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Dr. Xaulanda
Simmonds, MBA
CHIEF PASSION OFFICER

Dr. Xaulanda Simmonds-Emmanuel is the Co-Founder and Chief Passion Officer of The XauSky Group, LLC, based in Orlando, FL. Born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Xaulanda has over 25+ years of leadership, business administration, and consulting experience. As such, The XauSky Group founded with her daughter Xauskya, helps small and medium-sized businesses find and fuel their passions by providing organizational development, consulting, and culturally relevant training offerings.
Most recently, she serves as a team member of the Georgia Tech Southeast Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Growth Hub and the Future in Color Global Initiative, the 2022 Co-President of the Greater Orlando Organizational Development (GOOD) Network, a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), a member of the National Society of Leadership & Success as well as a member the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).
She has also been a featured speaker at the 2021 BW Leadership Academy in Orlando, FL, and a speaker for the 2021/2022 podcast series of The Forum of Workplace Inclusion in Minneapolis, MN.
Further, she recently completed the University of South Florida’s 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certification as well as a 5-Day Business Accelerator intensive, 2022 cohort training with The Center for Micro-Entrepreneurial Training (CMET). With a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a BA in Business Administration and MBA in Healthcare Administration, Xaulanda applies sound research and empirical evidence to motivate employees and enhance organizational well-being, performance, and outcomes.
As a researcher in work passion, she explores the job, organizational and relational characteristics that influence an employee’s cognitive, affective, and intention state that ignites their harmonious or obsessive work passion, particularly with people of color in the healthcare setting. Her research in passion has expanded to exploring entrepreneurial motivation, environments, and attributes in the ecosystem that supports the success of micro-entrepreneurs.