OUR TEAM
KELLI LESTER
Owner & Partner
Executive Consultant
Kelli is a change leader that specializes in individual, team, and organizational behavior change.
Kelli’s occupassion is creating inclusive and equitable spaces where differences are valued and leveraged for organizational success. She has over two decades of experience developing inclusive leaders and enabling innovation. Her professional skills include, but are not limited to, Inclusive Leadership Development, Coaching, Change Management, Strategic Consulting, Problem Solving, Employee Education & Engagement, and Organizational Effectiveness.
Kelli is a dynamic executive leader with progressive experience in consulting, leading change initiatives in a CPG and multi-media company. A leader in strategic planning, leadership development, and market analysis. Kelli is an expert in helping organization’s define vision, develop strategies, and executing action plans with viable outcomes. She maintains collaborative relationships and is a strong analytical thinker, skilled in project management, career coaching, marketing, decision making and public speaking.
Kelli was also a partner of Infinite, Inc., a multi-service marketing firm specializing in reaching minority populations and was named as one of 30 Young Leaders of the Future, featured in EBONY. Kelli has a proven record in leading change that produces long-term sustainable results.
SNAPSHOT OF EXPERIENCE & AFFILIATIONS
-
20+ Years’ Experience in Inclusive Leadership & Innovation
-
Owner & Partner of Onyx Rising 2016 to Present
-
Engaging Solutions, Chief Strategy Officer 2021 - 2022
-
The Kaleidoscope Group, SVP of Consulting 2012-2021
-
Sara Lee Corporation, Director, Diversity and Inclusion 2005-2011
-
Emmis Communications, Diversity and Staffing Director 2001-2005
-
WTLC-FM Radio - Public & Community Affairs Director 2000 – 2001
-
Public Information Officer, Indianapolis Mayor’s Office 1995 - 1999
-
Member, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated – Since 1989
EDUCATION
Ball State University - Bachelor of Science,
Speech Communication/Telecommunications
.webp)
IRMA NEAL
Owner & Partner
Certified
Financial Coach,
Government Innovator &
Best Selling Author
Some people talk about change.
Irma Neal has spent over 35 years engineering it as Leader and Coach.
From the halls of city government to the boardrooms of corporate America, , and now into the lives of leaders ready to transform how they lead, decide, and perform under pressure.
As a former Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis, Irma has navigated the highest-stakes environments that executive leadership demands — managing budgets, people, and crises simultaneously. What most leaders only read about in textbooks, she has lived. Twice over, as Director of Human Services in two major urban jurisdictions, she built and led programs that touched thousands of lives daily.
​
But Irma’s story doesn’t stop at public service.
She is the co-inventor of the electronic childcare system now known as EBT — technology that has since become a cornerstone of how millions of American families access support. Before “govtech” was even a term, Irma was building it
​
A serial entrepreneur as comfortable in the private sector as in government, Irma has founded, built, and successfully sold four businesses — including Service Design Associates (acquired by Affiliated Computer Services), Curves for Women, and Fantastic Sam’s Hair Salon. She doesn’t just consult on growth — she’s lived it, profited from it, and moved on to the next challenge.
​​
As VP of Childcare Services at ACS and later VP for Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Support of Families, Irma brought corporate discipline to human-centered missions — a rare and powerful combination.
​
After retiring in 2014, she did what few do: she kept learning. Within weeks she earned her Certified Financial Coach credential, and today, through Onyx Rising (2016–present), she works with CEOs, COOs, Risk Management Directors, Principals, and Educators who need more than a consultant — they need a partner who has actually sat in their seat, made the hard calls, and delivered results.
​
She is also the Amazon best-selling author of Leading in Chaos: Insights to Lead through the Storms — a guide born from real-world experience, not theory.
​
A former member of Excellence in Government, Irma Neal is not a person who talks about what should be done. She is someone who has already done it — repeatedly, across sectors, and at the highest levels.
​
If you lead organizations, manage risk, or shape the minds of the next generation — and you’re ready to stop managing chaos and start leading through it — Irma Neal is the person you want in the room.
SNAPSHOT OF EXPERIENCE & AFFILIATIONS
-
35+ years’ Experience in Government and Corporate America
-
Owner & Partner of Onyx Rising 2016 to Present
-
Center for Support of Families, VP for Strategic Initiatives, 2005-2014 (Retired)
-
Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), VP Childcare Services, 2000-2005
-
Deputy Mayor, Indianapolis Indiana - 1994-1996
-
Business Owner 4 companies, Service Design Associates (1995-2000-Sold to ACS), Curves for Women (2000-2005-Sold at a profit), Fantastic Sam’s Hair Salon (2005-2010)
Meet Our Team
Sydney Johnson
Â
Project Manager
Â
Kelley Ferguson
Financial Wellness & Business Development Specialist
Brandi Hendricks, Ph.D
Marketing & Research Consultant
The team at Onyx Rising represents the best in leadership and financial literacy expertise. Their leadership, knowledge, and compassion are the driving forces behind our mission to empower change and foster growth. Discover the difference our experts can make in your journey towards a more innovative and financially literate future.
Irma is also the author of Leading in Chaos: Insights to Lead through the Storms an Amazon best-seller.
