MindMarks
TRAININGS OFFERED
All the courses described below are offered virtually or in person and can be designed to run anywhere from one to three hours. Courses with an asterisk (*) will also be offered as self-paced videos via our upcoming online training platform. The content of all live courses can be customized to fit client needs. Click on "read more" for a summary. Click on the title of the course for a full, detailed description.
I. BENCHMARK: BIAS AWARENESS AND MITIGATION
Broadly speaking, group-based bias involves varying degrees of stereotyping (exaggerated beliefs about others), prejudice (dis/liking others), and/or discrimination (unequal treatment of others) that occur above or below conscious awareness. Scholars have labeled the subconscious form of group-based bias as implicit bias. This provocative and highly interactive presentation will describe the science behind the causes and consequences of implicit bias and its impact on individuals and organizational outcomes. Practical strategies for identifying, managing, and potentially mitigating implicit bias will also be offered. This is the foundation course highly recommended to be taken prior to other courses, whether provided by MindMarks or another entity.
This solutions-based workshop is a follow-up to MindMarks’ IB 101 or an equivalent training/course taken by attendees. It is designed to reduce the impact of bias on the experiences, opportunities, and outcomes of employees and the communities or customers they serve. The training begins with reflections on the homework given in IB 101 and a few recommended next actions. The session will then detail how organizations can identify, manage, and possibly reduce organizational biases—biases held by a significant number or powerful minority of current or past employees that influence the employee or customer experience in an unequal manner. Solutions will be highlighted through adjustments to behaviors, practices, and policies. Attendees will be provided descriptions and examples of how to implement six evidence-based, bias-reducing practices best (these are the strategies fleshed out in the Bias Mitigation Series).
As part of their Brake Your Bias curriculum, Dr. Marks and the MindMarks team have developed a deep-dive, 6-part training series to provide participants with a step-by-step process toward bias management and reduction. If executed properly, the strategies taught in this series will likely enhance participants’ ability to deliver quality experiences, services, and products to employees, customers, and stakeholders. The six sessions can be spread across several days, back-to-back, weeks, or months. This is a virtual series, although exceptions for in-person delivery can be discussed. This series is exclusively taught by Dr. Marks, who will answer questions and address specific cases presented by attendees as time permits. This series has more of a group-coaching than formal presentation feel to it and will allow attendees to pilot strategies, receive feedback, and adjust as needed.
This research-informed “Fundamentals of DEI” session equips individuals and teams with a shared language, the business, mission, and moral cases for DEI, and practical skills to spot and interrupt bias at the interpersonal and systems levels. Participants learn what diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging actually mean in day-to-day decisions (hiring, promotion, service delivery, client care), how unconscious processes shape behavior under time/attention pressure, and how small behavioral changes compound into better and more fair outcomes for employees and the customers, clients, and citizens they serve. The workshop blends brief lectures with interactive polls, case scenarios, and action planning so every attendee leaves with three concrete commitments and a measurement plan to track progress over the next 90 days.
II. SHIFTMARK: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In addition to addressing organizational bias, it is very important for individuals to identify, accept, manage, or mitigate their personal biases. Although individual bias may not become systemic or part of an organization’s culture, it can affect subsets of employees, customers, and community members depending on one’s role in society (e.g., motorists stopped by a biased police officer or students of a biased teacher). This workshop will challenge individuals to explore the origins of various personal biases, their potential impact on personal and professional lives, and five evidence-based practices for managing or mitigating those biases. Participants will be given several homework exercises and lists of resources for deeper exploration following the workshop.
This interactive training reveals the powerful role empathy plays in transforming workplace culture. Participants explore the two core forms of empathy—cognitive (understanding others’ perspectives) and emotional (feeling what others feel)—through engaging discussions, real-life scenarios, and science-based assessments that measure their personal empathy levels. Framed as an innate superpower that we all possess, this session demonstrates how empathy enhances leadership, fosters deeper employee connections, and mitigates various biases. By making the invisible visible, this training empowers participants to identify blind spots, improve communication, and foster trust across differences that divide organizations. Rooted in the belief that empathy is not weakness but a form of wisdom, this experience inspires change from the inside out.
This engaging and evidence-based training helps employees understand and adopt a growth mindset—the belief that intelligence, behavior, and perspectives can evolve through effort, feedback, and reflection. By exploring the science of neuroplasticity and human development, participants learn how they, as well as others, are capable of meaningful change. Through interactive exercises, storytelling, and self-assessments, the session highlights the influence of language, expectations, and workplace culture on personal and professional growth and development. Special focus is placed on how adopting a growth mindset reduces unconscious bias, improves team dynamics, and supports more inclusive decision-making. Participants will leave equipped with practical tools to manage challenges, give and receive constructive feedback, and reframe mistakes as opportunities for learning. This training invites employees to face, embrace, and lead change, starting from within.
Although race and racism are terms that have become part of the American vernacular, these concepts have not always existed as we understand them today. The 'History of Race and Racism' training will provide clear definitions of race and racism, along with several related concepts. The session will also explore the origins of humanity and civilization from a global perspective, as well as the role of race throughout U.S. history. Additionally, various contexts will be discussed to help participants better understand the origins and modern expressions of race and race-based bias, along with strategies to reduce racism.
III. LEADMARK: LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Microaggressions are described as forms of discrimination characterized by small-scale, everyday verbal and nonverbal behaviors that demean other social groups or individual members of those groups (Sue, 2010). In this training portion, national diversity expert Dr. Bryant T. Marks will discuss three critical forms of microaggressions and provide a detailed description, along with examples, of how to implement four promising practices for managing and reducing microaggressions. Allies are individuals who themselves are not targets of bias but are motivated to actively combat social injustice and support stigmatized groups, including confronting prejudice when it occurs (Brown & Ostrove, 2013; Ashburn-Nardo, 2018). This workshop focuses on defining the different types and characteristics of trusted allies and provides techniques for confronting effective ally bias.
It is in the best interest of organizations and companies to hire and retain high-performing individuals for as long as possible. However, human performance is influenced by many factors, including feeling supported, valued, and respected; being recognized and rewarded for good work; working under transparent and fair processes; and receiving consistent, constructive, and actionable feedback. Although scientific research overwhelmingly suggests that some form of bias likely exists in every organization, there have been significant efforts to reduce or eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities designed to mitigate workplace bias. Such reductions leave boards, leaders, and team members ill-equipped to effectively manage interpersonal and intergroup employee relations. In addition to defining and justifying the need for DEI, this four-part series offers specific guidance on what to say and do when bias occurs during the four key phases of the employee life cycle: 1. Hiring: job description, ad placement, recruitment strategies, resume review, interview, “fit”, selection, offers and negotiations, and onboarding. 2. Talent Development: mentoring, assignments and opportunities, feedback, performance evaluations 3. Promotion: clear criteria/processes, succession planning and “grooming”, and diversifying leadership 4. Exit: bias-related retirement, resigning or termination; exit interviews; and who leaves and why. Strategies employed in each phase will enhance workplace culture, improve customer service and productivity, and increase employee retention. A unique feature of the series is that the trainings are related but separate. Each training can be taken individually, in combination with one or two others, or as part of the full series. This series is strongly recommended for human resources personnel, supervisors, managers, team leaders, and anyone else involved in hiring and managing employees.
This 4-part advanced training series is designed for leaders and executives who are ready to deepen their understanding of how bias shapes leadership and decision-making. Participants will explore the most common implicit biases that subtly impact hiring, performance evaluations, team dynamics, and strategic planning. Each session offers real-world executive scenarios, interactive discussions, and evidence-based strategies for reducing bias and fostering inclusive habits that lead to stronger teams, more informed decisions, and more equitable outcomes. Completion of Implicit Bias Awareness (IB 101) and Implicit Bias Mitigation (IB 201) is recommended, but not required, before enrolling in Inclusive Leadership. In Part 1, we examine affinity bias—favoring those who are similar to us—and its impact on mentorship and promotions. Part 2 examines confirmation bias, where leaders tend to seek information that supports their views while overlooking contradictory evidence. In Part 3, we examine attribution bias, which leads to misjudging others' actions based on stereotypes rather than context—for example, attributing a missed deadline to laziness rather than workload. Part 4 addresses halo and horns effects, where one positive or negative trait unfairly shapes our overall impression of someone.
Although MindMarks has trained over 150,000 people across the U.S. and around the world, many of our partners lack the time and/or space to develop a detailed plan on how to identify, manage, and reduce personal and organizational bias. Inspired by the historical impact of ancient Kemet (kim-it) and the need for a deep dive into bias-mitigating solutions, MindMarks has designed a 4-day intensive retreat with the following goals:
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Each attendee will be able to articulate the business or mission case for identifying, managing, and mitigating both implicit and explicit bias.
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Development of a multi-year DEI/bias mitigation plan with deliverables, metrics, a budget, and responsible personnel to address disparities in the experiences of employees and/or customers.
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Team bonding and trust building with coworkers and colleagues required for optimal execution of bias mitigation strategies.
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A deeper understanding of the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta’s role in it, and how it modeled bias avoidance and reduction.
Kemet (kim-it) was the original name of the African country currently known as Egypt. For three thousand years before the Common Era (B.C.E.), Kemet was the intellectual capital of the world. People traveled to Kemet from Europe, Asia, other parts of Africa, and the Middle East in pursuit of knowledge, enlightenment, skills, and transformation. A picture of The Kemet Estate is provided in Appendix A.
The Kemet Estate can also host retreats on topics unrelated to DEI/bias mitigation as well as mastermind groups, employee resource groups, and human resources teams.