Meet Dr. Ayanna Cummings | Owner | CEO | Principal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Ayanna Cummings and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Ayanna, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My business was borne of both art and necessity. When I finally incorporated my brand, I was an aspiring DEI internal practitioner with a decade or more of experience as an external DEI Consultant, Researcher, Trainer, and Specialist. I was applying to jobs and going to many interviews, but with my Academic Research & Instructional background, often got overlooked for internal roles in Corporations.

But DEI was in my DNA. In fact, my Father was a Management Consultant and Urban Planner who was very active in our local communities. I also had the fortune of being introduced to a lifelong activism and advocacy career that my mother had as a Chief Judge within the largest Court of general jurisdiction in the State of GA. So advocacy and activism, as well as the art of intellectual exchange & analysis, are in my blood. I knew that my Industrial & Organizational Psychology educational pursuits were best suited for DE&I because we are experts in the art of cultural transformation.

There was one interview in particular that stood out as a pivotal moment in my decision to start my business, Tapestry Consulting. Having already completed contracts as a 1099 Consultant for the seminal Diversification Management consultant of his era, Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, as well as an NYC-based DEI & Leadership Consultancy, Blackbird Leadership, I had not really desired to incorporate because I was already a Solo practitioner. But when I interviewed for a DEI Leadership role and was giving away what I thought were some very dynamic and innovative ideas to the potential employer, I decided enough was enough. And that is when Tapestry Consulting, LLC was born. Of course, I chose Tapestry because it signifies a diversity of fabrics, media, experiences, backgrounds, and talents. I was also inspired by the Maya Angelou quote which says, “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” ― Maya Angelou. That was enough for me to move forward with. I had the full support and sponsorship of my dear mother, and all the encouragement and cheerleading a person could ask for from my dear “Super” older Brother, Khari Cummings, of Warrior Garden and Winner Winner Vegan.

That year I first registered as a new entity with the Secretary of State, 2019, witnessed my very first Annual Roundtable event. The free and open to the public DEI Roundtable, which was sponsored by Thomas, Kennedy. Sampson, & Tompkins, the oldest Minority owned law firm in the State of Georgia, the famous Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Moore Law, LLC, my mother’s law firm which reflects her history as the very first Black woman to be appointed to the Bench of a State Court in the State of Georgia, reflected a renewed sense of optimism and hope for me as an aspiring entrepreneur in the DEI space.

I am now 4 years into the incorporation of my business, and I could not be more proud of what we have achieved thus far. We have grown our revenues by more than doubling our revenues year over year since we incorporated, have achieved multiple honors and awards, including Owner/CEO Dr. Ayanna Cummings being named to the 2021 100 under 50 Executives in Diversity by Diversity MBA Magazine, achieving the 2022 Top DEI Officer Award from Atlanta Business Chronicle, being named among The 10 Most Influential Women in Diversity & Inclusion, 2023, and Tapestry received the Best Diversity,
Equity & Inclusion Consulting Firm 2023 – Southern USA Award by
Corporate Vision. We hosted our first Global virtual DEI Conference event in 2023, attended by DEI Practitioners in Canada, Australia, and all over the United States. And we secured our first Global Consulting Contract with a UK-based firm for the first time. In 2024, Dr. Ayanna will be a part of the NASDAQ Milestone Circles program for Women Entrepreneurs, and we have a host of exciting goals to work toward as a part of that endeavor.

Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this story, and I am excited to share in the journey of entrepreneurship alongside so many talented and capable professionals! May 2024 usher in all your dreams and desires! And may you continue to pursue your passions!

-Ayanna

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Tapestry Consulting, LLC Culture | Community | Connections Beyond Borders

We celebrate our ethos of Culture, Community, and Connections beyond borders. We are a consortium of professionals. We boast a vast collective skill set, including DEI practitioners, organizational development professionals, project management professionals, training and development facilitators, instructional design and technology enthusiasts, legal eagles, international educational and federal contracting experts, learning platform and DEI integrators, communications, marketing and graphic design pros, and a host of educational, organizational and experiential attributes.

We have gotten to our current status by continuing to create and seize opportunities where they arise, collaborating fully with other fellow experts, giving back as much as possible to the communities in which we are engrained, and remaining mindful of our “Why” for being in this business.

While DEI work in itself is certainly not easy, and neither is struggling to make ends meet when cashflow is rather tight, we have remained steadfast in pursuing our product and service offering growth through B2B2C revenue generation techniques.

We have learned that money is not everything and certainly should be no obstacle in creating pathways to our own growth, advancement, & longevity, and that we are what we manifest – that means, when we put in the diligent efforts through hard work, long hours, and networking/collaboration, we are sure to reap the benefit.

We want the world to know that Tapestry Consulting LLC is a brand that values people and community, centering the experiences of the marginalized, oppressed, underserved, and unheard. When we stand up as an entity for others, it is on many tall shoulders that we do so – those who fought and died for the freedoms, liberties, and Ubuntu human dignities that we have generationally come to appreciate and accept as inalienable. We recognize and acknowledge the true history and legacies of American and Global institutions that have enslaved, mistreated, and abused power and privilege, and we strive to erect equitable and inclusive structures through the DEI work we do each day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Sun Dial at Westin Peachtree Plaza The Ferris Wheel & Centennial Olympic Park
Carver Family YMCA
Eat at all the great new Vegan Restaurants including Bar Vegan at night at Ponce City Market
City Winery
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home & The MLK Center
Sweet Auburn Avenue
Edgewood Restaurant District

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This Shoutout is dedicated to my Mother, Teacher, my Friend, Retired Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore of Atlanta, Georgia. I also dedicate this Shoutout to my favorite Cheerleader and “Super”Bro extraordinaire, Master Khari Sekou Cummings, I.

Website: https://tapestrydiversity.com

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ayannacummings

Image Credits
Don Morgan Photography