Our Story
The Blacademic is a boutique consulting firm specializing in racially inclusive and socially conscious professional development, workshops, and other services. Our goal is to help create equity across contexts using evidence-based information and practices. The consulting firm started as a response to a need in our community, and has grown to help individuals, families, and schools, and businesses across the country.
Our Founder & CEO
Keiana Mayfield, PhD is the founder and CEO of The Blacademic. She completed her doctorate in the Human Development and Family Studies program at The Pennsylvania State University in 2022. During her doctoral work, she developed an effective and innovated family-based intervention program that changed the how parents engaged in race-oriented socialization practices up to a year after their participation. Eager to create a bridge between her academic work and community engagement, Keiana founded The Blacademic, a boutique firm providing evidence-informed and socially conscious consulting services.
Prior to beginning her doctoral training, she received my Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Sociology and Studies of Women & Gender from the University of Virginia in 2011. Next, she led the education department of a local nonprofit organization, providing programming for teens, families, schools, and businesses. Although she found that work to be incredibly rewarding, she realized she need more training to better meet the needs of her community. In order to gain the skills necessary to meet individuals, families, schools, and businesses where they were —without shame or judgement— she completed a Master of Social Work degree as an L&S Scholar and Advance Opportunity Fellow from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2015.
Keiana is committed to using her unique skillset and training to provided services that uplift and empower her clients.