LaFawn Davis, a trailblazing C-suite executive at Indeed, is redefining corporate success—without a college degree.
Despite early roadblocks, the Chief People and Sustainability Officer has built a distinguished career in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and employee experience, proving that skills can outweigh credentials in today’s workforce.
From Teenage Ambition to Corporate Leadership
Davis’ career ambitions started young. As a San Jose, California native, she envisioned herself as the CEO of seven companies at once—a childhood dream that ignited her relentless work ethic.
At just 14, she took her first job at a Black-owned flower shop, marking the beginning of a career path fueled by determination.
Though she initially enrolled at San José State University, Davis soon found herself skipping classes to work. Realizing she thrived in the professional world, she dropped out to pursue full-time employment in corporate America. However, without a bachelor’s degree, she encountered hiring barriers—especially after the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, costing her a job.
At 22, with a newborn to care for, Davis moved back home and relied on her professional network to regain footing in the workforce. Through various roles—including claims adjuster, executive assistant, and chief of staff—she accumulated valuable administrative and people skills.
Her big break came in 2005 when Google hired her as a program specialist. Over the next eight years, she climbed the ranks to become an HR business partner for diversity and inclusion, solidifying her expertise in the DEI space.
“I really focus[ed] on a lot of HR programs and initiatives and how diversity, equity, inclusion can be woven throughout the whole process of the employee life cycle,” Davis told HR Brew. “I really loved it, and I thought I found what my career path was going to be.”
Climbing the Corporate Ladder Without a Degree
After leaving Google, Davis transitioned between high-profile tech firms, including Yahoo!, eBay, and PayPal, before joining Indeed in 2019 as Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
Her 15-year HR career led to her promotion to the C-suite in May 2024, proving that a college degree isn’t the only path to leadership.
Davis acknowledges that her career trajectory is uncommon. In fact, an HR Brew/Harris Poll survey found that just 31% of HR professionals in the U.S. lack a bachelor’s degree. However, she remains a strong advocate for skills-based hiring, which evaluates competencies over credentials.
“The skills-first movement is not anti-college degree at all,” Davis explained in a detailed story published by HR Brew on March 20, 2025. “It is more that a college degree is just not the only route to gaining skills, and helping both people and companies understand what it means to hire for skills.”
Changing Hiring Practices at Indeed
At Indeed, Davis is ensuring the company practices what it preaches. Since 2022, Indeed has removed college degree requirements from its corporate job listings and embraced a “fair chance” hiring model.
“One of the things that I said when I came into Indeed was, ‘We need to drink our own champagne’…Whatever we’re going to ask other companies to do, we need to do it ourselves,” she said.
While Davis may not have achieved her childhood goal of running seven companies at once, she has become a source of inspiration for professionals without traditional academic backgrounds.
“I used to be ashamed that I didn’t have a four-year college degree,” Davis shared. “Now, I love sharing my story, because others can see that they can do the same.”
