La'Nita Johnson

Biography

La'Nita M. Johnson brings more than a decade of frontline experience at the intersection of diplomacy, adult learning, and leadership development to her teaching and scholarship.

A former U.S. diplomat with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Ms. Johnson served across Latin America, Africa, and Washington, D.C., managing multimillion-dollar youth workforce development programs and building institutional capacity in complex, cross-cultural environments. She is a survivor of the 2016 al-Qaida attack in Burkina Faso and speaks and writes publicly on organizational crisis, emergency response, and mental wellness — with coverage in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ebony Magazine, CNN, and Travel Noire, among others.

Ms. Johnson is the Founder & Principal Consultant of iluminada+ consulting co., a leadership and intercultural communications practice whose clients span the corporate, federal, nonprofit, and international development sectors, including Charles Schwab, the National Academy of Sciences, the Aspen Institute, the World Bank, Meridian International Center, and the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). A certified Birkman Method Coach, she has designed and facilitated programming for thousands of professionals and emerging leaders across more than a dozen countries. She has also served as Adjunct Faculty in the UC Washington DC Program, where she piloted an inaugural youth workforce development course and developed INROADS' first national workforce preparation curriculum, training over 300 students from 100+ universities across 78 sessions. Her work centers on empowering BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Hispanohablante, and first-generation communities.

A sought-after public voice on extremism, intercultural communication, and campus safety, Ms. Johnson has contributed op-eds and expert commentary to Inside Higher Ed, Quartz, and Marker by Medium, and has delivered keynote and plenary addresses at institutions including the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum, the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education, and American University, where she delivered the 2019 Commencement address.

She holds an M.A. in International Training and Education from American University and dual B.A.s in Hispanic Studies and International Studies from Pepperdine University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Ms. Johnson is a Donald M. Payne International Development Fellow and an alumna of the Aspen Institute's International Career Advancement Program, where she now serves as Senior Advisor and Career Coach. She is bilingual in Spanish and English, and splits her time between Los Angeles and Mexico City with her emotional support dog, Chino.

Education

• M.A., International Training and Education, The American University
• B.A. Hispanic Studies, Pepperdine University - Seaver College
• B.A. International Studies (specialization: Intercultural Communication Studies), Pepperdine University - Seaver College