Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Cassandra Arnold.
Dr. Arnold, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Art enthusiast. Leader. Philanthropist. Activist- words to describe who I am; a native from the beautiful island of Port-au-Prince, Haiti and life-long resident of Miami, FL. As far back as I can remember, at a very early age, “giving back” was a principle instilled at home; that you are only blessed, when you become a blessing to others. The idea of “paying it forward” grew into a love of community advancement and the need to change the face corporate America and politics. I discovered a deeper passion for Government Affairs and Politics, going as far back as high school and at FAMU, where I served on my Class Cabinet and Student Government Association.
While serving in Student Government as a college freshman at Florida A&M University majoring in Business Administration, I was blessed with an internship with a Fortune 500 company, then recruited during my senior year to work for a Fortune Global 150 corporation in Illinois. It is then, I quickly realized the lack of diversity of brown and black professionals, specifically women of Haitian descent. In this space, I was the only woman of color, the only person of color in my Executive Marketing Training class. That awoke a spirit in me to change that reality.
I wanted to encourage girls like me, of Haitian descent, to become CEOs, Wall Street Brokers, Economists, Bankers and so much more. I didn’t want our path to be that of only female-dominated majors and fields. After graduating from FAMU in 2004, I felt so indebted and obligated to give back to an institution that had given so much to me— FAMU changed my life forever. So, in 2005, I started awarding scholarships to deserving female students of Haitian descent pursuing a business degree at FAMU through a 501c3 non-profit and scholarship foundation that I started from my cubicle in Illinois, called Essence of a Haitian Woman Scholarship Foundation.
A couple of years later, we expanded our reach and became Scholars Today, Leaders of Tomorrow, Inc.; a full-service non-profit that produces a financial literacy show with Wells Fargo on Island TV for over five years (“Fiscally Fit”), we started a college preparatory program with a high school in Miami-Dade County, train and develop young leaders into leadership roles, and support domestic and international projects in the U.S. and Haiti, to name a few. A passion of International Business and Foreign Affairs led me to move back to Miami into a career as an International Business Developer for an education corporation; where I traveled to, managed, and developed international business relationships in over twelve (12) Caribbean countries and three (3) U.S. territories within the Southeast Region.
During that time, I decided to pursue an MBA in International Business from the University of Miami. It was while obtaining my MBA that I became an adjunct Business Professor at a local college. While advancing in the collegiate sector and creating my mark in International Business relations, I became involved in the political world, where I was the Executive Director of Haitian-Americans for Progress (2015), a Political Action Committee. Given the responsibility of fundraising, membership recruitment, carrying out the organizational strategic vision and helping guide community leaders and members through the political landscape, I also identified legislative actions that impacted international relations between the United States and Haiti.
In 2015, I obtained a doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership Development with a focus on Global Leadership Development in Foreign Markets and felt a shift in my career needed to occur. Working for a company who did not represent my beliefs and lacked severe moral and ethical competence, I was encouraged when laid off the summer of 2016. A blessing, to say the least. It was then, I stepped into the word of political campaigns. In 2016, I became one of Florida’s State Coalition Directors for the Hillary for America campaign. In this role, I identified key issues within the Haitian-American (Caribbean) community and lobbied on behalf of constituents to ensure representation in the electoral process.
In addition to mobilizing community engagement, advising on foreign public policy issues related to Florida residents. A result of the 2016 Presidential election, a fellow FAMU alumna and I founded Diverse Strategy Group, LLC., a political consulting and fundraising firm that helps define and prioritize political and fundraising strategies for progressive candidates. As the Chief Government Relations & Political Strategist for DSG, I’ve worked on several campaigns as a fundraiser: Andrew Gillum’s Gubernatorial campaign, Emma Collum for State House Rep campaign, Renee Gordon for District Court Judge campaign, along with others.
Knowing that my two worlds needed to merge, my love of business and politics, I branched out to found Arnold Consulting Group, where my expertise of community engagement and outreach, corporate strategic partnerships and international business development would assist non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, hospitals and business entities. In the summer of 2018, I not only joined U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s re-election campaign as his Statewide Caribbean Outreach Director, where I’ve overseen the State of Florida’s outreach and political arm of his campaign within the Caribbean diaspora, but I also work with elected officials, community leaders, faith-based leaders, and community organizations.
It was during that same time that I was also elected the President of the Democratic Haitian American Caucus of Florida under the Florida Democratic Party, where my board and I have made impact through our Emerging Millennials Council where millennials are trained and developed into civic and political roles, our strategic partnerships with local Democratic clubs and caucuses where we’ve hosted candidate forums and town hall meetings, through our education platform where we distributed over 20,000 election slates cards throughout Southwest, Central and South Florida, and where we’ve created a caucus that is mobile to anyone living in Florida making it inclusive, forward-thinking, and ready to engage, educate and empower Haitian-Americans.
Through my work, I’ve been able to meet with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), House Minority Whip U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD), U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL), the Office of Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and the office of Office of Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), to name a few, on issues pertaining to the Haitian diaspora. Through life, I’ve realized that leadership has no age bracket, so I’ve dedicated myself to proud memberships with Florida A&M University National Alumni Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Haitian American Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade Democrats, and a Board Member for Casa Valentina.
I’ve been recognized for my leadership with awards: Legacy magazine’s South Florida 40 Under 40 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow, in partnership with the Miami Herald, Top Hat Women of Excellence Award in Social Entrepreneurship, In the Company of Women Community Spirit Award, Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce 20 under 40 Young Professionals’ Award and nominated for the African-American Achiever’s Award and the HYPE “Difference Maker” Award.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been challenges with a layoff, and a period where I did not have the same job security and financial comfort that I’ve also been accustomed to since childhood. Never lacking as a child, teenager, or young adult, I now was in a position where I had to trust my next move- I was no longer in a corporate environment that offered a level of stability and comfort. Starting a consulting firm was not easy.
The instability, dependence on clients and others to see your worth was different. I did not have a plan B as I’ve always had my entire life. But it was the start of a new beginning with beautiful sacrifices, consisting of highs and lows. I truly had to rely on my faith in God, knowing that He had a bigger and greater plan for me. One that would blow my mind beyond my expectations. One where He knew what the other side looked like. I had to hold strong to my faith in starting this new journey.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
There is still a lot to uncover in this field, as political trends are shifting with the change in demographics. As we see in the White House. But what is constant is that I plan to grow and develop my skills in Government Relations.
Become a subject-matter expert on issues that matter the most to brown and black communities, while diversifying my thinking and outlook on global issues that affect all people, from all backgrounds, race, or origin of country. Creating a comfortable space for others to follow in my footsteps.
Continuing my work with Congressional, Senate, and Presidential candidates. Leaving a mark in this political space. Making noise, disturbing some peace (lol), impacting lives, changing the trajectory of young women, and most importantly continuing my work as a servant leader.
Contact Info:
- Website: Diverse Strategy Group: www.diversestrategyllc.com; Scholars Today, Leaders of Tomorrow, Inc; www.stlt.org ; Democratic Haitian American Caucus of Florida: www.dhacf.org
- Phone: 3059173279
- Email: Arnold Consulting Group: info.acgroupllc@gmail.com; Diverse Strategy Group: info@diversestrategyllc.com; Democratic Haitian American Caucus of Florida: info@dhacf.org
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