Meet the Team

Our team is composed of passionate educators, community leaders, and dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to make a difference. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives to help us achieve our mission of empowering individuals through literacy and character development.

  • Dr. Atira Charles

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    In addition to being Executive Director, Dr. Atira Charles is CEO of The Charles Consulting Group, a boutique consulting firm focusing on issues of D&I and wellness. She began her academic journey with a presidential scholarship to Florida A&M University, which is where she earned both her B.S. in Finance and her Masters of Business Administration. Dr. Charles immediately began her career in academia, after graduating with her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Management from Arizona State University.

    Dr. Charles was a professor at both FSU and FAMU in her early career years. After years of being an educator and consultant , she joined the Executive Leadership Team  of Moet Hennessy as the Head of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity for North America to establish and shape their D&I strategy.  As of July 2021, Dr. Charles re-engaged with her consulting practice to continue to help organizations make the transformative and innovative culture shifts that are necessary to navigate in a complex society and workplace culture.

    Additionally, she explores how organizations can effectively manage the differences of their employees, through social and structural means. Inspired by her educational philosophy, she also focuses on how individuals can motivate themselves to positive and productive action through self- awareness, emotional management, and wellness.

    Dr. Charles’ research has been published in numerous academic journals and media outlets. She has presented her research internationally and has worked with many municipalities and global Fortune 500 organizations. She created The Mask Project, an initiative that documents individual’s experiences of “wearing the mask” at work and in life. Dr. Charles’ has an audiobook entitled “The Art of Unmasking: Peeling back the layers to maximize personal and professional success”. 

    Dr. Charles is a highly sought out keynote speaker. She is also a TedX speaker and has an insightful talk entitled "Rethinking Diversity & Inclusion as a Health Dilemma" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVh3kIde_TU&t=2s) . Her work has been featured in magazines, such as Black Enterprise Magazine and ESSENCE. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards such as the FAMU Outstanding 125 Alumni Award. She was even nominated by The Obama White House as a "Change Maker" for the 2016 State of the Woman Summit. Organizations and collaborators speak very highly of her ability to impact employees' cognitive processes to promote their psychological and behavioral change.