Minal Bopaiah

Minal Bopaiah is a strategic consultant with nearly 20 years of professional experience. In 2009, she founded Brevity & Wit, a strategy + design firm that helps organizations achieve the change they wish to see in the world through a unique approach that combines human-centered design, the psychology of behavior change, and the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is also a professional writer, currently working on a book about leadership and social justice with Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, President Emirita of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women and former Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.

Minal’s commitment to social justice spans her career, where she worked for prestigious organizations such as Sesame Workshop (the nonprofit behind Sesame Street), Cook Ross, and Doctors Without Borders. Her thought leadership has been published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review and she has been a guest on several podcasts and radio shows, including The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU/NPR. She enjoys speaking to the media about the intersection of diversity, equity and inclusion with marketing, branding, communications and media representation; resilience for communities of color; intercultural and interreligious diversity and equity; and the strategy and design behind creating more equitable and just systems.

Minal’s accomplishments include leading the marketing efforts Cook Ross, a diversity and inclusion consulting firm, increasing its website traffic by 1450%, its social media impressions by 120%, and its event revenue by 50% in less than a year. Previously, she developed an organization-wide framework and integrated communications plan for Population Services International, a global health NGO with $600 million in annual funding, so that they could share their research, data and evidence more effectively.

Minal’s previous nonprofit work includes being an educational content specialist for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street and its international co-productions, and a press intern for Doctors Without Borders. Her for-profit experience includes being the Executive Editor of Subscription Insider, an online business publication for which she single-handedly generated $200,000 in annual revenues.

Minal has a B.A. in English from Bowdoin College, a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Fordham University, and was formally trained in organizational development and change leadership at Georgetown University. In 2016, she was selected as a Digital Production Fellow by Organizing for Action, the nonprofit advocacy group started by President Barack Obama. She also serves on the Board of Lifestock International, a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of livestock holders around the world through increased food security and economic sustainability, and on the Board of Advisors for Bring Change to Mind, the nonprofit founded by actress Glenn Close and her sister Jessie Close to end mental health stigma.

She tweets from @mbopaiah and @Brevityandwit.

Sub-specialties: Branding, Communications, Diversity & Inclusion, Marketing, Organizational Development