DEI consultants of color are not valued, undercompensated

Many firms have started to take an interest in bolstering their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, but when it comes time to formalizing a plan with experts in the field, DEI consulting firms like Seattle-based Diverse City were met with an unwillingness to be properly compensated, according to CEO Cheryl Ingram. “My firm is mostly comprised of underrepresented populations,” Ingram said. “People see us and think, even unconsciously, that they shouldn’t pay us as much.”