Dr. Akilah Cadet

Dr. Akilah Cadet is the founder and CEO of Change Cadet, an organizational development consulting firm focused on integrating belonging into company culture, identity, strategy, and storytelling. With a career spanning more than 15 years in both the public and private sectors, Cadet specializes in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Change Cadet provides services including strategic planning, crisis rebuilding, executive coaching, and facilitation, supporting a range of organizations and brands.

Cadet holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Education in Community Based Public Health, a Master of Public Health, and a Doctorate of Health Sciences in Leadership and Organizational Behavior. Prior to establishing Change Cadet, she contributed to public health leadership and community engagement at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, overseeing patient and workforce improvement initiatives. She also served as program director at Alameda Unified School District and has managed federal, state, and privately funded projects in public health, healthcare, and education. Her experience includes designing training programs, executive coaching, and leading systemic change for large organizations.

Cadet has been recognized as a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur and named among the San Francisco Business Times Most Influential Women of the Bay Area. She has also been listed as one of Staffing Industry Analysts' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Influencers. Her work has appeared in Forbes and the Wall Street Journal Diversity and Business Newsletter. As an author, she wrote "White Supremacy is All Around: Notes From a Black Disabled Woman in a White World," which explores dismantling white supremacy through storytelling. Cadet's leadership extends to roles as a speaker, creative director, producer, and writer in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space.

In addition to her consulting work, Cadet is a co-owner of the Oakland Roots and Soul soccer clubs and is the only Black woman signatory of the Oakland Roots Sports Club. She served as lead investor for the clubs' community investment round, which raised more than $3.1 million from over 5,400 new owners, setting a record for investment rounds of its type in sports. As a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Cadet draws on her experiences as a Black, disabled woman to guide audiences through conversations on anti-racism, disability justice, and women's empowerment in the workplace, providing organizations with insights into creating inclusive environments.