Announcing the Collaboratory Against Hate’s Executive Director
We are excited to announce that Susan Baida will be joining the Collaboratory Against Hate as our executive director starting November 2nd. Susan will help us continue to grow the Collaboratory into a leading institution having global impact at inhibiting the destructive consequences of hate. She will work closely with leadership providing strategic direction to nurture our multidisciplinary research and build upon our current strengths, foster growth, and manage the daily operations.
Susan Baida is a DEI leader with 30+ years of experience in global marketing, entrepreneurship, and creating social impact. On November 2, she will join The Collaboratory Against Hate as its inaugural Executive Director. She served as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) with UPMC, a $24 billion healthcare system of 92,000+ employees and 40+ hospitals. As a leader of a 12-person team, she collaborated with UPMC’s chief diversity officer in overarching strategic planning, initiative development and implementation of strategies to increase workforce diversity, cultural competency, community engagement and health equity.
Prior to joining UPMC, Susan co-founded an online technology startup, eCareDiary, to address the needs of family and informal caregivers, the backbone of our nation’s long-term care system. She also held executive roles with Fortune 500 companies including Avon, Estee Lauder Companies and Starwood Hotels leading global marketing and expansion in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. An adaptable, results-driven leader providing vision, strategy, and operational execution, she possesses a successful track record of developing and implementing strategies, utilizing data-driven performance measures, and exceeding organizational objectives.
Susan graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. She holds certifications in Diversity Leadership and Strategic Human Resources Business Partnership and completed executive leadership training at Vassar College. She serves on the Board of Directors for Casa San Jose, La Promesa Foundation, Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Women’s Alliance and Pine Richland Anti-Racism Coalition. For 8 years, she was an appointed Director of Manhattan Community Board (an advisory board to the New York City Mayor’s office) serving as its Chair of Human Services and advocating on behalf of marginalized constituents.
As a first-generation daughter of Ecuadorian, Syrian and Korean immigrant parents, she has the lived experience and passion for the work against hate and discrimination. She was born and raised in the Bronx and Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City. During the 1980’s, her family moved to central Florida which was predominantly white and racially divided. The experiences of culture shock and culture of hate for who she was and what she looked like made an impression and planted a seed for what would become, what is now, her life’s mission and purpose, to eradicate hate.