Julene Allen is a visionary leader, interviewer, author, and advocate whose work centers the advancement, visibility, and empowerment of women—especially women of color—in the workplace and beyond. Her commitment to this mission is rooted in lived experience. Early in her career, Julene endured workplace bullying and exclusion, an experience that revealed the profound gaps in support, community, and language available to women of color navigating professional environments. Determined that no one should face those challenges alone, she began creating spaces and tools that addressed the realities she and so many others were living.
Her advocacy first took shape in 2008 when she founded Women for Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the stories of underrecognized sheroes. Through its offshoot, Women for Action Magazine, Julene conducted powerful interviews with women who broke barriers in their fields. Her subjects included Lori Lyons, the first Black woman to photograph the cover of Fortune Magazine; Bonnie Jill Laflin, the first and only woman NBA Scout; Marianne Marston, British boxing champion and protégé of heavyweight legend Smokin’ Joe Frazier; Peggy Llewellyn, the first woman of color to win a professional motorsports event; and Shaili Chopra, award‑winning business journalist and one of India’s most prominent television presenters. These stories deepened Julene’s understanding of leadership, resilience, and the systemic challenges women face.
Julene’s workplace advocacy expanded through her years as a Lean In Regional Leader, where she founded Lean In Dayton and Lean In Ohio, and later directed the global network Lean In Women of Color. During this time, she developed culturally grounded workshops, discussion guides, and learning tools tailored to the experiences of professional women of color. Her Women of Color Discussion Toolkit was launched inside Procter & Gamble in 2017, marking one of the earliest corporate deployments of a women‑of‑color‑centered discussion framework.
In 2018, Lean In honored Julene for her national advocacy, recognizing her leadership of the Latinas Equal Pay Day Commemoration Project and the Black Women’s Equal Pay Day Commemoration Project—two initiatives that brought national visibility to the wage inequities affecting women of color and helped shift the conversation around pay equity across the United States.
Julene also published Lean In Ohio: 100 Women Archives, a keepsake book featuring interviews with some of Ohio’s most influential women trailblazers.
In 2019, she launched the acclaimed podcast Conversations for Equal Pay, expanding her advocacy into national dialogue. Through candid interviews with leaders such as State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Marysol Castro—journalist and PA announcer for the New York Mets—and Teresa Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, Julene explores pay equity, workplace inclusion, and the lived experiences of women navigating professional spaces. Her work continues to amplify voices that are too often overlooked.
Furthering her commitment to equity, Julene has collaborated with organizations such as NOW National, IWPR, and the National Diversity Council to elevate awareness of pay inequity affecting women of color. Across her various platforms and initiatives, she has conducted approximately 150 interviews, each one spotlighting women’s leadership, resilience, and the systemic barriers they continue to face.
A U.S. military veteran, former insurance professional, and founder of Women of Color in the Workplace, Julene has dedicated her career to ensuring that women—particularly women of color—are seen, heard, and empowered to thrive.
Today, her work expands beyond workplace equity into themes of personal transformation, spirituality, and the lifelong journey of discovering one’s purpose. Through her writing, teaching, and creative practice, Julene explores how identity, healing, and inner wisdom shape the paths we choose and the lives we build. She is also a professional artist whose expressive acrylic and mixed‑media work reflects her belief in creativity as a pathway to clarity, connection, and self‑discovery.
Read more
Read less
