Diversity Strategy at GitHub Gets a New Leader
Demetris Cheatham has joined GitHub as senior director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DI&B) Strategy. Cheatham, who uses she/her/hers pronouns and goes by @demetris11 on GitHub, will operate out of the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (OCOO) with a remit spanning four areas: People, Platform, Philanthropy, and Policy.
The role marks a deliberate shift in how GitHub approaches DI&B. Rather than treating it as a standalone program, the company is embedding it into its broader business strategy and internal operations. That structural commitment, alongside the view that inclusion is core to its mission of being "the home for all developers," is what drew Cheatham to the position. She will work with DI&B leaders across HR, Engineering, Policy, and Social Impact to coordinate a cross-functional strategy.
From Law to Tech
Cheatham’s path to this role wasn’t a straight line through human resources. She previously served as the first woman and youngest executive director of the National Bar Association, the largest organization of Black lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students in the U.S. Her team there authored legislation focused on racial equity and economic inclusion. She also spent time as a nonprofit executive, an entrepreneur, and chief of staff to an elected official.
Cheatham holds a computer science degree from North Carolina A&T State University, a historically Black college (HBCU), and is a first-generation college student. In addition to her corporate work, she teaches roughly 450 undergraduates each semester on entrepreneurial thinking.
90 Days of Listening
Cheatham arrives with a conviction that GitHub’s global developer community gives it a unique chance to build an environment where contribution isn’t gated by identity or geography. She also notes that the company’s leadership, including @nat and the broader executive team, already treat DI&B as a success factor—meaning her job is less about persuasion and more about shaping strategy.
Her initial plan covers the first 90 days: exploring the GitHub platform, engaging with the open source community, and learning from employees worldwide. Rather than wait to publish a finished strategy, Cheatham intends to share updates along the way as she assesses the company’s culture and the opportunities ahead.
