Backstory

In 2009, Rachel Godsil, Alexis McGill Johnson, and john a. powell convened leading social scientists to form the Perception Institute and address critical questions: Why do outcomes in key domains like schools, hospitals, courtrooms, and media platforms so often differ based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and other aspects of identity—even when intentions are good? While structural inequities were part of the answer, they didn’t fully explain the everyday decisions that shape people’s lives in profound ways.

Through rigorous research, the team identified three interlocking psychological dynamics—implicit bias, identity anxiety, and stereotype threat—which explain  why people's experiences so frequently differ. They synthesized the findings and began translating them into actionable interventions, partnering with educators, judges, prosecutors, health care providers, and media professionals to shift perception and practice.

But a deeper insight emerged through this work: these same dynamics were silently shaping internal workplace culture. Without addressing them, change efforts in external systems would stall. This realization sparked the founding of Perception Strategies in 2015 by Alexis McGill Johnson and Rachel Godsil—to bring the science of perception and the tools of transformation directly into organizational life. Today, Perception Strategies works with leaders and institutions to foster dignity, equity, and belonging through research-backed strategies that reshape culture, align systems, and unlock human potential.