I’m Kettianne. A Facilitator. A Speaker. Your Catalyst for your next Breakthrough.

I’m also a first generation Haitian American with a rich background shaped by diverse cultures. For the first 12 years of my life, I studied at a French-American bilingual school, sparking my lifelong fascination with cultural coexistence.

Having grown up within this trifecta of cultures, I’ve always been fascinated by how people from different cultures are able to coexist and bring the best out of one another. 

My background paved the way for my passion in international affairs. I spent 7 years in the international development sector, working for nonprofit agencies and international organizations (which meant that I got to live in or work in some pretty cool places, such as in France, in the UK, in Spain, in Haiti and in South Africa). 

But during that time, there was always this one thing that I noticed: In every organization I worked for, there were few women of color, like me, in positions of power or at the deciding table. 

When I asked HR why, they responded: “They don’t have the skill set.” 

This realization fueled the birth of my first business, Women With Purpose, aimed at empowering women of color to break barriers and excel in their careers so that nobody could ever tell them “you aren’t fit for a promotion” or “you aren’t qualified for this role.” 

Since 2015, Women With Purpose has hosted over 40 events, brought in over 90 women of color speakers and helped over 1,400 women of color get the skill-building they need to excel in their careers, become financially empowered and gain the leadership skills they need to GET that promotion.  

Going from nonprofit to for-profit? It IS possible (and I proved it) 

As much as I enjoyed working in the nonprofit industry and being an entrepreneur, I recognized that I needed enhance my business acumen. 

That led me to the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where I obtained my M.B.A. concentrating on human capital and organizational development. 

Degree in hand, I started working for Deloitte as a management consultant focusing on organizational design, change management and leadership development. After spending three years there I was fortunate to get scooped by Meta (Facebook), where on the People Experience team, I focused on Manager Development. Unfortunately, I too was swept up in the #metalayoffs shortly before reaching my 2nd year and reverted back to leveraging my resources for my next pivot!

Throughout this journey, I’ve met so many people who ask me how I transitioned from international development to entrepreneurship or from nonprofit to for-profit to tech. 

I’ve spoken at over 40 events (and counting) on topics such as my path from nonprofit to for-profit, on entrepreneurship and intersectionality. 

I get asked to speak again…and again. And I LOVE it. 

I love connecting with my audience.

I love engaging my listeners with interactivity and personal questions (I *hate* one-way communication). 

I love breaking things down so the topics are easy to understand and actionable. 

But I’ve got one rule: I only speak about and share what I’ve had personal experience with myself. Which is why, you will not see the word ‘coach’ anywhere on my platform. In many ways, I’ve not been where you are or where you want to be. But as a facilitator, asking the right questions with the right process in plan, I can help lead you to breakthrough moments.

So by now you might be wondering… how the heck did I get to where I am today? 

No path is every easy. But one thing that has always guided me is having an intentional plan for all of my purposeful pivots. Continuously mapping everything out and thinking about what would be best for me personally *and* professionally. 

And now, I’m honored to help other individuals do the same. To help ambitious post-grads get UNstuck. To help them figure out their next steps and their best plan of personal and professional development. To help them find their breakthrough moment.

Just so you know that you’d be working with someone who knows her stuff… Here are a few fun facts about me: 

• I’ve successfully pivoted into 5 industries, 15 functions and 22 roles without compromising my brand for my great work ethic. 
• I’ve served as a Fulbright Public Policy Fellow for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Haiti working on the launch of a gender based violence awareness campaign throughout the island.
• I’m a certified mediator (MA) and have served as negotiation trainer where I have had the opportunity to train close to 300+ professionals on the art of negotiation. 
• I’ve spoken at more than 40 events and have spoken to over 2,000 individuals on being intentional with their professional development that would purposefully pivot them to success.
• I received my M.B.A from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. I was a Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) MBA Prep Fellow, a Forte MBA Fellow and a member of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM). I received my M.A in International Relations from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and my B.A from Boston College. 

“Kettianne’s sharing of her professional journey not only was informative to me as a student trying to figure out my path, but it also exemplified the ways that one can infuse their values into everything they do. I hope that, wherever I end up, I am able to emulate the way she carries her entire self into all the work she does.”

Veronica L. | TAMID Speaking Event at Columbia University Service Provided: Public Speaking