The Kaleidoscope Group

Background

The Kaleidoscope Group is a for-profit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm established in 1993 by Bea Young. It leverages a change management model to develop a vision of success and create an “inclusive and collaborative work environment” to drive toward that vision. ^{2  3}

The Kaleidoscope Group is located in Chicago, Illinois and is registered with the state of Washington. ⁴ It is a certified minority owned business and claims to be “among the top 10 pioneers in the [diversity and inclusion] industry.” ⁵ Its customer base includes Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and higher education institutions in the United States, Europe, and Asia. It has approximately 50 employees and contractors on its team. ¹

Historically, the Kaleidoscope Group has had contracts with the United States Department of Agriculture totaling $1.1 million to develop diversity strategies for the United States Forest Service. ⁵ Other government clients have included the Chicago Fire Department, NYC.gov, the New York City Fire Department, and the New York City Police Department. ⁶

Work Model and Events

The Kaleidoscope Group leverages a change management model in its consulting work that focuses on building an “inclusive and collaborative work environment.” Its multi-step approach includes building a vision of success, assessing the current state of a company’s practices, developing a strategy to move toward the Kaleidoscope-promoted vision, communicating and educating employees on the vision and strategy, implementing systems, policies, and procedures to support the vision, and ensuring that appropriate monitoring and follow-up are in place for the future. ⁷

In April 2025, the Kaleidoscope Group sponsored the d&i Leaders Global Workplace Inclusion Forum 2025 in London and online. d&i Leaders is a membership organization for diversity and inclusion leaders that provides networking opportunities as well as news, events, training, and resources to work to develop or improve their DEI strategies. ^{8  9}

In January 2025, the Kaleidoscope Group hosted a webinar entitled “The Great DEI Reset” in response to organizations that are “distancing themselves from DEI initiatives.” Its accompanying e-book with the same name is offered in an effort to keep DEI initiatives at the forefront of organizational change. ^{10  11}

Leadership

Bea Young was the founder of the Kaleidoscope Group. Young graduated from the University of Chicago with a doctorate in education and organizational development. She began her career as a high-school history teacher, where she rewrote textbooks to include Black history. In 1960, she co-founded the Amistad Society, an organization of Black educators focused on Black history education. In 1965, she was on a Chicago commission to create “racially diverse and inclusive schools.” In 1976, she joined management consulting firm Harbridge House to establish its diversity practice, then formed the Kaleidoscope Group in 1993. ² She created Bea Young Associates, LLC: Collaboration for Educational Equity, a consulting firm that works to “address systemic racism.” In 2023, she received the Diversity Leadership Award at a Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration at the University of Chicago. ¹²

Doug Harris has been the CEO of the Kaleidoscope Group since its inception. Harris graduated from Tufts University in 1981. He joined Bea Young Associates in 1993, which became the Kaleidoscope Group. He is a board member of Tufts University and Kingswood Oxford School and a featured speaker at the annual SHRM Conferences (Society for Human Resource Management) on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). ^{13  14  15}