April Powers
VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
April Powers has spent her professional career helping organizations manage differences through training, recruiting, and diversity & inclusion strategy.
A Los Angeles native who is the great-granddaughter of Jews who fled pogroms in eastern Europe and Black survivors of chattel slavery in the US, April co-launched Jewbian Princess to increase belonging for all in Jewish communal spaces.
After experiencing extreme online antisemitism, April joined Project Shema to do her part to ensure that antisemitism education is folded into robust DEI programs.
She is the Managing Director of First Impression Rx, a full-service consulting firm that helps companies manage differences through training, recruiting, and diversity & inclusion strategy.
The inaugural Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer in the 50-year history of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), she is also a highly rated trainer for Fortune 500, government, and non-profit organizations. She consulted/trained at Amgen for many years, including project managing their cultural dexterity roll-out and delivering certified training in the areas of Generational Diversity, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, and Cultural Competence.
April received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, where she also had a focused area of study in African American Studies.
April began her recruiting career with Ryan, Miller & Associates; launched Manifest Search; then became the Manager of Diversity and Recruiting for Nestlé USA. Having lived in the US, South America, and Europe, April is bilingual and thus brings a global perspective with local understanding to her clients' goals in the inclusion space.
