Sarah Masoud (she/her), founder and CEO of Mindset Shift Consulting, began her career in refugee resettlement and immigration policy. For nearly 10 years, she worked with refugees in a variety of capacities, with a focus on supporting newly arrived refugees in securing employment. Through this work, Sarah observed the cultural gap that existed between hiring managers and the refugees they were hiring, which often contributed to challenging and exclusionary environments. She realized that in addition to training refugees to adapt to  American work culture, it was also crucial to educate employers on understanding the perspectives and experiences of refugees. In shifting this approach, Sarah advocated for workplaces to adopt equitable and inclusive practices that support new employees, celebrate diversity, and create a sense of belonging.

This experience informs the unique lens with which Sarah approaches her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work.  She has facilitated trainings related to social identity, bias, racism, and equity. Her thoughtful data-driven approach has successfully helped countless organizations improve DEI at their workplace in a measurable and sustainable way. Throughout her career, Sarah has facilitated numerous focus groups and workshops for nonprofits, corporations, and educational institutions, in addition to developing bespoke content for conferences and trainings. She has spoken at conferences nationwide such as the Forward Through Ferguson Racial Equity Summit, Global Refuge National Annual Conference, and National Casa Gal Annual Conference. Her expertise across the nonprofit, refugee resettlement, and corporate sectors equips her to identify and address DEI barriers in a wide range of industries and enables her to foster spaces where all voices are heard and valued.

Sarah has a BA in International Studies from San Francisco University and a master’s degree in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis.