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Teshia Levy-Grant, Top 25 Women in Business 2022 Honoree

Teshia Levy-Grant Employer: Webster Bank Title: Senior Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion Officer Check out all of the WIB honorees here!
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Prior to joining Webster Bank, Teshia Levy-Grant was at Wesleyan University, as dean for equity and inclusion. She serves as an anti-bias and diversity education program facilitator for the Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut.

Levy-Grant’s focus has been on creating systemic change in educational spaces as well as in the community with the goal of promoting a culture and atmosphere of respect, inclusion, equity and diversity. She is an adjunct faculty member at Bay Path University.

Q: What’s the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally?

I have many ideas regarding businesses I would like to launch. I would also love to be a chief diversity officer and report directly to a CEO as I think that alignment is necessary to receive the level of attention and ‘gravitas’ needed to make meaningful progress in an organization.

Q: What’s one of the biggest professional challenges you’ve overcome?

One of the biggest challenges that I have faced in my professional roles is the lack of representation and the burden that I carry as the only ‘Black person’ in most spaces. The constant code switching and need to prove that I am capable and knowledgeable has been exhausting. I also find working in DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) that there are limited resources and that one must do more with so little.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic forced you to adapt as a leader?

COVID forced many of us to rethink how we lead and also blurred the line between what was already a fragile demarcation of work-life balance. The pandemic forced us to consider what is considered ‘productive.’

Q: Who inspires you?

My dad paved the way and made so many sacrifices to bring his entire family from Jamaica to America. He wanted us and specifically me, being the eldest, to have opportunities and he felt that educational opportunities were more readily available in America.

When I consider how much he has accomplished — owning multiple homes and managing a cooking business while working full time — I am always in awe of his tenacity and work ethic. He has created a foundation and desire to succeed that fuels me daily.

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