Ashley Greaves

Having co-chaired the USA Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee since November 2020, Ashley shows tremendous enthusiasm, knowledge, and leadership as she energetically leads the Committee and seeks to develop diverse and inclusive events and resources. An Inspirational Woman and recipient of Hatch’s inaugural Positive Change Awards, she creates a safe space for others to thrive both personally and professionally—even in the busiest of days.

When connecting with others, Ashley brings integrity, experience, and a genuine interest in driving positive change. She exemplifies not only the leadership necessary to succeed, but draws attention to diversity and inclusion, which stems from her personal and professional values.

For Ashley, positive change is found in the everyday things—small acts of kindness and bravery that equate to a larger purpose. Ashley practices this belief by integrating positivity into her every action and interaction, valuing the diversity and personal experiences surrounding her.

With much resiliency, a trait she’s most proud of, Ashley uses her personal experiences to further support others, declaring she does this “for the one person every now and then who says, ‘thank you for seeing me’… that’s what makes me so happy.”

What does positive change mean to you?

“Some phrases like ‘positive change’ sound so grand that they are almost intangible. So, to me, it’s the simple, everyday things – a buildup of many small acts of kindness and bravery that add up to the larger, untouchable concept.”

What are you most proud of?

“My personal resiliency. I get down, frustrated, and tired just like most people, especially as a person of color working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Luckily, I don’t do this for people who could care less about equity, otherwise I would have quit a long time ago. I do this for the one person every now and then who says, ‘thank you for seeing me’. That’s what makes me so happy, I get choked up.”

Why do you believe in diversity and inclusion?

“Believe is a strange way to put it based on my life experiences. I have always lived in diverse places and had my early education in realms where no one cultural identity dominated the space. My early life was a delicious melting pot of cultures, hues, flavors, and dynamic points of view. Diversity and inclusion for me is a lifestyle, and a beautiful one.

I’ve only recently encountered spaces in both higher education and the corporate sphere where I’m the only person of color or the only woman. Or worse, the ideas are singular and coming from the same stagnant space. Therefore, my goal is to give others a taste of something different and hope they keep coming back for seconds (and thirds)!”

What do you think are the toughest challenges facing our clients?

“The flexibility to get rid of antiquated systems and the creativity to appoint new solutions matters. Globally, needs are arising faster than most business entities and public organizations can account for. Old solutions cannot be used to solve new problems. History is a wise teacher but doing the same thing and expecting a different result isn’t the answer.”