TEQUILA
JOHNSON
Architecting Sustainable Power for Leaders, Organizations & Communities
Tequila Johnson is a civic architect, enterprise strategist, and award-winning social entrepreneur helping leaders evolve influence into industry-shaping impact.
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Tequila Johnson
Is an internationally recognized civic architect, enterprise strategist, and award-winning social entrepreneur who helps leaders evolve influence into industry-shaping impact. As the co-founder of The Equity Alliance, she built one of the South’s most effective Black-led civic engagement organizations, growing it from a grassroots startup into a multimillion-dollar institution that became a national model for modern power-building.
Under her leadership, TEA registered tens of thousands of voters, mobilized statewide coalitions, shaped major legislative and policy conversations, and launched high-impact initiatives that helped shift civic participation in Tennessee. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, Essence, and recognized by NAACP, Echoing Green, and global leadership institutions.
A Harvard Kennedy School–trained practitioner in Power & Influence, Tequila is widely known for her rare ability to bridge two worlds: the precision of boardroom strategy and the moral clarity of grassroots organizing. She has advised CEOs, foundations, academic institutions, and national advocacy organizations on leadership alignment, community strategy, stakeholder engagement, and systems design.
As an international keynote speaker, Tequila has shared stages with global leaders and delivered high-impact talks across the U.S. and abroad. Her signature IP, the Power Profile™ and Power Shift™ Framework, helps leaders understand the power they lead from, the power they underuse, and the power they need next. These tools now anchor her keynotes, executive advising, Power Labs™, and culture-shaping consulting engagements.
After a transformational sabbatical, during which her organization continued to grow and operate at a high level in her absence, Tequila stepped boldly into her next era. Today, she works alongside executives, mission-driven companies, and civic institutions to design aligned, sustainable systems of influence that move leaders from urgency to intentionality and from instinct to mastery.
A mother, mentor, and multidimensional leader grounded in faith and aligned ambition, Tequila is committed to building the kind of power that doesn’t burn people out but builds people up.
Movement Architect Organizational Builder Executive Strategist
Movement Architect
Built statewide civic power, mobilized communities, designed coalitions that shifted policy and participation
Organizational Builder
Co-founded a nationally recognized multimillion-dollar organization. Scaled a team capable of thriving through her three-month sabbatical. Developed leaders, systems, and operational models that outlast individuals.
Enterprise Strategist
Now equips executives, organizations, and mission-driven companies to design influence that scales from leadership culture to power-aligned strategy.
Impact By The Numbers
30,000+
Voters registered
$10M+
Funds stewarded
100+
Speaking engagements
Featured in
NYT, NPR, Essence, and more
The Power Shift™ Approach
How She Leads:
Understand the power they lead from
Identify the power they underuse
Activate the power the moment requires
Build aligned, sustainable influence, without burnout
Move from instinctive leadership intentional leadership
Tequila’s work is built on one core truth:
Power is not something you wait for; power is something you practice.
Through The Power Profile™ and The Power Shift™ Framework, she teaches leaders how to
This methodology now anchors her keynotes, consulting, Power Labs™, and executive advising.
Recognized For Influence, Impact & Innovation
Essence Magazine’s Woke 100
Echoing Green Fellow
Featured in The New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, The Guardian
Honored by NAACP and national civic organizations
Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education: Power & Influence Program
Numerous regional and national leadership awards
Beyond The Work
Tequila is a mother, mentor, and multidimensional leader grounded in faith, family, and a commitment to aligned ambition. She believes leadership should feel like purpose, not pressure, and that every visionary deserves the structures and support to thrive in the life they’re building.
