Photo: McBoat Photography
However, my experience as often the only Black woman in the room revealed a darker reality of workplace culture. I experienced what I would later understand to be microaggressions, microinvalidations, and microassaults. The psychological and emotional toll of these experiences opened my eyes to a broader crisis: 60% of Black women in America share similar experiences of racial trauma in the workplace. This realization became my catalyst for change. I founded Simone D. Ross Consulting with a clear mission: to prevent other Black women from experiencing workplace harm and abuse from racial trauma. My work focused on helping organizations systematize workforce equity - moving beyond surface-level diversity initiatives to create meaningful, sustainable change. When the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce recruited me as their fractional COO, I saw an opportunity to amplify this impact. As the state’s catalyst for systems change, CWCC offers a powerful platform for collaborative
transformation. My transition to nonprofit leadership wasn’t about leaving the private sector behind - it was about leveraging my business expertise to drive systemic change for women in the workforce. Today, my work isn’t just about addressing workplace inequity - it’s about reimagining what an inclusive economy can look like when we actively dismantle barriers and create new pathways for success. Cole: What do you believe to be the most important piece of advice for a leader to follow? Ross: The most profound leadership advice I share is deceptively simple yet deeply transformative: Start with your obituary. This isn’t about morbidity – it’s about clarity of purpose. By envisioning what you want people to say about who you were when it’s all said and done, you create a powerful north star for your leadership
24 The Acumen
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