Chris Hooten (they/them) is a 2011 Howard J. Lacy II High School of Speedway, IN graduate.
They are a non-binary and neurodivergent equity educator, writer, and inclusion advocate. As a descendant of enslaved peoples, sharecroppers, and a survivor of poverty, food scarcity, and housing insecurity, they are committed to building power to create a world free of these injustices.
With over a decade as a facilitator, strategist, educator, and community builder, they partner with leaders, teams, and community members to build trust, confidence, and consensus that foster cooperation, innovation, and inclusion.
In 2020, after receiving their master’s in education and human development from George Washington University, they founded an equity consultancy to help industry leaders and change-makers meet the needs of a diverse workforce, with particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ and Neurodivergent inclusion. To date, Chris has worked with industry leaders like Levy Restaurants, Space Needle, Bastyr University, POCIS Seattle, and others to refocus outcomes and core needs of their stakeholders that drive their mission.
They’ve written for or been a guest speaker of The DEI Offload, BIPOC Voices Speak, The Equity Equation, the UnYielded Podcast, the DEI After 5 Podcast, and the Black Vegans Rock blog. In addition to writing and speaking, they enjoy meditation, time with nature, and traveling.