Meet Terra

Author, Trainer, Speaker, and Leader

Terra Gay is currently the Director of Culture and Equity for Charles R. Drew Charter School in Atlanta, GA. She has been invited nationally as a speaker, presenter, or instructor for seminars, workshops, presentations, and training courses. Ms. Gay also developed The Ngambika Academy (a Kiswahili word pronounced Nam-bee-kah, meaning ‘help me carry the load’) to provide a ‘train the trainer’ model and curriculum for volunteers and mentors seeking to create ongoing leadership, service learning, and life skills training for young people. In addition, she has worked with The King Center as Assistant Producer for the Center’s Beloved Community Talks. As Assistant Producer, Ms. Gay developed toolkits and content to support communities and organizations across the country in hosting courageous conversations to Bridge the Racial Divide.
Terra Gay HS2

Ms. Gay brings 20+ years of professional experience, including an extensive background in National Service leadership, training, consulting, organizational and entrepreneurial knowledge. In addition, to being an alumnus of AmeriCorps and VISTA, she has also served as a staff member and leader for 3 state-based programs and 2 national AmeriCorps programs. Her wisdom and experiences have been used to design both onsite and virtual trainings for nearly 1500 AmeriCorps members and 65 AmeriCorps supervisors to the benefit of participants in enhancing their learning experience, preparation, knowledge, awareness, and development. Lastly, she has been invited to support the AmeriCorps training team in reviewing, addressing, and designing diversity, equity, and inclusion for national training materials.

Terra Gay Speaking
Ms. Gay has a B.A. degree in African and African-American Studies from Emory University, has a Certificate in Cultural Diversity and Race Relations from Fisk University and a Certificate in Leading for Excellence & Equity from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has conducted numerous seminars, workshops, and training classes with organizations and colleges/universities.  She has delivered multiple presentations or speeches to a wide variety of audiences, ranging from small and intimate interactive group settings to hundreds of participants. Ms. Gay’s training or speaking subjects, topics or themes have been highly robust, including, but not limited to diversity, cultural inclusion mentoring, leadership, networking, community building, project management, National Service programming and implementation, cultural competency and cultivating belonging

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8

She has trained youth, community members, and staff in service, diversity, and leadership around the country via partnerships with Habitat for Humanity, Hasbro, Disney, Citi Foundation, Rutgers University, 826 National, LA’s Promise, Jewish Literacy Foundation, No Bully, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, The Home Depot, 100 Black Men of America, The Corporation for National and Community Service, Emory University, Procter and Gamble, City Year, KaBoom!, The Magic Johnson Foundation, The Chaka Foundation, Target, Bank of America, Price Waterhouse Cooper, University of Southern California, Jet Blue, Office Depot, The Learning Channel (TLC) and many, many more.
Terra Gay headshot

Racial Equity Trainings