Latoya Bullard-Franklin’s destiny has brought her from humble beginnings in New Orleans, LA to a successful Entrepreneur in Houston, TX. She is an experienced Master Black Belt Facilitator of Lean Six Sigma, Change Management, and Organizational Strategy Development. As an Agent of Change, she believes the best way to achieve business success is to “remove barriers and think outside of the box.” She is Founder and CEO of The Bulsard Group, LLC-a firm focused on partnering with clients to uncover value, create value, and deliver value in the pursuit of Operational Excellence.
She has a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University, and a Masters of Science in Project Management from Boston University. Her career as a leader in the Oil and Gas industry began with Texaco and bp oil as a Reliability Engineer. As an Engineering Lead with Raytheon Company, she supported the development of products for major Army and Navy programs. Transitioning to a Quality Assurance lead for high impact initiatives, she developed strategies to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the Quality organization in enabling people, processes, and technology to work cohesively. It was during this time that she became an advocate of Supplier Diversity through organizations such as Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). During her tenure with Chevron Company, she has led the execution of many projects with a strict focus on delivering millions of dollars in value and enhancing growth. Throughout her career, she has also developed and instructed numerous training courses focusing on Lean Six Sigma basics, voice of the customer, and building total organizational capability. Recognized as a trailblazer by Fortune 500 companies, she continues to leadglobal teams of top executives and mid-level managersto maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of their organizations.
As a visionary with a keen eye for results, she has led the Bulsard Group to be recognized by Fortune Magazine as 31st on the list of the top 100 successful inner city businesses. As a “Inner City 100”, Fortune Magazine has identified her as a role model CEO for entrepreneurship, innovative business practices, and job creation in America’s urban communities. She also has been featured in Forbes Magazine as one of the “Texas Top Business Women” to watch, Black Enterprise as a “Power Player”, and Essence Magazine as one of “40 Next” young entrepreneurs to “Transform” the world.
Locally, the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce has recognized her as a Pinnacle Award recipient for her success as an entrepreneur and support in the Houston community - the youngest ever to receive this honor. Who’s Who in Black Houston has also recognized her as a catalyst to motivate the achievement of excellence for organizations such as WBEA, NSBE, HMSDC, AABE, Bilateral Chamber of Commerce, AKA Sorority, Inc., and GHBC where she serves on the Board of Directors.
In her spare time, she instills excellence and provides scholarships to young studentsthrough her non-profit, the Girl POWER Network with Principles to ensure success: “Persevere, Own, Win, Empower, and Respect.”
She obtains encouragement and inspiration from her husband and four daughters, “They are my guiding light and beacon of hope to lead me through the uncertainties that may exist as an entrepreneur.”
In pursuit of her ultimate dream of becoming a published author, she provides insights into becoming a greater you and achieving your goals through her “Lean Your Life” campaign.
