Deesha Dyer is a philanthropist, award-winning strategist, on-the-ground community organizer, and executive operations expert. Working her way up from a 31-year old community college student who served as a White House intern for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Deesha ended her government career as the White House social secretary, a highly-coveted senior position. She is currently the founder and president of social impact agency Hook & Fasten, where she coordinates transformational partnerships between communities and operations. In 2014, Deesha co-founded beGirl.world Global Scholars, an organization that empowers, educates and equips Black teen girls to travel the world while also tackling the racial disparity in study abroad.
She is curator of multiple scholarships for Black women in politics, travel, wellness, and animal care and sits on board of the Humane Society of the United States. Serving as a Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics Resident Fellow in 2019, Deesha designed and led a study course called Imposter to Impact. A renowned speaker known for her engaging and authentic delivery, she is an expert on topics ranging from diplomacy, events, women in leadership, confidence, race & ethnicity, and social change.
Deesha was included in Marie Claire’s New Guard of Women Changing the World and the Root’s Most Influential African-Americans, and was profiled in Women Who Run the White House by Essence. She’s been featured in Vogue, Travelnoire, and the Washington Post and has also delivered commentary on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. Deesha has written for Oprah Daily, Glamour, and Lonely Planet and was awarded the Women of Excellence Award by the District of Columbia. In April 2024, Deesha released her highly anticipated debut, “Undiplomatic”, about her untraditional journey in politics and advocacy. “Undiplomatic” has been praised by Oprah’s Book Club, Taraji P. Henson, and Michelle Obama as a must-read and is used as a resource for confidence and worth at institutions across the country. For her impact through “Undiplomatic”, Dyer was recently awarded the prestigious Larry Neal Writer’s Award.