Dr. Sumun Pendakur
I'm Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur, a DEI Strategist/Consultant/Speaker and the founder of Sumun Pendakur Consulting, a firm that helps organizations and individuals build capacity for social justice and racial equity. With over 20 years of experience in the field, I have been a thought partner, trainer, speaker, and executive coach for more than 300 clients across higher education, non-profit, and corporate sectors.
My mission is to empower individuals at all levels to be transformational agents of change in their spheres of influence. I draw on my research and expertise in racial justice transformation, identity-conscious leadership, and organizational development to design and deliver customized, engaging, and high-impact learning experiences. I am a former board member of NADOHE, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and an award-winning speaker and trainer who has been recognized as one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. I am passionate about creating a more just, equitable, and compassionate world for all.
I’ve held roles as the Chief Learning Officer at the USC Race and Equity Center, dedicated to advancing scalable racial justice in multiple sectors; as the Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Harvey Mudd College, serving on the President’s Cabinet and directing the Office of Institutional Diversity; and as the Director for USC Asian Pacific American Student Services.
I am a graduate of Northwestern University with a double major in Women’s Studies and History and a Minor in Spanish. I hold an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Michigan. And I received my doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education. My study on institutional change agents received the Dissertation of the Year award (2011).
I recently wrapped 7 years as the Co-President of the Southern California chapter of NADOHE (SCADOHE). I am on the Coqual Advisory Board, am an executive coach for faculty and administrators through the Kardia Group, and I served as Faculty Coach for the AAC&U’s multi-year TIDES (Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM) Institute. I am the co-editor, alongside Dr. Stephen Quaye, of Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations (4rd edition) (2026).
I am the multilingual daughter of immigrants, was raised in the Midwest, and now call Los Angeles, CA, home. I am the wife of actor Sunil Malhotra and proud mommy to Shashi Veer and Shama Shakti.
Select Recent Keynotes
2024​
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Virginia Tech Advancing Diversity Annual Conference (January 2024)
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Palomar College Flex Week (January 2024)
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Marshall B. Ketchum All University Retreat (February 2024)
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Harvard Campus-Wide EDIB Forum (April 2024)
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California Asian American and Pasifika Leaders in Education (April 2024)
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Higher Education Student Affairs - Central Valley Conference (April 2024)
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Select Facilitation/ Trainings
2024​
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Ogletree Deakins (Global Law Firm) (March 2024)
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Glendale Community College (March 2024)
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FX Networks (Spring/Summer 2024)
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AEA Consulting (Summer/Fall 2024)
External Reviews
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Northwestern University Campus Inclusion and Community (October 2020)
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Stanford University Cultural and Community Centers (2018-19)
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UC Irvine LGBT Resource Center (2018)
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UCLA LGBT Resource Center (2015)
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Claremont Colleges Queer Resource Center (2015)
