Mx Patrice Palmer (tHEy/tHEm)

Assistant Dean, College of Business | OFD Director, Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives | CEO & Consultant

Patrice M. Palmer (they/them/their pronouns) calls both the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Detroit, Michigan home. They are a doctoral candidate in the School of Education at Baylor University where their work revolves around gender variance, workplace inclusion, intersectional leadership, and social responsibility. Patrice has published works centered on diversity, equity and inclusion within higher education and intentionally focuses on the concept of intersectional leadership within their teaching methods. Patrice is an award-winning diversity, equity, and inclusion educator as well as a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) of London.

In addition, Patrice is a TEDx speaker, motivational leadership coach and sought-after keynote. Patrice combines cultural storytelling and academic theory with personal narratives to create a new socio-cultural framework for challenging how DEI shows up in the workplace. Also, Mx Palmer is an adjunct faculty member at Colorado State University and currently serves as the Director of Social and Cultural Inclusion in the College of Business. That position is jointly held with New Belgium Brewing Company’s DEI Specialist role. This partnership marks the first U.S. craft beer position connected with an AACSB accredited business administrator role. Currently Patrice serves as the only DEI Specialist in the U.S. craft beer industry with this joint designation. As a black, queer, Transmasculine individual, Patrice believes that visibility matters. Living authentically, unapologetically, and wholly are just a few of the ways that tHEy prefer to engage within systems that have historically oppressed and suppressed individuals like them with similar identities.