N. J. Akbar, PhD (of Akron, OH) is President & Senior Principal Consultant for B4U Services, LLC. Previously, he served in executive and senior leadership roles in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for more than a decade, i.e. Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at ACLU National and Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kent State University.     In 2019, he gained national acclaim by becoming the first Black LGBTQ Muslim elected in Ohio and one of the first in the nation, when he was elected to the Akron Board of Education. Dr. Akbar served one term as Vice President and two terms as President of the Akron School Board. He was the author of more than 15 policies and resolutions centered on equity.   Dr. Akbar has authored several papers and book chapters on educational equity and systemic approaches to seeking racial equity.