Dax-Devlon Ross

Dax-Devlon Ross, J.D., is a writer, educator, equity consultant, and investigative journalist with a career focused on social justice. Ross has served as an educator, nonprofit executive, equity consultant, and journalist, emphasizing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is the author of six books, and his journalism has appeared in Time, The Guardian, The New York Times, Virginia Quarterly Review, Nonprofit Quarterly, The Washington Post Magazine, and other national publications. Ross writes to address topics often overlooked in American society.

After earning his Juris Doctor from George Washington University, Ross joined New York City Teaching Fellows and taught in Brooklyn and Manhattan middle and high schools. He later contributed to the national training and replication team at The Posse Foundation, a leading college access organization. As the founding executive director of After-School All-Stars New York and New Jersey, Ross built a team of 60 staff members serving more than 1,500 students across two states. These experiences in education and nonprofit leadership informed his ongoing work in equity and organizational change.

Ross is a principal at the social impact consultancies Dax-Dev and Third Settlements, which design strategies to promote equity in workplaces and educational settings. His clients have included The Anti-Defamation League, The New World Foundation, The Posse Foundation, Fund II Foundation, Bard College, and Kean University. As an executive coach, strategist, and facilitator, Ross addresses complex questions in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field, drawing on practical experience and storytelling to engage audiences.

As a journalist, Ross has received recognition such as the National Association of Black Journalists' Investigative Reporting Award for coverage of jury exclusion in North Carolina courts. He is a Puffin Writing Fellow at Type Media Center. His book, "Letters to My White Male Friends," published by St. Martin's Press, explores race and serves as a call to action. His other works include "The Nightmare and the Dream," "Make Me Believe," and "Beat of a Different Drum," published by Hyperion. With more than 15 years of experience as a keynote speaker, Ross has addressed audiences including students, educators, nonprofit leaders, and corporate professionals. He continues to contribute to conversations at the intersection of race, equity, and institutional change in the United States.