Today’s featured member, Dr. Kimberly Harden, owner and CEO of Harden Consulting Group, LLC, said that Harden Consulting Group, LLC is an award-winning consulting agency that helps organizations shift from a traditional diversity and inclusion model to a model so they can create equitable and innovative workplaces that attract and retain top talent, serve clients in a more equitable way, and develop a trusting relationship with the local community.Their services include:

  • Organizational Assessments
  • Strategic Planning, Program Design, and Implementation
  • Recruiting, Hiring, and Retention Strategies
  • Impactful Communication Coaching for CEOs
  • Keynote Presentations
  • Staff Training
  • Supplier Diversity Consulting
  • Leadership Retreats for the CEOs and Vice Presidents

Clients have included Microsoft Corporation, Zillow, Alaska Legal Services Corporation, UW Medicine, Overlake Medical Center and Clinics, the Allen Institute, and Boeing Employees’ Credit Union.

To what do you attribute your business’ success?

I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase “work smarter, not harder.” I disagree with that sentiment; I believe you must do both. Easy has a cost—usually a very expensive one, both internally as a business and externally with clients. Our success stems from reading, listening, leading, and growing. We put in the work, we innovate, and we view ourselves as happy scientists. Yes, we have a lot of experience in the DEI sector, but we don’t pretend to know everything about everything. That’s how you grow.

How is your business active in your community? 

Community engagement has been challenging the past few years because of the pandemic. We haven’t been as active as we would like to be in terms of in-person interactions, but we do give back to the community. For example, we started the Dream. Plan. Do.™ Scholarship, which is currently managed by the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and the B&G Harden Scholarship with ANEW. We try to be active in intentional, community-driven ways.

What does an equitable and inclusive regional economy look like to you? 

As a minority and woman-owned business, I believe Seattle has a long way to go to achieve an equitable and inclusive regional economy. Great strides have been taken to open up opportunities for people like me to bid on projects, but data from the city shows that the vast majority of contracts, including those for DEI projects, are still given to white women. It goes back to nepotism and relational currency. My company’s proposal shouldn’t be excluded simply because we don’t have a robust relationship with key decision makers and aren’t on the Fortune 100 list of consulting firms.

Are there partnerships you are/your company is currently looking for?

Our team members have years to decades of experience working in a variety of industries, including human resources, technology, health care, and higher education. We’ve also conducted trainings for construction, environmental, finance, hospitality, and legal organizations. Being sports fans, we would love to help colleges and sports organizations, such as BYU, NASCAR, and the NFL, create and leverage DEI initiatives and create a real sense of belonging for players and coaches.

Thank you to Harden Consulting Group, LLC for being part of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce network. Here at the Chamber, we have 2,500 companies across the region and 13 different business sectors, from your favorite neighborhood restaurant to brands known around the world. Our member feature program is based on referrals. If you would like to learn more about how to be featured in our member features series, please contact Cori Lumens.