Nzinga Shaw

Global Chief Inclusion Diversity Officer, Starbucks

Nickname­­­­­­­­: Zing

My first job was at ESSENCE magazine, where I was employed as the Human Resources Coordinator soon after I graduated from Spelman College.

My big break came when I became the first-ever chief diversity inclusion officer in the National Basketball Association representing the Atlanta Hawks franchise.

As an African American woman who landed this ground-breaking, C-level role at the age of 35, I became a thought leader in the diversity inclusion space at a time when it was (and still is) critically important in sports organizations and corporate America, more broadly.

This professional opportunity put me on the map as a national leader in diversity inclusion and crisis management.

Portraits of Power is a yearlong series of candid insights from exceptional women leaders.