highlights
I’m excited to announce that this fall, I’ll be returning to school to pursue a Master of Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania!
I’m eager to embrace this unique opportunity to gain invaluable insights, tools, and strategies—not only to build my personal capacity, but to also continue empowering other change agents, forward-thinking leaders, and organizations to thrive.
A huge thank you to Antonia Singleton, Karthik Venkataraman, Kellee Jeneé Lacombe, Larry Lennox-Choate III, Lorraine Boakye, Sabrina B. and Trier Bryant for your unwavering support and encouragement which has been instrumental in helping me take this next step in my journey ✨
#PositivePsychology #UPenn #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #BlackInDiversity #ThrivingNotSurviving
We all face periods of intense stress and fatigue in our work. Research shows that since the COVID-19 pandemic, 80% of workers report that their workplace stress levels have significantly increased, and 67% believe their burnout has worsened during this time (cfah.org).
Last week, I had the honor of spending time with the incredible Marketing & Communications team at LMI during their 2-day offsite. Leading an all-day workshop, we focused on goal-setting for 2025 and explored proven tools and strategies to enhance work-life balance. It was a collaborative and restorative experience—and it has me considering picking up golf! ⛳️ A special shout-out to Robin Milton and Jasmin Harris for planning such a great retreat.
How would YOU rate your current energy level towards work? What activities or hobbies help you restore your energy?
1️⃣ Drained 2️⃣ Tired 3️⃣ Moderate 4️⃣ Good 5️⃣ Great
Feel free to share your thoughts and strategies in the comments below!
#WorkLifeBalance #StressManagement #GoalSetting #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership
