Diaz Inclusion Consulting 

Rebekah Diaz, Principal

A Certified Diversity Executive candidate with training in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, Founder and Principal Consultant Rebekah Diaz has a deep knowledge of the specific Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) needs of non-profit arts and cultural institutions. Her multifaceted career in the performing arts industry provides a unique understanding of the needs of cultural institutions, audiences, teams, and creatives. A leader in the non-profit arts and culture sector, she fosters actionable change by creating accessible platforms for individuals of all backgrounds.

An accomplished non-profit executive, educator, community programmer, and performing artist, Rebekah is also the Manager of Community Engagement and IDEA Initiatives for Pittsburgh Opera. Previously, she was the Interim Executive Director of Magic City Opera, the Director of Education and Community Engagement at Florida Grand Opera, and a member of the voice faculty at New World School of the Arts and Florida International University.

Rebekah conceived and implemented the groundbreaking Cadenza program, creating pathways toward therapeutic betterment for human trafficking victims through exposure to opera. She is also a co-creator of Pittsburgh Arts Administrators of Color, a regional professional development platform. A leading arts entrepreneur, Rebekah won a position in the prestigious OPERA America Women’s Opera Network mentorship program where she apprenticed with renowned agent Ana de Archuleta. In 2018, her efforts were recognized internationally as an educational finalist in the annual International Opera Awards. Additional project highlights include the creation of a youth opera academy; an unprecedented literacy-building collaboration with Disney/Pixar to create custom operatic animations; and arranging, producing, directing, and designing five fully-staged “traveling operas” for students.

Intimately familiar with the unique demands of being a performing artist, Rebekah’s career as a soprano spanned numerous musical genres across the opera, musical theater, zarzuela, and concert stages. She holds degrees in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music and Carnegie Mellon University.

Rebekah's goal is to continue impacting the national landscape by initiating guidelines for positive change and guiding organizations towards the creation of more equitable environments. Her work at Diaz Inclusion Consulting focuses on steering cultural institutions on a path towards realizing their true EDI potential and impact through individual and group workshops; board, staff, and audience audits; mission statement direction; internal structure support; and EDI program development and creation.

Carlton Ford, Managing Director

Carlton Ford (he/him) brings over 15 years of nonprofit arts leadership experience to his role as Managing Director and Consultant at Diaz Inclusion Consulting. Carlton offers a multifaceted perspective from his work across the public and private sectors, with a keen focus on performing arts and cultural institutions. 

Having secured over $30 million in funding for arts/culture and social change organizations, including Interlochen Center for the Arts, Adrienne Arsht Center, Florida Grand Opera, and Taproot Foundation, Carlton specializes in consensus-building, fundraising, leadership coaching, board development, and strategic planning to bring the tenets of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) to life for organizations, teams, and individuals.

Named one of Miami's 40 Under 40 Black Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (2016), Carlton is an active thought leader, with select pieces including the Miami Herald Op-Ed Careless labels like 'underserved' ignore the richness, diversity among Blacks, the DonorSearch Philanthropy Masterminds podcast episode, The Inheritance and The Gift: A Conversation with Carlton Ford, and Check Your Labels: Race, Identity, and Power in Grant Writing with Grants Plus.

As a former opera singer, Carlton enjoyed an international career including venues like Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, the Berlin Philharmonic, and Emmy and Oscar-nominated projects. He is a founding member of Victory Hall Opera and holds degrees from Rice University and The Juilliard School, and a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida. 

Carlton currently serves as a Blue Mentor for New World Symphony, guiding and advising alumni Fellows on their entrepreneurial projects. He also sits on the boards of Chamber Music America and Miami’s Nu Deco Ensemble, where he is Board Chair.

Learn more about Diaz Inclusion Consulting at https://www.diazinclusion.com/.