Monica O. Montgomery MA, is immersed in propelling organizations forward in creative economy, public history, humanities, DEI work and museums. She has honed her talents over two decades in marketing, nonprofits and social impact, having worked in a myriad of roles within museums including: executive directing, independent curating, program development, strategic planning, stakeholder partnerships, integrated marketing communications, fundraising, event producer, volunteer/member management, museum education and community engagement. As an impassioned visionary leader her thought leadership lies at the intersection of equity, cultural innovation and inclusion; with a passion for community engagement and expanding access to arts ecosystems. She is cofounder and strategic director of Museum Hue, the premiere multicultural platform advancing the visibility and viability of people of color in museums. She leads Museum Hue in diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives, branding, social media, building representation through pipelines, policy and praxis; and advocating with members throughout Europe and North America.

Monica is a seasoned public speaker who has delivered a TedX talk entitled 'How To Be an Upstander', challenging everyone to stand up, speak up and act up for social good. She has presented across a number of notable stages such as : SxSW EDU, Smithsonian Institution, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Carnegie Museums of PA, American Folk Art Museum, Portland Museum of Art, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History: Museum Camp, Minneapolis Institute of Art: MASS Action, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership: Smith Leadership Symposium, Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Newark Open Doors Festival, Northern Manhattan Art Alliance, Naturally Occurring Cultural Arts Districts NY, Rutgers University: Telling Untold Histories Unconference, Wayne State University, Allied Media Conference, Arizona State University: PAVE Symposium on Entrepreneurship and the Arts, The Art of Nonviolence Festival, Pioneerworks Summit on Pedagogy, Visitor Experience Conference, Independent Curators International, CCCADI: The Art of Justice, Art Table: Action and Reaction in the Art World, Cue Art Foundation: Righteous Rage: Using Anger as a Tool to Fuel Equity in Arts, NTHP National Trust for Historic Preservation: Reimagining Historic Sites PLT Forum, AAM American Alliance of Museums,  NAEA National Association of Education in the Arts, AASLH American Association for state and Local History, AAMC Association of Art Museum Curators, Association of Art Museum Directors, TEA Themed Entertainment Association, AAAM African American Association of Museums, DLF Digital Library Foundation, NCPH National Council on Public History, ASALH Association for the Study of African American Life and History and Museum Next (conferences in Indianapolis, Ireland, Portland and New York).

Monica advocates for #BlackLIvesMatter in museums as a social justice curator, having curated over 40 social history and contemporary art exhibits and festivals with renowned organizations like the South African Embassy, Brooklyn Museum, Portland Art Museum, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic House Trust of NY, Weeksville Heritage Center, Teachers College, The New School, The Highline, T Thomas Fortune Cultural Center and others. She completed fellowships with National Arts Strategies Creative Community Fellows, CCCADI Innovative Cultural Advocacy, Race Forward’s Racial Equity in the Arts Innovation Lab and Oxford Cultural Leaders at Oxford University UK.  She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Broadcast Communication from Temple University and Masters of Arts in Corporate Communication from LaSalle University. She won the 2016 Fractured Atlas Arts Entrepreneur of the year award and has been featured in the media on Humans of New York, C-Span, Hyperallergic, Watch the Yard, Radio One, Black Art in America, Art Net News, City Limits, BK Live, The Portland Tribune, The Hyattsville Times, The Museum Life, Art Museum Teaching and Arts Professional Blog. She is an advisor to Play Africa Children's Museum, OF/BY/FOR ALL Change Network, Monument Lab, MASS Action, and Look At Art Get Paid. Monica has taught graduate courses around Museums and Social Change at: Harvard University, Pratt Institute and NYU; and was a visiting scholar at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS & University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN, She has guest lectured at Princeton University, Georgetown University, Columbia University, American University, Johns Hopkins University, The New School, University of the Arts, University of Maryland, CUNY and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.