Carissa Romero, PhD

Carissa is a Managing Director at Paradigm and leads the Learning team. As one of Paradigm’s Co-Founders, Carissa developed Paradigm’s philosophy around evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She has led Paradigm’s work with high-growth startups, leading media agencies, top law firms, and Fortune 500 companies — she has partnered with organizations including American Express, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Gap, Etsy, Lyft, The New York Times, and Zillow Group. Carissa’s team focuses on equipping individuals – from executive teams, employee resource groups, managers, and individual contributors – with practical strategies to contribute to diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations. Her team’s work includes expert-led training, advising on how to create effective DEI learning journeys, and the creation of tools to sustain and deepen learning.

Before coming to Paradigm, Carissa co-founded PERTS, a research center created at Stanford University focused on the practical application of behavioral science themes like belonging and growth mindset. Carissa was named to Forbes 30 under 30 list for her innovative work on growth mindset at PERTS, where she currently serves as chair of the board.

Carissa’s work has been featured in dozens of media outlets, including The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and The Wall Street Journal, and she has published her academic research in publications like Nature, Psychological Science, and Emotion. She has spoken at various conferences, including AtlanticLIVE, TechCrunch Disrupt, and SXSW. Carissa holds a doctorate in Psychology from Stanford University.