Katherine Giscombe, PhD
Katherine Giscombe, PhD, designed and directed solutions-based change initiatives with Catalyst Supporter organizations. With a long history at Catalyst and in the corporate world, she helped others use Catalyst knowledge as they created business-driven diversity and inclusion initiatives. She led Catalyst’s groundbreaking study, Women of Color in Corporate Management: Opportunities and Barriers, and several subsequent in-depth research projects on diverse women. Drawing from this unique background, Katherine infused her work with an “insider/outsider” perspective.
Katherine has extensive corporate work experience, having supported marketing and new product development at a variety of Fortune 500 companies. She is a highly effective speaker, workshop leader, having been interviewed by National Public Radio, CNN-FN, CBS Radio, the Boston Globe, and ARISE News among others. Katherine was selected by The Network Journal as one of “25 Influential Black Women in Business” in 2005, received the 2007 “Legacy of Leadership” award from Spelman College Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, and was named by Profiles in Diversity Journal as a “Woman Worth Watching” in 2009. She is currently on the Advisory Board for Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange, a nonprofit organization that builds and bridges social capital among women of diverse cultures.
Katherine has a PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan and trained at the Institute for Social Research, the world’s largest academic social science survey and research organization.
Katherine's Latest Work
Intersectionality of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity at Work (Webinar Recording)
Understand intersecting dimensions of diversity, and learn about tools and tips for organizations to harness employee potential.
Optimizing Mentoring Programs for Women of Color (Tool)
This tool provides assistance in developing new or refocusing existing mentoring programs on diverse women.
Navigating Organizational Cultures: A Guide for Diverse Women and Their Managers (Report)
Diversity and inclusion programs have been in place in organizations for some time, these programs have not been completely successful at eliminating bias.
Building Trust Between Managers & Diverse Women Direct Reports: Recommendations for HR, Managers, and Individuals (Tool)
This tool can help you leverage diverse working relationships within your organization.
Building Trust Between Managers and Diverse Women Direct Reports (Report)
Trust between managers and direct reports is essential to forming productive workplace relationships.
Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities – Diversity & Inclusion Practices (Report)
This report explores how visible minority women and men perceive their career advancement and development in corporate Canada.
Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities – Workplace Fit and Stereotyping (Report)
This report examines how well visible minorities felt they fit into the work environment in corporate Canada.
Women of Color in Accounting (Report)
This report benchmarks the experiences of women of color against other demographic groups in accounting.