Who is Who
Yolanda Fraction is a Leadership and Culture Strategist at The Johns Hopkins University, dedicated to strengthening leaders, teams, and organizational belonging. With two decades of experience across education, consulting, and community engagement, she empowers workplaces to thrive through purpose-driven leadership, cultural alignment, and people-centered transformation.
Empowering Excellence
It began with a simple phrase her mother often repeated in the South: “You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.” Years later, those words became the cornerstone of Yolanda Fraction’s leadership philosophy a belief that influence grows from empathy, collaboration, and connection. Today, as a Senior Organization Development Consultant at The Johns Hopkins University, Yolanda channels that wisdom into helping leaders and teams strengthen trust, culture, and belonging across complex organizations. Her journey from a classroom teacher to a national voice on leadership and culture strategy reflects not only a career of achievement but also a life devoted to purposeful impact.
Foundation: Learning, Resilience, and Early Purpose
Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Yolanda grew up with a deep appreciation for hard work and education. As the first in her family to attend college, she transformed humble beginnings into opportunity through determination and an unshakable belief in the power of learning. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies from George Mason University, where her curiosity for people and performance first took shape. Later, she pursued a Master of Education in Adult and Organizational Learning from Northeastern University, where she also received the Academic Excellence Scholarship in recognition of her scholarly dedication.
Her early experiences as a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools ignited a lifelong passion for helping people grow. She wasn’t simply instructingshe was guiding students to see themselves as capable contributors. This foundational phase taught her that real transformation happens when people feel seen, valued, and connected to purpose, a principle that continues to anchor her work.
Ascent: From Education to Consulting and Leadership
In 2009, Yolanda took a leap of faith, transitioning from the classroom to consulting. It was at McFarland & Associates that she discovered how her skills in empathy, facilitation, and systems thinking could support organizational success. Her career expanded rapidly as she began partnering with nonprofits, educational institutions, and corporate organizations to navigate change and align teams with shared goals.
At the Congressional Hunger Center, where she served as Director of Learning and Development, Yolanda’s innovative approach reshaped leadership programs during one of the most uncertain times the COVID-19 pandemic. She seamlessly transitioned the organization’s fellowship curriculum into a fully virtual format that maintained engagement, relevance, and community. “She guided us through behavioral assessments that gave us a clearer understanding of our work styles and how to collaborate more effectively,” shared Alisha Sparks, one of Yolanda’s clients. “Beyond the tools, she has been a trusted thought partner, strategic advisor, and executive coach.”
Her tenure at Slalom, a global consulting firm, further honed her expertise in organizational change and digital transformation. Working with Fortune 100 companies and mission-driven nonprofits alike, she combined business acumen with a people-first perspective. Her ability to connect strategy with culture became her professional signature.
Impact: Building Culture and Belonging at Johns Hopkins University
Yolanda’s leadership philosophy found its fullest expression at The Johns Hopkins University, where she currently serves as Senior Organization Development Consultant. In this role, she partners with executives and senior leaders to align culture, strengthen leadership capability, and foster connection across divisions.
Her colleagues often describe her as the “bridge between clarity and compassion.” Rossana Grant, Interim Director of HR Shared Services, reflected, “Yolanda has a remarkable ability to transform even the most difficult team situations into constructive, forward-looking conversations. Her empathy and insight helped our team move from frustration to collaboration.”
Over the past two years, she has become a cornerstone in shaping the university’s leadership development efforts facilitating strategy sessions, guiding executive teams through transitions, and helping departments strengthen belonging and well-being. She attributes much of her success to the concept of Humble Consulting, which she credits for teaching her the value of building trust beyond transactions.
Her recent post celebrating two years at Hopkins reflected this ethos: “When we build relationships rooted in trust, the impact reaches farther and lasts longer.”
Leadership Beyond the Office
Beyond her institutional role, Yolanda is a thought leader and storyteller. Through her acclaimed podcast, Teamwork Sandbox™, now in its fourth season, she creates authentic conversations about leadership, inclusion, and organizational joy. One of her most popular episodes features executive leader Utibe Bassey, where they explore the concept of leading with love. As Yolanda reflected, “You can push and pressure your way to outcomes but what if your organization could be even more successful by bringing people along, not dragging them along?”
Her written work mirrors this same spirit. As the creator of the Behavioral Transformation newsletter, followed by over a thousand subscribers, she challenges readers to rethink traditional workplace dynamics. Her forthcoming book, Joyful Workplaces: How People and Systems Create Energy, Resilience, and Results, continues this mission, focusing on how organizations can create sustainable cultures of engagement.
Her former colleague Shekeitha L. Jeffries, a leadership strategist, described Yolanda’s presence best: “She embodies organizational leadership at its best—strategic, collaborative, and results-driven, yet deeply human. She creates space for authentic engagement and growth.”
Honors, Recognition, and Lifelong Learning
Yolanda’s work has not gone unnoticed. She is a George Mason University 40 Under 40 Honoree, a Greenheart Global Leaders Scholar, and recipient of Northeastern University’s Academic Excellence Scholarship. Her professional affiliations include memberships with the Organization Development Network, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and Blacks in Industrial Organizational Psychology (BIOP).
Even with decades of experience, she remains a student of leadership and life. She is currently pursuing her ICF certification in executive coaching and continues teaching ESL and ELL courses at Anne Arundel Community College an endeavor that keeps her grounded in the human side of learning.
Vision for the Future
For Yolanda, leadership is never just about titles or teams it’s about transformation. She believes organizations thrive when purpose, connection, and accountability coexist in balance. Whether guiding senior executives through strategic realignment or mentoring emerging leaders, her north star remains unchanged: to make workplaces and communities better places for people to grow and belong.
As Darrius West, a client who experienced her facilitation firsthand, put it, “Her ability to create thoughtful, engaging, and safe spaces allowed us to understand not only our strengths, but how we can show up for each other in meaningful ways.”
Editorial Note
Yolanda Fraction’s story is a celebration of purposeful leadership. Her path from educator to organizational strategist demonstrates how empathy, integrity, and vision can transform not only workplaces but also the people within them. Through her work at Johns Hopkins, her podcast, and her writing, she continues to empower others to lead with humanity and courage. In a world often defined by change, Yolanda remains a constant reminder that authentic leadership is rooted in connection and excellence is not achieved alone but built together.
