Hi, I’m GRACI!

public Speaker & best-selling Author

International public speaker and best-selling author inspiring others to rise in authenticity, inclusion, and belonging.

Rising to live & work more authentically

International public speaker and best-selling author, passionate about helping others live authentically, build inclusion, and find belonging.

We live in a society where we are pressured to assimilate to other’s expectations, while feeling strained to shove what we are going through under the rug.

Most of us are on a journey most others of us know nothing about. I’m grateful to have worked with incredible leaders in my life, therefore inclusive leadership is a strong passion of mine. I’m also passionate about empowering marginalized and underrepresented voices, because I know how it feels to not be heard. To those who have been misrepresented, silenced, closeted, or shamed,

I see you. I value you. You are safe here.

My Story

I was born in a mud hut in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, amidst civil unrest. After having a life expectancy of 12-24 hours, I was adopted by an American missionary family. Divine intervention gave me the opportunity to not just survive, but to have the opportunity to thrive. Moving to a homogenous area in the United States, while embracing my LGBTQ+ identity, I struggled to fit in and feel accepted in the world around me.

I wasted so much energy seeking the approval and acceptance of others. Belonging doesn’t mean being accepted by other people’s expectations. Belonging means accepting and loving yourself for who you are.

I enjoy quality time with friends and family and I also volunteer my time on boards and committees focused on the health and wellness of marginalized and vulnerable populations. One non-profit that is very near and dear to my heart is my parents’ faith-based non-profit, Heart for Central Africa - Building Bukavu. Through my business, Graci LLC, created in 2019, I partner with organizations throughout the globe to deliver inspirational and interactive diversity, equity, and inclusion-related workshops and keynotes to rise in inclusion, authenticity, and belonging in the world around us.

My Credentials

  • Bachelor’s degree in Communications, emphasis on Public Relations/Advertising, Grand Valley State University

Business Awards from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:

  • 2023 - 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders of West Michigan

  • 2022 - 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan

  • 2022 - 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders of West Michigan

  • 2021 - 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders of West Michigan

  • 2020 - 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders of West Michigan

  • 2020 - 40 Under Forty Business Leaders of West Michigan

  • 2015 - 40 Under Forty Business Leaders of West Michigan

RISING

From a Mud Hut to the Boardroom—
and Back Again

In this astonishing memoir, Graci Harkema revisits her experience growing up as an adoptee from the Congo in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She traces her path to claiming and living her own story, becoming a successful consultant on diversity, equity and inclusion, LGBTQ+ equality, and women in business.

Hardcover, eBook & audiobook available now wherever books are sold!