Michelle Ngome plunged into helping empower Black marketers after a series of advertising campaigns misrepresented Black people between 2017 and 2018. The resulting backlash on Twitter and other social media platforms prompted her to ask, “Who is in the room approving these campaigns?” She adds, “We can’t know everything, but when you start tapping into different cultures and communities, you need someone in that room … speaking to it — at least to the best of their ability.”

The not-for-profit African American Marketing Association was thus launched by Ngome in 2019. Ngome’s mission is to “galvanize Black marketers in order for them to have the resources they need to grow their career or their business.” The group is now flourishing with more than 550 members.

However, this was not Ngome’s first time working to advance DE&I. Almost a decade ago, she founded Line 25 Consulting, which, after several pivots from its original purpose, now works with organizations on diversity and marketing strategies. Today, the firm trains companies, including marketing teams, to communicate externally with consumers and potential candidates and internally with its employees. Ngome has won multiple awards thanks to her work with Line 25, including recognition as a diversity champion by the Houston Business Journal.

"I'm trying to be the person I needed when I was younger, and that's what keeps me going."

Her journey has had its share of challenges, however. The racial uproar from 2020 has quieted, and society’s attention has shifted to the many other developments, such as the Ukraine war and the ongoing pandemic. In addition, Ngome notes that many companies misunderstand inclusive marketing as a concept, as its link to DE&I is not obvious.

However, trends like remote work models and the Great Resignation have forced companies to rethink their worker strategies. “They are re-examining, ‘What does contract work look like? What does supplier diversity look like?’” Ngome says. She sees her training making inroads into how organizations think about DE&I.

Ngome is striving to ensure that the DE&I movement doesn’t fall in complacency, especially given all the issues around the world. “I don’t want it to be affirmative action 2.0,” she says.

Personally, Ngome is “trying to be the person I needed when I was younger, and that’s what keeps me going.”

2023 DE&I Influencers List