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Latasha Gillespie

Former Global Head of DEIA, Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and Freevee

Latasha Gillespie is the former Head of Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) for Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video and Freevee. In her role, Latasha was responsible for the development and management of all content related and customer facing DEIA work for the organization. Under her leadership, Amazon MGM Studios created the entertainment industry’s first Inclusion Policy and Playbook, and standardized DEIA into its greenlight process. Latasha also created Howard Entertainment Program, a first of its kind partnership between a major studio and an HBCU. Prior to her current role, Latasha led the Global Diversity and Inclusion organization across Amazon, where she worked with Jeff Bezos and regularly briefed both the board of Directors, and Congressional members on Amazon’s DEIA Strategies and progress. In addition, Latasha is credited for Amazon joining the HBCU Partnership Challenge and founding Amazon’s Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) annual conference and curriculum. She currently serves on the Board of the Getty House Foundation, the official residence of the LA Mayor.Latasha is a celebrated speaker, host and moderator who has appeared on stages around the world, including CES, Essence Festival, Cannes, AFRIFF, the Recording Academy, the Television Academy, Rio2C, AdColor, Sundance and more. She is also a sought-after interviewer, who has spoken with Simone Biles, Ryan Coogler, Daniel Dae Kim, Edward James Olmos, Karen Bass, Geena Davis, Keke Palmer, Jemele Hill, Gloria Calderon Kellett, and Common to name a few.She has been featured on Variety’s 2021 Women’s Impact Report and 2022 Inclusion Impact Report, was honored as a 2022 Multichannel News Wonder Woman and received the Black Women Film Network 2023 Beacon Award. In 2021, the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce named Latasha Executive of the Year and the same year she graced the cover of Inclusion magazine for her leadership in implementing organizational inclusive and equitable practices. Black Enterprise named her one of the 2019 Most Powerful Women in Corporate Diversity, and she is a 2018 Ebony Power 100 Honoree.Prior to Amazon, Latasha spent 20 years in Finance and Human Resources with Caterpillar inc., holding various positions including Six Sigma Black Belter, Compensation and Benefits Director, and Employee and Labor Relations Director f or the organization’s facilities in both U.S. and Mexico. During her tenure with Caterpillar, Latasha is credited for launching the first diversity recruiting team and the company’s Employee Resource Groups. She also held the position of Chief Diversity Officer for three years prior to relocating overseas to Singapore to serve as the organization’s Head of Human Resources for Africa, Middle East, CIS/Russia and Asia Pacific.Latasha grew up in the Chicago area and received her degree in Finance from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband of 25+ years. Together, they launched Just Phire, a custom and exclusive hoodie line.

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More resources

Video

Latasha Gillespie at the American Black Film Festival 2023

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Podcast

Women Crush Wednesdays with Latasha Gillespie

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Sessions

Breakout session

Tue, May 13, 1:30 pm - 2:20 pm CT

Lift Up With Latasha Gillespie

LIFT UP FOR YOUR COMMUNITY

Join this session to merge company values with human values to drive meaningful impact. Discover the power of empathy, inclusivity, and recognition and learn how to leverage them to empower people and culture.

DEI & Neurodiversity | Employee Engagement & Experience | Leadership & Talent Management | Psychological Safety | Workplace Culture & Innovation