Malia Lazu is the founder and CEO of The Lazu Group. An award-winning, tenured strategist in diversity and inclusion, she has sparked deep economic development and investment in urban entrepreneurship for over 20 years. In her previous role as EVP and regional president at Berkshire Bank, Malia worked to generate wealth for communities by expanding access to capital and spurring economic growth. A serial entrepreneur in her own right, Malia has created and led a number of socially responsible business accelerators across Boston. She worked with the city to create Accelerate Boston and was also the Founder and President of the Future Boston Alliance, now known as Epicenter. As a fellow at MIT’s Community Innovator’s Lab, she launched The Urban Labs, a multicultural agency helping brands see returns on diversity. The Urban Labs has expanded into The Lazu Group today. Malia has continued ties with MIT and is currently a lecturer at MIT Sloan, where she co-created a series called The Inclusive Innovation Economy. Malia holds a BS in political communication from Emerson College.