Meet Ayanna Rashida Cummings, PhD, MBA, CDE®, SPHR (She/Her)
Cultural Transformation Strategist
Bio of Dr. Ayanna R. Cummings, PhD, MBA, CDE, SPHR
Pronouns: She/Her
Dr. Ayanna Cummings is passionate about eradicating the malignant diseases of racism, sexism,
heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and other ills which plague our social and organizational
environments.
She has over 24 years of experience as a diversity consultant, specialist, researcher, and
trainer. Ayanna is called to serve as a change agent for cultural transformation in many capacities.
As a Scholar, Ayanna has a passion for learning within and beyond Academic settings. She
completed Postdoctoral Studies on Racial Bias in AI Decision Support Systems at Georgia
Institute of Technology and teaches as an Adjunct Faculty Member in University settings. She is
a member of the Diversity Scholars Network at University of Michigan, serves as a Research
Psychologist with the American Institute for Behavioral Research & Technology
(AIBRT) in Vista, California, and publishes scholarly works about her applied and theoretical
work.
As a Practitioner, Ayanna has Corporate experience as a DEI Executive within a Fortune 100
setting. As an Entrepreneur, Ayanna works in both Governmental and NGO organizational settings to
effectuate cultural transformation using Assessments and Training intervention techniques.
Her 501c3 non-profit, Dada Sisterhood, Incorporated, provides financial literacy mentoring and
social justice scholarship services to youth in underresourced communities.
Visit TapestryDiversity.com to learn more; connect with Ayanna on LinkedIn at http://
www.LinkedIn.com/in/ayannacummings.
Dr. Cummings holds a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the City University of
New York Graduate Center in Manhattan as well as the MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta
University. She also holds the CDE® and SPHR Certifications.
Dr. Cummings is a Presidential Scholar and alumnus of her beloved alma mater, Hampton
University in Hampton, Virginia, where she was inducted into the Forty Under 40 Honor Society
in 2018.
She is a proud active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Ayanna was named as a Top 100 Under 50 Executive in the United States by Diversity MBA
Magazine in 2021. In 2022, she received the Top DEI Officer Award from the Atlanta Business
Chronicle, and was also recognized for her work with Compass Group USA by Handshake
recruiting platform Early Talent Awards in the program visionary, early talent innovator,
opportunity democratizer, and recruiting trailblazer categories.
Her brainchild Tapestry Consulting was awarded the 2023 Best Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Consulting Firm 2023 - Southern USA by Corporate Vision. Dr. Cummings was named among
The 10 Most Influential Women in Diversity Equity and Inclusion by The Chief Navigators in
2023. Tapestry Consulting, LLC also received the Best ED&I Consulting Firms Award in Georgia
by The North America Business Awards in 2024.
Dr. Ayanna Cummings is an avid reader, a skilled and talented cellist and vocalist, and a mommy
of two beloved Cocker Spaniels Zuri and Omari.
Her favorite motto is, The Secret to Growing Wings is Believing You Can Fly!
