Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Consulting, Training and Coaching

Tom is a strategic and passionate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) leader who is committed to enabling individuals and organizations to thrive. He always went above and beyond to address client’s needs and was sought after for his insights, expertise, strong facilitation skills and collaborative approach. Tom is a pleasure to work with, and I’m honored to consider him a valued friend and (former) colleague.

~ Elizabeth Derby – Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Avanade

Tom is a true leader and talented strategist in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. One of the things I appreciate most about his approach is his balancing of the people side with the systems/data side, which is critical for any change process, and DEI in particular. In addition to his ability to build cultural competency in others and in organizations, he is high-energy, positive, and thoughtful, and his amazing personal story and experiences really enhance his perspective and authenticity. I would recommend Tom without reservation!

~ Jennifer Brown – Founder & CEO, Jennifer Brown Consulting; Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Diversity & Inclusion Speaker, Consultant & Author

Tom has facilitated impactful trainings and dialogues for Microsoft New England’s LGBTQI+ and allies employee resource group. He is a subject matter expert on corporate and societal dynamics that impact the community of gender and sexual minorities. Tom also brings care and calm to interactions that can be emotionally charged, leaving participants with optimism and learning. I highly recommend Tom for diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts.

~ Tarikh Campbell – Workplace Inclusion Program Manager at Microsoft NERD

It is such a pleasure to recommend Tom. I enjoyed working together in D&I space and doing meaningful work for clients. I appreciate his eye for nuanced elements and ability to see the big picture. He cares deeply about people and brings a contagious level of passion and commitment to others.

~ Allison V. Manswell, CPLP – Chief Results Officer, Path Forward Consulting; Senior Consultant, Cook Ross, Inc.; Author

Tom is the real deal. I’ve worked with Tom internationally and domestically on a number of Diversity & Inclusion consulting projects. I also had him as a speaker at one of my signature Inspiration Zone conferences. Tom is authentic, personable, knowledgeable and he is a team-player. He is a consummate professional and is a pleasure to work with.

~ Juliette C. Mayers – Founder & CEO, Inspiration Zone, LLC; Author; Speaker

Tom is a great DEI leader, presenter and facilitator. We were colleagues at IBIS and I had the opportunity to collaborate with Tom on client and internal projects. He is always working to create & provide the best product or service for his clients.

~ Zalika Winitzer – Senior Consultant and Organizational Manager, IBIS Consulting Group

I would highly recommend Tom Bourdon based on both his background and his tremendous passion and commitment. I first met Tom while working at Franciscan Children’s where he supported our efforts to create awareness and education for our leaders to better support our LGBT community.  He later became a colleague leading talent acquisition and DE&I efforts at Bottom Line. Tom is an amazing practitioner who is charismatic, thoughtful and strategic. He has a keen ability to build authentic relationships, taking the time to learn and listen. As someone who has worked in human resources for most of my career, I feel like I have a good sense of who the right person is to connect with employees and Leadership, and execute in a fast-paced environment.  Tom Bourdon leaves no doubt in my mind that he is that person. He is true thought partner and leader in this space! 

~ Lori Neuner – Chief Talent Officer, Bottom Line

Tom is an exceptional, charismatic, leader and expert in the field of Inclusion & Diversity. With great ease Tom captivates and inspires hearts and minds all the while leaving a lasting impression. What I admire most about Tom is his innate ability to facilitate progress. He enables change by meeting people where they are, listening and strategizing practical and personalized interventions. It’s been a true privilege working with Tom. There’s no doubt in my mind that Dr. Tom Bourdon passion can and will make a significant impact on the world.

~ Luz Carrasquillo-Frazier, SHRM-SCP – VP, Global Head of Talent and Inclusion and Diversity, National Grid

Tom’s dedication to drive inclusion into organizations doesn’t stop at the Boardroom. His dedication to his work, his community and his family shows through in every aspect. Starting with the front lines all the way to the C-Suite, Tom’s ability to be an authentic and inclusive leader is apparent, meeting people where they are. This allows him to help drive change where others fail. Any organization that wants to be relevant today must focus on DEI. Tom is a leader that can help help drive that relevancy and deliver positive impact.

~ Robert Beaven – Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Brown Consulting

Tom’s knowledge, experience, and inclusive approach to delivering the content of the training session was fantastic. He created a safe educational environment that allowed us to grapple with, and better understand, how power, privilege, and place impact us daily and are embedded within our interactions. His social justice approach to diversity and inclusion training truly helped us recognize the strengths and limitations of one’s own worldview on communication with others. The resource guide he created for our group will help ensure we continue to work towards a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for all students.

~ Jermaine F. Williams, Ed.D. – President, Nassau Community College

I can’t tell you what a privilege it was getting to work with Tom. He made this whole process so easy and, dare I say, fun.  Just few things I learned…

• How to recognize my own privilege and put it to work to advocate on behalf of the most marginalized members of our community.
• How to create a safe space for people to learn about LGBTQ identity.
• I’m more aware of the way that I perform gender at work. Our trainings make me feel like I have greater permission to ‘live my truth’ at the office.

I’ve heard great feedback about the last training! I really believe we made a big impact. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we will miss working with him. I hope we have the pleasure of working together again soon.

~ Joseph Shapiro – Software Engineer & ERG Chair, Microsoft Corporation

I’ve worked with Tom on several training workshops over the last few months. Tom is perhaps the most knowledgeable diversity advocate and coach I have ever had the pleasure to meet. His unique blending of deep knowledge, approachability, and seemingly effortless style has exceeded my expectations. Tom partnered with our leadership teams to develop a comprehensive program tailored to our organization. His workshops encouraged participation and his warm personality eased every participant into joining the conversation. Frankly, I was amazed at how engaged my colleagues have become. Our community and allies have gained valuable insight thanks to Tom’s training. – Thank you, Tom.

~Dana Zircher – Principal Software Engineer, Microsoft Corporation

Dr. Tom Bourdon is a strong, passionate, courageous leader who excels at promoting diversity and inclusiveness and who genuinely cares about others. Tom has outstanding communication skills and is able to convey his creative ideas lucidly to small or large groups.

~ Dr. Ronni Sanlo – Founder & CEO, Ronni Sanlo Consulting; Playwright, Author

Tom is a visionary programmer, facilitator, and manager whose work in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is a practice and not just a theory. He creates programs with a long term strategy for welcoming many voices to the table to create the strongest possible work. I worked with Tom to bring my program to his University and he was professional, responsive, and very organized, which made our work together a huge success.

~ Kit Yan – Spoken Word Poet / Performing Touring Artist

The post-workshop feedback confirms what I heard from everyone around me during and after the event: Tom’s skill at covering a lot of information in an accessible and warm way really knocked this event out of the park!  I really appreciated Tom’s attention to the range of diversity and intersectionality that comes with thinking about genders and sexualities. He is clearly able to handle so much more than LGBTQ-specific materials and experiences but he is also able to bring focus and clarity to the importance of LGBTQ lives in the workplace.  I’m so thankful that Tom was available to work with us and hope that this is just the beginning of our work together. Thank you for working at every level of our community—from GLEAM members and the site leadership team to our broader community.  Tom is such a clear communicator with the perfect balance of warmth, openness, and courage to lead that we needed!

~Mary Gray – Senior Researcher / Associate Professor, Microsoft Research / Indiana University