Venus L. Ricks is an Equity and Inclusion Strategist whose experience crosses a number of sectors. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Susquehanna University and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work centers on “Justice Minded Excellence” where human centered leadership, equity, and trauma informed public service intersect to create work and community spaces that deconstruct oppression and allow human bodies to thrive.
Formerly, Ms. Ricks served as the Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion for the Governor’s Office of Advocacy and Reform and the Education Coordinator for the Antiracist Development Institute at Penn State Dickinson Law. Ms. Ricks is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Collective Seven Solutions, LLC. Where she works with businesses, public servants, educators, and organizations in transitioning to leadership practice that centers justice and addresses the impact of societal forces on workplace culture and the health and well being of employees.
Ms. Ricks serves as co-chair of Heal PA’s Equity Advisory Council, working to ensure equity, inclusion, and justice are central to HEAL PA action teams’ work to make Pennsylvania a place where trauma prevention is the norm and PA humans feel safe, brave, respected, and supported in healing from systemic oppression.
Ms. Ricks uses a socialization to liberation model in creating "justice minded" spaces for people to thrive. Her experience crosses several sectors—higher education, workforce development, psychological research, state and local government, and the nonprofit sector.