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Inclusion Consulting

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Our Mission

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access

The values, tenets, and benefits of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) should be available to everyone. With a focus on inclusion-forward practices and a philosophy of meeting individuals where they are, Diaz Inclusion Consulting strives to create a welcoming, accessible, and shame-free experience for all clients.

Behind each Non-Profit and Cultural/Arts institution is a unique, community-based purpose and mission. These institutions need a curated approach to IDEA, and Diaz Inclusion Consulting promises a customized plan for each organization’s specific needs and goals.

As a minority-run, female-owned team of consultants all with backgrounds in the performing and educational arts, our firm is uniquely positioned to understand the nuanced issues facing today's cultural and civic institutions. With years of direct experience using our vocational platforms to effect change and create space for candid conversations and meaningful action, our intersectional perspectives bring a distinctive approach to the way we guide each client throughout their transformative IDEA journey.

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About

Our Team

Rebekah Diaz, CDE

Founder and Consultant

A Certified Diversity Executive with training in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, Founder and Principal Consultant Rebekah Diaz has a deep knowledge of the specific Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) needs of non-profit arts and cultural institutions. Her multifaceted career in the performing arts industry provides a unique understanding of the needs of cultural institutions, audiences, teams, and creatives. A leader in the non-profit arts and culture sector, she fosters actionable change by creating accessible platforms for individuals of all backgrounds.

An accomplished non-profit executive, educator, community programmer, and performing artist, Rebekah is also the Director of IDEA Initiatives and Community Engagement for Pittsburgh Opera. Previously, she was the Interim Executive Director of Magic City Opera, the Director of Education and Community Engagement at Florida Grand Opera, and a member of the voice faculty at New World School of the Arts and Florida International University.

Rebekah conceived and implemented the groundbreaking Cadenza program, creating pathways toward therapeutic betterment for human trafficking victims through exposure to opera. She is also a co-creator of Pittsburgh Arts Administrators of Color, a regional professional development platform. A leading arts entrepreneur, Rebekah won a position in the prestigious OPERA America Women’s Opera Network mentorship program where she apprenticed with renowned agent Ana de Archuleta. In 2018, her efforts were recognized internationally as an educational finalist in the annual International Opera Awards. Additional project highlights include the creation of a youth opera academy; an unprecedented literacy-building collaboration with Disney/Pixar to create custom operatic animations; and arranging, producing, directing, and designing five fully-staged “traveling operas” for students.

Intimately familiar with the unique demands of being a performing artist, Rebekah’s career as a soprano spanned numerous musical genres across the opera, musical theater, zarzuela, and concert stages. She holds degrees in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music and Carnegie Mellon University.

Rebekah's goal is to continue impacting the national landscape by initiating guidelines for positive change and guiding organizations towards the creation of more equitable environments. Her work at Diaz Inclusion Consulting focuses on steering cultural institutions on a path towards realizing their true EDI potential and impact through individual and group workshops; board, staff, and audience audits; mission statement direction; internal structure support; and EDI program development and creation.

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Carlton Ford

Managing Director and Consultant

Author, artist, and nonprofit leader Carlton Ford combines his passion for the arts and community to advocate and advance Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility work nationwide. With more than $10 million raised and over 13 years' experience in nonprofit and civic leadership, organizational behavior, and developing inclusive arts practices nationwide, Carlton was named one of Miami's 40 Under 40 Black Leaders of Today and Tomorrow and most recently penned the Miami Herald op-ed "Careless labels like ‘underserved’ ignore the richness, diversity among Blacks."

A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, The Juilliard School, and Rice University in operatic studies, Carlton enjoyed an international career as an Emmy and Oscar-nominated artist with many of the world's premier cultural venues including Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, Le Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), New York Philharmonic, Royal Albert Hall (London), and Deutsche Oper Berlin.

He has since garnered extensive experience serving on boards of directors, advising public sector leadership, and is also a founding member of Victory Hall Opera in Charlottesville, VA. Carlton and his wife Christina, a retired Miami City Ballet ballerina turned DEI professional, live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their Bernedoodles, Leila and Zola.

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Heather Osowiecki

Insights Consultant

Educator, artist, nonprofit professional and systems enthusiast Heather Osowiecki combines her interests in project and relationship development, data, service to creatives and the advancement of inclusivity in her role as Insights Consultant. Currently based in Miami, Florida, she serves as Director of Entrepreneurial Leadership for New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy (NWS) where she also contributes as an Education, Research and Institutional Convenings thought partner representing the organization’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging committee. Heather brings years of applied experience within the arts and culture sector to the Diaz Inclusion team, having previously fulfilled managerial, operations and artistic roles for opera companies, choral ensembles and higher education institutions throughout South Florida and New York State. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, and is currently a Master of Business Administration candidate at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in addition to pursuing a Google certification in Data Analytics.

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Carl DuPont

Consultant

Carl DuPont is an artist, innovator, and educator with a creative approach to improving functional communication for individuals, organizations, and communities. He leverages his expertise to implement strategic initiatives at the intersections of communications, diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and sustainability. This includes training, programming, and talent acquisition, utilizing holistic evidence-based solutions for organizations. His scalable strategies have been tailored to clients ranging from small cultural institutions to Fortune 100 companies.

DuPont’s unique approach draws on his experience as an international performer and published author, as well as his curiosity as a life-long learner to make the aspirational actionable. Highlights of a dynamic career include an internship in the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine Otolaryngology department, published articles in The Laryngoscope and the Voice and Speech Review, and appearances in a recurring role on the German soap opera, Unter Uns. He has created dynamic artistic and scholarly presentations for venues in Mexico City, Salzburg, Rome, Stockholm, New York, and Miami. Most recently, the John F. Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera tapped him to re-design and co-lead their national summer opera initiative focused on blending citizen artistry with elite training for high-school aged students.

An associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU), he delivers interactive workshops in the Carey Business School’s Executive Education department and one-on-one applied vocal instruction at the Peabody Institute. At Peabody, he developed a course on art song by African American composers, co-chaired the Culturally Inclusive Task Force, and served on the Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. His efforts recently helped recruit the most diverse and highest-ranked student body in the school’s history; he is also a part of the team that earned a $1 million dollar grant to create the Pathways to PhD/DMA program. He achieved JHU’s Diversity Recognition Award in 2021 for his outstanding contributions in this area.

DuPont is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music (BM), Indiana University (MM), and the University of Miami (DMA). He has earned certificates in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida, Management Development and Financial Management, both from JHU’s Carey Business School.

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Alexandra Martinez-Turano

Consultant

Artist, Operatic Soprano, and Business Operations Professional, Alexandra Martinez-Turano joins Diaz Inclusion Consulting fusing her passion for connecting with others through music and purpose, with her joy in helping organizations succeed at the highest level.

Alexandra has supported companies in Business Consulting, Academia, and Law, while simultaneously developing a thriving operatic performance career. She helps businesses enhance productivity and efficiency levels while building an enjoyable company culture. Alexandra is thrilled to enter the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion space. She maintains the belief that meaningful representation is crucial across all industries, art forms, and platforms. A proud New Mexican, she is a first-generation college graduate and is passionate about creating pathways for individuals with similar backgrounds. She continues to prove one can establish a fulfilling performance career, while maintaining active work in spaces that will positively impact our communities.

She holds degrees in vocal performance and opera from the University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts, the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, and Roosevelt University. Alexandra and her partner Dane, live in New York City with their beagle-mix, Lenni.

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Emily Grand

Inclusion Assistant

As a stage manager, artist, and arts administrator, Emily Grand embraces her creative organizational skills to support and elevate others both on and off stage. Inspired by her time on the Pittsburgh Opera IDEA Committee and her experience working in the performing arts, Emily joins Diaz Inclusion motivated to advance Equitable, Diverse, Inclusive, and Accessible practices beyond the rehearsal room. Emily has held many positions during her career in the entertainment and performing arts industry, most recently during her time at Pittsburgh Opera where she served throughout her tenure as Associate Director of Production, Manager of Operations, Resident Artist Program Administrator and Stage Manager/Assistant Stage Manager. Additionally, Emily has worked as a freelance stage manager/administrator for various regional opera and theatre companies such as the Dallas Opera, Washington National Opera, Utah Opera, Stages St. Louis, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, and the Glimmerglass Festival. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre Stage Management.