The idea of a lawyer who moonlights as an aspiring stand-up comic seems, at first, like the setup to a joke. But with Osato F. Chitou, it’s the premise of a philosophy. The laughter isn’t a punchline; it’s a survival mechanism, a tool as essential to her practice as the legal codes she is admitted to argue before the Supreme Court of the United States. To watch her is to see a mind constantly in motion, integrating seemingly disparate worlds—healthcare regulation and personal liberation, biological anthropology and the perfect comedic pause—into a singular, powerful worldview. She is an attorney, an entrepreneur, a public health expert, a TEDx speaker, and a self-proclaimed “Brazen BlackWoman,” a title she wears with the same professional gravity as “Esq.”
Her work is a complex tapestry woven from threads of law, social work, and education. But the picture it creates is startlingly simple: she helps people and organizations get untangled. Sometimes the knots are in the labyrinthine regulations of government healthcare programs. Other times, they are the internal contortions Black women perform just to navigate the world. For Osato, untangling both is part of the same mission. It’s about creating the space to stand up straight, to be whole, and—as her recent TEDx talk proclaims—to shine, regardless of the punishment.
The Integrationist
Before there was the law, there was the classroom and the community. Osato began her career not in a courtroom but as an educator and a social worker. These formative experiences are the bedrock of her unique gift: the ability to distill incredibly complex topics into something you can hold in your hand, something you can understand. It’s a skill she honed long before she earned her Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, complementing a Bachelors in Biological Anthropology from Boston University and a Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. This trifecta of degrees isn’t just a collection of credentials; it’s a map of her intellectual journey, from studying the biological origins of humanity to understanding the systems that govern its health and the laws that regulate those systems.
In January 2019, she synthesized this journey into a business: Compli by Osato. The firm provides legal and compliance advisory services to a specific, high-stakes clientele: payors and providers who receive government healthcare funds. This is a world of byzantine rules and devastating consequences for non-compliance. But where many see bureaucratic red tape, Osato sees a direct line to a patient’s bedside. Her motto is the firm’s guiding star: “if you are non-compliant, you are effectively providing poor care.”
This isn’t just a catchy phrase; it’s a paradigm shift. She forces her clients—organizations large and small—to see compliance not as a punitive checklist, but as a framework for better health outcomes. Compli by Osato doesn’t just check boxes. It employs a proactive, almost preventative, methodology: programmatic risk assessments, mock audits, and proprietary auditing tools designed to mitigate risk before it metastasizes into failure. She is, in essence, a doctor for the organizational body, diagnosing vulnerabilities and prescribing a regimen to ensure its long-term health, and by extension, the health of the people it serves.
The Liberation Formula
While one part of Osato’s world is dedicated to the rigid structures of federal regulation, another is devoted to dismantling the internal structures that hold people back. In June 2021, she founded Black Women Quarterly LLC, which operates under the name Omuwa Luxe. The name itself, “Omuwa,” hints at its purpose, evoking a sense of heritage and preciousness. Omuwa Luxe is a wellness brand, but not in the commercialized, face-mask-and-yoga-mat sense. It’s a wellness brand for the soul, catering specifically to the needs of Women of the African Diaspora.
Its flagship offering is The Black Woman Liberation Formula, a name that is as bold and unapologetic as its founder. The nine-week module is an intensive, introspective journey. It is, in Osato’s words, a space for Black women to conduct their own “internal excavations.” The program guides them to examine their past, understand its impact on their present, and reimagine the implications for their desired futures. It’s a structured process of untangling the self from the expectations of others.
The language Osato uses is vivid and visceral. She speaks of the need for Black women to “unpretzel,” to stop shaping themselves into forms that satisfy other people’s needs and wants. The formula is permission—permission to stand up straight, to take up space, to shine brightly, “regardless of the punishment.” This last clause is crucial. It acknowledges the very real social and professional risks Black women face for being authentic, for being “too much.” The Black Woman Liberation Formula isn’t about ignoring that risk; it’s about building the internal fortitude to be free anyway. It’s a radical act of self-preservation, a nine-week course in how to be brazenly, beautifully, and unapologetically yourself.
The Global Networker
Osato’s work is a constant expansion, a ripple effect moving from the individual to the organization, and now, to the global community. Since December 2023, she has served as a Partner at Black Leaders Worldwide, a venture that aligns perfectly with her life’s work. Founded by networking icon Germaine Moody, it bills itself as the world’s largest business club for Black professionals. It’s a global congregation of “leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, investors, and gamechangers.”
The mission is ambitious and clear: “to pioneer and sustain the elevation and improvement of global black health and global black wealth.” For Osato, this is the macro-version of what she does every day. Improving Black health isn’t just about access to doctors; it’s about creating compliant healthcare systems and liberating individuals from the stress of systemic racism. Improving Black wealth isn’t just about financial literacy; it’s about building businesses, fostering connections, and creating an ecosystem where Black leaders can thrive. Her dual roles as the founder of Compli by Osato and Omuwa Luxe make her a uniquely qualified leader within this global club. She understands both the hard-nosed mechanics of business and the soft-tissue work of personal wellbeing.
To see Osato F. Chitou is to see a woman who refuses to be siloed. She is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and before the highest court in the land, yet she finds equal purpose in crafting a perfectly timed joke. She can navigate the dense legalese of a government contract and then pivot to guiding a woman through the delicate process of self-discovery. She is an integrationist, a firm believer that laughter is critical for survival, and that the most profound act of compliance is to be true to oneself. She is building a world where Black women are free, healthcare systems are just, and everyone has the tools they need for their own internal excavation. She is teaching us all how to unpretzel, how to stand up straight, and how to get on with the serious, joyful business of shining.
Also Read: Global Health Architects: Top Influential Black Leaders to Watch in 2025
