Verona Mitchell
Founder & CEO
"My dream is to follow in my father's footsteps - cherishing the journey. Cherishing the journey of curiosity for culture and differences; the journey of experiencing beauty in the human spirit; a journey of cherishing a deep sense of community.
My work takes me on that journey."
Greetings and Salutations
I am Verona Mitchell, founder & CEO of Cultives & Associates, LLC. Welcome! I am so glad that you are on our site. Throughout this site we talk about the journey; our personal and professional journeys; the journey of building our cultural bandwidth and cultural competence. Working across cultures effectively is the key. I believe culture is what connects us to our tribe - to our sense of humanity whether that's in the workplace or in our personal lives.Â
Cultives’ mission is to employ the latest audits and assessments to gauge where companies and individuals are in understanding diversity, leadership and inclusion practices and behaviors. The goal is to effectively communicate, lead and engage across cultural differences. A successful diversity & inclusion initiative doesn’t just happen; it must be intentional; it must be impactful. I know that by integrating a global & diverse perspective, with the will and courage to act, we can meet authentic diversity, inclusion and cultural competency goals. Cultives & Associate will cultivate your learning experiences and make that impact.
My Journey
My journey has taken me around the world and back. I have lived in Africa where I studied women street merchants of Lome', Togo. I have traveled to the villages along the mountain tops and witnessed sacred rituals and experiences that, until that time, I had only read about. I have seen the Pope wave from his perch in the Vatican City and seen the Colosseum where the gladiators fought. Yes, my journey has taken me many places from my very humble beginning in New Orleans, Louisiana; where culture is like air - it's all around us. So, it is no surprise that experiencing people, culture, learning and leadership are my passions. That's why I founded and serve as CEO of Cultives & Associates.
My Credentials
In 2003, 2005 and 2017, I delivered groundbreaking research on cultural frameworks to communication at the Worldwide Conferences on Culture and Education at John Cabot University and George Washington University, both in Rome, Italy. I hold both a B.A. and M.A. in Organizational Leadership and have credit towards a Phd. in Public Policy Administration with specialization in International Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). I'm a certified intercultural development & diversity executive, a global leadership professional who has dedicated my career to aligning DEI performance with personal and business goals and strategy. As I noted before, I yield from New Orleans, Louisiana and reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.