Consulting
As DEI consultants, we’re in the business of change.
We’re betting you’re ready for change. At Construct the Present, change is what we do through quality DEI consulting. We partner with you to develop your team’s vision for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Then we help you make that vision a reality.
We’ll assess your team’s gaps and facilitate your leaders as they get curious about what change looks like for your organization. Our focus is systemic, sustainable change that results in a diverse team where everyone feels included.
What Clients Say About Us
Elevate Oregon
We knew we needed to take our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the realm of the abstract, "of course we believe in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; we live it daily" to real and concrete actions that will allow us to keep our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the heart of our work. [Construct the Present’s] work with our staff, youth, and Board was phenomenal and helped people lean into the work and feel confident in the direction that we are going, seeing how this work, even if uncomfortable, will help Elevate Oregon thrive.
Multnomah County
We hired Construct the Present to help our managers and supervisors explore the concepts of whiteness in supervision and white supremacy culture in the workplace. They listened carefully to our needs, and developed a curriculum that was engaging, thought provoking and informative. Our managers commented that this was one of the best equity trainings they've been exposed to as a supervisor, and helped set them at ease with such a heavy topic. I would gladly engage with Construct the Present for future training initiatives!
ARQ
Construct the Present did an amazing job working to ensure that our team arrived at the same baseline understanding of important DEI issues through a mix of head and heart experiences and trainings. Since consulting with CTP, it has become common practice for team members at ARQ to confidently bring up the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion as it relates to almost any department, issue, or initiative. We recognize that DEI work will be a continuous and essential effort, and we are very happy to now have more knowledge and frameworks for continuing this important work at ARQ. Thank you to the CTP team!
Portland Trail Blazers
Construct the Present has an exceptional ability to hold space for large, complex conversations. Their team facilitated an engaging and honest session with over 100 of our staff, creating an environment where people felt both challenged and supported. Their skill in navigating difficult topics with clarity and care is unmatched.
Travel Portland
As a Black femme-led organization, working with Construct The Present felt deeply aligned—not just in terms of shared values, but in how they actually showed up in the work. That alignment brought a level of authenticity and understanding that made a real difference in how the training was facilitated and how our team engaged.
Our team of diversity consultants are here to help you:
Identify gaps in communication and understanding.
Recognize key areas for improvement.
Identify and understand root causes of disengagement and discrimination.
Strategically remove barriers to inclusion and equity.
Give a platform to voices that may have gone unheard.
Build a community that respects and values
its members.
Our DEI consulting services include:
Workshops
Our DEI workshops are designed to facilitate learning, experimentation, and connection. Broken out into three 90-minute sessions, they can be completed in a single day or spaced out. If you don’t see a workshop that suits your needs, we’ll design custom learning objectives to highlight your team’s specific challenges and learning edges.
Keynotes
Our expert DEI consultants engage even the most skeptical audiences, helping people feel comfortable and confident when it comes to engaging with DEI topics, reflecting on their personal biases, and opening their minds and perspectives on the systems of inequity. Our gifted keynote speakers have years of experience broaching the subjects of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Equity Audits
We offer a trademarked equity audit process that measures 10 domains and assesses organizational performance, identifies strengths and weaknesses, provides recommendations, best practices, policy design, staff training and development, and tracks the outcome of improvement. For ongoing success, your assessment will be revisited and catalogued every 2 years to review progress and create reports to share wins with customers, clients, and stakeholders. We’ll also collaborate with your HR team to capture DEI data during the onboarding of all future hires.
Social Impact Programs
Our newest social impact program is tailor-made for small businesses and nonprofits searching for scalable, efficient, cost-effective DEI consulting. We provide tools such as our Facilitator Guide Workbook and Constructing Perspectives Journal to engage your team members with topics, prompts, and activities. Through our “Train the Trainer” model, we partner with you to find training facilitators in your organization. During a 90-minute training session, they will learn our approach to learning principles and walk them through best practices.
What sets our DEI consulting services apart?
We create a comfortable environment where people are ready to learn
With a combined 30 years of experience in DEI consulting, we don’t give lectures, force conversations, or judge. Our workshops, trainings, keynotes, and other services are designed to help people learn and grow, one step at a time. We understand that learning grinds to a halt when people feel forced, attacked, or rushed.
We use sophisticated educational strategies
We’re education experts. We utilize adult learning theory to facilitate our workshops. We understand the ways adults respond best to education, such as finding internal motivation for learning or applying new ideas to real-life situations. This learning method helps the training and workshops have a more meaningful impact on your team members as they engage in self-reflection.
We build strong teams
We design systems with intention based on the needs of all involved. We practice organizational development as a path to building strong teams, fostering great leadership, improving processes and, ultimately, changing company culture. If you don’t see a specific workshop that suits your needs, tell us your desired outcomes and we’ll design learning objectives to suit your needs.
We Also Specialize in DEI Training For:
Frequently Asked Questions About Our DEI Consulting:
What does a DEI consultant do?
With 30 years of experience in the industry, we help nonprofits, government agencies, and private companies across the nation construct environments where all voices are recognized and respected. DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our talented team utilizes our lived experiences and professional expertise to help organizations become stronger and more resilient using tried-and-true learning strategies.
How do we measure the effectiveness of our training?
Systematic measurement drives our approach to DEI consulting effectiveness. Through pre- and post-training questionnaires, we capture measurable shifts in employee awareness and engagement levels. But our assessment doesn’t stop there. The comprehensive equity audits we conduct delve deep, incorporating individual interviews with team members, facilitating focused group discussions, distributing targeted questionnaires to both staff and leadership, analyzing organizational documentation, and employing multiple additional evaluation techniques. This multi-faceted approach ensures we understand the true impact of our DEI consulting across your organization.
Why is DEI consulting important for organizations?
Today’s most innovative workplaces benefit from something powerful: the rich tapestry of perspectives that comes with diverse teams. When people from varied backgrounds, cultures, and viewpoints collaborate, organizations thrive – but only when each talented individual receives equal access to advancement opportunities, professional networks, and essential resources. DEI consulting provides the framework for this success. Beyond understanding differences, you’ll develop practical strategies that empower every employee to contribute meaningfully, step into leadership roles, and exercise professional agency within your organization.
How do I choose the right DEI consulting firm?
Take your time to look for consultants that have experience in the industry, are open and transparent about their proven methodologies, and have a collaborative, non-judgmental approach to learning. Moreover, it’s crucial that they offer options that enable them to tailor their strategies to your organization’s desired outcomes and goals. If you are a small business or non-profit, you’ll also want to look into whether the DEI consultants you’re considering offer scalable social impact programs that are efficient and cost-effective.
How much should we budget for DEI services?
No organization or process is the same. We suggest scheduling a call to talk through your specific contact and plan. However, on average our clients use their professional development and training budgets and integrate DEI and culture change work into their budgets on an annual basis.
We recommend a minimum investment of 5% of your operating budget. So if you are an organization with an operating budget of $500,000, we suggest investing a minimum $25,000 for equity assessment, professional development, coaching, and training for your organization.
What designations does Construct the Present hold?
Construct the present is a Black, woman owned, Bcorp, and a values driven company. Learn more about our founder and team here.
How can I get in contact with you?
We can be reached via our contact page or email
Check out our LinkedIn and Instagram to stay in the loop on CTP news.
Where are you based?
We are based in Portland, Oregon and operate in Pacific Time. We offer virtual and in-person options for our services and travel regularly to meet client needs.
What are your rates?
Our consulting rates vary based on factors such as project scope, company size and type.
DEI Training
We ask that clients commit to improving diversity, equity and inclusion for the long term, so we do not generally offer single, one-time trainings.
Our training starts at $8,000 for 3 sessions.
Equity Audits
Equity audits are essential foundations for sustainable long-term diversity, equity and inclusion work. Equity audits generally take between 4-6 months to complete and start at $24,000.
Strategic Implementation Retainer Services
With our strategic implementation services, we partner with your team to perform the DEI services your team needs most. This can include creating your equity team, building capacity for your equity team, evaluating your organization’s DEI performance, executive coaching and more. Strategic implementation services start at $5,000 per month with an annual contract.
Book a call to learn more about our services.
Construct the Present works to be accessible to organizations of all types; ask about our nonprofit and government rates.
What is a B Corp?
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Learn more about B Corporations here.
Ready to get started?
Looking for more information or unsure which program is right for your organization? Our team is available to answer questions and help identify the best path forward.
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