Adria Husband is the Founder and CEO of Shifting Hearts and Minds LLC, bringing over 20 years of expertise in operations management, organizational development, and educational leadership, alongside her deep commitment to racial equity and social justice. Her professional journey began with advocating for policies that promote equitable distribution of educational resources in historically disinvested communities within Chicago’s public schools, the third-largest school district in the country. She later served as the sole executive administrator for 32 chronically underperforming schools, overseeing their business operations and compliance.
Expanding her impact, Adria spearheaded national initiatives focused on the intersection of social-emotional development and racial equity, working with students in K-12 across 20 major urban districts. This role deepened her understanding of implementing tailored strategies across various geographic and institutional contexts. After a brief period in philanthropy, she founded Shifting Hearts and Minds LLC in 2018, where she specializes in transformative equity and justice work for individuals and organizations.
In her consulting practice, Adria specializes in collaborating with organizations to identify and address breakdowns in key areas such as communication—often the root of conflict—, transparency, and cultural competence within leadership and management, which can undermine staff trust. She also assesses policies and program delivery that promote wellness and individual autonomy, along with the subtle factors that uphold unspoken norms within organizational culture. Adria's strengths lie in facilitating gradual shifts in organizational culture through creative process design and coaching, guiding organizations in transforming their practices to advance racial equity and justice.
Adria's approach to each project is grounded in three core pillars: acknowledging historical context, shifting power to those most impacted, and creating systems of accountability. She has applied this framework in her work with philanthropic organizations, guiding strategic shifts toward participatory grantmaking processes that center historically marginalized BIPOC organizations and communities. Adria also facilitates strategic design processes for collaborative cohorts, aimed at ecosystem building and collective influence, and curates responsive development opportunities for nonprofit leaders to promote sustainability and wellness. Additionally, she specializes in coaching BIPOC leaders across sectors, helping them maintain their well-being and resilience as they continue their vital work in racial and social justice.
Expanding her impact, Adria spearheaded national initiatives focused on the intersection of social-emotional development and racial equity, working with students in K-12 across 20 major urban districts. This role deepened her understanding of implementing tailored strategies across various geographic and institutional contexts. After a brief period in philanthropy, she founded Shifting Hearts and Minds LLC in 2018, where she specializes in transformative equity and justice work for individuals and organizations.
In her consulting practice, Adria specializes in collaborating with organizations to identify and address breakdowns in key areas such as communication—often the root of conflict—, transparency, and cultural competence within leadership and management, which can undermine staff trust. She also assesses policies and program delivery that promote wellness and individual autonomy, along with the subtle factors that uphold unspoken norms within organizational culture. Adria's strengths lie in facilitating gradual shifts in organizational culture through creative process design and coaching, guiding organizations in transforming their practices to advance racial equity and justice.
Adria's approach to each project is grounded in three core pillars: acknowledging historical context, shifting power to those most impacted, and creating systems of accountability. She has applied this framework in her work with philanthropic organizations, guiding strategic shifts toward participatory grantmaking processes that center historically marginalized BIPOC organizations and communities. Adria also facilitates strategic design processes for collaborative cohorts, aimed at ecosystem building and collective influence, and curates responsive development opportunities for nonprofit leaders to promote sustainability and wellness. Additionally, she specializes in coaching BIPOC leaders across sectors, helping them maintain their well-being and resilience as they continue their vital work in racial and social justice.
