Tissa Hami is an award-winning performer, speaker, facilitator, and consultant who has been engaged in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion-related work since 2002. Well-known for her groundbreaking work as a female Muslim stand-up comic, Tissa has conducted over 400 performances, speaking engagements, and training programs across the country for an array of clients including corporations, non-profits, and universities.
Prior to her DEI career, Tissa worked on Wall Street, where she was often the “only” in the room – the only woman, person of color, immigrant, or Middle Easterner. She brings this experience and perspective to her work in building inclusive workplaces where all employees belong and can thrive.
Tissa blends her multi-faceted experience in business and in the performing arts in her consulting work, bringing creative DEI solutions to organizations across industries and around the world. Her performance background results in DEI work that is more dynamic, engaging, and accessible than the usual lecture or report. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, medium-sized businesses, non-profits, and universities.
A passionate advocate, Tissa has been a featured speaker at a number of conferences including The Conference Board’s Annual D&I Conference, NEHRA’s Annual D&I Symposium, Harvard University’s Islam in the West Program, and the Ford Foundation’s Difficult Dialogues Program. She has been featured in media worldwide including the PBS documentary Stand Up, ABC's The View, Australia's Dateline, BBC, NPR, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine.
Tissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Brown University and a dual Master of International Affairs from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. She is working toward a better world, one organization at a time.