Full Name
Mary-Frances Winters
Job Title
Workplace Culture Expert & Strategist, Bestselling Author, Founder & CEO
Company
The Winters Group, Inc.
Speaker Bio
Mary-Frances Winters (she/her/hers) came of age during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Starting with her days as editor of her high school newspaper, she realized that diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work is her “passion and calling.” Founding The Winters Group was the next step in fulfilling what she believes is her true purpose on this earth—breaking down barriers and building bridges across differences. As CEO of The Winters Group for over four decades, she has been able to magnify the impact of her thought-provoking message.
Mary-Frances is a master strategist with experience in strategic planning, change management, diversity, organization development, training and facilitation, systems thinking, and qualitative and quantitative research methods. She has extensive experience in working with senior leadership teams to drive organizational change.
Among her many awards and distinctions, Mary-Frances was named a diversity pioneer by Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2007 and received the journal’s Black Leadership Award in 2023. In 2023, she was named to the Top 25 Restorative People Leaders Watchlist. She is also the 2016 recipient of the Winds of Change Award from the Forum on Workplace Inclusion. In addition, she was featured in the June 2016 publication of Forbes, which honored some of the DC Metro area’s most powerful women. In November 2019, Mary-Frances was named by Forbes as one of ten trailblazers in diversity and inclusion. She was accepted into the Forbes Business Council in 2023.
Mary-Frances has served as a torchbearer for the Olympics and has been recognized as an Athena Award winner by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to women and the community.
Mary-Frances is the author of seven books: Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit; We Can’t Talk About That at Work!: How to Talk About Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics; Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change; Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging Across Differences; Only Wet Babies Like Change: Workplace Wisdom for Baby Boomers; Inclusion Starts with “I”—Eight Steps to Inclusion: The Personal Journey; and CEOs Who Get It: Diversity Leadership from the Heart and Soul. She has also authored a chapter in the book Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion and numerous articles.
Mary-Frances is a graduate of the University of Rochester, with undergraduate degrees in English and psychology and a master’s degree in business administration from the William E. Simon Executive Development Program. She was the first Black woman elected to the University of Rochester’s Board of Trustees. She received an honorary doctorate from Roberts Wesleyan College.
Mary-Frances is a master strategist with experience in strategic planning, change management, diversity, organization development, training and facilitation, systems thinking, and qualitative and quantitative research methods. She has extensive experience in working with senior leadership teams to drive organizational change.
Among her many awards and distinctions, Mary-Frances was named a diversity pioneer by Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2007 and received the journal’s Black Leadership Award in 2023. In 2023, she was named to the Top 25 Restorative People Leaders Watchlist. She is also the 2016 recipient of the Winds of Change Award from the Forum on Workplace Inclusion. In addition, she was featured in the June 2016 publication of Forbes, which honored some of the DC Metro area’s most powerful women. In November 2019, Mary-Frances was named by Forbes as one of ten trailblazers in diversity and inclusion. She was accepted into the Forbes Business Council in 2023.
Mary-Frances has served as a torchbearer for the Olympics and has been recognized as an Athena Award winner by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to women and the community.
Mary-Frances is the author of seven books: Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit; We Can’t Talk About That at Work!: How to Talk About Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics; Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change; Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging Across Differences; Only Wet Babies Like Change: Workplace Wisdom for Baby Boomers; Inclusion Starts with “I”—Eight Steps to Inclusion: The Personal Journey; and CEOs Who Get It: Diversity Leadership from the Heart and Soul. She has also authored a chapter in the book Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion and numerous articles.
Mary-Frances is a graduate of the University of Rochester, with undergraduate degrees in English and psychology and a master’s degree in business administration from the William E. Simon Executive Development Program. She was the first Black woman elected to the University of Rochester’s Board of Trustees. She received an honorary doctorate from Roberts Wesleyan College.
Speaking At
