Clarissa Love

Clarissa Love

Clarissa Love is vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Start Early. She leads Start Early’s continuing journey in becoming an anti-racist organization that creates systemic improvements in early childhood education so that equitable access for all becomes a reality.

She brings more than 12 years of experience on DEIB issues within academia, community and nonprofit sectors. Previously, Clarissa served as the diversity, equity and inclusion consultant at Michigan Medicine’s Office for Health, Equity and Inclusion. In this role, she developed a DEIB strategic plan that created opportunities for individual growth and development, enhanced team culture and strengthened networks to build internal and external community equity.

She is a trained facilitator in unconscious bias, hiring and selection best practices and intergroup dialogue and practices restorative justice. Her research interests include: DEIB strategy, organizational engagement, anti-racism, disability and health equity.

Clarissa is a graduate of Hampton University and is a native of Illinois. She resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband Sean, a teenager, and two fur babies, Summer and Harris.

The Importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Leadership in the Nonprofit World

For too long, nonprofits have desired to make social impact while often neglecting to center diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for their staff. But as our national conversation about the impact of race in every facet of America continues, employees are seeking inclusive workplaces that allow for them to show up authentically, bringing their passions and desire to make a social impact into their day-to-day work.