Building a collective of change leadership;

one human and process at a time.

Phillips Collaborative Mission

Phillips Collaborative partners with our clients and community to create transformational and sustainable change by empowering organizations to reimagine their systems and processes to ensure anti-racist praxis is utilized at all touch points.

Services

01

Organizational
DEI Consulting

Not Only Take A Stance Against Racism But A Commitment To Making That Stance Active.

02

Leadership Development &

Executive Coaching

Learn Approaches That Creates Self-Awareness, Helps Drive Transformational Change, & Provides Critical Challenge & Support.

03

Training &
Professional Development

Maximize Your Team's & Yourself Potential With Powerful Insights.

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Our Team

Milyna Phillips

Founder & Principal Consultant

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Lawrence Alexander

Sr. Consultant

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Jini Rae Sparkman

Sr. Consultant

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3RD RAIL PODCAST

Welcome to 3rd Rail, a podcast where we dive into the tough conversations shaping education, DEI, and civil discourse.

Hosted by Milyna Phillips alongside Jini Rae Sparkman and Lawrence Alexander of the Phillips Collaborative, we tackle the challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion with honesty and insight. Join us as we "listen and definitely judge" the shifting landscape of admissions and beyond.

Client Reviews

See what our clients have to say about their experience working with Phillips Collaborative.

K. Minahan
Asst. Head of School,

MacDuffie School

"This year we have had the great privilege to engage in ongoing professional development designed and guided by Milyna Phillips. Milyna is a consummate professional who is detail-oriented and thoughtful in her practice. Milyna has been incredibly responsive to our needs and helped us to move important conversations forward."

Peter Daniels
Spanish Teacher,

St. Paul, MN

Sharing my heartfelt gratitude for Milyna and Jini who led Navigating Noise, Sustaining Focus: Next Steps in DEIJ Work In Schools. They adapted the content in the newsletters and during the virtual calls to meet me where I am and provide me with the coaching and resources to take my next steps in the classroom and in my life. Huge respect for these educators. Take this course.

Ashaad Tillman

Director of DEI,

Indian Mountain School

Working with Milyna has been one of the best experiences of my teaching career thus far! She is a compassionate leader who takes the time to listen, understand, and empathize with me. In every session, she creates a safe space for me to share my stories and perspectives, while simultaneously guiding me towards better professional practices and consistent/continuous learning.

I'm appreciative to have this opportunity to work with Milyna, and I know that her efforts and expertise working in the field of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be beneficial to anyone who chooses to work with her.

Jody Soja,

Head of School,

Loomis Chaffee

This year, our School partnered with Milyna Phillips for 1:1 coaching for both our interim Director of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and for me as Head of School. Our coaching sessions were thought provoking and informative and provided lots of space for reflection.

We also worked with Milyna and Jini Rae in our search for a long term Director of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. They both tapped into their deep network of professionals and presented an impressive slate of candidates for us to interview.

Both Milyna and Jini Rae were extremely present and available to our entire team throughout the hiring process. They helped design a thoughtful interview experience and we are excited to welcome our new colleague to the team this summer!

Recent contributions

Trump has gone after DEI programs. But DEI consultants say demand was already dropping

By Noel Gasca - NPR • February 14, 2025

President Trump has issued executive orders to eliminate federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reflecting a broader trend of companies scaling back DEI initiatives. Even before these actions, demand for DEI consulting services had been declining, as many corporations retreated from diversity commitments made after 2020

3rd Rail Podcast-- Why all the smoke? Why all the shade?": Phillips Collab on whether DEI was DOA.

By Phillips Collaborative • February 6, 2025

In 3rd Rail’s debut episode, host Milyna Phillips joins Jini Rae Sparkman and Lawrence Alexander of the Phillips Collaborative to unpack the state of DEI. They dive into tough conversations on education, civil discourse, and admissions—listening, judging, and keeping it real.

The Guise of Civil Discourse and the Limits of Tolerance

By Jini Rae Sparkman • January 13, 2025

In "The Guise of Civil Discourse and the Limits of Tolerance," Jini Rae Sparkman critiques the misuse of civil discourse as a facade for perpetuating racism and intolerance. She references Karl Popper's "paradox of tolerance," emphasizing that unbounded tolerance can lead to the erosion of tolerance itself if intolerant ideologies are not actively challenged.

Follow us @phillipscollab on Instagram

Phillips Collaborative maintains its curiosity and pursuit of learning the newest trends and evolution of education and antioppression work. We are impressed with this cutting edge educational ai software and are excited to dig in to the work! I'm always grateful for my Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, Columbia University network and the opportunity to work with Evan Harris LA'23 and Jini Rae Sparkman LA’21. #dei #studentsofleadership #changethatsticks #education #ai

I love a reason to celebrate who I am and who I come from! Hispanic Heritage Month is here and it offers another opportunity to embrace complexity and being uncomfortable. Part of what excites me about DEI work is the inevitable evolution of ideas, terms, people, theories and practice- it keeps me curious and always learning. In this post we interrogate the loaded meaning of Hispanic and Latine, their complicated histories, and modern implications. Decolonizing our language is not easy but I know we can and must do better by unlearning the ways in which we perpetuate white supremacy and harm. Our identity work is never done. Pa’lante. #hispanic #latino #hispanicheritagemonth #decolonize #dei #thoughtleadership *In the last photo I’m standing in La Perla, Puerto Rico in front of graffiti made by a Puerto Rican artist.*

Have you ever been ghosted? How about professionally ghosted? 👻 Ghosting is the act of abruptly ceasing all communication with someone and it has made its way into business and professional settings and simply put— it is not okay, it’s obnoxious. 👻 I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been ghosted by a potential client or hiring manager. One of the reasons people feel like they can ghost others is because no one will hold them accountable, at least immediately, there appears to be no consequence. Sometimes it’s their hefty egos that believe the other person is not worthy of an explanation or a response…sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? Not only is ghosting extremely rude and unprofessional but ghosting people hurts the Ghoster’s reputation (more on this later). When people ghost me, I immediately think they didn’t care enough and they don’t respect me or my time enough to respond— after all the consultant model is you don’t have to pay me until a contract is signed. But that doesn’t mean my time isn’t valueable. I also believe that in their minds they are avoiding conflict, by not having to tell me no via email, but what are you going to say if you bump into me in person? You’ll make it awkward. 👻 Ghosters, if we worked together at the same company and in passing I inquire about the budget of an upcoming project, would you walk by me without acknowledging that I spoke to you? Absolutely not. If communicating online is the way of the future then you should learn etiquette, asaptually! Back to the long term consequence of hurting your reputation, people who ghost me usually don’t know me very well, hence, they don’t know my network. Ghosts have no idea who is going to ask me how my interaction with them went or if I would recommend “X” company as a safe space for BIPOC employees. I also can’t help but think if I were a white man would this happen as often? Would people feel entitled to ghost me so often? I think we all know the answer.

It’s Demo Day!! As schools begin to ramp up for the upcoming school year Phillips Collaborative and our thought leaders @iammilyna, @texrae and @chapternverse want to give folks a peek into what we are up to and a hopeful path forward in the wake of the #affirmativeaction decision. There are plenty of opportunities to reimagine our #admissions, #collegecounseling and #hiring systems within education-- join us! Link in bio! #dei

Looking for summer readings in preparation for the upcoming school year? Check out Phillips Collab’s recommendations, these powerful reads will help provide fresh perspectives and support for your anti-racist journey. Have reading fatigue, need another modality? Drop a comment and I’ll be sure to spice up the next reel with podcasts and videos. Much respect to the content creators out there, this reel took an outrageous amount of takes! LOL Here’s to more practice! Happy reading! #leadership #educators #learning #professionaldevelopment #consulting #dei #summer #reading #backtoschool #books #antiracism #teachers #independentschools #changethatsticks @thedrift_mag @cathyparkhong @educationweek @blovesoulpower @darrinbellart

Did you know that the pronoun field was the most requested feature to add?! Apple allows you to select between a number of languages too, the app now includes an explainer for how to use 3 forms of pronouns with grammatical accuracy. Love this small win and grateful that apple is setting the bar. #dei #diversity #equity #inclusion #pronouns #gender #trans #genderqueer #pride #apple #ios

📢 Announcement: We are excited to introduce the “Navigating Noise, Sustaining Focus: Next Steps in DEIJ Work In Schools” Summer Professional Development Series for Educators. This accessible and flexible 4-week online workshop aims to empower educators with the necessary tools, strategies, and resources to navigate the complexities of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) work within their schools. Program Overview: 📅 Duration: 4 weeks (one hour of learning per week) 🖥️ Format: Online workshop (total of 3 zoom calls) 🌐 Accessibility: Available from anywhere with an internet connection 💼 Target Audience: Educators, Teachers, School Administrators, and Staff Key Topics Covered: 🌍 Understanding DEIJ: Deepening understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice by being in thought partnership with a cohort of educators facing similar barriers. 🔎 Identifying Challenges: Recognizing barriers to DEIJ work in schools and developing strategies to overcome them. 👥 Cultivating Inclusive Spaces: Creating and sustaining inclusive classrooms and school communities. 🌟 Implicit Bias Awareness: Exploring implicit biases and their impact on student/employee experiences. 🫱🏽‍🫲🏿 Collaboration and Partnerships: Build a community with other educators, workshop realistic case studies. 💡 Action Planning: Developing personalized action plans to implement DEIJ initiatives in participants’ respective schools. Registration: LINK IN BIO Spaces are limited, so early registration is encouraged. To secure your spot, please visit our website at https://deijsummerseries.eventbrite.com and complete the registration form. Registration will be open until 6/15/23. #dei #deij #changethatsticks #cohort #education #workshop #summer #professionaldevelopment #indyschools #independentschools #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

We want to thank our clients, MacDuffie School, for their extended partnership with @phillipscollab while providing executive coaching and leadership development to their community. We are excited for this momentum to continue with their school leaders. #year2 #education #dei #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #independentschools #executivecoaching #deiconsulting #consultingfirm #indyschools #changethatsticks

We want to thank our new clients, IMS, for entrusting @phillipscollab with providing leadership development and executive coaching to their community. We are so excited for this partnership with school leaders!! 📚👩🏽‍🏫 #education #dei #deiconsulting #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #independentschools #consulting #consultingfirm #executivecoaching

What an incredible night! The @maahmuseum graciously hosted the @aoc_network for a lively discussion and presentation by @kelliecarterjackson about abolition, education and how we get free. To be in the same space where the idea of abolition was born was so powerful. Being in community with folks I've been working with for 3 years on Zoom filled my heart with joy. In 2019 @aoc_network was just an idea of mine to create fellowship, to see this idea take root and blossom has been one of the highlights of my career. I want to hold up and thank @diariesofawarrior Che Edouard, Brianna Smith, Joelinda Coichy Johnson, David B Williams, and Sylvia Stevens-Edouard for their work to make last night happen. Additionally, I'd like to thank Dr. Jen Price and Leila Bailey-Stewart for supporting the @aoc_network in helping forge a partnership with the @maahmuseum . There is more to come! Stay tuned!

Phillips Collaborative wants to extend our thanks to the Scarborough School District for inviting @texrae and I to be their keynote speakers today for the entire district’s professional development day, which we coined, “ An Invitation to Inclusivity: Fearless Foundations for Education”. In addition, the four workshops we facilitated were interactive and resulted in some moments of discovery and unpacking with faculty, administration and staff. We can’t wait to come back. Here at Phillips Collaborative we are so successful at what we do because our practices are rooted in liberation and joy! #deiavengers #radicaljoy #liberation #antiracism #dei #mainethang

Today, myself, @chapternverse and @texrae co-authored our first article together as a Collaborative-- we share three different perspectives on the debacle that is unfolding with the College Board and the Governor of Florida. We provide a prototype for a way forward. LINK IN BIO! So proud to have a thought partnership and leadership trust in Lawrence Alexander II and Jini Rae Sparkman, looking forward to creating more brilliance together. #blackhistory #dei #collegeboard @zora

Happy Black History Month!!! I'm Black all year round, but this month I put a little extra on it! How are your organizations celebrating? How are your institutions centering Black voices and liberatory practices all year long? I'm uninterested in the virtue signaling companies participate in this month with "diverse" pictures on the website. We should be demanding change in policies and practice. Don't just talk about it, be about it. Need help getting started? Contact us, link in bio. #blackhistorymonth #dei #consultant

#tyrenichols should be alive, white bodies don’t have to be present for white supremacy to do it’s job.

We are excited to welcome, Lawrence Alexander, as a Sr. Consultant to Phillips Collaborative! Lawrence is a masterful presenter/strategist, DEIJ practitioner and so much more! What a fantastic addition to the team he is! Welcome to the team, Lawrence! #changethatsticks #community #mutuality #towardsliberation

We are thrilled to welcome, Jini Rae Sparkman, as a Sr. Consultant to Phillips Collaborative! Jini is a fantastic thought partner, DEIJ practitioner and most importantly, an epic human! We are lucky to have her and look forward to many successes together! #changethatsticks #community #mutuality #towardsliberation

I have an exciting announcement!!!! I have been selected to join @nasa - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrophysics Database of IDEA (read DEIJ) practitioners!! I'm geeking out over here!! How cool is this!?! Now, what does that all mean? NASA will be hosting a series of inclusion panels comprised of experts and practitioners to evaluate the Inclusion Plans submitted as part of scientific proposals for the Astrophysics Division within NASA. I will help review these plans and proposals to ensure DEIJ best practices are centered. #dei #NASA #STEM #changethatsticks

Privileged to be included in this month's Klingbrief. Check out my thoughts about Eric Hudson's blog post, "Back to Basics, Not Back to 'Normal'". #dei #leadthechange #changethatsticks

Today I presented alongside the brilliant @texrae at the @carneysandoe Women’s* Institute. Our session was well attended! We want to thank those who chose to be in a learning community with us today. We examined and discussed intersectional leadership and how women respond to racism. The session was recorded and will remain available for 30 days. Please check it out if you have a chance! #leadership #dei #changethatsticks

Today’s learning. When you partner with Phillips Collaborative your community will engage in the work as adult learners. We facilitate, we are your thought partner and the work is your own. That’s how change sticks. #dei #indyschools

We are accepting new client engagements for 2023! And Q1 is already starting to fill up! LINK IN BIO! If you would like to meet with me and discuss the different possibility models available to: ➡ co-create equitable systems grounded in justice and inclusion ➡ develop cultural competencies within your organization ➡ create outreach strategies for BIPOC engagement then let’s connect! Schedule a consultation at https://lnkd.in/ewRPZaBZ or email us at connect@phillipscollaborative.com #indyschools #DEI #strategicplanning

Get to know more about Phillips Collaborative and our services, visit our website for more information, link in bio. #diversity #equity #inclusion #justice #indyschools

Welcome! We are Phillips Collaborative, a small yet mighty DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) consulting firm owned by Milyna Phillips. Here you can expect to learn, reflect, be uncomfortable and laugh. We look forward to building an engaging community! #diversity #equity #inclusion #community #educator #teacher