Leslie Short brings four decades of experience to The Cavu Group to advise companies and organizations on how to expand beyond their current culture through the Diversity and Inclusion lens. This is an effort to facilitate and create new solutions to old and new issues.
Leslie’s talents and skills are uniquely designed to seek growth through open conversations, conflict coaching, trainings, and workshops. She firmly believes that issues don’t go away because programs are in place; they go away when an organization continually evolves and has a channel to listen and understand the people who are its greatest assets. Leslie has been developing multi-cultural/mosaic marketing, programming, and opportunities as far back as 1998.
Leslie began her career as a classical ballet dancer at the age of seven, turning professional at twelve. She expanded her career in Paris, living in Europe for over ten years and Asia for three. She was Creator and CEO of the first-of-its-kind entertainment business in Japan, rated best business of Japan in 1994. She spent the next stage of her career leading production of television, media & entertainment, and fashion projects.
She went on to become the COO and Corporate Operations Strategist for celebrities and companies including ABC Shark Tank Founder Daymond John and his companies FUBU the Collection, FB Entertainment, The Shark Group, and blueprint + co. As CEO she launched K.I.M. Media (Keep it Moving) and founded Ascend Bereavement Management.
Leslie is also a chaplain, activist, certified mental health aide, certified mediator, and conflict/transformative coach, as well as a dignitary and keynote speaker at United Nations and European Union events around the world.
Leslie has been developing multi-cultural/mosaic business innovation models and ecosystems that thrive over the span of her career. In addition to being an active leader in New York’s business community, she’s an award-winning speaker and has been recognized for her achievements by various organizations. In 2003 she was honored by Ebony as an Outstanding Woman in Marketing & Communications, and by Today’s Black Woman Magazine with the Today’s Black Woman and New Day Associates Award. Leslie was selected as a “Woman of Influence” by the New York Business Journal for 2016, and she is a member of the North American Advisory board for the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Council. Leslie also authored a chapter of Inside the Minds: Marketing Benchmarks for Success, with Aspatore Books, and contributed her insights to the college textbooks Marketing, 9th Edition and Marketing: The Core 3rd Edition. She was a Forbes.com Black Women To Watch in 2019 and 2020.