Chandra Guinn is a JEDI professional whose curiosity and creativity stoke a love for life and learning and a passion for liberatory racial consciousness. Standing at the intersection of sociology, education, business, and advocacy, she brings over two decades of experience to her role as Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at McKinney, a full-service creative advertising agency.

Chandra’s professional journey bridges academia and industry through an equity-first lens that translates cultural insights into business advantages. With her pivot into advertising, she has sought to seize every opportunity to make an impact, including speaking engagements at the World Woman Foundation in Davos, the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, and the Friday Forum at VCU Brandcenter.. Chandra serves on the ANA Multicultural & Inclusive Marketing Committee, moderates panels for advertising industry events, including The One Club’s “Where Are All The Black People?”, and has facilitated workshops for the 3% Movement.  Additionally, Chandra has served as a judge for the Anthem Awards and Shorty Impact Awards.

Prior to McKinney, she directed the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture at Duke University for 15+ years and worked at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Institute of African American Research and the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. Chandra is an award-winning educator who has taught at Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Durham Technical Community College, and the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women.  She holds a BA in Sociology from Bucknell and an MA from UNC-Chapel Hill. A native Mississippian, she lives in North Carolina’s Research Triangle and enjoys curated events, cultural travel, motivational speaking, and design. She currently serves as secretary of the Board of Directors for the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice.  In all of her work, she seeks to embody Pauli Murray’s wisdom: “Always the Dream is the same. Always the Dream is Freedom.”