Welcome!

"I would work with (or for) Necko Fanning in a heartbeat. I have learned so much from him over the years and continue to seek his expertise to inform my work as a DEI Consultant. Necko's lived experience, paired with his infectious passion for DEI, make him a natural DEI champion, but it's his ability to think strategically while activating initiatives at the local level, that elevates him to an exceptional DEI practitioner."

- Paige Robnett, Founder & CEO, DEI Consultant

Who Am I?

I've always had two great loves: the written word and social justice. After leaving the Army in 2011 I set off to bring these passions together. Initially I spent time exclusively writing on topics of equity, racism, my own experiences as a gay soldier, and the effects of toxic masculinity. But I found it tough not seeing the direct impact of my work.

So, leveraging my knowledge and unique focuses, I stepped into the world of DEIB leadership, successfully moving from a manger to director role in under 18 months, after leading a massive (72 agencies in 42 countries) DEI Representative network. After a few months in a director role I was promoted to overseeing all of the North American region. It was then I left the advertising and PR world for the education tech world, leading an organizations culture during a difficult transition period.

During my time as a cultural leader I've learned some vital lessons:

The line between performative inclusion and true equity and diversity work depends on stakeholder buy-in.
Nobody every accomplishes anything alone.
The importance of content and writing in DEIB is often vastly undervalued.
The ability to articulate changes with compassion and empathy in communications can make all the difference for employees.
A powerful story can change the world for those who read it.

As a voracious reader and avid writer, I've used storytelling as an effective tool for combating ignorance and encouraging empathy. To do so I centralize reading fiction from authors of diverse backgrounds, a practice born from research by the National Library of Medicine in which one study says that "readers of fiction score higher on measures of empathy and theory of mind (ToM) – the ability to think about others’ thoughts and feelings – than readers of non-fiction, even after controlling for age, gender, intelligence and personality factors" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3559433/).

At my core I believe in the resilience of the human spirit and our capacity for great kindness in the face of terrible cruelty. It is my life's calling to change culture, amplify the voices of the historically resilient and underrepresented, and tell the stories that will change lives.