Rosa J. Nuñez
Rosa J. Núñez is the Founder and CEO of Inclusion Forward Group™ (IFG), launched in October 2025, a leadership and culture consultancy dedicated to helping organizations embed inclusion, belonging, and human-centered leadership into the way they operate, lead, and grow. Through executive coaching, leadership development, training, and strategic DEI consulting, IFG partners with leaders to strengthen culture, align people strategies with business goals, and build workplaces where performance and belonging reinforce one another.
Rosa’s work centers on shifting inclusion from a compliance-driven effort to a measurable driver of leadership excellence, employee engagement, and organizational results. Her approach is practical and outcomes-focused: helping organizations design strategies, policies, and programs that translate values into everyday behaviors—what leaders say, how decisions get made, and how talent is supported to thrive.
Her leadership philosophy is rooted in kindness, empathy, and integrity. Rosa is known for meeting people where they are, listening deeply, and leading with the belief that culture change happens when individuals feel seen, valued, and empowered. She emphasizes human-centered leadership—treating people how they want to be treated—while maintaining the clarity and accountability required to deliver real, sustained impact.
With 15+ years in the field, Rosa brings expertise across DEI strategy, organizational culture transformation, change management, executive coaching, leadership development, and talent pipeline development. She began her DEI career at Accenture, where she spent over a decade in global roles spanning learning, analytics, and strategy. She later held senior roles at Omnicom Media Group and BCW Global, and went on to serve six years as Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Boston-based law firm Foley Hoag, where she built an award-winning, nationally recognized DEI program.
Beyond her professional work, Rosa is deeply grounded in family and community. She is a proud mother of two sons (ages 21 and 16), loves cooking—especially when it brings her family together—and adores her two dogs. She treasures time with loved ones and is passionate about travel, which she sees as a continual source of inspiration and a doorway to understanding different cultures and perspectives.
Rosa’s leadership has been recognized by the 2025 ALX Top 100 Most Influential Latinos in Massachusetts, DiversityGlobal Magazine’s Top 15 Influential Women in Diversity, and Women We Admire’s Top 50 Chief Diversity Officers. For Rosa, however, the true measure of success is the tangible impact she creates—helping leaders grow, cultures shift, and organizations thrive through inclusion and human-centered leadership.
• Certified Leadership Coach, Speaker and Trainer
• Fordham University - BA, Arts Management, Minor in Business Administration
• The 10 Most Influential D&I Leaders to Follow In 2023 and 2025
• INROADS
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a blend of resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to continual learning. Living the principles of inclusion has shown me that empathy and collaboration aren’t just values—they’re leadership strengths that unlock trust, performance, and belonging. I approach challenges with a solution-first mindset, looking for the lesson, the opening, and the path forward—often turning “no” into a catalyst for better possibilities. Along the way, I’ve built strong, authentic networks and treated every experience as an opportunity to grow. Above all, I strive to lead with integrity, humanity, and service—values that guide my decisions, shape how I show up for others, and anchor the impact I work to create.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from a former boss who reminded me that some days will feel like a victory—and others will test you in every way. Regardless of what happens, your job is to get up the next day and show up as if you’re winning: steady, prepared, and confident, without letting setbacks define your presence. That mindset has stayed with me because it reinforces something I believe deeply—resilience is built through consistency. You keep moving, you keep learning, and you keep leading, even when the moment is hard. Over time, that discipline becomes your strength—and it’s often what separates people who stall from people who rise.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay open-minded and flexible—success is rarely linear. Be willing to say yes to opportunities that may not look like your end goal at first; they often become the experiences, relationships, and skills that move you forward faster than the “perfect” path. And when setbacks happen, treat them as information, not identity: regroup, learn what you can, and return with resilience and renewed clarity.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in the DEI and leadership space today is navigating a polarized climate—and the misinformation that often fuels confusion, division, and resistance. In that environment, inclusion work can be misunderstood or reduced to soundbites, which makes it even more important to lead with clarity, credibility, and trust.
At the same time, this moment creates a powerful opportunity: to re-ground the conversation in shared goals, strengthen leaders’ ability to communicate with nuance, and build cultures where people can engage in honest, fact-based dialogue with respect. Inclusive leadership becomes less about slogans and more about skill—how we listen, how we make decisions, how we manage tension, and how we create workplaces where people feel informed, supported, and empowered to contribute at their best.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me—both professionally and personally—are honesty, hard work, loyalty, determination, kindness, and understanding. I aim to under-promise and over-deliver, bringing integrity, accountability, and a commitment to excellence to every opportunity. These principles shape how I lead and build relationships: with trust, consistency, and care. At the heart of it, I want people to feel respected, supported, and empowered to do their best work—and to succeed in ways that are meaningful to them.