Meet DR. STINNETT
Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett is an internationally recognized expert in transformative leadership, inclusion, and strategy. With nearly two decades of experience across nonprofit, corporate, and education settings, he is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, executive coach, and consultant. Known for his engaging and interactive style, he creates environments where leaders and teams can engage with complex issues honestly while moving toward practical, sustainable change.
Maurice’s career began in community organizing and education equity work with organizations such as Prepare the Future Ohio, Esperanza, and CentroNia. There, he led initiatives to expand opportunity for young people and families, laying the foundation for his lifelong commitment to justice and inclusion.
In higher education, Maurice served as Dean of Students at Central State University, a historically Black university, and later as Vice President of University Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Cleveland State University. In these roles, he oversaw multi-million dollar budgets, created comprehensive university-wide DEI plans, established new leadership positions, and led presidential councils and diversity committees focused on campus culture, belonging, and community engagement.
Maurice then became a pioneering figure in sports and entertainment as the inaugural Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture for BSE Global, overseeing diversity efforts for the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, Nassau Coliseum, Webster Hall, and the New York Islanders. He launched the organization’s first diversity department, created employee resource groups, designed mentoring strategies to support underrepresented talent, and developed strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Medgar Evers College.
At Warner Music Group, Maurice served as the company’s inaugural Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He built WMG’s first global DEI team, developed the organization’s inaugural global DEI strategy spanning approximately 70 countries, and created the music industry’s first DEI Institute—recognized with the 2023 Music Cities Award for “Best Initiative to Support Diversity & Inclusion in Music.”
He co-chaired the $100M WMG / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, expanded employee resource groups across multiple regions, and advised C-suite leaders on DEI strategy, KPIs, and crisis response.
Maurice’s global perspective was further shaped through his role as Chairman of the World Leadership Program, a White House initiative under President Obama, which fostered cross-cultural dialogue between universities in the Middle East and the United States.
In 2015, he founded Liberty Street Consulting, specializing in organizational development, crisis management, and executive coaching. Through Liberty Street, he works with leaders across sectors to design and implement DEI strategies, transform organizational culture, and navigate change with clarity and integrity.
Maurice’s leadership and impact have been recognized with numerous honors, including Billboard’s Change Agent Award, Variety’s Champion for Change, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Jackie Robinson Trailblazer Award, City & State New York’s “The Responsible 100” corporate leaders list, and the NAACP of Springfield, Ohio President’s Award for Community Service and Activism.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Moore Philanthropy and has previously held board and leadership roles with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s National Racial Equity Initiative, Cleveland International Film Festival, and several civic and educational organizations.
Maurice holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Central State University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and both a Master of Education and Doctor of Education in Organization and Leadership from Columbia University.