Michelle Silverthorn

Personal Details

Bio

Michelle Silverthorn is a trailblazer in the field of diversity and inclusion, advocating for new voices to be heard in an ever-changing workplace. With a wealth of experience as an organizational inclusion expert and a highly sought after global keynote speaker, Michelle has lent her expertise to Fortune 500 companies, banks, law firms, startups, Hollywood studios, universities, and non-profits. From small workshops to industry conferences, Michelle equips everyone with the necessary tools and skills to finally make real progress on inclusion.

After graduating from Princeton University and the University of Michigan Law School, Michelle worked as an attorney in New York and Chicago before founding the diversity consulting firm, Inclusion Nation. She is a TEDx speaker, developer of the Inclusion LAUNCH diversity e-learning series, and author of the best-selling book Authentic Diversity: How to Change the Workplace for Good."

Michelle now travels the world delivering over 100 speeches and workshops each year - in-person and online. Her expertise has been recognized in a variety of media outlets, including NPR, PBS, Bloomberg, the Chicago Tribune, and Fortune Magazine. Prior to Inclusion Nation, Michelle’s professional journey took her to many corners of the globe, including jobs in Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Botswana, Kazakhstan, and Switzerland. She has experienced a wide range of cultures and lifestyles, from her childhood in the beautiful Caribbean to her current home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Through it all, Michelle has remained committed to a singular goal – building inclusive spaces where everyone can belong and succeed.

Current position (1)

Founder & CEO

Inclusion Nation

Degrees (2)

Juris Doctorate

University of Michigan Law School

2005 to 2008

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

Princeton University

2000 to 2004

Presentations

Presentations (6)

Authentic Diversity: How to Interrupt Bias and Build an Inclusive Workplace

Join me for an engaging, interactive virtual program that will shift your understanding on the challenges for inclusion in the workplace, and take up the call to action for every individual to build spaces of authentic diversity for all. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean? How do we make the business case for diversity? What is unconscious bias all about? How do our colleagues experience microaggressions? How do I stay aware of my biases? How do I interrupt them? And how can I build an inclusive workplace centered on belonging and authenticity for all? With stories, scenarios, and expert insights, I will give you the tools to interrupt bias, build inclusion, and make the work of diversity matter for good.

This is How You T.H.R.I.V.E: Six Steps to Achieving Authentic Success at Work

Authentic is the Word of the Year! And yet, in a world of social media bots, Photoshop fails, and generative AI, what does it really mean to show up authentically in our lives and at the place where we spend most of our days, at work? Based on my forthcoming book, I'll teach you my six steps to claiming real authentic success at work - at every level and for every generation. I'll share my own career journey - the highs and lows - and showcase how embracing your identities, values, and life stories is the real secret to career success. Then, I'll teach my six steps to THRIVE at work: Tell Your Truth, High Five Your Impostor, Rewrite Your Road Map, Identify Your Champions, Value Your Self and Your Voice, and Embrace Your Community. Through storytelling, interactive discussions, case studies, and real-life examples, your attendees will leave with the certain knowledge of how to show up authentically and open doors to trust, loyalty, and enduring success in the workplace and beyond.

What If I Say The Wrong Thing?: How to Communicate and Lead Across Differences

The work of inclusion requires all our commitment to deliver real change and we cannot move forward unless we have difficult conversations. But having those conversations without the right preparation can lead to anger, frustration, and the belief that tackling difference is not worth all the conflict it brings. That’s where I come in. Join me as we do a deep dive into how to communicate across identity groups. We will learn a step-by-step framework for communicating, and I’ll lead you through real-life scenarios that happen every day - talking about race, committing microaggressions, discussing current events. Our goal? To build an organization where everyone knows how to communicate with empathy and equity.

WORK. LEAD. CHANGE.: How to Build an Inclusive Workplace That Works for Women

This one-of-a-kind design thinking workshop will explain the practical steps you can take to build real gender equity at work. From recruiting to feedback to "glamour" work to managing teams to generational conflict to succession planning to promoting the next group of women leaders, you will work with me to build out new habits for real systemic change. What are the challenges we see? What is the root cause of each challenge? How can we best design a solution that works? And how can we get the necessary stakeholders on board to implement our solution? Let's answer these questions and build a workplace that works for women.

From Intention to Action: Ten Actions for Allyship at Work

What does it mean to be a good ally at work? How can I be an upstander? How can I find a community of support? And how can I ensure people belong here – and thrive? Join me for an interactive discussion on belonging and allyship at work and how we can each use our roles in our organizations to build inclusive workplaces that last. With a mix of stories, scenarios, and practical rules of the road, let me show you how to find the courage to be workplace allies who move from good intentions to real action.

You Belong Here: What Everyone Should Know and Do About Imposter Syndrome

Do you ever walk into your workplace and feel out of place? Do you ever feel that no matter how perfect you do a job, it is never perfect enough? Do you constantly feel that someday, someone, somewhere will stand up, point their finger at you, and expose you for who you truly know you are – a fraud? This is impostor syndrome. But what causes it? How do our workplaces perpetuate it? And what can we do to transform it? I will join you for an interactive, engaging workshop on impostor syndrome. We are going to work together to battle those feelings of exclusion, connect with the values we bring into the workplace, and lean into the absolute certainty that we belong here.