Mercedes Jenkins

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist

Mercedes (she/her) supports senior leaders across the EMEA region at Google, by focusing on learning and development from a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. She works to help drive DEI plans across Google, centering equity across hiring, development, progression and retention. Before Google she led DEI strategy at Lyft and helped General Assembly in San Francisco via social impact initiatives internally and externally. 

Mercedes has been in the social justice and education field for over a decade working towards providing equitable opportunities for historically and currently marginalized communities across the globe. From working with teachers from DC's public schools, teaching middle school at a charter school in San Jose, CA to being a director for a cognitive processing center in San Francisco, to now supporting DEI initiatives in the UK and Ireland, Mercedes has had the opportunity to learn, apply and build DEI strategies across myriad mediums and regions.

Mercedes studied film, psychology, Spanish, philosophy and religion in undergrad and ruins all movies for friends by critiquing them. She is also a yoga teacher, avid hiker and building an educational outdoor community geared towards empowering women who are interested in accessing the outdoors. She loves podcasts and is trying to train her lab, Xochitl.