MK
Kirigin
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Expert, Educator, and Consultant
- Founder of Roots to Leadership | DEI Consultancy
- TEDx Speaker
- Bolivian-American TCK based in Berlin
About me
Hi, I’m MK! 👋 As a global DEI expert, educator, and consultant with a decade of experience, I specialize in developing data-driven DEI strategies, leadership development workshops, and empowering keynotes for multicultural workplaces through an intersectional lens and inclusive pedagogical approach.
I’m a proud Latina who grew up in 5 countries (Bolivia, Nicaragua, Georgia, Jordan, and the U.S.). My international background as a TCK (Third Culture Kid) deeply influences my global and intersectional approach to DEI.
My research interest in the formation of collective identity, group dynamics, and social justice led me to a master's in Education Policy and Management from Harvard, where I developed and led the training program for the prestigious Equity & Inclusions Fellows.
I leverage my background as an educator to facilitate engaging workshops, difficult conversations, and empowering keynotes as a subject matter expert in antiracism, intersectionality, implicit bias (aka unconscious bias), neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, microaggressions, inclusive language, and privilege & power dynamics.
I’m currently partnering with the award-winning Equality Leaders consultancy in the UK, and I'm excited to announce the upcoming launch of my own DEI consultancy in Germany in 2024: Roots to Leadership. Stay tuned for more updates soon.
Fun fact: when I'm not on stage discussing DEI, you'll find me doing improv comedy! 🤓
What I do
DEI Consulting
No matter where they are on their DEI journey, I support organizations with:
- DEI audit & assessments
- DEI survey design in line with GDPR policies
- Strategy design & implementation
- DEI report writing
- Review of comms to ensure inclusive language
Trainings and Workshops
I design bespoke engaging, accessible, and empowering team workshops and leadership development trainings. Some topics I can cover:
- Inclusive leadership
- Intersectional team building
- Anti-bias for hiring managers
- Preventing microaggressions
- Managing neurodivergence at work
Keynotes, panels, podcasts, and DEI content creation
I’m a seasoned and engaging public speaker and content creator. Some topics I can cover:
- Microaggressions
- Anti-racism and colorblindness
- ADHD / Neurodivergence
- Data in DEI
- Intersectionality
Watch my TED talk:
Q&A with MK:
How do you respond when someone tells you they don't see color?
Frankfurt, Germany - October 19, 2023
"I don't see color! I believe there is just one race, the human race." 😑 Big sigh. People of color will often hear this line when talking to someone with color-privilege about racism. How do we respond?
When I first moved to Europe, I found that most DEI conversations here tend to focus only on gender equality. I believe this is because focusing broadly on gender allows people to take a colorblind approach.
Because whenever I asked, "What about the women of color?", people would tell me "Oh you Americans are so obsessed with race! Racism is an American problem — here, we don't see color."
Of course, that is not true. Our brains do see color and people do experience discrimination as a result.
In my TED talk, I break down why colorblind approaches to inclusion are ineffective at best, and harmful at worst. I advocate for the importance of collecting disaggregated race and ethnicity data to move social justice efforts in Europe beyond just gender. Watch the full video on YouTube for more.
Get in touch
To sign up for my newsletter or get in touch about a project, please fill out my contact form.
Keep learning with me by following me on LinkedIn or Instagram @mk.kirigin. 🤓
