Zahida (ZY-ee-duh) Sherman is a compassionate strategic leader and Seattle native with Afrocentric and social justice roots. She draws on her lived experience as one of the few Black people in predominantly white spaces to empower others to create safe and inclusive cultures.
Zahida holds a master’s in African history from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s from Ithaca College, with majors in Africana Studies and anthropology.
Zahida is the inaugural director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and has over 13 years of experience in higher education and the legal field. She founded her own DEI consulting firm, Z Crown Consulting, in 2019. Zahida also writes about culture and wellness. You can find Zahida’s words in Globe & Mail, Bustle, Healthline, and Well and Good, among others.