Bio
Kiana Pierre-Louis, Esq. is a Senior Law Lecturer, Pre-law Advisor, and a Course Coordinator at Bentley University in the Law & Taxation Department. Kiana teaches several business law courses and courses that deal with diversity, equity and inclusion like, Race and the Law and Social Justice Law an embedded travel course. In addition to being a Professor at Bentley University, Kiana is also an alumnus of Bentley University having graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Communications and a minor in English in 1999. She received a Juris Doctorate, from Suffolk University Law School in 2002 cum laude and passed the bar that same year.
After graduating from law school Kiana worked for 2 small law firms practicing civil litigation, corporate law and criminal defense. In 2004, Kiana became Partner/Owner for Perkins & Baskin, P.C., where she practiced Real Estate law, corporate law and civil litigation. Realizing she had a passion for Real Estate, Kiana and her business partner subsequently started Perkins & Baskin Realty in 2006, a real estate company, where they were real estate brokers helping buyers and sellers with the purchase and sale of their homes. In 2009, Kiana decided to close both firms and focus on teaching and family.
Kiana has a passion for Social Justice and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice and is a consultant and facilitator in this work. Her work at Bentley and in her hometown centers on social justice advocacy. Kiana co-created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Major at Bentley University. She has won numerous awards that recognize her work in advising and mentoring students, her leadership and dedication to advancing DEI initiatives, and her outstanding teaching capabilities. Kiana is the Chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee for the Town of Sharon. She sits on the Board of Directors for KodeConnect, Inc. a non-profit organization helping marginalized youth to get access to STEM classes for little to no cost. She also is the Interim President and a board member of Sharon Racial Equity Alliance (SREA) an antiracist non-profit centering the racial inequities of BIPOC individuals in Sharon, Ma. She has been recognized for her social justice advocacy as a 2021 Massachusetts Black & Latino Caucus Black Excellence on the Hill Nominee and honored as Citizen of the Year in 2021 by the Town of Sharon.
Professional Memberships
Federal bar District of Massachusetts 2003 PresentMember of the Massachusetts Bar 2002 PresentDelta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity 2018 - PresentNorth Atlantic Regional Business Law Association 2016 - PresentAcademy of Legal Studies of Business 2013 - PresentAmerican Bar Association 2017 - 2018Awards and Honors
2021, Citizen of the Year, Town of Sharon, MA2021, 2021 Massachusetts Black & Latino Caucus Black Excellence on the Hill Nominee, Massachusetts Black & Latino Caucus2020, Advisor of the Year, Student Programming and Engagement (SP&E)2020, Outstanding Alumni Award, Summer Transition Education Program2019, The Joseph M Cronin Award for Excellence in Academic Advising, Bentley University2019, Faculty of the Year, Summer Transitional Education Program (STEP), Bentley University2018, Innovation in Teaching Award, Bentley University2018, 2018 Baccalaureate Speaker, Senior Class Cabinent2018, Exemplary Educator Award, Coming Full Circle2017, Innovation in Teaching Award, Bentley University2017, Dr. Earl L. Avery MLK Leadership Award, MLK, Jr. Breakfast- Bentley UniversityPublications
Presentations
Pierre-Louis, K. (2021). “Learning Burst Video” Presented at the Bentley Center for Women in Business Massachusetts Conference for WomenPierre-Louis, K. (2021). Presented at the Trillium Brave Noise Canton, MA Pierre-Louis, K. (2020). “How Climate Change, Publice Health and Racism Intersect” Presented at theShining a spotlight on Environmental JusticePierre-Louis, K. (2020). “The Legal Perspective on why there is a racial disparity in COVID-19 cases” Presented at the Bentley University Alumni WebinarPierre-Louis, K., Choi, S., Skipwith, C. G. (2020). “Taking a Pandemic View of America” Presented at the Bentley University Bentley Community Learning ConferencePierre-Louis, K. (2019). “Teaching Innovation Session” Presented at the Bentley University Teaching Colloquium Executive Dining Room Pierre-Louis, K. (2019). “Racial Profiling Perpetuates Social Injustices” Presented at the Bentley University Research Colloquium Social In/Justice Executive Dining Room Lichtenstein, S. D., Bennett Jr., R., Kunkel, R., Shedd, P., Herron, D., Pierre-Louis, K., Salimbene, F. P. (2017). “ Faculty Experiences Teaching Abroad; Enhancing Student Learning with Travel Embedded Courses.” Presented at the ALSB Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Savannah, GA Service
Department Service
Advisor to students going to law school for Pre-Law Advisor 2021 - PresentCourse Coordinator for GB110 Coordinator 2016 - PresentMentor (Faculty) for Adamian Law Club 2020 - 2021Course Coordinator for Orientation - 2018Committee Chair for GB110 Self Study Team 2017 - 2018Hosted Table for Department for Open House- Admitted Student Day - 2017Hosted Table for the department for Open House - 2016University Service
Student in the Program for Minvera Certificate Program: Facilitating Engaged Learning in Virtual Classes 2020 - PresentTask Force Member for Racial Justice Taskforce 2020 - PresentCommittee Chair for Teaching and Scholoraly Activities Committee 2020 - PresentMentor (Faculty) for Skiing and Snowboarding Club 2019 - PresentStudent Organization Advisor for Caribbean Ancestry Student Association (CASA) 2016 - PresentCommittee Member for Residential Education Faculty Advisory Team 2016 - PresentCommittee Member for Bentley Brave 2016 - PresentCommittee Member for Biased Incident Report Team (BIRT) 2016 - PresentStudent Organization Advisor for Black United Body (BUB) 2015 - PresentProgram Organizer for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Major 2020 - 2021Committee Member for Presidental Search Committee 2020 - 2021Guest Speaker for Bentley University: Student Program & Engagment 2020 - 2020Mentor (Faculty) for Social Justice Defined Community 2016 - 2019Conference/Workshop Organizer for Coming Full Circle (CFC) 2019 - 2019Committee Chair for Undergraduate Curriculum Task force Committee 2018 - 2018Conference/Workshop Organizer for Coming Full Circle (CFC) 2018 - 2018Marshall for Convocation - 2018Mentor (Faculty) for The International Business Ethics Case Competition 2018 - 2018Mentor (Faculty) for Keybank Minority Case Competition 2018 - 2018Conference/Workshop Organizer for Coming Full Circle (CFC) 2017 - 2017Guest Speaker for Gallery Opening of Art Exhibit: My Brother's Black Body - 2017Professional Service
Faculty Initiate for Delta Sigma Pi 2019 - 2019Invited Lecture/Presentation for Dresses to Dreams 2019 - 2019Conference Attendee for Facing Races Conference 2016 - 2016Conference Attendee for NARBLA - 2016Keynote Speaker for Youth Options Unlimited Boston 2015 - 2015Invited Lecture/Presentation for Campus Dialog on Race and Inequality at Bentley University 2015 - 2015Invited Lecture/Presentation for Dialog on Race and Inequality at Bentley University 2015 - 2015Invited Lecture/Presentation for Campus Diaolog on Race and Inequality at Bentley University 2015 - 2015