I work with leaders and organizations to help them understand the experience they create for others — because leadership is already happening long before a title or promotion comes into play.
Over the past eight years, I’ve led organization-wide leadership and employee experience work across higher education, technology, healthcare, hospitality, and community-based organizations. I’ve partnered with teams ranging from 50 to more than 10,000 employees, serving in manager- and director-level roles where I built leadership strategies, advised senior leaders, developed employee resource groups, and designed learning experiences that shaped how people show up, communicate, and lead.
Alongside my consulting work, I’m also an adjunct college professor, where I teach leadership and college success courses. Teaching keeps my work grounded, relevant, and connected to how people actually learn, grow, and lead in real time.
Outside of work, you’ll find me performing full Beyoncé concerts in my living room, collecting unique Connect Four boards, calling my mom way too often, and staying deeply connected to community.
Leadership doesn’t need to be louder or more polished.
It needs to be more intentional.
Pronouns: She/Her
Stokes Collaborative Founder
Hey, I’m velshay stokes
I don’t believe there’s one right way to lead — and I don’t ask people to change who they are.
I design learning experiences that are reflective, practical, and grounded in real workplace dynamics. Whether working with individuals or groups, I create space for honest conversation, thoughtful questioning, and small shifts that make leadership more intentional and effective over time.
Leadership isn’t something one person carries alone. The way we listen, respond, and collaborate with one another shapes how work is experienced. My approach invites people to take responsibility for that experience — together.
My Approach
Testimonials
“Velshay was great to work with on the set-up side of the presentation and during the presentation, she was able to get participants engaged and eager to share their thoughts. Velshay also did a wonderful job of navigating both the presentation and the chat/text feature used as part of the presentation, ultimately modeling inclusivity and honoring how people choose to communicate. So very appreciated!”
-Workshop Participant
“Velshay is an incredibly naturally gifted speaker. She is engaging, interactive, and relatable. She immediately sets the tone for comfort, safety, and engagement. I have attended two keynotes of hers now and have walked away feeling energized, empowered and motivated to be a better colleague and person, in general. Velshay has a stage presence that can't be taught or emulated. I appreciate the opportunities of check-ins along the way, which you can tell she is intentional about. She wants to ensure that the material is being fully absorbed and understood.”
-Keynote Attendee
“Velshay did a fantastic job of sharing new information with everyone while also asking the audience to engage and reflect on the material. I find those kinds of presentations the most impactful, and I felt like I personally had a number of takeaways from her session.”
-Workshop Participant
“I really valued the notion of addressing the person before addressing the employee and the quote "just because something doesn't benefit you doesn't mean it's not worth doing" because both of these ideas were completely new to me and opened my eyes to hopes of mine that I couldn't name but that should be met or acted on!”
-Workshop Participant
“I most enjoyed Velshay's energy. It is truly unmatched. She energizes you, challenges you to be better and empowers you to believe you can be!”
-Workshop Participant