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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Strategist
about koby rodriguez
Koby Rodríguez (he/him) is a strategist, educator, and nonprofit leader focused on systems change and community accountability.
As Principal Consultant of Koby Rodríguez Consulting, he partners with organizations across California including state systems, behavioral health agencies, school districts, and nonprofits to embed equity into practice, policy, and leadership. His work is unapologetically rooted in intersectionality, Black feminism, and community-defined solutions.
Koby has trained more than 400 organizations on the Self-Assessment for Modification of Anti-Racism Tool (SMART), using it to guide racial equity assessments, shift policy, and support long-term change. He played a central role in Sacramento County’s Behavioral Health Racial Equity Collaborative, first as a steering committee member for the Black community iteration and later as the facilitator for the Latinx community effort. Through SMART and his facilitation, he has helped drive racial equity policy changes across hundreds of agencies statewide.
In addition to his government and nonprofit partnerships, Koby has led a comprehensive equity audit of a major credit union. His work included a full review of hiring practices, workplace culture, onboarding, leadership development, and decision-making processes. He also developed the training, tools, and accountability measures to move the institution toward equity-centered practice.
Koby brings more than 15 years of experience in equity-focused roles across nonprofit, higher education, and systems work. He served as Acting CEO, Chief Program Officer, and Special Advisor to the CEO at the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, where he led a team of over 30 delivering programs in housing, mental health, youth services, and policy advocacy. Earlier in his career, he spent ten years in University Cultural Centers developing student-focused equity initiatives in higher education.
He currently serves as an advisor for the Equity Grounded Leadership Fellowship, supporting emerging leaders across the behavioral health field, and sits on the Board of Sacramento Queer Volleyball, a community-driven LGBTQIA+ sports organization.
Koby holds a BA in Race and Ethnic Studies, an MA in Higher Education, and is currently completing his doctorate in Leadership and Innovation. He also integrates the FAIR Framework by Lily Zheng into his consulting, helping organizations move beyond statements and into measurable accountability.
At his core, Koby is known for asking hard questions, holding systems accountable, and building space for change that is honest, practical, and rooted in community. Whether coaching executives, designing policy tools, or facilitating collaboratives, he works alongside those ready to move from intention to action.
TRAININGS tOPICS
Implicit Bias Workshop:
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Fostering a Sense of Belonging:
This session breaks down what implicit bias is, how it shows up even when intentions are good, and what it takes to disrupt it. Participants explore bias in action and leave with tools for calling it in and shifting behavior.
Fostering a Sense of Belonging:
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Fostering a Sense of Belonging:
Covers how to build a workplace where people feel seen and valued. Focuses on inclusive language, noticing isolation, and celebrating team culture without forcing “fitting in.”
Disrupting White Supremacist Culture:
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Identifies the everyday ways white supremacy shows up at work—from perfectionism to power hoarding—and offers clear strategies for interrupting it at the personal, interpersonal, and organizational level.
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Anti-racist Hiring, Promotion, and Retention:
Outlines how to build fair, transparent systems for hiring and advancement. Participants learn to name and address bias in policies and practices that shape who gets in, who stays, and who moves up.
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Clarifies SOGIE terms and concepts, with a focus on respectful language, pronouns, and supporting LGBTQIA+ people in health and workplace settings.
Ally to Accomplice:
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Explores the difference between performative allyship and real solidarity. Participants examine power, privilege, and how to move toward accountability, action, and collective work.
Power, Privilege, and Oppression:
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Cultural Humility, Social Justice, and Intersectionality:
Unpacks how power and privilege shape systems of oppression. The session focuses on recognizing where we hold power and how to use it to reduce harm and create change.
Cultural Humility, Social Justice, and Intersectionality:
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE):
Cultural Humility, Social Justice, and Intersectionality:
Connects the practice of cultural humility to broader movements for justice. Participants explore identity, systems of power, and how to approach equity work through an intersectional lens.
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Teaches participants how to write and assess policies through an anti-racist lens. Uses the SMART framework to evaluate alignment with equity goals, clarity, accountability, and potential for harm.
Using SMART to Advance Systemic Change
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Deep dive into the Self-Assessment for Modification of Anti-Racism Tool (SMART). Covers the tool’s domains, how to apply them internally, and how to translate assessment results into real action.
Equity and Accountability in Leadership
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Equity and Accountability in Leadership
Designed for executive and management teams. Explores power, decision-making, and what equity leadership actually requires beyond performative gestures. Includes strategies for shared accountability and internal culture shifts.
FAIR Framework in Practice
Developing and Evaluating Equity-Centered Policies
Equity and Accountability in Leadership
Introduces Lily Zheng’s FAIR framework (Feedback, Accountability, Inclusion, Repair) and guides organizations on how to move from performance to measurable equity outcomes.