Demetriouse Russell

Demetriouse Russell is a speaker, consultant and executive coach who has earned a seat in the C-Suite as a trusted advisor to senior-level executives. He has helped scores of leaders become inclusive as a strategic imperative to drive results. In 2017, Demetriouse launched Venn Diagram Partners, LLC, a global consulting collaborative that specializes in helping organizations create cultural environments where individuals feel like they belong and can belong authentically. He is the creator and facilitator of the “To Lead or Not to Lead?” workshop that takes leaders on a journey of discovery by enhancing their self-awareness, leadership authenticity, values, emotional intelligence and personal leadership brand.

Since founding Venn Diagram Partners, LLC, Demetriouse has worked with leaders from Wellington Management, West Point, Boston Medical Center, Liberty Property Trust, Southern New Hampshire University, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, KippsDeSanto & Co., Eastern Bank, The Carlyle Group, Viacom, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Tufts Health Plan, British-Consulate General, Synchrony Financial, TJX, and Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy – just to name a few - as a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, workshop facilitator and executive coach.

Formerly, Demetriouse served as Director of Client Solutions at Bates Communications, a consulting firm that specializes in communicative leadership influenced by executive presence, where he was certified in the BatesExPi, an assessment based on executive presence. He also acquired three new relationships with Fortune 1000 clients. Prior to that, he was Director of Strategic Partnerships at Linkage, Inc., a global leadership development firm, where he was played a unique role of achieving in business development, managing key accounts, designing customized leadership development programs, combined with consulting and co-facilitating workshops. He also served as a Cultural Ambassador to support new hires during the on-boarding process. Demetriouse co-facilitated Inclusive Leadership Workshops with clients from Eastern Bank, United Way Worldwide, United States Airforce, TJX, and NFL. He co-facilitated a “Strategic HR Business Partner” workshop for PAREXEL. He co-facilitated a first of its kind, “Advancing Women in Leadership”,development program for the highest-ranking 30 women at National Financial Partners. He was a co-Team Leader for the 11 most senior women at the Linkage’s Women in Leadership Institute.Prior to his role at Linkage, he was a Director of Corporate Relations and Market Development in Harvard Business School’s Executive Education division where he managed accounts with leading global organizations throughout North America. He also led the Performance Metrics Task Force for the executive education division. Demetriouse also participated in the “Men Advocating Real Change (MARC)” workshop hosted by PAREXEL and facilitated by Catalyst. Prior to his role at Harvard Business School Executive Education, Demetriouse co-Founded the Youth Development Coalition, a non-profit focused on providing educational and athletic enrichment for underexposed youth in the Greater Boston area and Israel. For this groundbreaking initiative, he received a citation from the Honorable Governor Deval Patrick for Outstanding Community Service. Prior to co-Founding the Youth Development Coalition. Demetriouse served as the Director of Private Equity for Progress Investment Management Company with responsibility for a $250 million portfolio of women and minority-owned private equity fund-of-funds investments. Prior to that, Demetriouse served as Market Manager for Fleet Bank where he developed an equity investing for Fleet Development Ventures. Demetriouse led the development and implementation of the Collateral and Technical Assistance Loan Fund (CATA) during his tenure at the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation. He collaborated with the HUD $187 million HUD Demonstration Disposition Program, Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, Massachusetts Economic Investment Corporation and local banks to lead the rehabilitation of inner-city public housing in Greater Boston. CATA made loans to women and minority contractors at a 100% success rate with no losses under his leadership.

For his education, he attended Middlebury College and transferred to Morehouse College where earned a BA in History, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. He attended the London School of Economics during his junior year on a selective Luard Morse Fellowship. He was also a Rhodes Scholar candidate. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Demetriouse has a passion for serving others. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Boston Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. He serves on the UNCF New England Leadership Council. He serves on Eastern Bank’s Business Equity Fund Initiative Investment Committee in collaboration with The Boston Foundation.He has served as a Global Ambassador for the Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association, Steering Committee for the celebration of the African-American Student Union 50-year anniversary. He serves on the Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association Transition Team. He co-Chairs the HBS Section K fundraising committee. He mentors HBS students, prospective HBS students and a 15-year old Kappa Leaguer who is a foster child.

He has been featured in Forbes.com: “The Right Way to be a Mentor,” and in the book, Women, Minorities, & Other Extraordinary People, a New Path for Workforce Diversity byDr. Barbara Adams. He is a repeat guest speaker at West Point on the topic of “Why Value-Based Leadership Matters?” and “To Lead or Not to Lead?”He was selected by National Grid’s Alliance of Black Professionals as the Keynote Speaker on the topic of “How to Build Your Brand that Identifies You as a HIPO?”. He delivered a keynote workshop on the topic of “Why Values-Based Leadership Matters?” to Wellington Management’s SHADES Business Network. He has been a guest on the Basic Black show on WGBH. He blogs on leadership topics, especially as they relate to advancing women, equity, inclusion and belonging.