DL McKinney is a Detroit native turned GVSU “Laker for a Lifetime” and Grand Rapids resident, known for their unorthodox career spanning laboratory science, business leadership, and social justice. As the Director of the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center at GVSU and Co-owner/Principal Consultant of Paradigm Shifts Consulting, DL brings a wealth of experience in fostering inclusive environments, particularly for QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Color) communities.
With degrees in Business Administration Economics and a Masters in Public Administration and Health, DL plays a critical role on various West Michigan committees addressing wellness, homelessness, equity, and social change. Their work focuses on applying a racial and social justice lens to intersectionality, highlighting how overlapping identities affect access, opportunity, and systemic inequities.
At the intersection of advocacy, community empowerment, and systems change, DL’s passion lies in helping individuals and organizations understand how layered identities—such as race, gender, and sexual orientation—interact with societal structures. Their expertise is centered on building capacity to challenge internal and external systems of oppression to create sustainable, community-driven solutions.
