The Soul Food Scholar Presents: An Evening with Deesha Dyer Contributors

Adrian received an A.B in International Relations from Stanford University in 1991, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1995. From 1999 to 2001, Adrian served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America – the first free- standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. Adrian went on to serve as a senior policy analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. From 2004 to 2010, he served on the board for the Southern Foodways Alliance. In June 2019, Adrian lectured in the Masters of Gastronomy program at the Università di Scienze Gastronomiche (nicknamed the “Slow Food University”) in Pollenzo, Italy. He is currently the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches and, as such, is the first African American, and the first layperson, to hold that position. Adrian is also the co-project director and lead curator for the “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” exhibit at the Museum of Boulder, open now through August 2025.

Deesha Dyer is a philanthropist, award-winning strategist, on-the-ground community organizer, and executive operations expert. Working her way up from a 31-year old community college student who served as a White House intern for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Deesha ended her government career as the White House social secretary, a highly-coveted senior position. She is currently the founder and president of social impact agency, Hook & Fasten where she coordinates transformational partnerships between communities and operations. In 2014, Deesha co-founded beGirl.world Global Scholars, an organization that empowers, educates and equips Black teen girls to travel the world while also tackling the racial disparity in study abroad. She is curator of multiple scholarships for Black women in politics, travels, wellness and education and sits on board of the Humane Society of the United States and Mindful Schools. Serving as a Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics Resident Fellow in 2019, Deesha designed and led a study course called, Imposter to Impact. A renowned speaker known for her engaging and authentic delivery, she is an expert on topics ranging from diplomacy, events, women leadership, confidence, race & ethnicity and social change. Deesha was included in Marie Claire’s new guard of women changing the world, the Root’s most influential African-Americans and profiled in Women Who Run the White House by Essence. She’s been featured in Vogue, Travelnoire, and the Washington Post and has also delivered commentary on CNN, MSNBC and NPR. Deesha has written for Oprah Daily, Glamour and Lonely Planet and was recently awarded the Women of Excellence Award by the District of Columbia. Her debut book, Undiplomatic, is about her rise in the Obama White House while tackling imposter syndrome.