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President, Reimagine Organizational Development, Inc.

Tanjia M. Coleman, Ph.D., teaches the Creating Ethical Workplaces course for the Baumhart Scholars MBA. She has more than 18 years of experience working as a senior level human resources and organization development professional in non-profit and Fortune 100 companies including Microsoft, Starbucks, Tribune Company, Whirlpool, Sears and Motorola.

Most recently she was the Chief Possibility Officer at the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago which for over 140 years is the oldest and largest women’s organization in the region, with a mission to eliminate racism and empower women.  In addition, Coleman is the President of Reimagine Development Organization, Inc. where she provides clients with various organizational solutions focused on cultural transformation, business optimization, culture realignment, leadership development, executive coaching, talent management and organizational design.

As the CPO, Coleman is responsible for ensuring the people and cultural infrastructure meets the high demand of the communities served and the programs.  Coleman introduced cultural transformation and talent management initiatives as an instrument of business transformation that is advancing strategy and operational outcomes at the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.

Prior to her role at the YWCA, Coleman was the Senior Director, Human Resources, at KinderCare Education where she was responsible for 20,000 employees and 1,700 locations.  Due to her leadership, KinderCare Education went from one of the most disengaged companies to being on Gallup’s Top 37 companies to work.

Coleman’s contributions have earned her many accolades and awards throughout her professional career including Professional Recognition of Integrity, Dedication and Excellence Legacy of Service, You Are A Star and Human Resources Newcomer of the Year Awards.

Coleman completed her dissertation to earn her Ph.D. in Organization Development in January 2016 from Benedictine University.  In 2014 she received, “The Best Student Paper Award” at the Academy of Management - ISEOR conference in Lyon, France.   She went on to be the recipient of the Best Paper Collaboration award from the Academy of Management in August 2016.  She has completed research papers, presented as well as served as a reviewer and discussant at the Midwest Academy of Management, Southwest Academy of Management, Western Sciences Decision Institute and the International Socio-Economic Institute of Firms and Organizations and her work was further recognized and published in the Recherches en Sciences de Gestion 2015 publication.  Coleman also holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial and Employee Relations from Loyola University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from DePaul University.

In 2018, Coleman’s titled chapter: Role Modeling as an Alternative to Mentoring for Career Development Outcomes in Organizations will be included in the 2018 volume of Leadership and Role Modeling: Understanding Workplace Dynamics published by Palgrave Macmillan.   Most recently she authored the “Who Are We” diversity and inclusion journal to assist in bridging understanding amongst various communities which is available on Amazon.com.

Coleman is active in several human resources and organization development organizations including the Academy of Management, Human Resources Management Association of Chicago, Society of Human Resources Management and the Organization Development Network.

Coleman holds various leadership development certifications including: Benchmarks 360, Forte Communication, Behavioral-IQ, Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), DiSC and Strengths Finders, Servant and Situational Leadership.

Coleman deeply believes in the importance of philanthropic work and is affiliated with several organizations including:  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the K.I.N.D. fund (UNICEF), Imerman Angels, YWCA and Feed My Starving Children.

Coleman is often requested to speak nationally and internationally at corporations, professional associations and networking events showcasing her expertise in organizational and leadership development.