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., Founder, Co-Owner, and Lead Coach/Consultant
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., Co-Owner and Lead Coach/Consultant
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.
Andrea Monroe, Coach/Consultant and Senior Program Director
Andrea brings a decade of high-impact experience in higher education, non-profit board service, and consultancy, emphasizing program development, campus-community academic partnerships, strategic interventions, and conflict resolution. As a Senior Program Director at the Kardia Group since 2024, she develops department/discipline-relevant curricula and provides direct coaching aimed at enhancing workplace climate and productively navigating workplace conflict. Her expertise includes managing complex change scenarios within diverse work environments, ensuring inclusive and equitable practices.
Andrea earned a Masters in Library Science from the University of Michigan. Her robust background in cultural competency education enables her to adeptly design and deliver training addressing contemporary workplace issues such as working across generational and other cultural differences. She also excels in conflict mediation, facilitated through her use of tools like the TKI and Kraybill Style Matters Conflict Inventory modules. Her strategic approach often involves identifying core conflict sources and introducing preventive protocols to manage and resolve disputes proactively, and her dedication to maintaining confidentiality and integrity throughout the process makes her a trusted consultant and coach. She holds a master’s degree in information and library science from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where she also served as an intergroup dialogue facilitator and course instructor for the Program on Intergroup Relations and Conflict.
Alan Grigsby, Ph.D., Senior Program Director
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.
Kelly Mack, Ph.D., Kardia Group Key Collaborator
While Kelly spend most of her time as Vice President and Executive Director, Project Kaleidoscope, Office of Undergraduate Science Education (PKAL/STEM), AAC&U, her work with Kardia Group is important to who we are.
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 ensure that discussion, deliberation, and decision-making in academia is the best it can be.
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.
Kardia Group Coaches
See our Kardia Group Affiliated Coaches page.
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.