Malika Hodge, a Bronx-born, Garifuna-descended Caribbean Black woman, believes that planning must be co-created with those most impacted, not imposed upon them. A certified mediator, executive coach, public health expert, and dynamic facilitator, she’s known for “shaking the room by forcing people to shake themselves”—challenging assumptions, expanding worldviews, and igniting possibilities.

With over 15 years partnering with 300+ organizations, she bridges board members, executive leaders, frontline workers, and the communities they serve—strengthening the service ecosystem, dismantling the nonprofit industrial complex, and giving power to those inside and outside organizations who are structurally disenfranchised. She treats empowerment as an ongoing practice: sharing knowledge, inviting experimentation, and accepting leadership from those closest to the fire. Central to her approach is opening up the strategic planning process itself—transforming it into a powerful first step for equity and capacity-building, where the skills, voices, and vision of all stakeholders shape the future.

Grounded in her heritage and driven by a vision of global liberation, Malika reframes organizational culture as a core social determinant of health, where workforce justice, shared leadership, and community accountability are essential to collective and individual well-being.