2020 Diversity & Inclusion: Tisidra Jones

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Strong & Starlike Consulting Inc.

Addressing diversity, equity and inclusion within the legal profession is laudable, but there also needs to be work done at a legislative policy level. That’s where Tisidra Jones is making an incredible impact.

In 2017, Jones started Strong & Starlike Consulting, drawing on her experience working in the legal profession as well as in business compliance and inclusion for the Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity Department. A stint as director of creative leadership operations and policy at Intermedia Arts was also helpful in giving her the kind of foundation she’s needed for what has become a phone-ringing-off-the-hook kind of year.

“Looking at 2020 alone, the shift has been considerable,” she says. “The calls began before George Floyd’s murder, but then intensified afterward. My hope is that this isn’t a fad, that organizations will continue asking the tough questions and making the kind of changes they need to have truly effective policies around diversity, equity and inclusion.”

The huge uptick in calls is coming from different types of companies and law firms, and Jones helps them navigate through both internal policies and what can be done with the aid of government entities. Her focus on inclusion efforts for small, minority-owned, immigrant-owned and woman-owned businesses positioned the firm to be especially helpful during COVID-19, as Strong & Starlike works with local organizations like LISC Twin Cities to develop a recovery and relief program that can aid communities and business owners of color.

“We are seeing that in the midst of this pandemic and race issues, people are much more open to understanding this work takes a community, and we all have a role,” she says.

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