Dr. Davi Kallman is a Mexican, Jewish, Disabled Woman. Her intersecting identities help bring a voice to traditionally marginalized communities. She is a published author, award winning speaker, and an institutional change maker. Her keynotes, speeches, and presentations include topics such as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Intersectionality; Disability and Education; Disability Advocacy; and Leadership and Organizational Growth. She is thrilled about the opportunity to work with you and your organization.
Dr. Davi Kallman is a professor, educational consultant, and speaker who served as the District Dean of Student Engagement at Pierce College, where she led student success initiatives and worked to create inclusive and accessible environments across campuses. She also taught as an adjunct professor of Communication Studies at both Pierce College and Tacoma Community College, focusing on intercultural communication, small group dynamics, and public speaking.
She previously served as the ADA/504 Coordinator at both Pierce College and Tacoma Community College, spending over four years advancing the rights of disabled students and collaborating with faculty and staff to reduce institutional barriers. Her leadership experience also included roles as Interim Co-Dean of Retention and Student Success and Director of Access Services at Tacoma Community College, as well as Assistant Director and Awareness Coordinator at Washington State University’s Access Center, where she led campus-wide initiatives to normalize disability through storytelling and programming.
Outside of higher education, Dr. Kallman is a sought-after public speaker and consultant with Damon Brooks Associates and other disability-focused organizations. Her keynotes and workshops cover topics including:
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Disability and Intersectionality
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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
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Accessible Event Planning
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Reducing Bias in Hiring
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Leadership and Organizational Growth
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Disability in Higher Education
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Media Literacy and Social Justice Storytelling
Each presentation is tailored to the audience and rooted in her belief that real change begins with intentional dialogue and deep listening.
Dr. Kallman also applies her expertise to accessible event planning, consulting on retreats, conferences, and professional gatherings to ensure access is integrated from the planning stages through execution. She believes accessibility is not an add-on, it’s foundational to full participation.
She earned her Ph.D. in Health Communication from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University and holds a Master’s in Communication Theory from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). While at UTEP, she founded the Disabled Student Services Task Force and co-founded Appreciation of Diverse Dispositions (ADD), a student-led organization that offered scholarships to students with disabilities.
With a career centered on intersectionality, systems change, and disability justice, Dr. Kallman brings both lived experience and academic expertise to every space she enters. For the past nine years, she has researched how disability intersects with race, gender, sexuality, religion, and class, and how institutions must evolve to meet the needs of people with complex, overlapping identities.
Dr. Kallman lives in Lakewood, Washington with her husband Kyle, their four cats (Mozzy, PomPom, Ash, and Leeloo), and their Bullmastiff puppies, Josie and Penny.