Lead with Equity Team
We have some of the best facilitators and coaches in the industry. The average experience level of our team members is 15+ years facilitating training programs on topics of leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Each of us is unique in our style and approach and also brings a wealth of other professional experience. We will recommend the best facilitators for your team based on experience, team dynamics, and availability
Kennette Banks
executive leader nonprofit management and school leadership
Kennette Banks (she/her/hers) is an executive leader with 16 years of experience in nonprofit management and school leadership. A systems nerd, Kennette has a track record of fusing systems and strategy to increase organizational impact, clarity and efficiency. As a Black woman who attended predominantly white institutions and who grew up with a mother who integrated a middle school in Baltimore, she is a strong advocate for equity and access in education. She has spent the majority of her professional career working to address the inequities in our education system, first in the Bay Area and then in NYC, where she led a high-performing charter school for six years. Kennette serves on the Board of Trustees at Moorestown Friends School and is a founding Board Member of MPerfectly and Inclusive America, a D.C. based nonprofit working to make the government as diverse as the people of the United States.
Kennette holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with honors from Swarthmore College with a degree in Linguistics.
Ernesto Benitez
Co-Founder & Strategic Advisor
Ernesto Benitez is an experienced Operations Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the healthcare, hospitality, and shipping & logistics industries. He is skilled in customer service, operations management, quality assurance management, leadership, public speaking, logistics, and supply chain management. In 2020, he co-founded Lead with Equity after seeing the need for equity and inclusive management work in both his own career, and the broader society. Ernesto currently serves as a strategic advisor, weighing in on company direction, important client contracts, strategy, and key financial and personnel decisions. Ernesto holds a BS in Healthcare Administration from CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Lillian Forsyth
Co-Founder & CEO, Facilitator, Coach, Curriculum Support
Lillian Forsyth is a coach, facilitator, and consultant focused on leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is Co-Founder & CEO at Lead with Equity, whose mission is to help leaders make space for the voices of historically marginalized people to drive change in organizations. Lillian has 15 years of experience leading operations and human resources for small and medium sized organizations, and 20 years of experience facilitating workshops on identity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Lillian has trained and coached leaders from organizations such as Goldman Sachs, Facebook, and IBM. Clients describe Lillian as authentic, engaging, kind, direct, and someone with a unique blend of intuition and analytical skills.
Salvatore Manzi
Facilitator, Coach
Salvatore Manzi is a speaker, facilitator and communications coach. He has worked with and led programs for the World Economic Forum, LinkedIn, Facebook, Dropbox, Gap and Genentech.
Salvatore consults with business leaders to strategically improve leadership, organizational culture and individual engagement. As a diversity and inclusion facilitator, he helps organizations navigate difficult topics and create truly inclusive environments. He’s helped clients prepare talks at the United Nations and SXSW, pitches at Y Combinator and campaigns for political office.
Frederica Peterson
Facilitator, Coach, Curriculum Support
Frederica is a diversity and leadership consultant, coach, teacher and award-winning author. She is the Principal and CEO of her own leadership consultancy established in 2015 and has worked with some of the top organizations in the country; CNN, Facebook, Honeywell, NASA, United States Homeland Security, National Basketball Association, Audible and many more.
Described by her clients as passionate, charismatic, intuitive and result focused, she now leverages her expertise to help others sharpen their skills and increase their leadership effectiveness and diversity acumen. Frederica believes, “the heart of every organization is the effectiveness of their leaders; when leaders are strong teams are strong.”
Ranieka Weston
Facilitator, Coach
Ranieka has more than 20 years of diverse professional experience as a business executive, board member, and talent leader, providing a unique perspective on critical issues facing leaders and teams. She is passionate about empowering underrepresented professionals who may struggle to contribute their opinions, ideas or ask for what they deserve. Her mission/purpose is to coach, mentor, and empower others to be the best versions of themselves.
Ranieka is an adjunct faculty member of the American Management Association (AMA), coach and facilitator with the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), and Plink Leadership. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and a SHRM-SCP certified HR professional. Ranieka holds an MA in Strategic Communication and Leadership from Seton Hall University and a BA in Business Administration from Florida A&M University.