Robert Crumpton serves as Head of AI for the Society of Multicultural Professionals in Human Resources (SMPHR), where he leads the organization’s AI strategy and helps members navigate the intersection of artificial intelligence and human resources. In this role, he has championed initiatives like the RISE mentorship program and AI-powered matching tools that connect professionals across the SMPHR community. He also leads the SMPHR website redesign and platform migration, overseeing both the frontend and backend transition.
By day, Robert is a Senior Strategist on the Inclusion & Accessibility team at Edward Jones, where he brings an AI-first approach to field inclusion strategy, partnership management, and client acquisition through diverse professional organizations. His career spans more than two decades of leadership in human resources and inclusion. He began at IBM in their Human Resources Rotational Program and went on to serve as Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Bayer/Monsanto and at Panera Bread, building strategies that connected people to opportunity at some of the country’s most recognized organizations.
Robert also builds and publishes his own iOS apps and web app designs using long-running agentic loops with Claude Code and Codex. A passionate builder, he is focused on creating and launching new AI applications by the end of 2026.
A graduate of the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Robert was also a football and track athlete during his time there. Today he channels that same drive into running marathons, with a goal of completing one in all 50 states. He is an avid chess player, a person of deep faith, and a committed mentor and sponsor who invests in the people and networks around him. Robert also gives back through board service with Youth In Need and the Central Institute for the Deaf.