Dr. Brittny Wells
Business Executive and Higher Education Leader
Can you share your journey into the work you do? What experiences, moments, or values led you here?
My journey into this work began long before I held titles. I grew up understanding that health, opportunity, and access were not distributed equally, and that the conditions shaping communities often go unseen. That awareness evolved into a calling.
I pursued public health because I wanted to address systems, not just symptoms. Over the past 15+ years, I have worked across higher education, healthcare, and government sectors to design programs that improve health equity, expand workforce pathways, and strengthen community-centered innovation. Whether leading rural health transformation initiatives, mentoring future researchers, or building academic pipelines, my work centers one question: How do we create systems that truly serve people?
As a Black woman in leadership, I’ve also become deeply invested in disrupting inequities within academia itself, particularly in how we evaluate excellence, research, and impact. I believe leadership must be both strategic and human. It must honor data and lived experience.
At its core, my journey has been about alignment and doing work that is rigorous, justice-centered, and rooted in purpose. I am committed to building structures where future generations of Black women don’t just survive, but that they lead, innovate, and thrive.
Who or what has most influenced your leadership and commitment to this work? This could include mentors, community, lived experience, books, faith, or movements.
My leadership has been shaped by a combination of mentorship, faith, and community. As a proud two-time HBCU alumna, I was raised in an HBCU environment that normalized excellence and collective responsibility. Seeing Black scholars, administrators, and community leaders operate with brilliance and integrity profoundly shaped my expectations of what was possible.
I am also influenced by women who lead quietly but powerfully. These are women in my life who create change through consistency, discipline, and care - from my closest circle of girlfriends to former bosses like Drs. LaToya Owens, Melva Thompson-Robinson, and Nadrea Njoku. Movements centering Black women’s wellness and mental health have also expanded my understanding that sustainability requires boundaries, rest, and healing - not just achievement.
For those who feel called to doing this work, where would you suggest they begin? Is there a book, organization, practice, or resource that helped shape you?
Start with clarity. Ask yourself: What problem moves you enough that you are willing to stay committed when it becomes difficult? Then build skill alongside passion. Volunteer. Join professional organizations. Read broadly; not just within your discipline but across leadership, equity, and systems thinking. Find mentors. And most importantly, begin before you feel fully ready. Implementation matters more than perfection. Community is essential. None of this work is done alone.
What wisdom or encouragement would you offer to the next generation of Black women leaders entering this space?
You do not have to shrink to lead. Your intellect, your lived experience, your softness, your discipline - all of it belongs in the room.Build excellence, yes; but also build boundaries. Protect your joy and peace. Invest in your health. Leadership that is not sustainable is not transformative. You are allowed to disrupt outdated systems. You are allowed to innovate. You are allowed to redefine what success looks like. In short - lead boldly and rest intentionally.
How can people stay connected to and support your work? Please share your website, social media, current campaigns, or other ways to get involved.
You can stay connected with my work through:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjamesdrph/
I regularly share insights on public health leadership, equity-driven systems change, and workforce development. I also mentor emerging leaders and collaborate on initiatives focused on rural health transformation and academic innovation.