Cindu Thomas-George is an inclusion and belonging practitioner specializing in inclusive leadership and workplace communication with over 20 years of experience helping organizations drive transformational culture change and organizational effectiveness, especially during moments of change, conflict, and complexity.

As the Founder and Principal Trainer of Shakti Training, she specializes in designing and leading actionable professional development experiences that foster inclusion, communication competence, intercultural intelligence, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness. Her approach blends evidence-based theory with real-world application, helping leaders and

employees at all levels of the organization communicate in ways that drive results while honoring dignity and belonging. Over the course of more than two decades, she has developed a mastery of creating and facilitating learning experiences that empower individuals to become agents of change and catalysts of inclusion.

Cindu is also an award-winning, tenured Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the College of Lake County (CLC), where she specializes in intercultural communication, public speaking, and online learning. Recognized with the 2017 NISOD Teaching Excellence Award, she is a nationally respected educator who has presented at numerous academic conferences and partners with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School for Nonprofit Management on the topic of inclusive leadership. Additionally, Cindu is a nationally recognized public speaker and a member of the Comadres Speakers Collaborative.

Her passion and commitment to inclusion extends beyond her career. Cindu is deeply engaged in volunteerism and community-building efforts that advance racial and gender equality. In addition to co-founding the Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator, she is the Founder of both the South Asian Solidarity Movement and the Women of Color Employee Resource Group at the College of Lake County.