Estelle Acquah

Estelle Acquah Speaking Topics

• Holding the Mic: Awareness, Power & Practice for Facilitators and Non-Facilitators Alike

  Facilitation isn’t just about following an agenda—it’s about fostering connection, guiding engagement, and creating spaces where diverse voices and ideas can thrive. It requires navigating power, privilege, and group dynamics with intentionality, ensuring that every meeting, training, and discussion is an opportunity to operationalize equity. Yet, many organizations struggle to translate their values into everyday practice. This interactive session is designed for those who may not always see themselves as facilitators but often find themselves in the role—as well as advanced facilitators looking to deepen their impact. You’ll explore what it means to facilitate with awareness, presence, and authenticity, understanding how your unique style, identity, and positionality influence group interactions. We’ll also examine facilitation as a tool for embedding equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) into organizational culture—helping you move from intention to action in the spaces you lead.

  Join to:

  • Strengthen personal facilitation awareness and presence to foster deeper connection and engagement.
  • Explore the role of power, privilege, and positionality in facilitation and develop strategies to navigate group dynamics for more equitable and inclusive spaces.
  • Identify and define your core facilitator values, recognizing how they shape your approach to holding space and guiding conversations.
  • See facilitation as an essential lever for EDIB, with practical strategies to ensure that equity is not just an aspiration but an integral part of how teams and communities work together.

• Parenting at the Intersection of Race and Neurodivergence: Advocacy, Access, and Joy

  Parenting a neurodivergent child is a journey filled with love, learning, and advocacy—but for Black and Brown caregivers, the road is often layered with additional barriers. From delayed diagnoses and cultural stigma to schools that weren’t designed for our children, families raising neurodivergent children of color navigate a system that too often fails to see their full potential. This powerful and engaging session explores the unique challenges and opportunities at the intersection of race and neurodivergence. We will unpack the ways in which bias in education, healthcare, and public policy impacts neurodivergent children of color and why we must move beyond a special education framework into an accessible education paradigm that sees all children as capable, whole, and worthy of thriving spaces. More than just a discussion, this is a call to action for parents and caregivers—offering both insight and concrete strategies to advocate for their children, push for systemic change, and build community with other families on similar journeys.

  Attendee Takeaways:

  • Understand the unique barriers faced by neurodivergent children of color. – Explore how racial bias, misdiagnosis, and lack of culturally responsive support impact access to care and education.
  • Reframe the education conversation and shift from a special education mindset to an accessible education approach, where the burden is not on children to "fit" into rigid systems but on systems to adapt to them. -Transform your mindset from surviving to thriving. Move beyond simply managing your child’s education and care and discover ways to embrace their strengths, celebrate their identity, and reimagine success on their terms.

  This session is designed for parents, caregivers, educators, and advocates who are committed to rethinking how we support neurodivergent children of color. Whether you’re fighting for a better IEP, searching for culturally affirming therapies, or simply looking for a community that understands, this conversation will offer both clarity and empowerment for the road ahead. It’s time to shift the paradigm. Our children deserve more. Let’s build it together.

From Self to Collective: Building Intentional Teams for Equity & Impact

How do we show up as our fullest selves while strengthening the collective? This interactive session explores the deep connection between self-awareness, team dynamics, and equity-driven leadership. Through storytelling, reflection, and group exercises, participants understand how their personal and professional journeys define their leadership stances, and uncover how their unique strengths can contribute to collective transformation.

Attendee Takeaways:

• Strengthen self-awareness by mapping pivotal life moments and reflecting on their impact.
• Explore leadership stances and how they influence decision-making, conflict resolution, and team contributions.
• Navigate power, privilege, and identity within group dynamics to create more equitable and effective teams.

Whether you are a leader, facilitator, or team member navigating change, this session will provide practical strategies and reflective tools to enhance team cohesion, operationalize equity, and build a culture of trust and shared purpose.

Are you ready to move from individual insight to collective action? Join us to uncover your strengths, refine your leadership stance, and co-create a more inclusive and effective team culture