Dr. Xaulanda
Simmonds, MBA, PhD
CHIEF PASSION OFFICER

Dr. Xaulanda Simmonds-Emmanuel is the Co-Founder and Chief Passion Officer of The XauSky Group, LLC. Born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dr. Xaulanda has over 25+ years of leadership, business administration, strategic planning, 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.
Dr. Xaulanda been a featured speaker at the 2021 BW Leadership Academy in Orlando, FL, Co-host of The Entrepreneur’s Trip podcast series in the US Virgin Islands, the 2021 Most Downloaded Podcast Guest for The Intern Whisperer series in Orlando, FL, a speaker for the 2021/2022 podcast series of The Forum of Workplace Inclusion in Minneapolis, MN and co-presenter at the 2020 Greater Orlando Organizational Network’s Conference. In 2022, Dr. Xaulanda was featured on the cover of EMPOW(HER) Magazine (Virgin Islands) and the Disruptors as well as had featured articles Voyage Minnesota and The Celebrity Online.
Most recently, Dr. Xaulanda contributed to The Winters Group’s Stories Behind the Number Series (A Black Woman’s Perspective on the Pursuit of an Advanced Degree) and A Point of View Series (I don’t’ fit into a box: The Challenges with Racial and Ethnic Labels withing a Multicultural Society). She is also a published author in the Passion and Purpose anthology containing 21 inspiring stories from women in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Business, Leadership, and Life.
She is currently an Expert Member with the Society of Evidence-Based Organizational Consulting (SEBOC). 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). Previously, she served as the 2022 Co-President of the Greater Orlando Organizational Development (GOOD) Network, a team member of the Georgia Tech Southeast Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Growth Hub and the Future in Color Global Initiative, a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), a member of the National Society of Leadership & Success, a member the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and founding member of SHRM VI Chapter.
With a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a BA in Business Administration and MBA in Healthcare Administration, Dr. 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 work passion has expanded to exploring entrepreneurial motivation, environments, and attributes in the ecosystem that supports the success of entrepreneurs and small businesses.
An In-Depth Perspective
CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES
Business as Unusual with Urbander
(small business management)
Language Testing International (LTI)
(multicultural strategy)
Language Testing International (LTI) cont.
(multicultural strategy)
-
Building Bridges Through the Power of Cultural and Linguistic Engagement
-
Navigating Multicultural Spaces in Business and through Entrepreneurship
-
What does I-O Psychology have to do with language proficiency?
-
Job seeking? Why employers may ask you to do a language assessment.
-
Storytelling Beyond the Numbers: A Black Woman’s Perspective on the Pursuit of a Doctoral Degree
PODCASTER
Co-Host of The Entrepreneur’s Trip with X.T.C.
Guest appearances on The Forum on Workplace Inclusion
-
Podcast Ep. 84: Courageously Hack into Your DEI Opportunities
-
Podcast Ep. 69 How to Be an Ally while also Being Marginalized
The Intern Whisperer
I Have Something to Say Podcasts
-
Episode #111: "I Have SOMETHING To Say" with special guest, Xaulanda Simmonds-Emmanuel
-
Episode #137: "I Have SOMETHING To Say" with special guest, Xaulanda Simmonds Emmanuel
-
Episode #81: "I Have SOMETHING To Say" - Special Roundtable Segment on "The 2021 Presidential Inauguration"
Stress-Free With Dr G
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
-
Greater Orlando Organizational Development (GOOD) Network
-
CMET 5 Day Business Accelerator Course, Attendee & Co-Host, May 2022
BLOGS