Gena C.
Organizational Psychologist at Feels Human, LLC
Diversity/Women Issues
Education: Ph.D., Industrial and Organizational Psychology, University of South Florida
Tampa, FL, USA
Biography
Dr. Gena Cox, an organizational psychologist, loves to help leaders refocus on the fundamentals that power the business outcomes they crave. The most important fundamental is the experience of each employee as they interact within the business ecosystem to do their work. Leaders can optimize those experiences with her R-E-S-P-E-C-T Ethos™ framework. For more than 25 years, Gena has advised executives and leaders about leadership effectiveness, inclusion, and employee experience in global companies and varied industries. Clients hire Gena for her insights but stay for her warm and supportive style. Gena works well cross-culturally, having lived and worked in the US, England, and the Caribbean and worked with clients in the US, UK, and Europe. Her insights have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and BBC. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and is the award-winning author of Leading Inclusion.
Passion
I'm all about fostering respect—it's the secret ingredient that fuels employee engagement and collaboration and keeps burnout and turnover at bay.
Featured Video
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
Picture this: A new remote consultant flies to Wisconsin for her first in-person client meeting. After two weeks of Zoom calls, she's eager to finally meet her team over dinner. But as evening falls, silence reigns. No call, no email response.
At 9:30 PM, her phone pings: 'We're all at Restaurant X. You should join us!'
What would you do? Stay put or swallow your pride and go?
Our protagonist went, and what unfolded next was a fascinating lesson in workplace dynamics and resilience. The rest of the story is even more gripping and insightful than this teaser!
Origin Story
In 2021, I walked away from decades of corporate success to chase a calling that had been whispering to me for years. The whisper became a roar in March 2020 when Breonna Taylor's life was brutally cut short. Two months later, George Floyd's murder shook the world. These tragedies crystallized a truth I'd witnessed throughout my career: dehumanization isn't just a societal ill—it's a cancer eating away at our workplaces.
Now, I'm on a mission to cure that cancer. My advisory practice is built on a simple but transformational idea: respect isn't just a nice-to-have; it's the cornerstone of thriving organizations. It's the secret sauce that ignites engagement, fuels collaboration and keeps the twin demons of burnout and turnover at bay.
I guide C-suite executives and rising stars alike, helping them harness the power of inclusivity to transform their leadership and their organizations. My approach? Equal parts strategic advisor and executive coach, I help leaders not just climb to the top but redefine the view from there.
This isn't just about building better businesses—it's about forging a more humane world, one leader at a time. In the end, the most powerful antidote to dehumanization is to see, truly see, the humanity in every person we encounter. That's not just good ethics—it's good business.
Example talks
Sample Testimonials
“She is able to connect with the audience in a way that elevates the entire event”.
“Gena Cox is an amazing force field of expertise and positive energy.”
“Leaders and employees loved her ideas for building trust and connection at work.”
“Provided key insights and engaged the audience from start to finish with her high-energy relational style.”
Sample Presentation Video Snippets
Below are snippets from talks I have delivered in various formats (keynote, virtual webinar)
*An Inclusion Opportunity: https://vimeo.com/user199887418/genacox?share=copy
*Yes … And Careers: How to Optimize for Purpose: https://vimeo.com/1011464892/eba81a5ed1?share=copy
*Respect Can Be a Carpet for Inclusion: https://vimeo.com/944878687
The Surprising Power of Respect:How Extraordinary Leaders Retain The Best Talent
Audience: Business audience - Two versions available: one for leaders and one for non-leaders
As a leader, constant change drains your time and energy, leaving your team feeling disconnected and burned out. But the key to reigniting your leadership impact is surprisingly simple: Respect.
Employees who feel respected are more engaged, loyal, and productive. In this 45-minute keynote, Gena Cox, Ph.D., author of *Leading Inclusion*, shares a practical 3-step framework to harness the power of Respect and transform your leadership. Learn how one organization used this approach to reduce turnover, save money, and build stronger teams.
Are you ready to lead with the power of Respect and create a thriving team?
Takeaways:
✅ Understand the role of inclusive leadership in driving business success and innovation.
✅ Learn how the RESPECT Ethos model and its behavior components.
✅ Use the RESPECT Ethos model to create your Respect leadership plan immediately
Yes … And Careers: Finding Your Purpose With Lessons from Improv
Audience: Professionals who want to take ownership of their career progress
Most people do not achieve their career goals because they haven't set any! In this dynamic and engaging session, Gena takes the audience on a personal journey through the twists and turns of both her personal life and career. From navigating dark stairwells to climbing the elusive corporate career ladder, Gena reflects on the moments when she asked herself, "Why is this so hard?" With a humorous yet insightful perspective, she uncovers how improv acting—specifically the "Yes … And" model—helped her light up her career path. Participants will learn how this improvisational mindset can help them break through career frustrations, define their personal "WHY," and build stepping stones that move them closer to their purpose. Whether you're an emerging leader or a seasoned professional, this session provides actionable tools for directing your career story with clarity, confidence, and intention.
Takeaways:
✅ Learn how to apply improv thinking to your career to find your purpose
✅ Gain tools to shift from powerlessness in your career to confidently lighting your own path
✅ Understand how to move forward in your career with a renewed sense of direction and clarity.