The Roster: Vol. 29

At Credera, we believe we’re truly better together. The Roster is a monthly series that allows you to get to know leaders at all levels across the firm. This month, we’re celebrating Black History Month with a special edition of the Roster.

Bria Ford

SENIOR CONSULTANT, MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

Dallas, TX

Favorite Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.

Favorite TV Show: Steven Universe.

Favorite Tech Tool: InstaPot. Get the air fryer attachment—trust me, it will change your life.

Favorite Credera Memory: Walking through Boulder, Colorado, during a festival with a Credera team for a major athletic retailer. Not only was the festival itself fun, but being with my teammates, eating ice cream while walking down the street, and playing games in an old run-down arcade will always be one of my fondest memories.

Client Experience Highlight: Being on the Credera team for a major U.S. airline was a great experience. Not only was the team great, but the client was fun and incredibly welcoming to us as consultants. It was a blast being out there for a year, and I’ll never forget all I learned as both a consultant and a person. 

What does Black History Month mean to you? For me, it’s about representation. It’s about being that young girl who’s only ever heard about how her people have been slaves and suddenly learning that we’ve done so much more—that I could be so much more. I could be a businesswoman like Madam C.J. Walker, a doctor like Dr. Daniel Williams or Dr. James Smith, or a poet like Langston Hughes. I could study math or be an athlete. I could be anything, and I knew it was because someone else who looked like me had done it before I did. They had fought and worked and dealt with so many obstacles to be able to say, “I’m here, and I can do this. I, too, can be great.” History is essential, but being able to see yourself in history is too. 

It is also about those who don’t look like me getting to see those things, too. They are now seeing the real accomplishments that couldn’t be denied. It also gave validation to me, underscoring that my potential and capability couldn’t be rejected just because I was Black.

What’s the most important thing someone outside of your race can do to support you in your journey to demonstrate inclusion and celebrate diversity? Be willing to have hard, uncomfortable conversations about race and how it impacts our views, actions, and society. Call people out, especially when you feel like it would be easier to ignore it and not rock the boat. I promise you, the person it was directed to doesn’t have that luxury to stay silent. Be an advocate for those who can’t do so for themselves, and you’ll be amazed at the progress we can make together.

Shun Borders

CONSULTANT, OPEN TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Dallas, TX

Passions Outside of Work: Aviation. I love anything plane or flight related, and being in the air in general. The engineering aspect of aviation never fails to spark my interest.

Favorite TV Show: Jeopardy, because I’m a total nerd, and being great at Jeopardy is my one flex that never fails.

Favorite Credera Memory: Being able to travel with my client teams. Especially early on after I had just started with the firm, those trips were always a great way to build a sense of community and create bonds stronger than the typical 9-to-5 coworkers. We were able to strike a great balance of working hard, yet still having a great time with each other, which is why those memories are my favorite.  

What does Black History Month mean to you? Black History Month is part of a larger movement aimed at showcasing the importance of accomplishments and achievements attributable to individuals of minority groups. To me, this serves the purpose of showing minority youth today that their hard work means something. This encourages them to continue striving for excellence because it demonstrates that one day, their achievements will also be celebrated, thus continuing to produce successful subsequent generations.

What is the most important thing someone outside of your race can do to support you in your personal journey to demonstrate inclusion and celebrate diversity? Being willing to help carry the torch and champion normalizing inclusion and diversity is an important step. Understanding that continuously keeping the conversation going and educating others on these causes is a heavy lift when done alone, so stepping in to provide support on that front from someone outside of minority communities goes a long way.

Simi Adewunmi

TALENT ACQUISITION SPECIALIST

Dallas, TX

Passions Outside of Work: Dance, poetry, music, and cultivating safe spaces.

Personal Values: Stewardship, community, awareness, and development.

Podcast Playlist: Hidden Brain and TED Radio Hour.

Favorite Credera Memory: I so enjoyed the Across the Pond chat where some U.S. colleagues were connected with some colleagues in the UK office! We went around and shared smells that reminded us of our childhoods. It was hilarious. I highly recommend that question.

Role Model/Biggest Influence: Women who are at home within themselves and take up space within their own lives and in the world around them.

What does Black History Month mean to you? Representation, remembrance, and celebration.

What is the most important thing someone outside of your race can do to support you in your personal journey to demonstrate inclusion and celebrate diversity? Taking ownership of the process of learning, leaning in to understand, engaging in dialogue, and fostering relationships across races and cultural backgrounds.

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