Meet Naima Greenwood | President & Chief Operating Officer, Yardstick Management

We had the good fortune of connecting with Naima Greenwood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Naima, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
In 2021 alone, Yardstick Management grew its employee base by 42% and impacted over 2,600,000 employees across global corporate, non-profit, and educational organizations including, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, Netflix, MIT, Orangetheory Fitness, PLBY Group Inc., Davita Kidney Care, Whirlpool, Roark Capital, and more. In fact, Netflix poured $100M into Black banks during 2020’s social justice protests with the help of Yardstick. When it comes to making long-lasting transformational changes at organizations that lead our world, Yardstick Management prides its success on purposefully leading by example and practicing what we teach. Rather than being known for helping corporate leadership challenge the “status quo,” The firm believes this type of strategic thinking should be an integral part of a business’ DNA. By connecting industry-leading companies to underrepresented minorities to impact culture, diversity and belonging in workplaces, the firm is transforming the way businesses think about policies and procedures through a DEI lens.

What should our readers know about your business?
Yardstick Management is the nation’s leading black-owned management consulting firm. Simply put we exist to level the playing field for marginalized communities. At Yardstick, we are most proud of the impact we have have had transforming some of the nation’s leading organizations, diversifying C-suites and Corporate board appointments, and placing some of the most talented Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, and Women leaders at companies such as Netflix, Amazon, to name a few. We celebrate 10 years this year, and it certainly wasn’t an easy feat. In the earlier years we were scrappy and as a black-owned business we had to work exceedingly harder to prove ourselves. There were many No’s and closed doors, but we were resilient and persevered. It is my dream that Yardstick Management will serve as an example to the next generation of entrepreneurs who want to do well while doing good meaningful work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am always game for a good time! We are headquartered in Atlanta, Ga with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Brunswick, GA. Atlanta is such an eclectic city rich with history and amazing sites. If my bestie were coming to town here are a few of my personal favorites:

Day 1: A trip to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and Dinner at one of my favorite Caribbean restaurants Negril Village
Day 2: Visit the The King Center and Dr. Martin Luther King’s Home, Dinner and Libations at Rocksteady it’s a vibe
Day 3: A day at the Georgia Aquarium which is the largest aquarium in the US, it’s a treat for folks of all ages.
Day 4: No trip to Atlanta is complete without venturing to the World of Coke and CNN Center.
Day 5: We’d probably top off our trip with a spa day, one of my favorite black-owned in the area is the Iwi Day spa.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shout out the Villages of Carver YMCA located here in Atlanta, GA. I have had the privilege of sitting on the board for the past year and it has been nothing short of amazing. Our Y serves such a critical role in the community, we are a safe haven for the neighborhood youth and ensure that they get needed enrichment and other vital needs. As a parent, it is critically important no child goes to bed hungry or with basic needs. My role as board member is to fundraise and personally fill the financial gap that our Y needs to provide meals, scholarships, and all that is needed to maintain operations. Being a servant leader to my community has been one of my greatest accomplishments, and I am fortunate to have this privilege.

Website: https://yardstickmanagement.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naimagreenwoodmba/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwn-DZXpOiOqvRRuur061YQ