At 12 years old, Tiffany R. Warren attended a Boston Ballet performance on a school field trip and noticed something that would upset her (and likely many other young Black girls in her position) deeply: there were no ballerinas of color on stage.
The next day, she did what any Black girl does when they’re determined and on a mission, and that was to create a diversity recruitment ad for the ballet company (yes, she did this at the age of 12 years old, which should already tell you everything you need to know about the *badass* that is Tiffany R. Warren). That moment in her youth was the beginning of what would become a twenty-five year career championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in some of America’s most exclusive industries, and one that I would come to witness up close and personally.
Today, as Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Sony Music Group, a grown up Warren finds herself at a crossroads similar to those early days. Major corporations have rolled back DEI initiatives throughout 2024 and 2025, citing everything from budget pressures to shifting political winds. But Warren? She’s doubling down.
“I don’t think it was one particular thing, but a collection of moments where we weren’t being honored properly,” she told ESSENCE back in 2021 about founding ADCOLOR, her nonprofit platform devoted to uplifting professionals of color in creative industries. “I got to a point in my career where I couldn’t not do it. We all get to a place in our lives where we have to step in and enact change just to keep existing where we are.”
Warren, a native Bostonian and the oldest of ten children, graduated from the prestigious Winsor School before earning her degree from Bentley University. Her path through advertising and marketing wasn’t easy, yet and still, she worked her way up for more than 25 years in an industry where, according to 2020 survey data, Black employees make up just 5.8% of the workforce. And of that small percentage, only 4% reach vice president level or higher.
The invisibility that might have broken others became Warren’s secret weapon. “For a long time, invisibility was a constant companion of mine and now it’s my superpower,” she explained to ESSENCE. “In the invisibility, I became an observer and have used what I saw to my advantage.”
That observation led her to found ADCOLOR in 2005, creating a space where “the only ones” (Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA+ professionals who were often isolated in their companies) could find community, recognition, and opportunity. The organization’s motto, “Rise Up. Reach Back,” became a blueprint for sustainable change, and it’s one that I’ve come to use and adapt in my own leadership principles.
Unsurprisingly, when the work needed to continue, Sony Music Group would create its first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer role in 2020, and tap Warren to lead the charge. She now drives equity and inclusion strategy across Sony Music Group’s global recorded music, publishing and corporate divisions. Before that, she spent five years as Senior VP and Chief Diversity Officer at Omnicom Group, where she oversaw a team of 27+ Chief Diversity Officers focused on advancing diverse talent. Remember earlier when I called her a badass? Well, now you understand, right?
But the landscape has shifted dramatically since those days of advocacy and Black squares on Instagram. The January 2025 executive order ending federal DEI programs created a ripple effect, with companies dismantling DEI teams and eliminating diversity hiring targets. Some justified their retreats by citing the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions. Others pointed to pressure from conservative activists and changing consumer sentiment.
The human cost however has unsurprisingly impacted “us” the most however. Employment among Black women in the U.S. has reportedly dropped by roughly 318,000 jobs between February and June 2025. That means many of our careers have been derailed, families have been impacted, and our communities have lost economic power simply because inclusivity continues to get sidelined.
Yet Warren’s response to those questioning whether DEI is “worth it” remains clear (and her entire career says yes). And more importantly, it shows how.
“There has been real progress made but here’s the thing, we’re still working from home,” she told ESSENCE during the pandemic. “The true impact of all the social justice groundwork that has been laid will be felt once we return to offices.”
Warren has always been a visionary and had her pulse on the DEI trajectory. As companies returned to offices, many of those promises evaporated. But her work is about building infrastructure that outlasts political cycles and social media backlash.
She currently mentors over 100 professionals personally, and her mentoring philosophy is similar to her approach to just about everything: “I’ll push you off the cliff and teach you how to build your wings on the way down,” she shared with ESSENCE. “That’s how I was mentored and I’m truly appreciative of it.”
For young Black professionals considering careers in creative industries, Warren advices to take a serious look at a company’s mission before joining. “There will be a transferral of values when you work with them,” she explained. “Make sure they fit your worldview and value set before joining their team because they need you as much as you need them.”
As the 19th annual ADCOLOR conference approaches, Warren’s work feels more urgent than ever. Because when some companies are asking if diversity is worth the investment, she’s already answered by showing what’s possible (and how it drives the bottom line) when you commit not just to representation, but to transformation.