Cara Valentino

Cara Valentino is an inspirational and transformational leader, changemaker, resistance whisperer, and recognized Diversity, Equity and Inclusion thought leader. With several decades of experience, Cara is passionate about working with organizations, communities, and individuals to understand the history and impacts of racism and intersecting systems of oppression, and partnering with them to identify, develop, and implement policies, programs, and behaviors that foster racial equity and inclusion.

A Certified Diversity Professional and Interfaith Minister, Cara is a founding member of RTI’s Black Employee Resource Group and has served multiple roles on RTI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, including training and development lead and ERG program lead. She additionally pioneered the creation of the "Open Forum on Race in the Workplace" – a facilitated confidential space for community building and ideation on strategies for managing racial dynamics in the workplace. Her work outside RTI includes facilitating a meditation group for Black people to heal from race-based trauma and hosting regular community conversations on race.

In her role as RTI’s Racial Justice and Equity Program Chair, Cara is responsible for evaluating internal policies, procedures, and practices for bias, oversight of implementation of the necessary transformations and success measures, and conducting an internal racial equity pulse survey to determine the baseline current state against which forward progress will be measured. Cara is a board member of Code The Dream and a member of the Society for Diversity. She also is a frequent speaker and panelist at regional and national conferences on the subject of racial justice and equity. In addition, she is a 2021 DEI Winds of Change award winner.