Malia Lazu

Malia Lazu, an award winning, tenured strategist in diversity & inclusion has sparked deep economic development and investment in urban entrepreneurship for over twenty years. In her most recent role as EVP and Regional President at Berkshire Bank, Malia worked to generate wealth for communities by expanding access to capital and spurring economic growth —especially in communities of color that have traditionally been left behind.

During her time at Berkshire, Malia evolved the $13 billion bank’s strategic focus beyond traditional community banking services to prioritize tangible community impact. She helped to diversify the board of directors; developed a suite of financial products and programs that support entrepreneurs of color; and launched ReevX Labs, a collaborative workspace and innovation hub for the urban start-up community.

Malia began her career as a political organizer and bridge-builder founding Mass VOTE, a state-wide voter engagement campaign. She has led culture-shifting campaigns for the actor and civil rights activist Harry Belefonte, as well as businessmen and philanthropists like Peter Lewis and George Soros.

Malia currently sits on the boards of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Revolutionary Spaces, Chica Project, Artist Asylum and the Nation Magazine Editorial Board. She was named one of Essence Magazine’s 50 founders to watch in 2017 and Boston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business in 2019.