Meet Cherise.

Dr. Cherise Bernard leverages a rich background as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategist, scientist and certified professional coach to drive organizational and culture change for individuals, teams and leaders. With a mission of “modernizing today’s workplace,” Dr. Bernard utilizes a personalized approach to transform environments through inclusion competencies: empathy, resilience, awareness and curiosity.

 

Cherise believes in a holistic approach to building equitable cultures in the workplace and has learned that the pillars of education, allyship and intersectionality are critical in creating effective people and healthy work cultures. In 2020, Cherise launched Modern Work, LLC to guide organizations on their inclusion journey through custom training and coaching. Dr. Bernard also collaborates with other reputable inclusion consultancies and change organizations to further drive equity and impact within forward-thinking organizations looking to develop and grow strategic approaches in workplace culture. Cherise serves as the Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Invitae, a biotechnology company focused on creating accessible genetic testing for millions of patients. 

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Cherise holds a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology where she worked on cell cycle regulation in cancer cells and a Mini-MBA certification focused on BioPharma Innovation, both from Rutgers University. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She enjoys cooking, travel, learning about different cultures, engaging in self-care and is a self-proclaimed foodie.