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Biography
Setche is a dynamic Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) consultant and trainer. She helps organizations and teams move from IDE rhetoric to impact, and beyond symbolism to transformation. She drives employees to commit to championing IDE, and helps organizations operationalize IDE, making the practice part of their DNA. She has a strong track record of cultural transformation, developing and delivering effective training, building collaborative teams, and championing & implementing innovative tools & strategies.
Educational Experience
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Alliant International University
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MBA – Human Resources Management focus
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Iowa State University of Science & Technology
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BSC. Chemical Engineering
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International Student and Scholar Award, 2007 & 2008
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For outstanding leadership and community service
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National Diversity Council
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CDP - Certified Diversity Professional
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Management & Strategy Institute - Certificate
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Diversity Management
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Training Magazine - Certificate
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Training Design, Development & Delivery For Engagement
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Professional Experience
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Caterpillar Inc.
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Diversity & Inclusion Specialist
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Manufacturing Engineer
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Young Philanthropist Service Award, 2012
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For leading the Young Professionals of Caterpillar in global and local community service.
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Intuit Inc.
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Sr. Diversity & Inclusion Leader
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National Conflict Resolution Center
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Trainer & Facilitator
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Non-profit Management Solutions
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Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Facilitator​
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The San Diego Union Tribune
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Contributor - Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity Columnist
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Ferdman Consulting
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Diversity & Inclusion Project Consultant Intern​
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It was a rainy Fall Friday afternoon in Booneville, MS when I walked into my boss’ office at the Caterpillar facility, for a one-on-one meeting. My heart sank when I opened the door. In the room, in addition to my boss were my boss’ boss, our plant manager, an HR representative, and a couple other influential managers.
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“Am I getting fired?” I wondered as my palms started sweating. My entire week flashed through my mind in search for why I might be in trouble. My anxiety grew as trying to wipe my sweaty hands on my silk dress proved futile.
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“Setche, you’re a great engineer,” Started one of the managers after we were done with small talk, “but there’s so much more in you we aren’t fully leveraging yet.” To my relief and surprise, they told me they’ve noticed the impact I had been having on the employees and community through all my voluntary diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts, and they would be short-sighted not to take advantage of my natural abilities.
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I jubilantly accepted their offer to transition to officially doing D&I the following year. Though I was a rookie and learning on the job was challenging, it was the best job I had ever had. I was able to bring more aspects of myself to work and stretch the limits of my imagination more.
In that role, I successfully developed and implemented D&I strategies, programs and trainings that exposed and trained my division’s employees to develop an inclusive culture. 86% of them found the initiatives effective at increasing their D&I awareness while providing them reasonable direction. 72% reported they developed a personal commitment to D&I, making it one of their core values. Seeing my impact made me grasp that I was born for this!
Inspiration - How I began my journey in IDE
Transitions - Educational and professional experience
My love for problem-solving, continuous improvement, and innovation had led me to acquire a BSC degree in Chemical Engineering, and subsequently gained cross-functional professional experience in manufacturing engineering, purchasing, project management, and operations management at Caterpillar Inc. I was honored to graduate from Caterpillar’s prestigious Leadership & Technical Development Program.
While I loved improving employees’ lives by improving their processes, I also noticed one of the biggest challenges to continuous improvement were the hidden systemic challenges that affect attitudes and competencies. Furthermore, I noticed subtle and not-so-subtle barriers that make it harder to recruit, develop, and retain particularly people from underrepresented populations.
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I realized that I better served employees by deconstructing some of these barriers, helping people understand the systems of inclusion and how it operates personally, interpersonally, in leadership, organizationally, and societally. In doing so, my creativity is best spent enabling people enhance their compassion, competency, and creativity.
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By combining my technical, artistic, human resources and IDE expertise to bridge the gaps, I am improving lives on a larger scale by cultivating environments that enable people to thrive and unleash their geniuses.
Consequently, to pivot to IDE long-term, I boosted my knowledge by earning an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management, then becoming a Certified Diversity Professional through the National Diversity Council. Furthermore, I have certifications in Diversity Management from the Management and Strategy Institute, and Training Design, Development, & Delivery for Engagement from the Training Magazine.
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While concluding my MBA program, I served as a project consultant intern for Ferdman Consulting where I developed operations, sales, and marketing processes for IDE training services. I later served as Sr. Diversity & Inclusion Leader for Intuit Inc.’s San Diego and Los Angeles campuses. The best part of that was overseeing and supporting Intuit’s local We Care & Give Back program, leveraging the platform to contribute to accelerating human progress by helping employees be engaged members of the community. My passion for community engagement and empowerment earned me the 2012 Young Philanthropist Service Award for leading the Young Professionals of Caterpillar in global and local community service. In addition to my consulting and training practice, I facilitate IDE and other management workshops at Non-Profit Management Solutions, helping non-profits realize their missions. I train employees to become allies, not saviors, and to practice solidarity, not charity. Additionally, I am a trainer at the National Conflict Resolution Center and the diversity, inclusion, & equity columnist for the business section of the San Diego Union Tribune.
Embracing All Of Me
- Leveraging the power of authenticity to build bridges
Being an avid world traveler with a knack for people, cultures, and languages, I easily bond with a wide range of people, making it easier to subsequently influence them. I have lived in four continents and five US states, and visited 39 countries and 40 states. I am also conversational in five languages and can say greetings and a few phrases in over 50 languages, thus easily break the ice and interact with people from different cultures.
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Being a performer, songwriter, playwriter, and comedy, I leverage the power of the arts to foster healing, learning, and building bridges across various dimensions of diversity. In a culture where employees are bombarded with trainings and programs, it is important to stand out and find more effective ways to make complex concepts easier to understand and make learning stick. I’m known for making training more desirable, relatable, and memorable, as well as for making entertainment educational and inspiring, without losing its pizzazz.
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Some of my past performances were at the annual Human Rights summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the International Leadership Conference in S. Korea, The African Leadership Summit in S. Africa, all with political and religious leaders and activists from around the world. I also enjoy performing at national and local community, corporate and private events.
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I have also written and produced inspiring diversity and inclusion music videos like: Children of The World, & Batuo (Welcome).
For the nerd who grew up being mocked for lacking any social and artistic abilities, galvanizing wide-ranging community members to volunteer in IDE artistic projects isn’t too shabby. 😉
Fun Facts:​
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I grew up with 20 cats, several dogs, one monkey, and six brothers.
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My most prominent nicknames include:
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Sunshine: People say it’s because of my temperament and ability to inspire authenticity and bring out the best in people. However, I think it’s because they can’t pronounce my name. 😉
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Ms. World: People say it’s because of my ability to feel at ease in just about any culture or environment. Bummer! ☹ I thought it had something to do with my incomparable beauty! 😉
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Black Country Girl: Any ideas why?
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Some call me Sunshine,
Some call me Ms. World,
But you can CALL me to your organization to help
transform hearts, minds, systems, and behaviors!
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Let’s partner in Building Bridges & Maximizing Human Potential!
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+1 619-630-7754 | BuildingBridges@setche.com.
