Julia Taylor Kennedy
Executive Vice President
Julia is executive vice president at Coqual, leading cutting-edge research into the issues affecting today’s professional workforce with an eye toward solutions for a more inclusive and equitable global workplace and world. By leading and sharing Coqual’s research, Julia holds up a mirror to the way workplaces work today—and gives companies a way forward.
Julia is passionate about telling people’s stories and understanding their challenges and hopes. She enjoys presenting a new piece of research and getting the nods around the room that show Coqual has honored members of that audience’s experiences. She also loves to see a concept “click” for leaders, giving them new ways to see and shape the world around them.
She’s led and co-led many research studies at Coqual, including Being Black in Corporate America, a four-part series on The Power of Belonging, What #MeToo Means in Corporate America, The Sponsor Dividend, Disabilities and Inclusion, and Mission Critical: Unlocking the Value of Veterans in the Workforce.
Julia has spoken at the United Nations, the Conference Board, the Executive Leadership Council, New York City Bar’s Associate Leadership Institute, and many companies. She’s been featured in Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Fortune, Scientific American, and the Washington Post; she also has appeared on Bloomberg TV, American Public Media’s Marketplace, Wharton Business Radio, and more.
Before joining Coqual, Julia hosted 51%, a nationally syndicated public radio program dedicated to the perspectives and stories of women in the United States, and she reported for NPR and NPR member stations. Outside of her work with Coqual, Julia is treasurer of the Board of Community Change, a nonprofit that advocates for and supports community organizing groups. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism at Northwestern University and master’s in international relations from Yale University.