Shirley Engelmeier: CEO & Founder

Shirley Engelmeier has been helping Fortune 500 companies and emerging organizations develop and implement inclusion initiatives for over 16 years. With a corporate business background in operations, sales and organizational development, Shirley reinforces specialized inclusion and diversity programs that always link with a business approach and the bottom line. Her strategic planning encompassed with her vast experience and skill set working with C suite executives in companies such as ESPN, H.J. Heinz, U.S. Cellular and SUPERVALU, has evolved Shirley into an industry thought leader. Founder and CEO of InclusionINC, Shirley’s team offers variety of assessment, consulting, training and ongoing performance evaluations that incorporate inclusion as a corporate business strategy.

Phyllis Jefferson: VP of Learning & Organizational Development

Phyllis Jefferson has worked in the field of Diversity and Inclusion for over 18 years. As a Diversity Strategist, her company specializes in Diversity and Inclusion assessments, strategic planning and Diversity Management; she is certified to coach and provide feedback from assessment results. Her approach is utilizing assessments to conduct a gap analysis and design solutions with measurements. Facilitating focus groups, one-on-one interviews, phone interviews, and Web-based surveys are examples of the methodology applied.

Phyllis's experience includes Diversity Manager for Texas Instruments (Defense Systems Electronics Group), serving as an internal consultant, team facilitator, and corporate master trainer. As a trainer and consultant, she was responsible for workshops such as Managing Diversity, Leadership/Team Development, Performance Management, Negotiating Skills, Personal Empowerment, Interviewing Techniques, Conducting Effective Business Presentations, etc. Phyllis has worked with major corporations and nonprofit organizations such as The Ft. Worth Initiative, Denny's, Pepsi Bottling Group, VHA, Prudential, IRS, Bank of America, First Union Bank, Public School Districts, COX Enterprise, Inc., City of Irving, RR Donnelley & Sons, Cox Communications, BP North America Pipelines, and Camp Fire USA First Texas Council among others. Her educational background includes a Master of Science and Bachelor of Business Administration.

Stephanie Holden: Project Manager & Client Solutions

Stephanie focuses on managing InclusionINC behind the scenes. Her primary responsibility is client interface and technological aspects of the organization such as the web-based assessments. Stephanie also provides assistance with data analysis and assisting clients meet their specific diversity and inclusion business outcomes. In addition, she concentrates on portions of marketing, business plans, research, and facilitation of numerous aspects regarding InclusionINC.

She is formally educated in Business and Administration and brings over 8 years of Communication and Human Service experience to InclusionINC from both non-profit and for-profit organizations. She is experienced in communicating and assisting a variety of groups of people with communication disabilities.

K. Jason Bryan: Business Development Manager

K. Jason Bryan brings a wealth of skills to his role as Business Development Manager, as well as a long-held passion for Diversity and Inclusion, going back to serving on his college’s Diversity Council and beyond. He began working with the pioneer diversity company ProGroup several years ago, and developed a strong passion for partnering with clients to ensure they are successful in their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Jason joined the InclusionINC team because he knows that our focus on inclusion metrics and Learning Over Time™ approach are on the cutting edge of today’s D&I solutions.

Jason’s prior roles include a varied background in business administration, customer service, and project management for companies in financial services, insurance, nonprofits and the arts. He has also worked as a stage manager in professional theatre, a producer and director, and served on the boards of two Twin Cities theatre companies. Jason has a B.A. from Mary Washington College, and has taken Management courses at the University of St. Thomas College of Business.

Nirav Vora: Inclusion Metrics Consultant

Nirav has 6 years of HR industry experience working as a financial analyst. He recently completed his MBA from the University of Minnesota in Strategy and Operations Management. Over the past 4 years, he’s had much success in working at Hewitt Associates as not only an analyst, but also an offshore trainer. His affinity for numbers, statistics, and mathematics coupled with his strong interest in Human Resources makes for a metrics-focused HR leader. This is particularly important for InclusionINC’s approach and expertise in assessment and bringing quantitative approaches to qualitative data.

At InclusionINC, Nirav is a key advisor on multiple projects ranging from assessment research to creating inclusion metrics on our Metrics for Inclusion and Diversity Scorecard™. He conducts cutting-edge research on passion, engagement and productivity in the work environment; analyzes qualitative focus group data on diversity and inclusion; and provides strategic marketing insight to help grow a portion of the business through the use of social media devices.

Jane Winston: Executive Consultant 

Jane is an accomplished and versatile business leader with over 20 years experience. She is a nationally recognized expert in change management focusing on business development and supplier diversity. Her experience ranges from coaching small business owners to launching corporate supplier diversity initiatives for large multinational companies such as Pillsbury (General Mills) and ING Financial Services. In 2004 she was a founder of the Women's Business Development Center-Minnesota, MEDA and several major Twin Cities corporations to certify women-owned companies and link them to corporate procurement opportunities.

Jane started her career as program manager at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) where she managed the Mentor Program matching corporate executives with minority entrepreneurs. She was later promoted to vice president of business development and programs at MEDA. Jane also served for eight years as executive director of the Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) and was a member of the Board of Trustees at Metropolitan State University Alumni Association.

Over the years Jane was recognized by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) as Regional Minority Business Advocate, also by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) of Minnesota, The Minnesota Business Journal and other organizations for her outstanding work. She was also awarded a prestigious Bush Fellowship to further develop her leadership skills.

Jacqui Clelland: Master Trainer

Jacqui Clelland has worked with corporate clients on training and development initiatives for the last twenty years.  Her focus in the past fifteen years has been on diversity and inclusion projects with clients such as Hewlett-Packard, Knight Ridder, RR Donnelley, Denny’s, AT&T, Bank One, Halliburton and Coca-Cola.

Jacqui brings a very personal perspective to cultural issues - she was born in England to an English mother and a Swiss father and was raised in the United States from the age of five.  In addition to family background, Jacqui has international business experience having worked for Digital Equipment Corporation in Geneva, Switzerland and La Société SITA in Paris, France.  Both of these experiences added significantly to Jacqui’s knowledge of the dynamics between cultures and the business imperative for inclusion and diversity efforts. 

Stacy Rider: Marketing Director

Stacy Rider has been marketing products and services to businesses and consumers for over 15 years.  Her diverse career experience, ranging from small start-up to Fortune 50 companies, provides Stacy with a broad marketing background, including reasearch, product development, sourcing, packaging, sales and public relations.  Stacy has a passion for innovation, and her entrepreneurial enthusiasm make her a valuable resource to fuel continued development of the products, programs and paradigms that support InclusionINC clients with their diversity and inclusion initiatives.