A LITTLE ABOUT US
As a boutique firm, we can mobilize quickly for you, customize, and keep your costs down. We bring good vibes every step of the way.
Who We Are
At Equality Institute, we help organizations build trust through better communication. We give people the skills and confidence to navigate differences, connect authentically, and create cultures where everyone feels respected and valued.
We believe everyone deserves to feel safe to be their authentic selves as they conduct business. Through our work, we create a win-win where businesses thrive, clients feel respected, and everyone leaves the interaction feeling a little more seen, a little more valued, and a little more loved.
As a certified woman- and LGBTQ+-owned business, we bring both expertise and lived experience to this work. Guided by humanity, curiosity, clarity, impact, and joy, we deliver keynotes, workshops, assessments, and learning solutions that make inclusion practical, actionable, and long-lasting.
Some of Our Clients
Our love story
One of Bernadette’s first clients
The Equality Institute began with a simple idea: everyone deserves to feel safe to be their authentic selves as they conduct business.
Founder Bernadette Smith built her career around helping people do just that. In 2004, she launched the first LGBTQ+ wedding planning business in the country, helping same-sex couples feel seen and respected in an industry that wasn’t designed for them.
Soon, her peers in the wedding industry started asking:
“How do I say the right thing?”
“What if I offend someone?”
“Is it OK if I mess up?”
They weren’t biased…they were anxious. And that anxiety was costing them trust, connection, and business.
Bernadette noticed the same pattern everywhere: in sales teams, client meetings, and corporate partnerships. So she pivoted. She founded Equality Institute to help anyone build confidence across difference—especially in client-facing roles where relationships drive results.
Today, her team delivers keynotes, workshops, and learning experiences that help professionals skip the awkwardness and build real trust, without shame, jargon, or walking on eggshells.
Turning Inclusion Into Everyday Practice
At The Equality Institute, inclusion is a business strategy. Our mission is to help organizations create cultures where authenticity and respect are the norm, not the exception. We partner with organizations who understand that diversity and equity drive innovation, engagement, and growth. Every project we lead is grounded in empathy, clarity, and practicality. Whether we’re facilitating a workshop or building a long-term roadmap, our goal is the same: to make inclusion actionable, sustainable, and deeply human.
Our Commitment to Representation and Impact
As a certified woman- and LGBTQ+-owned business, representation isn’t just something we advocate for—it’s something we embody. Our team understands firsthand how inclusion impacts morale, performance, and belonging. We’re proud to collaborate with organizations that are ready to do more than talk about equality—they’re ready to live it.