Lakiba Pittman is a highly sought-after speaker, facilitator, educator, consultant, mentor, and creative artist with decades of experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is a certified facilitator in Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and an Ambassador of Compassion - both programs of Stanford University's Center for Compassion & Altruism Research & Education (CCARE), as well as a Senior Instructor at The Compassion Institute, a mindfulness instructor at MissionBe, a Coach and Consultant with Circles International, and a trauma healing educator at Healing Together. Ms. Pittman is also a trained instructor in MBSR (Mindful Based Stress Reduction), Mind-Body Medicine, Mindful Self-Compassion, and Compassionate Leadership.

Lakiba artfully weaves together a variety of healing and contemplative modalities in specialized workshops, consulting engagements, and coaching for clients across the cultural spectrum including Harvard's Center for Health Equity Education, Stanford Medical School, Stanford Design School, Levi Strauss, UCSF Medical Center, PG&E, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The Ronald McDonald House, Life Moves, College Track, Anamatangi Polynesian Voices, One East Palo Alto, Girls To Women, Ravenswood City School District, and community leaders, activists, corporate professionals and wellness practitioners across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

In addition, Lakiba also serves as a Full-Time Lecturer at Menlo College, where she teaches courses including Diversity (DEIB) in The Workplace, Cultural Expressions in Media, and Race & Racism. Notably, Lakiba received the 1st Annual Best Faculty Award in 2023 and actively contributes to faculty development, serving as a Faculty Panelist for Professional Development and Faculty Advisor. She is also a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant, with decades of leadership experience in the corporate, tech, & philanthropic sectors at Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, & Level Playing Field Institute.

As a creative artist, Lakiba is a published poet, visual, and recording artist.  Her latest book Bread Crumbs from The Soul… Finding Your Way Back Home, is a showcase of her original art, poetry and autobiographical reflections. Lakiba is a featured soloist with John Santos and the Machete Ensemble on the album Africa Vol. 1, was a founding member and featured dancer and singer with Malonga Casquelourd’s Congolese Music and Dance Ensemble, “Fua Dia Congo”, and was a featured vocalist on the album “Let the Sun Shine In,” with the Sons & Daughters of Lite. She has performed at both the Stanford Jazz Festival and the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Her art was recently featured at The Black Woman is God exhibit at SomARTS in San Francisco CA, and she was one of the featured poets at the 50th year celebration of the Black Arts Movement. 

Lakiba is a 2023 Coro Fellow, and has received training from institutions such as the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, ART Mindful Programs, the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics & Transformative Values @ MIT, and the African American Leadership Institute at UCLA’s Anderson School of Graduate Management. Lakiba holds a B.A. in Creative Arts from San Jose State University, and a M.A. in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco.

Beyond her professional & community pursuits, Lakiba enjoys live performances, gardening, and documentary films. She even manages her own bookstore on Amazon, Lakibaz Books. Her greatest joy however, comes from nurturing her son, four grandchildren and beloved dog, "Ori." With a profound purpose centered on mindfulness, education, social justice, creativity, self-compassion, compassion for others, and compassionate leadership, Lakiba aims to open hearts and minds while savoring the magic of life's journey.