Sherika Ekpo
On LinkedIn
Operating Partner
Sherika is a diversity, equity and inclusion leader with nearly 20 years of experience in strategic human capital consulting and management. She designs and executes strategies that contribute to an organization’s bottom line.
History
Over the course of her career, Sherika has led HR strategies and operations for organizations across industries and sectors. Prior to joining Blackford in 2022, she worked for Anaplan as the company’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, where she designed and operationalized the organization’s DE&I strategy. Before that, she was the Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead for the Research and Artificial Intelligence teams at Google where she expanded outreach and mentorship programs to underrepresented communities and talent to bring more women and people of color into data science.
Earlier in her career, she led labor relations, people operations and talent acquisition for several government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United States Digital Service, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She began her career in finance at JPMorgan as a business analyst before joining General Electric as an HR specialist. Sherika is also an educator and served as a career advisor and adjunct professor at the university level.
Education
MBA University of Maryland
B.S Howard University
Affiliations & Community Service
Sherika is a community builder and a passionate advocate for women and people of color. She has been recognized with several professional, civic and community awards for her work and contributions in these areas.