Terrian Barnes

“The challenge these days, is to be somewhere, to belong to some particular place, invest oneself in it, draw strength and courage from it, to dwell in a community.” – bell hooks

Terrian Barnes is the founder of Fe-smart LLC, demonstrating the connected strength of consistently inclusive leaders to enhance performance, invigorate culture and drive competitive advantage. Fe-smart offers diversity, equity and inclusion keynotes, consulting services and customized programs designed to raise awareness and drive systemic and individual level change. Her pioneering work promoting equity for women and minorities throughout the franchising industry gained Terrian recognition by Black Enterprise Magazine (BE) as one of the 25 Most influential Women in Business and a guest appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. When global fast food giant Tricon (now Yum! Brands) spun off from PepsiCo, Terrian was named the company’s first-ever chief diversity officer, a position she held for 14 years, and was recognized as one of BE’s  2011 Top Executives in Diversity.

She is a past IFA Bonny LeVine award winner for advancing gender equity and is a Louisville Central Community Centers 2020 Inclusive Equity honoree. Terrian has chaired several nonprofit boards, is a founding director emeritus of Women Influencing Louisville and currently serves on the executive committee of the National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC), which advances historic preservation projects driving investment and economic growth in low-income urban and rural communities.