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DE+I Guys is a limited liability company that provides best practice consulting, climate assessments, and talent acquisition for academic institutions and other high-profile entities seeking to credibly strengthen their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Enhance the global appeal of a brand by strengthening its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Produce credible and effective engagements with persons of color and other minority groups designed to create a positive climate, improve communications around sensitive topics and create a cooperative spirit of collaboration.
Our competencies increase engagement across disparate groups. We are highly skilled at illuminating success stories and creatively framing the challenges of persons of color and other underrepresented groups thereby improving communication, understanding and perspectives of the broader community on sensitive topics which ultimately enhance the global appeal of a brand.
Co-Founder & CEO
Mr. Pennywell has over 35 years of professional work experience across the military, defense and consulting industries. Mr. Pennywell is the moderator for Aggie Conversations. Now in its second year, having interviewed more than 200 highly accomplished professionals, he seeks to educate diverse audiences through effective dialogue and non-adversarial exchange. Mr. Pennywell is committed to improving communication and creating a cooperative spirit of collaboration around sensitive topics of race, gender and equality.
Prior to founding DEI Guys, Mr. Pennywell graduated from Texas A&M with a BS degree in Engineering Technology, and immediately went into the US Army where he served as an Airborne Ranger qualified Blackhawk Helicopter Test Pilot, commanding two units within the 82nd Airborne Division. He’s a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business The Executive Program; certified Program Manager from The Defense Acquisition University; Certified Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama Huntsville; Certified Telecommunications Professional from Richland College in Dallas Texas and a Class 25 graduate of Leadership Huntsville. Mr. Pennywell has worked for companies such as: MCI, Ernst & Young, & Booz Allen Hamilton.
Civically, Mr. Pennywell has served on numerous boards, including: Board Emeritus member for Still Serving Veterans; Chair of the Economic Sustainability Committee for City of Huntsville; Chair of the Communications Strategy Committee for City of Madison; board member of FlyQuest, and board member of the Pathfinder Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicles. Mr. Pennywell is also a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, where he’s been selected as Chapter Brother of the Year and is a recipient of the Kevin P. Roberts Distinguished Service Award.
Mr. Pennywell is married to the beautiful Sybil Cleveland-Pennywell; and they have a wonderfully blended family with 6 children: Kayla, Kelsey, Avery, Sydney, Jordan & Bryce.
Chief Operating Officer
Kenneth Robinson is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of DE+I Guys. He has over 25 years as a corporate executive having founded and managed startup tech companies, as well as, led companies in the logistics and health & wellness industries.
Mr. Robinson is the creator and host of Aggie Conversations, where accomplished corporate and academic professionals engage in meaningful dialogue seeks to understand and educate diverse audiences that tune into the weekly program.
Prior to founding DE+I Guys, Mr. Robinson was the founder and managing partner of CIS-Computer Innovation Services, Inc, a software consulting organization. Mr. Robinson designed, developed, and deployed software for such companies as Dell Computers, Delta Faucet, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Petro-Hunt LLC, Riceland Foods, Inc, and Pioneer Natural Resources, to name a few.
Mr. Robinson has a long list of civic duties and accomplishments. He is an Aggie 100 honoree for the top 100 Aggie ran businesses for the past year (ranked #15). He is an Alpha Phi Alpha Entrepreneur of the Year Award honoree for the Arlington, Texas area.
Mr. Robinson serves as Board Member for the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M. And he is a founder and former President of the Texas A&M University Black Former Student Network. He serves on the Board and is equity partner in Shaw Biotech LLC; and he sits of the Foundation Board of National Basketball Association star Tyrese Maxey. Mr. Robinson is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is involved in several other business ventures.
Mr. Robinson, a native of Dallas, Texas, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Texas A&M University, Class of 1993.
Mr. Robinson is married to the beautiful Ann-Marie Robinson; and they have a wonderfully blended family with 6 children: Kenya ‘20, Kennedy L., Kenneth II, Kent ‘25, Kamryn and Kennedy R.
Mr. Robinson enjoys a great life of business, networking, civic responsibility, and family fun.
Board Member
Judge Cleveland-Pennywell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of North Alabama in 1984. She later earned her Juris Doctor degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 1990 and is a Certified Mental Health Court Judge. Since 1999, Judge Cleveland-Pennywell has served as a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Huntsville becoming the 2nd African-American to hold office of full-time judge in North Alabama. Her prior work includes; General Practice Attorney, Municipal Prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney, and Deputy District Attorney. Judge Cleveland is notably credited with implementing the first Municipal Mental Health Court in the State of Alabama.
Judge Cleveland-Pennywell provides leadership and direction to numerous organizations committed to the enhancement of quality of life. A few of her activities include; Board Chair of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County; President of Alabama Municipal Judges Association; Graduate of Leadership Alabama; Foundation Board of Directors for the University of North Alabama; Appointee to The Alabama Judicial Study Commission.
Sybil is married and a proud and loving mother of six children.
Board Member
Ann-Marie Robinson is a native of Dallas, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 1993 from the University of North Texas.
Ann-Marie has a diverse career background including IT Quality System (Process) Management, IT Product/Software Program Management, Medical HW/SW Program Management, and Client Management. Ann-Marie is a proven motivator of people and a lover of doing things the right way the first time. Ann-Marie has had effective and successful stints at companies such as Oracle, MedHost and Omnitracs; where she led multi-million dollar projects managing multiple teams. More recently, Ann-Marie consults with Wondr Health, where she assisted the company in onboarding multiple industry corporate clients onto Wondr’s health and wellness platform to improve the lifestyle of their employees.
Being a person who is a champion of self-care, mental health, and health and wellness in general, Ann-Marie believes in the importance of regularly pampering her soul, mind, and body through her faith, clean eating, exercise, daily reading, and activities that nurture the mind and body. Additionally, Ann-Marie is an avid traveler and loves going to new places and meeting new people.
Ann-Marie is married and a proud and loving mother of six children.
