Sheena Collier has spent her career building systems that expand access — for young people, for communities, and for Black professionals navigating cities that were not designed with them in mind.

She is a cultural strategist, founder, and community architect with more than two decades of experience across education, community development, and economic opportunity. She works at the intersection of culture, business, and systems change.

She began her work inside public systems, managing extended learning programs across Boston Public Schools and later directing a $6 million U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods initiative through the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative to create a cradle-to-career support system in Boston. At the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, she advanced regional strategies focused on racial equity, economic mobility, and positioning Boston as a place where diverse talent can thrive. Earlier in her career, she worked in communications and policy advocacy, supporting national efforts to expand access to afterschool and summer learning opportunities.

That foundation — rooted in education, community organizing, and economic mobility — informs the work she leads today.

In 2020, Sheena founded Boston While Black (BWB), a digital and in-person membership platform serving Black professionals, students, and entrepreneurs. What started as a response to isolation has grown into a scalable cultural platform with more than 4,000 members and over 100,000 event attendees, partnering with leading companies, anchor institutions, and universities. Through BWB, she is helping reshape how cities attract, retain, and support Black talent — demonstrating that community itself is an investable asset.

Through The Collier Connection, her strategic consulting practice, Sheena advises companies, startups, and institutions on designing and executing community-driven strategies, partnerships, and large-scale experiences that strengthen engagement, retention, and belonging.

She has been named one of Boston Magazine’s 150 Most Influential Bostonians for five consecutive years, a Boston Business Journal Power 50 Movement Maker, and a Harvard Club Boston Most Influential Woman. She holds a BA from Spelman College and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and on the advisory board of Boston Harbor Now.

Through her work, Sheena is helping define and build the infrastructure of belonging for the future of cities, work, and identity.