Kelly Carter Merrill (principal) is a facilitator, speaker, educator, and coach, who works with individuals, leadership and work teams (nonprofits, colleges/universities, and businesses). She specializes in facilitating difficult conversations about community building, diversity and inclusion (DEI), self-discovery, and leadership. She is a professor at the University of Richmond in non-profit studies and at Randolph-Macon College in communication studies.

Kelly believes we can achieve meaningful change in the world by attending to the intersections of self-awareness, inclusive communities, and shared leadership models. Each and every person in our community has inherent value and can contribute to positive change. By first seeing that value in ourselves, we can develop and act on our own gifts then begin to see gifts in others. Shared leadership strategies can exploit diverse members’ strengths. Certainly, challenging interactions can result and may seem at odds with positive change. Rather than avoiding such tension and missing the benefits that a shared leadership model can provide, through the use of cognitive complexity tools and communication skill building, Kelly can prepare individuals and groups to hold productive tension in order to reap the benefits of diverse perspectives.

Kelly has been a professor of education administration, leadership, and communications for nearly 30 years, instructing both undergraduate and graduate-level students in classroom and mentoring contexts. Additionally, Kelly has provided trainings and facilitations for other organizations such as nonprofits, corporations, schools, and community groups throughout that time, but more so beginning in 2017 when she began Gray Areas Consulting with her intentional work as an independent consultant.

In 2018 Kelly’s child came out as transgender, just as national anti-trans legislation began to pick up momentum. By 2020, out of necessity, Kelly became an activist and organizer – utilizing her 20+ years of leadership know-how and renewing her commitment to stay in dialogue with people who see the world differently than her.