Black women are stuck in the pipeline.
At 62.9% we make up the largest demographic in the labor force*, yet we represent only 1.4% of the C-Suite. This is a due, in large part to a few key factors – Black women has less access to senior leadership, managers are less likely to talk to Black women about their professional aspirations, and Black women are less likely to take advantage of professional development opportunities.
In this Connecting Black Women special event, we will attack this problem. We’ll discuss not only why and how to ask for professional development support, but also practice asking for the support we need to grow in our careers.
We'll be joined by Laura Knights, Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting, LLC and creator of the Black Women Leading program. Laura will walk us through selecting the right developmental opportunity, building the business case for support, and practicing asking for what you need.
Whether it’s a training program, membership fees, mentorship, opportunities to practice new skills, promotions, software tools, or just a regular check-in on your well-being – asking for support to grow as a professional shouldn’t be scary.
Let’s fix this together.
About the Facilitators:
Crystal Coats is the Founder of Legacy Consulting Group, LLC. A 20+ year professional, Crystal's work focuses on creating sustainable social impact through strategy, training, and advising.
Crystal creates programs that are data-informed, culturally inclusive, and carry strategic value to the organizations and the communities they serve. Her work has spanned the arts, higher education, government, and financial sectors. She has experience leading staff teams and engaging with philanthropy, along with supporting executive leaders in designing and implementing strategy.
Crystal is an avid speaker, facilitator, and coach. She creates shared experiences that focus on using interactive engagement to develop skills like active listening, data-informed approaches, and decision making. She has presented at conferences such as the Points of Light Conference, and the Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICOVA), as well as facilitated workshops for organizations like the Experimental Sounds Studio and the Emergency Nurses Association.
Crystal graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with her bachelors degree in English and a minor in Black Studies. She received her Masters Degree from the University of Chicago's Master of Arts in Humanities program. In 2016 she was a Fellow in the University of Chicago's Civic Leadership Academy and holds a certificate in nonprofit board leadership. Crystal also serves on the Board of Social Responsibility Chicago.
Laura E. Knights, LCSW is an executive coach, speaker, and facilitator with 19+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders all over the world. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life. Laura is the creator of the Black Woman Leading® programs and podcast, and the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC, a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to organizations to create more confident leaders and high performing teams.
Laura received her Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management, from Washington University in St. Louis. She obtained her Master’s in Social Work from DePaul University. She is a certified workplace critical incident response professional, a certified clinical trauma professional, a certified practitioner for both the DISC and Core Values Index assessments, and holds the Licensed Clinical Social Worker designation in both Illinois and Georgia. She was named the the "2021 Top HR Professional" by the Atlanta Association of Talent Development.
Laura is a teacher and master strategist at heart. With all her endeavors, she always aims to fulfill her WHY —To educate and empower people so that they can uncover their full potential, walk boldly in it, and create their own legacy.
