Since its formation in 2004, the Kardia Group, led by Diana Kardia and Karen Williams, has become a leading strategic partner in the transformation of the culture, functionality, and success of the academic endeavor. Our services are rooted in the literature on higher education and developed through collaboration with faculty and organizational experts. We focus on the unique and challenging realities of academic institutions and faculty careers. These include leadership, climate and diversity, academic culture, departmental dynamics, faculty transitions, and the changing face of academia.
About the Kardia Group
Diana Kardia, Ph.D.
Diana Kardia is an expert in organizational change and leadership development in academia devoted to articulating and solving the most vexing and important challenges facing faculty, staff, and administrators today.
Diana received her Ph.D. in 1996 in Education (specialty in Higher Education) from the University of Michigan, a program consistently ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report. She holds a B.S. and M.A. in Statistics and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies, all from the University of Michigan. She is certified in the use of the CPI 260® assessment and certified-by-degree in interpreting the MBTI® assessment.
Diana has taught and conducted research in the fields of statistics, psychology, education, and women’s studies. She has worked as an independent consultant for over 25 years, and is frequently consulted as a subject matter expert on faculty careers, organizational change, the dynamics of academic departments and the knowledge and strategies necessary to create sustainable diverse, equitable, and inclusive institutions.
Karen Williams, Ph.D.
Karen Williams joined Kardia Group as co-owner and partner in 2010, bringing leadership, organizational development, coaching, and entrepreneurial experience and expertise. Karen coaches faculty, faculty administrators, and staff and consults on organizational change projects such as departmental team building, unit climate assessment and culture change, faculty/staff relations, and the development of diversity change leaders. Particular foci include strategic leadership development, healthy organizational change, organizations as systems, and cultivating the benefits of a diverse and inclusive academic environment.
Karen holds an A.B. in Mathematics and a Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. She is certified in the use of the CPI 260® and MBTI® assessments. Among other things, she studies martial arts, music, and willows. All of these are part of her ongoing study of the confluence of individual growth and organizational change.
Kardia Group Collaborators
We greatly value working in collaboration with other professionals who know and understand higher education.
Kelly Mack, Ph.D.
Vice President and Executive Director, Project Kaleidoscope, Office of Undergraduate Science Education (PKAL/STEM), AAC&U
Kelly brings a keen intelligence about academia, STEM fields, the crises we face, and the efforts necessary to make lasting change. She works with us on developing effective leadership to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in STEM fields. Together we collaborate on strategies to train and support PIs to ensure that funding aimed at DEI efforts is well spent.
Alison Coil
Coach and Consultant, Physics Professor, and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Alison brings passion and precision to helping faculty navigate the complex system of higher education, using her knowledge of systemic issues, experience in equity and inclusion, and robust time management skills to help faculty articulate their scholarly achievements and align their time and priorities to achieve their career goals.
Zabrina Epps
Professional coach and researcher
Zabrina brings insight into the experience and development of individuals based on a deep understanding of the contexts and systems that shape individual experience. She contributes to Kardia Group through coaching and her vision of what higher education can be.
Elizabeth Odders-White
Coach and Consultant to Higher Ed Professionals
Elizabeth’s deep compassion and creativity, coupled with an intimate familiarity with the complexities of an academic environment, enable her to offer clients the particular support they need to achieve their goals while honoring their values and prioritizing well-being.
Sumun (Sumi) Pendukar
Senior Diversity & Inclusion Change Agent and Speaker/Trainer
Sumi weaves analysis and pedagogy to develop transformational agents of change for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world. She works with us to imagine and enact complex institutional change projects rooted in the students, faculty, and staff who make up these institutions.
GPRA Strategic Management, Inc.
Carmen Rivera, President
Carmen partners with Kardia Group to provide the strategic management related to planning, budgeting, measuring, and reporting, especially in our work Increasing Reviewer Risk Tolerance Through Awareness.
Building STEM Equity
Naomi Chesler, Ph.D., Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and campus-wide Diversity Liaison, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Naomi brings deep experience in building equity in higher ed through developing White allyship in STEM disciplines, harnessing the power of white privilege, creating inclusive classrooms, recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, building leadership skills and community, and fostering mentoring programs for women faculty and faculty from historically underrepresented groups.
Mark Chesler, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Sociology and founding faculty member of the Program on Intergroup Relations, University of Michigan
Mark is a mentor, colleague, and friend who brought extensive scholarly experience, passion, and knowledge to our work on diversity and inclusion. He worked with us to train faculty, staff, and administrators to effectively make change in the wilds of academia.
Kardia Group Coaches
See our Kardia Group Affiliated Coaches page.
Kardia Group Associates
Mary Dotson, M.B.A.
Mary Dotson joined Kardia Group in 2013. She oversees our contracts and client management. Mary also provides research and analysis support for survey projects. She is certified in the CPI 260® assessment.
Mary began her career working as part of the engineering and planning community, looking at project environmental impact. By 2000, she was inspired to focus on supporting the creation of healthy communities by working through urban agencies.
From 2002 to 2013, Mary held the post of Director of Secondary Education at TreePeople, a local environmental nonprofit organization in Los Angeles. Her responsibilities as director included program planning, implementation and assessment, along with special workshop design projects. The knowledge gained from this wide variety of experiences enhances her contribution to the team. Mary enjoys spending time in nature as a way to inspire life and produce creativity.
Cindy Sabel, M.S.
Cindy has been an employee of Kardia Group since early 2015. She holds a master’s degree from Northern Kentucky University in Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology. Her studies included human behavior in diverse workplace settings, how organizational change affects employees, and how to successfully develop individuals and teams to realize and reach their full potential or professional goals. Cindy is certified in the interpretation of the CPI 260® assessment.
Cindy’s background in I/O Psychology helps inform the significant technical and organizational skills she brings to Kardia Group data analysis and event support. Her fondness for data, spreadsheets and color coding have positively impacted her administrative role at Kardia Group. Her eager-to-learn spirit fuels her passion for personal and professional development within the company.
Rodric Bradford
Rodric joined Kardia Group in early 2021 as Project Manager. He oversees processes, protocols and client communications strategies both internally and for the Kardia Group client portfolio. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia in History and the Sociology of Institutions, Organization and Work. Rodric earned Accredited Public Relations (APR) Professional certification in 2010.
Rodric previously served as Director of Public Relations for A.T. Still University, the founding school of osteopathic medicine, as well as the Arizona School of Health Sciences and Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. As project manager, he has led major projects at five Fortune 500 companies—Cigna, CNA, Kraft, General Dynamics and Philip Morris. As a high school senior he was profiled in The Chronicle of Higher Education for completing a dual degree program in high school and junior college while serving as Director of Public Relations for the Clark College student government.
Shonda Gray-Cain, M.S.
Shonda joined Kardia Group in 2021. She serves the company in the role of Senior Administrative Coordinator providing support and continuity across a range of projects and activities of Kardia Group. She holds a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Baltimore.
Shonda has over 20 years of experience in higher education. Her experiences include senior leadership positions at midsized urban public institutions and large flagship institutions. Prior to joining Kardia Group she held the position of Director of Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment at Morgan State University. In this role she has managed the holistic enrollment experience for thousands of students, designed and implemented institutional policies, led institutional technology enhancements, and participated in various levels of institutional governance. Shonda’s well rounded experiences in higher education help to advance the mission of Kardia Group.
Alan Grigsby, Ph.D.
Alan joined Kardia Group in 2024 as a Senior Program Director. Alan helps lead the Game Changer Academies program, overseeing a team of 22 facilitators (Discussion Leaders) and directing the program’s research, data, and evaluation efforts. With a strong background in mixed methods research and program evaluation, Alan is dedicated to using evidence-based insights to inform strategic decision-making. His work emphasizes thoughtful analysis and the translation of complex data into actionable outcomes that advance Kardia Group’s mission.
Alan earned a M.A. in Sociology from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Cincinnati. Throughout Alan’s career, he has been committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic, corporate, and consulting environments. His expertise in DE&I programming and research ensures that Kardia Group’s initiatives are evidence-based and inclusive. Alan approaches each project with a passion for driving positive, measurable change.
Coaches and consultants we consider colleagues
Michelle Boyd (InkWell)
Francine Crystal (Crystal Clear Consulting)
Carolyn Dever & George Justice (Dever Justice LLC)
Catherine Lilly (Segal Consulting)
Susan McGraw (McGraw Consulting Group)
Dana Mitra, PhD, ACC (Coaching by Dana)
Elizabeth Odders-White (nodramaturg coaching & consulting)
Jo Ann Morris (Integral Coaching)
Patricia Romney, PhD (Romney Associates)
Rena Seltzer, ACSW (Leader Academic)
Heidi Sherick (Director of Leadership Development, UM-AA)
Carrie Spell-Hansson (The Folke Institute for Transformative Learning)
Margy Thomas (ScholarShape)
Diana Wong (Sensei Change Associates)
Overview of Our Rates
Our institutional rates range from $300 to $500 per hour per consultant for consulting services, and $300 to $400 per hour for one-on-one coaching, depending upon the work and the personnel. Please contact us for more information.
