Dr. Vrnda "V" Boykin

Going back to school after 40 is not for the faint of heart, and the journey from prison to published researcher is even more challenging. Nevertheless, Dr. V returned to school in 2017, obtaining her BS in Marketing Management, MS in Management and Leadership, Master of Business Administration, and Doctor of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership. 

Some might see four degrees as excessive, but life as a Black woman with a felony has proven otherwise. Going from just a speeding ticket to having a felony was painful to face as a single mother with two small children, and 20 years ago, finding employment with that background seemed impossible. Any source of income was welcome, and Dr. V did everything from stripping to picking up dog waste with just a grocery bag around her hand to make ends meet. 

Inspired by her personal, professional, and educational experiences, Dr. V is now an established keynote speaker and leader in organizational leadership and equity. Her groundbreaking research bridged the gap between work-life balance and social support. Dr. V uses her published research and book, Fix Your Face and Watch Your Tone: Women Know What’s Needed, to disrupt and redefine training and enablement programs, resulting in improved performance and increased revenue.

 Dr. V’s mission is to rewrite the narrative for marginalized groups in the workplace through innovative and accessible programming, enlightening one unaware mind at a time.