Deesha Dyer is a philanthropist, award-winning strategist and author, on-the-ground community organizer, and executive operations expert. Working her way up from a 31-year old community college student who served as a White House intern for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Deesha ended her government career as the White House social secretary, a highly-coveted senior position. She is currently the founder and president of social impact agency, Hook & Fasten where she coordinates transformational partnerships by utilizing a company’s funds, skills, resources or product to ignite sustainable change in communities. 

Dyer is curator of multiple scholarships for Black women in politics, travel, wellness and animal care and sits on board of the Humane Society of the United States. A vibrant, infectious and entertaining speaker, she is known for her authentic delivery on topics such as imposter syndrome, mental health, leadership, race & ethnicity and social change. In 2019, Dyer was appointed a Harvard Kennedy School resident fellow at the Institute of Politics where she designed and instructed a course titled Imposter to Impact. This course served as the catalyst and foundation for her 2024 memoir, Undiplomatic, which has been praised by Oprah’s Book Club, Michelle Obama and called a must-read for corporations and institutions around the world. For Undiplomatic, Dyer was awarded the Larry Neal Writer’s Award. 

Community is where Deesha’s heart is anchored and she represents that everywhere she goes. In 2014, she co-founded beGirl.world Global Scholars which focused on helping teen girls become global citizens through travel, passports and global education. Dyer was included in Marie Claire’s new guard of women changing the world, the Root’s most influential African-Americans and profiled in Women Who Run the White House by Essence. She’s been featured in Vogue, Travelnoire, and the Washington Post and has also delivered commentary on CNN, MSNBC and NPR. Deesha has written for Oprah Daily, Glamour and Lonely Planet and was awarded the Women of Excellence Award by the District of Columbia. 

Deesha and her family reside in Maryland.