Women To Watch Awards 2026 honors Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown

Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown is a scholar, organizational transformation leader, and strategic advisor who has spent more than 20 years proving what many already knew — that the leadership approaches Black women have built out of necessity are the most effective models available. The systems just weren't measuring the right things.

As CEO of kmb Consultancy, she has partnered with more than 247 organizations and leaders across Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and government institutions — delivering over 500 impact workshops and reaching 3.7 million participants.

Her research is the foundation. Two longitudinal studies spanning 2010–2025, drawing on the experiences of more than 600 Black women, revealed a finding that changes everything: the activities most commonly recommended to advance Black women's careers show a negative correlation with internal promotion. Internal visibility — proximity to power, being seen solving what matters — is what actually drives advancement.

That truth anchors her movement — the Revolutionary Leadership podcast (launched January 2026) and her forthcoming book, Revolutionary Leadership: A Power Playbook for Black Women, publishing August 4, 2026, through Entrepreneur Books, a Forbes imprint. Dr. Brown holds a PhD in Organizations and Management, an MBA, and a BSBA in Finance. She is Gestalt OSD certified and a Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women alumna. She is based between Chicago and Orlando.

She is not waiting for systems to change. She is changing them.