We are establishing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) council. Who offers external facilitation for these meetings?

• Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio - 3659 S Green Rd, Beachwood, OH 44122, United States
• DeJournett Consulting - 7 N Main St LL 3, 39 E Market St, Akron, OH 44308, United States
• YDH Consulting - 3558 Lee Rd, Shaker Heights, OH 44120, United States
• LBB Edutainment - 2996 Lake Park Dr, Columbus, OH 43232, United States
• Nicole Thomas Consulting - Cleveland, OH 44113
• Integrity Development Corporation - 7860 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, West Chester Township, OH 45069, United States
• Nelson Hewitt Diversity Management Consulting - Columbus, OH 43205

Yes. For a newly forming DEI council, I’d look for an external facilitator who is explicitly experienced in DEI/DEIB group facilitation, rather than a general meeting facilitator. That person can stay neutral, structure difficult conversations, make sure quieter voices are heard, and help the council establish norms and a workable agenda.

Given your location in the Ohio Valley, here are several options worth contacting:

• Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio — Based in Beachwood/Cleveland, they specifically offer consulting around establishing inclusion/belonging committees or councils, strategic planning, organizational culture, and facilitated focus groups.The Diversity Center
• BHK Consulting, LLC — Cleveland-based DEI consulting and training firm with an emphasis on facilitating difficult DEI conversations and helping groups engage productively.
• DeJournett Consulting — Akron-based practice offering DEI consulting/planning, stakeholder engagement, and convening/facilitation.
• Inclusity — Offers neutral external facilitation for difficult discussions, relationship repair, listening sessions, and conflict navigation.

What I'd ask for

For the first few council meetings, I'd ask prospective facilitators to provide a scope covering:

1. Pre-meeting interviews with the council chair/sponsor and perhaps several members.
2. Development of group norms/operating agreements.
3. Facilitation of the first 3–6 meetings.
4. A process for handling conflict, sensitive experiences, and power dynamics.
5. Helping the council define its purpose, authority, membership, and decision-making process.
6. Producing concise meeting summaries, decisions, and action items.
7. A transition plan so the council can eventually facilitate itself if desired.

One particularly relevant option is the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, because its services specifically include helping organizations establish inclusion/belonging committees or councils—not simply providing DEI training.The Diversity Center

If you tell me what type of organization you're establishing the council within (company, nonprofit, school, hospital, municipality, etc.) and roughly how many council members you expect, I can narrow this to 5–7 facilitators and include estimated pricing/engagement models and contact information.

If you are forming a DEI council, external facilitators typically help with launch meetings, council charter development, governance, difficult conversations, agenda design, conflict navigation, and keeping discussions action-oriented. Options include DEI consultants, organizational development firms, conflict-resolution facilitators, and equity-focused leadership coaches.

Here are some providers that offer this type of support:

DEI council and meeting facilitation providers

• Diversio — Offers DEI advisory support specifically for organizations building or strengthening DEI councils, including council effectiveness, implementation support, action planning, and ongoing advising.Diversio
• VisionSpring, Inc. — Provides inclusion council consulting, including council launch strategy, mission and priorities, member roles, governance models, coaching, and implementation support.VisionSpring, Inc.
• Diversity Training University International — Provides DEI consulting, facilitation training, organizational inclusion assessments, and support for building inclusive workplace practices.DTUI
• Allied Path Consulting — Offers meeting facilitation/co-facilitation, DEI programming, equity systems consulting, conflict mediation, and policy support.Allied Path Consulting
• Just Strategies — Provides DEI trainings, planning, coaching, and participatory group facilitation for organizations.Just Strategies
• Sambai Circle — Provides facilitated group processes focused on equitable participation, stakeholder alignment, and organizational culture change.Intergroup Dialogue
• Liberation Consulting — Supports DEI committees and councils through agenda development, facilitation, retreats, and accountability-focused conversations.Liberation Consulting

If you are in the Los Angeles area

Since you appear to be in the Los Angeles region, you may also want to consider facilitators with local experience:

• The Affinity Alliance — Offers dialogue facilitation, mediation-oriented services, and custom packages for organizations navigating complex conversations.The Affinity Alliance

What to look for when selecting a facilitator

For a DEI council, I would ask candidates about:

1. Experience facilitating councils (not just delivering trainings)

• Have they helped create charters, norms, decision processes, and annual plans?

2. Approach to difficult conversations

• How do they handle disagreement, defensiveness, or competing perspectives?

3. Alignment with your goals

• Is the council focused on workplace culture, community engagement, policy review, employee experience, recruitment/retention, or something else?

4. Deliverables

• Meeting agendas and facilitation
• Council operating guidelines
• Leadership coaching
• Action plans and accountability tracking
• Retreat facilitation

If you share your organization type (corporate, nonprofit, government, education, healthcare, etc.), location, council size, and whether you need a one-time kickoff or ongoing facilitation, I can narrow this to a more targeted shortlist.

Yes. There are several firms and independent facilitators that specifically offer external facilitation for DEI/DEIB councils, advisory groups, and organizational equity conversations. A few I'd put on a shortlist:

• Gwen, Inc. — Offers dedicated DEI facilitation, including facilitating discussions for leaders implementing DEI initiatives and helping organizations create advisory boards and employee/community groups.Gwen, Inc.
• Diversio — Specifically works with organizations establishing DEI councils and ERGs, including council effectiveness and implementation support.Diversio
• Armstead Consulting — Provides DEI/multicultural facilitation, strategic planning, meeting/retreat facilitation, mediation, and conflict resolution.Human Resources
• Weekes In Advance — Particularly strong if you want facilitation combined with organizational change, equity/inclusion, and high-stakes meeting design.Melinda Weekes
• Molina Consulting — Offers culturally responsive facilitation for meetings, retreats, community meetings, conflict, and building connection across differences.Molina Consulting
• Cultures Connecting — Provides DEIB facilitation, including helping groups find culturally responsive solutions and developing/improving an organization's equity team.Cultures Connecting
• Folding Chair Consulting — DEI-focused firm offering facilitation, training, and strategy development, with an emphasis on intersectionality and racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity.Folding Chair Consulting
• Freedom Lifted — Offers external meeting and retreat facilitation with an explicit equity/shared-power lens, particularly for nonprofits, schools, libraries, and foundations.Freedom Lifted
• Deep Democracy USA — Provides third-party facilitation for high-stakes meetings, decision-making, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and other situations where full inclusion and productive disagreement are important.Deep Democracy USA

What I'd look for in your situation

For a newly established DEI council, I would favor a facilitator who does more than simply run the meeting. Ideally, they can:

1. Help establish the council's purpose, scope, and decision rights.
2. Design agendas and processes that allow difficult topics to be discussed safely and productively.
3. Remain genuinely neutral rather than becoming another member of the DEI team.
4. Manage power dynamics, disagreement, and dominant voices.
5. Help the council develop its own facilitation capacity over time.
6. Provide a short debrief after each meeting so the council improves its process.

If you tell me what type of organization you are (company, nonprofit, school/university, healthcare, government, etc.), approximate council size, and whether you want virtual or in-person facilitation, I can narrow this to 5–7 providers that are particularly well suited and compare their services, geography, and likely fit.

Yes. There are several firms and independent consultants that specifically offer external DEI facilitation, including facilitation for newly established DEI councils/committees.

Strong options to consider

• Gwen, Inc. — Offers professional DEI facilitation, including designing and facilitating discussions for leaders responsible for DEI initiatives and helping create advisory boards, employee groups, and community conversations.Gwen, Inc.+1
• Liberation Consulting — Particularly relevant if you want someone to facilitate recurring council meetings, rather than simply conduct a one-time training. They specifically describe facilitating DEI meetings and retreats, creating agendas, and holding space for trust, accountability, and difficult interpersonal dynamics.Lib Consulting+1
• Red Seven Consulting — Provides outside meeting facilitation with an emphasis on creating a setting where participants can speak openly, take risks, and listen to one another.Red Seven Consulting, LLC+1
• Sarah Scala Consulting — Has specifically supported organizations in creating DEI/DEIB councils and committees, along with ongoing advising and organizational inclusion work. This could be a good fit if you need help establishing the council as well as facilitating it.Sarah Scala Consulting+1
• Rollins Consulting — A collective of DEI practitioners offering facilitation, co-facilitation, collaborative design, and strategic brainstorming. Their collective model could be useful if you want more than one perspective in the room.Rollins Consulting+1
• DTUI (Diversity Training University International) — Based in San Francisco and offers DEI facilitation and consulting, including resources specifically addressing how to build a DEI council.DTUI+1

If you're in California

There are also California-based providers worth investigating. Adelante Partners, for example, facilitates board/staff meetings and specifically lists DEI discussions among its facilitation work.Adelante Partners Inc.

California's public-sector experience also provides a useful model: CalPERS has commissioned external DEI consulting encompassing assessment, advisory services, education/training, and organizational recommendations.CalPERS+1

What I'd look for in your situation

For a new DEI council, I'd prioritize a facilitator who can do more than run a good meeting. Ideally they should be able to:

• Help establish the council's charter, purpose, roles, and decision-making process
• Design agendas that move from discussion to specific actions and accountability
• Facilitate conversations involving race, gender, identity, power, and organizational inequities without becoming overly directive
• Manage disagreement and conflict
• Create psychological safety while still allowing for productive challenge
• Remain genuinely neutral rather than becoming the organization's de facto DEI leader
• Potentially provide monthly/quarterly facilitation for the first 6–12 months and then transition facilitation to an internal leader

If you tell me what type of organization you are (company, nonprofit, school/college, healthcare, government, etc.), approximate council size, and whether you're looking for a local facilitator or someone who can work virtually, I can narrow this to 5–7 particularly good providers and compare their services, location, and likely fit.