Cynthia Pong, JD

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cynthia_pong_headshotcloseupCynthia Pong, JD

Founder, Femenist Career Strategist, Speaker, Author — Embrace Change

Cynthia Pong is an NYU-trained lawyer turned career coach whose passion is helping women of color realize their ambitious career goals. She founded Embrace Change to serve mid-career women of color professionals who are pursuing unconventional paths. As a career coach for women of color, speaker, and thought leader in the professional development field, she offers a range of services, including Executive and Leadership Coaching, Negotiation Strategy, Business Development Coaching for Entrepreneurs, Networking, Job Interview Prep, and Career Change Support.

Her career advice is frequently cited in press pieces on platforms including NPR, Refinery29, Fast Company, and HuffPost. In 2019, Cynthia was selected as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Career. She received recognition and awards from the Unfinished Business Initiative and iFundWomen Of Color

Prior to founding Embrace Change, Cynthia was a public defender in the Bronx for six years, carrying a caseload of 100 to 120 criminal cases at a time. She fought tirelessly for her clients’ liberty and rights; all her felony trials resulted in acquittals. Before that, she clerked for Justice James E. Graves on the Mississippi Supreme Court. She earned a law degree from NYU School of Law (cum laude) and her Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in Ethnic Studies (magna cum laude). 

Her social justice background deeply influences the ways in which she supports her clients in their journey of self-fulfillment and wellness. Being a public defender taught her how to ask the right questions and reinforced her zeal for supporting people through times of great difficulty. She has counseled thousands of clients and helped them move forward through the worst experience of their lives. As a practitioner of restorative justice, Cynthia follows the value of deep listening with the goal of truly understanding another person. As an entrepreneur, she has been through countless rounds of strategic trial and error in building her business over the past five years.

Cynthia also serves as the Donor/Member Administrator and a regular volunteer at her neighborhood bookstore, Word Up Community Bookshop, a volunteer collective about sixty strong. If you’re interested in joining, click here!

Cynthia lived in Harlem, New York City for about fifteen years. She is a proud introvert, a classic middle child, and loves sleeping, puns, and Rottweilers!


Read Cynthia’s debut book: Don’t Stay in Your Lane: The Career Change Guide for Women of Color.

Learn more about Embrace Change here.

@colormagazineusa