Mia Birdsong is rewriting what it means to get free. Blending scholarship, journalism, and cultural meaning-making, she does critical work to reconnect us with forgotten wisdom and train our attention on the ideas and practices we need to live in the world we know is possible. With her eyes on the future, Mia has spent decades interrogating false ideas and proposing new visions of who and how we can be with each other.

Author of How We Show Up and founding Executive Director of Next River, an institute for practicing the future, Mia’s curiosity is contagious. Her research and writing, like the recent Freedom’s Revival: Research from the Headwaters of Liberation, redefine how we understand fundamental ideas like “freedom” and “community” and demand that we refocus our attention on the beauty and brilliance beyond the status quo.

Mia puts the perspective of people experiencing oppression at the center of her work and reshapes our collective understanding of what’s true, whether in her podcast series More Than Enough, her TED talk on The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn’t True, or her previous role as co-executive director of Family Story.

Mia is rooting for everybody with a perspective deeply rooted in Black feminism, abolition, and disability justice. Mia is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Security Project. She was an inaugural Ascend Fellow of The Aspen Institute, Future Good Fellow at Institute For the Future, and a New American California Fellow.

Ariana Abramson, MSc, is an AI Business Intelligence Expert shaping the future of scalable systems, ethical innovation, and algorithmic influence. She helps mid-market enterprises, founders, and women executives harness AI to increase profitability, streamline operations, and lead with clarity and intention.

Ariana is the Founder of Ellara AI, a business intelligence platform empowering women-led companies to build intelligent infrastructure that supports long-term impact, visibility, and expansion. Ariana is the creator of the Six Stages of AI-Powered Leadership™ and the forthcoming CTRL+Influence™ framework launching in Q4 2025.

Her work sits at the intersection of AI systems design, algorithmic visibility, and transformative leadership. Ariana holds a Master’s degree in Information Science from Columbia University and advanced certification in Artificial Intelligence from Stanford University. She specializes in human-centered AI, explainable intelligence systems, and data-informed strategic scale.

Her work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation, Google for Startups, and the U.S. Department of Defense (DARPA) — among other institutions — for her commitment to building equitable, intelligent, and future-forward solutions. Ariana ensures emerging technologies are both responsibly designed and strategically leveraged — with clarity, equity, and power — particularly by the executives leading the next generation of ethical, intelligent growth.

Danielle M. Allen is the Founder and Managing Director of Centered Advising, where she serves as a trusted advisor, strategist, and coach to decision makers and collectives in education, philanthropy, and other social sectors. As a social entrepreneur, she brings her passion for impact, commitment to centering communities, and her belief in a better future to every new project, business, or collective she plays a part in, whether she is advising family foundations and funding collectives, recruiting inspiring and effective leaders to key roles, or advancing national and local advocacy efforts.

Before starting Centered Advising, Danielle was the Managing Partner at Building Impact for seven years, where she advised clients and also led the organization’s strategic growth through its start-up phase, aligning vision and goals, hiring and developing the core team, and building out operations, finance, and marketing functions. Previous roles include Director of Partnership Development at Mass Insight, where she served on the leadership team and led the organization’s strategic planning process. She also worked at NewSchools Venture Fund as an Education Pioneers Fellow, where she led an exploration of alternative investment strategies and the research and selection for a geographically-based fund. She began her career at the Office of School Innovation at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) supporting the district’s portfolio of turnaround schools and autonomous schools.

Danielle is a member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), a 21/64 Certified Advisor, and a CaPP Institute Certified Coach. She currently serves on the board of Green Schools National Network. Danielle holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and is a Harry S. Truman Scholar. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Economics from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar. Danielle lives in Raleigh, NC, where she enjoys front porch-sitting, hosting family and friends, and planning her next travel adventure.

Leona Christy is an impact entrepreneur who excels at finding innovative and elegant solutions to vast, complex, and often hidden challenges. She founded Catalyst:Ed to improve outcomes for America’s children and youth by strengthening the organizations that serve them, and transforming the capacity of the nation’s education, nonprofit and public sector ecosystem. Under her leadership, Catalyst:Ed has pioneered a unique model that leverages research, data, technology, and networks to connect organizations to the expertise, resources, and hands-on support they need to drive transformational outcomes.
Catalyst:Ed is also strengthening the field of capacity building by understanding what works and amplifying it to influence policy and practice.

Leona is a Malayali, who grew up in India and emigrated to the United States as an adult. With no access to networks of power and wealth, she overcame multiple challenges and constraints as she sought to launch and grow Catalyst:Ed to its national presence. Her experiences have fueled her drive to remove barriers to access, knowledge, and opportunity for all.

As the Founder and CEO of Catalyst:Ed, Leona is responsible for defining Catalyst:Ed’s vision and strategy and for shepherding its ongoing impact, growth, health, and sustainability. She also writes and speaks about topics at the intersection of organizational effectiveness, equity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Leona has previously built thriving teams and organizations across the world throughout her professional career in both the corporate and social sectors. Leona has an MPP from Duke University, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, and a BA in Economics from St. Stephen’s College.

Dr. Corprew is passionate about revolution, not the bloody riots that mar cities and countries, but the opportunities we all have for personal and global transformation. Charles believes that answering the most thought-provoking question of one’s life, “What’s Your Revolution?”, will kickstart one’s journey to be the healthiest most transformative version of themselves. Charles helps people fulfill their revolutions by providing the educational skills, life tools, coaching, and capital necessary to illuminate and catalyze the genius that resides within all of us.

It would be the lessons learned from his mentees at Green Run High School that allowed Charles to attain his Ph.D. in Psychological Science from Tulane University, where he focused his research on resilient outcomes for boys and men of color. After a successful tenure as a professor, where he was awarded national and international recognition for his scholarship, Charles believed there was more to sitting behind a desk pontificating about how things should be. After being spurred on by his W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fellowship award, Charles started his social impact consulting firm, “What’s Your Revolution?”, where he works to help people and organizations “Revolt and Evolve”.

As founder and CEO, Charles has worked with some of the most influential leaders to catalyze and disperse capital, marshal resources for communities, and craft policy, programming, and practice that allows everyone to thrive in their various environments. In 2019, Dr. Corprew joined Camelback Ventures, an early-stage start-up accelerator for women and entrepreneurs of color as the Director of the Conscious Tech and Education Fellowship. He is currently the Senior Venture Partner at 757 Collab, which is a collaboration of 757 Angels, 757 Accelerate, and 757 StartUp Studios. In this role, Charles leads the investment team for the Angels and works across the collab to bring his time, treasure, and talent to help scale promising and disruptive companies.

Lastly, Dr. Corprew is the host of the award-winning podcast, the acclaimed “What’s Your Revolution? Show”. The show, a top 10% global podcast, is an opportunity for men and the people who love them to detail how their superpowers and the things they are passionate about are transforming their homes, their communities, their cities, and our society at large.

Robert works on Valhalla’s K-12 education portfolio. In this role, he informs the development of strategy and grant recommendations and manages a portfolio of grantees that empower educators and drive innovation in teaching and learning. He provides strategic coaching and thought partnership to grantees to accelerate their impact with a focus on improving student outcomes.

With more than 15 years of experience driving systemic change in education and philanthropy, Robert previously led the Amazon Future Engineer program, a global initiative expanding access to computer science education for underserved students. He also served as Managing Director of Partnerships at the Flamboyan Foundation and held leadership roles in education nonprofits, focusing on building educator capacity. Robert began his career as an educator, teaching in Washington, D.C., and Hong Kong.

Robert holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communications from the University of Missouri.

Flozell Daniels, Jr., CEO of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, is a highly skilled and successful justice-centered philanthropist with extensive experience in deep-justice philanthropy, community development, public policy and resilience building. Flozell is accomplished in expanding capacity and outcomes in: community development finance, public safety reform, climate and environmental justice policy, transit equity, movement infrastructure development, and impact investing. Flozell has led more than $70 million of award-winning community investment strategies in his 18 year career at the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation (MRBF) and Foundation for Louisiana(FFL).

Prior to his appointment at MRBF, Flozell served as founding president and CEO of the Foundation for Louisiana, 2011-2022, and CEO of the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, 2007-2011. Additionally, Flozell served as Tulane University’s first-ever Assistant Vice-President & Executive Director of State and Local Affairs for nine years, securing more than $50M in support for cancer research, asset development and re-entry programs. Before that, he learned grantsmanship and cut his public policy and community engagement teeth in the administration of Mayor Marc Morial as an Urban Policy Specialist & Administrative Assistant in New Orleans in the mid to late 90’s.

In his civic capacity, Flozell serves as founding member and Co-Chair of the Greater New Orleans Funders Network; Commissioner of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (past Chair for 5 years); past Co-Chair, Transportation Committee for the Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force; Chairman Emeritus of the Urban League of Greater Louisiana, founding member and past Board Chair of the Orleans Public Education Network; the Supreme Court appointee to the Louisiana Public Defender Board; and, founding member of HousingNOLA Leadership Board. Flozell was also a founding Co-Chair of Grantmakers for Southern Progress. Most recently, he was elected to serve as a Board Member for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, after having served on the Advisory Council for 4 years. Flozell recently finished a 4-year tenure as a National Academy of Sciences – Gulf Research Program Health and Resilience Board Member (advising equitable strategies to invest $500M allocation of climate resilience resources).

In 2012, Flozell was a commissioner of the Mayor’s Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform in New Orleans that led to historic reductions in jail size. While serving as Governor John Bel Edwards’ appointee on the Justice Reinvestment Task Force, Flozell was instrumental in helping create the most sweeping criminal legal reform in the history of Louisiana. In both instances, local and national philanthropic investments were garnered to support the significant structural changes that were produced.

For his work with the Urban League, Flozell was honored with the first-ever Distinguished Service Award for board leadership for leading critical post-Katrina recovery efforts. Flozell has also been recognized with the following awards: Frontline Solutions’ 20th Anniversary “Change Gonna Come”Award; Friends & Family of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children “Community Catalyst for Change Award”; Grantmakers for Southern Progress “Equality & Justice Award”; Martinet Society “Earl J. Amedee Award”; Bayou Rising “Bayou Hero Award”for climate justice activism; Court Watch NOLA “Criminal Justice Award”; Children’s Defense Fund of Louisiana “Black Man of Distinction Award”; the Urban Conservancy “Urban Hero Award”; 300NOLA Tricentennial Committee “ICON of New Orleans Award”, and, institutionally, the National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy recognized FFL with the national “Mover & Shaker in Bold Peer Organizing Award under Flozell’s leadership.

Flozell is a 2013 graduate of the University of Oxford Saïd Business School’s Impact Investing Programme, a 2011 Fellow of the Opportunity Agenda Communications Institute, a life Fellow of the Louisiana Effective Leadership Program, an alumnus of Leadership Louisiana and a graduate of the Metropolitan Leadership Forum. Flozell has an MBA from the A.B. Freeman School at Tulane University, a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of New Orleans and spent six years doing materials research for the United States Department of Agriculture. A New Orleans native who was raised in the Freret and New Orleans East neighborhoods, Flozell has traveled extensively, loves spending time with his family (especially his GrandGirl), and enjoying second lines, festivals, and other celebrations of Louisiana’s incredible culture.

Dion Dawson is a food-fighting social entrepreneur, philanthropic leader, and founder focused on health equity through an innovative and logistical lens. Dion’s penchant for challenging the solvency of food insecurity through the stabilization of the supply chain has reinvigorated the traditional food distribution model and been met with worldwide attention. With data-driven operations, consistent quality, and a deep commitment to a resident-informed process that meets residents and recipients where they are, he prioritizes the end-user experience.

Dion is the President & Chief Dreamer of Dion’s Chicago Dream, a nonprofit social enterprise combating food insecurity through logistics & last-mile delivery in the U.S’s Midwest region. His system provides fresh produce to the door steps of food insecure recipients and has provided millions of pounds of fresh produce annually to the Chicago region food system, with numerous community jobs created and one powerful movement.

Leya is a social innovation strategist, program designer, and coalition-builder, who leads Echoing Green’s Global Fellow Search initiatives.

For nearly a decade, Leya has worked alongside leading social entrepreneurs, policymakers, community organizers, and researchers to create transformational change from Oakland, CA to Baltimore, MD, to Kigali, Rwanda. Before joining Echoing Green, Leya served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at Baltimore Corps, where she designed and implemented multi-million-dollar incubators and social innovation accelerators elevating Baltimore’s underrepresented leaders. Leya is relentlessly committed to connecting and investing in proximate leaders dismantling systems of global oppression.

A proud first-generation college graduate of Stanford University, Leya earned a B.A. in Psychology and African & African American Studies. Leya’s leadership and commitment to community-driven social innovation have been recognized with honors such as the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award, Truman Scholarship, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from House Representative Nancy Pelosi.

Originally from southeast San Francisco, CA, with roots in East Africa, Leya loves spending time with loved ones, exploring wellness practices, and immersing herself in contemporary art.

Jenn Garcia is a veteran technologist and cultural strategist with 19 years at the edge of mobile innovation, creative advocacy, and public impact.

Raised in South Central Los Angeles by immigrant parents, she channels grit, empathy, and precision into everything she builds.

As co-founder and CEO of Metamoki, a pioneering mobile gaming studio behind breakout hits like Mob Wars and Wiz Khalifa’s Weed Farm, Jenn helped define the early Web2 entertainment economy. Seventeen years in, the studio remains a standout example of indie resilience and vision in digital gaming.

Her work reaches beyond games. After Hurricane Maria, Jenn partnered with the Puerto Rican government to design disaster response software that streamlined coordination across agencies. She’s also a dedicated mentor to founders of color and an outspoken advocate for equity, storytelling, and cultural preservation.

Over the course of her career, Jenn has focused on building systems that entertain, empower, and endure.

Alan has a track record of antipoverty, racial justice and social enterprise work in Portland, OR, motivating diverse, talented people to come to the table and inspiring their best via a practice that is inclusive, innovative and curious. There is a history of making things and making things happen with his own Latinx community and in deep partnership with groups from the Native, Black, Asian, Pacific Islander and Disability communities. He speaks Spanish and English, his family is from New Orleans, Louisiana in the USA and from Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi in Mexico.

Paris Hodges is a Vice President within Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures, where she runs Marketing, Communications and Strategic Partnerships for the group globally. Paris joined Morgan Stanley in 2018. She held three roles after being selected for the ISG Rotational Program in 2020. In her first year, she underwrote commercial real estate properties within the Fixed Income Division in FSL. In her second role, she helped non-investment grade companies raise capital through the debt capital markets on the Leveraged Finance desk in GCM. Paris completed her final rotation in Private Wealth Management on the Global Sports & Entertainment team.

Paris has a bachelor’s degree in Business and Sociology from Brandeis University and a Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis International Business School. Paris resides in Harlem with her daughter and enjoys playing basketball and spending time with family.

Darren Isom is a partner in the San Francisco office, where he advises mission-driven organizations and philanthropic foundations in support of equity and justice and supports the firm’s work with arts and cultural organizations. He co-leads the firm’s commitment to advance racial equity in philanthropy and is also the host of the podcast Dreaming in Color: Creating New Narratives in Leadership, which offers leaders of color space to share how they have leveraged their unique assets and abilities to embrace excellence, drive impact, and more fully define what success looks like.

Darren also speaks and writes on racial equity in philanthropy. His recent publications include: “Lessons on Leadership and Community from 25 Leaders of Color” (Harvard Business Review, 2022), “What Everyone Can Learn From Leaders of Color” (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2022), “Endow Black-Led Nonprofits” (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2021), “Race and Place-based Philanthropy: Learnings from Funders Focused on Equitable Impact” (Bridgespan.org, 2021).

A seventh generation New Orleans native, Darren is a graduate of Howard University, Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris, and Columbia Business School’s Institute for Nonprofit Management. He currently serves on the board of Beloved Community of New Orleans, Collage Dance Collective of Memphis, The Mondavi Center for the Performing arts in Davis, California, The Oakland Museum of California, and The Sciences Po American Foundation.

Adrinda “Drin” Kelly serves as Founding Executive Director of BE NOLA (Black Education for New Orleans), an organization serving 500 Black educators annually through practical support, community-building, and narrative reclamation. A native New Orleanian and graduate of New Orleans Public Schools, Drin knows firsthand what happens when Black children are supported by Black educators who are empowered to do their best work. A courageous voice on the fraught impact of neoliberal education reforms in New Orleans, Drin is a recipient of the 1954 Project Luminary Award, PepsiCo Black Changemaker Award, and has received recognition as a 2022 and 2024 New Orleans City Business Top Nonprofit Leader.

Drin’s professional journey began in publishing in New York, where she worked as a book editor, developing educational resources for underrepresented college students. She published the first-ever college guide for LGBTQ+ students and developed an online program to help retain first-generation college students in public colleges and universities across the country. After witnessing the material and existential harms on her community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she transitioned from publishing to education nonprofit work, a path that would eventually bring her talents back home. She served as National Managing Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness Strategy at Teach For America, where she led several national initiatives focused on building the capacity of staff and alumni of color.

Drin’s commitment to challenging and expanding dominant narratives includes publishing essays on the intersections between New Orleans Black history, education, and resistance with Teachers and Writers Magazine, Students at the Center, and the Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies . Drin holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and an M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University, and was a Diversity Studies Fellow at the University of Cape Town. In 2023, she served on the advisory committee for Tulane University’s recently launched Master’s in Education degree program and chairs the Education Research Alliance’s community advisory board. She is a proud member of the McDonogh #35 Alumni Association.

As executive director, Nicole leads the Grantmakers for Education’s strategy and operations aligned to its vision, mission and guiding principles. She partners closely with the board of directors, EdFunders members and the field to help address foundational inequities in education, inspire creative thinking in education philanthropy, identify key trends to help members enhance their impact, support collective action in the field, and advance positive change to better meet learners’ needs.

Over Nicole’s career, she has seeded and strengthened education sites and systems to foster thriving communities with and for children, youth and families. She has held positions in K-12 and postsecondary classrooms, in community-based and other nonprofit organizations and in the private sector. Her research focuses on education policy, restorative philanthropy, civic engagement and justice in public administration.

In philanthropy, Nicole served as vice president and head of education with Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and as a program officer with the Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation. Her leadership in the sector extended to chairing donor collaboratives, advising giving organizations across the U.S. and curating learning programs through partnerships with local funding networks. Her grantmaking intricately and purposefully supported programs, policies and partnerships that promote the public promise of education equity and justice in a multiracial democracy.

Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree in socio-cultural anthropology from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in urban policy analysis and management from The New School. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University, studying public policy and nonprofit management.

After a long career at McGraw-Hill Education that included roles in sales, marketing, education policy and general management, Jeff formed EdSolutions in 2015 as a vehicle for focusing education innovation, investment and philanthropy on underserved students, scaling proven innovations to reach the students who will benefit most from them. Today, EdSolutions help organizations to find impact through the markets for education goods and services primarily via: Ecosystem Maps, Target Product Profiles, Go-to Market Strategies and other customized consulting services.

The Center for Education Market Dynamics, currently in incubation with Cambiar Education with support from major philanthropic organizations, will be a trusted source of market intelligence for the education sector. Better Market Intelligence will lead to clearer market signals between customers, users and providers. This is expected to result in better targeting of innovation to areas of greatest potential impact.

Jeff holds a baccalaureate degree in Government from Harvard University. And, Jeff currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Westchester Alphas Educational Foundation Inc., where he leads education and mentoring initiatives for young men of color in Westchester County. He has served as a director of the Association of Educational Publishers, the Association of American Publishers- Education Division, the Software and Information Industry Association, The Harlem Educational Activities Fund, UnBoundEd Learning, New Meridian, LaborX, Yenko and Allhere. Jeff currently lives in New York City with his wife, Sahily Artiles, a naturalized American citizen and certified Spanish/English court interpreter.

Frances Messano is CEO of NewSchools Venture Fund, a venture philanthropy that builds a better education system by connecting people, resources, and ideas. As CEO, Frances brings her longstanding commitment to excellence and equity in education to life. Throughout her ten-year tenure at NewSchools, Frances has had a broad set of responsibilities, including serving as President, creating the Diverse Leaders investment strategy, and leading the Innovative Schools team.

Before joining NewSchools in 2015, Frances was a Vice President at Teach for America, where she led the development of the organization’s long-term, national strategy. Prior to that, she was an Associate Partner at Monitor Institute, a part of Monitor Deloitte known for its social impact consulting, where she used her expertise in strategy, organizational design, leadership and program development to help scale the impact of education-focused organizations. She started her career working at Morgan Stanley in sales & trading.

Frances, a first-generation college graduate, earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and A.B. from Harvard College. Her journey was profoundly influenced by nonprofit organizations such as Prep for Prep, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity. She credits these organizations with providing her access to opportunity, which has deepened her personal connection to NewSchools’ mission. Frances actively serves on the boards of Unidos US, Stand for Children, and MLT. Additionally, she contributes her insights and leadership to the Tipping Point community leadership council and is recognized as a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow.

Frances lives in San Francisco with her husband and their three children, who attend NewSchools portfolio schools. Frances loves singing and will always say yes to a karaoke night out.

Nadiyah is a creator of opportunities for individuals where very few quality options exist. She has done just that over her 15-year career, in both the public and nonprofit sectors, utilizing her experience to build innovative systems in workforce development and youth and human services. She is a consummate change manager that effectively (and efficiently) modifies organizational cultures and processes to increase productivity, improve team morale and effectively deliver quality services to all stakeholders and customers. 

As Director of Workforce Development for the City of New Orleans, Nadiyah raised over 10 million dollars through a combination of competitive grants, philanthropic donations and community partnerships; she revamped the local public workforce development program into a dynamic demand-driven system that connects thousands of previously unemployed individuals to training and employment. Nadiyah brings to the Camelback team a range of other leadership experiences, including recently serving as the Director of Workforce Development at Ochsner Hospital, Director of the CP3 Afterschool Zone, and Manager for the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship, the nation’s first, establishing and supporting the work of innovative organizations across the state. She is thrilled to join the Camelback team where she brings her expertise to lead our new economic development pilot. In her free time you will likely find her in the kitchen cooking her ancestral creole cuisine or curled up reading 3 different books on metaphysics because she has no time to waste — there is only now.

Damola Ogundipe is the founder and CEO of Plural, a venture-backed SaaS company that uses AI to help public affairs teams track, analyze, and respond to legislation and regulation. Under his leadership, Plural has raised $14 million and is used by government relations professionals, advocacy organizations, and civic tech groups to navigate complex policy environments in real time.

Before founding Plural, Damola worked in healthcare technology and management consulting. He is also an active angel investor and co-founder of NGC Capital, a Black-led investment group focused on early-stage startups.

Based in Atlanta and of Nigerian heritage, Damola is passionate about building tools that make government more transparent and accessible. He is a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Jerelyn Rodriguez Williams is an award-winning filmmaker, technology innovator, and social entrepreneur from the Bronx, NY who believes every young person deserves the same opportunity to build a life of meaning and impact. As CEO and co-founder of The Knowledge House (TKH), she is unlocking access to sustainable livelihoods and careers in the tech innovation industry for youth and adults from communities where talent is overlooked.

A proud alumna of KIPP Public Charter Schools and Columbia University, she started her career in social and political activism as the Bronx Field Director for Reshma Saujani’s 2013 campaign for New York City Public Advocate and a National Program Director for Students for Education Reform (SFER), where she organized and coached college students in 35 states to advocate for policy change in education. Jerelyn’s commitment to justice and economic opportunity was instilled in her as a young girl born to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic who rebuilt their lives and emphasized education. Her own experiences supporting youth to find college pathways sparked a desire to expose her community to alternative pathways to sustainable careers.

In 2014, Jerelyn co-founded The Knowledge House with Joe Carrano. Under her leadership, the organization has reached 2,500 youth and adults (age 16-36) with technology skills training and expanded from the Bronx to Newark, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. These efforts have garnered recognitions such as Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30, 2024 Remarkable Women of the Year by NextStar/PIX11, Afrotech Future 50 Changemaker, 2022 Crain’s Notable Black Leaders & Executives, and TED 2020 Emerging Innovator. She is a proud BME Vanguard, a 1954 Cafe Group Luminary, and an Aspen Institute Fellow.

A native of New York City, she formerly served on Mayor De Blasio’s NY Workforce Recovery Strategy Group and contributed to elaborating a blueprint, Recovery For All A Vision for New York City’s Equitable Economic Recovery, to lift the city out of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

Jerelyn has been featured in various media outlets such as AfroTech, Ebony, Forbes, KTLA, the Jennifer Hudson Show, PIX11, Wall Street Journal, WABC Eyewitness News, and more. Jerelyn is a Board member of LREI and NYCETC. Jerelyn resides in the Bronx with her husband Ryan Williams.

As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Corridor Ventures, Kelli Saulny leverages her extensive background in operations, development, and scaling businesses to support founders and drive transformation in the Southeast. She has over 15 years of experience driving growth and creating impact across industries.

Previously, as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Camelback Ventures, she secured multi-million dollar investments to champion diverse entrepreneurs and organizations. Kelli’s career began at the pioneering beauty brand Carol’s Daughter. As Director of Operations, she played a key role in scaling the company from $3MM to $40MM in revenue, culminating in its $100MM acquisition by L’Oréal. Her operations, market analysis, and strategic planning expertise have consistently delivered results, from managing complex supply chains to designing impactful fundraising campaigns.

Kelli is a proud New Orleans native and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in BusinessAdministration from Florida A&M University.

Sophie Shrand is an award-winning TV Host, STEM educator, filmmaker, and entrepreneur with degrees in Behavioral Neuroscience and Theatre. Her Telly Award-winning science comedy series “Science With Sophie”, aimed at increasing representation of women and girls in STEM, reaches 2 million families worldwide.

Sophie is the Founder and Executive Producer of Cool Jacket Productions, Host of streaming series Theory of Awesome, and can be found on social channels like the Museum of Science and Indeed. Sophie is also a former Second City cast member whose work as an actor, improviser, vocalist, and public speaker spans two decades, stage and screen, and crowds of 3 to 15,000.

Sophie’s current projects include a detective-style cybersecurity training series (ask her for a demo!), and a climate solutions-focused documentary series, in which she drove an electric car from Los Angeles to Boston and back on a 7000-mile road trip across the USA to test sustainable travel, connect with people across the country, and find hope amidst the climate crisis.

Sevetri Wilson Taylor is a trailblazing entrepreneur and leader in technology currently focused on creating innovative solutions that address some of the most pressing challenges facing U.S. cities. Her work leverages artificial intelligence and big data to drive smarter decision-making, streamline service delivery, and centralize operations for greater efficiency and impact. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology, business, and societal transformation, Sevetri has consistently worked to create solutions that drive meaningful change and foster innovation. Previously, Sevetri founded Resilia, a technology company where she made history by raising $50 million in venture capital in 2022—the largest funding round ever secured by a solo Black woman founder and the largest by a woman founder in the South before exiting that company in 2023. Sevetri is a Henry Crown Fellow and contributes her expertise to various boards, including the National Urban League, the NOCCA Foundation, and the LSU Foundation National Board. She is also an active angel investor in over two dozen companies, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship globally.

Kareema J. Thomas is a seasoned strategist and operations leader, currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer at BLCK VC, an organization advancing diverse representation in venture capital. In this role, she leads organization-wide strategy across operations, data, partnerships, and impact — aligning the organization’s mission with measurable outcomes that drive long-term growth and expand the success of Black investors across the venture ecosystem.

Kareema’s multifaceted background spans art curation, technology, and organizational leadership. Her career includes impactful roles at leading tech companies such as GitHub, Dropbox, SAP.iO, and Vercel, where she specialized in strategic planning, operational design, and change management. She has consistently worked in close partnership with C-suite and senior leadership teams to scale infrastructure, grow teams, and navigate complex transformations — bringing both clarity and creativity to every stage of growth.

Her academic foundation includes a B.A. in Art History & Communications from Santa Clara University and graduate coursework in Curatorial Practice & Visual Critical Studies at the California College of the Arts. These studies sharpened her instincts for pattern recognition, systems thinking, and narrative design — all of which continue to inform her leadership approach.

Kareema’s dedication to inclusive innovation and her ability to bridge operational strategy with cultural fluency have made her a driving force in reshaping the venture ecosystem. Her leadership continues to inspire bold thinking, unlock new pathways for impact, and move industries toward more equitable and sustainable futures.

Aniesia Williams is a seasoned strategist and venture architect passionate about driving innovation and building thriving ecosystems. As Chief Impact & Venture Officer, she leads dreambloc, focusing on strategic growth and venture development.

With over 20 years of experience in marketing and entrepreneurship, Aniesia brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. She’s a proven leader, having successfully founded and exited AW+CO, and held key positions at Epigen Technology and Edelman, where she managed portfolios exceeding $250 million.

Beyond her professional achievements, Aniesia is deeply committed to empowering founders and democratizing access to capital. She mentors through programs like Tech Stars, Build In Tulsa, and Goodie Nation, sharing her expertise and insights.

Aniesia’s unique blend of strategic thinking, storytelling, and experiential design makes her a sought-after advisor across various industries, including technology, healthcare, entertainment, and CPG. She’s dedicated to creating impactful solutions and fostering growth for the ventures she supports.

Aaron is on a journey to live in the spirit of his baseball hero, Jackie Robinson, who said “a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” With this ethos, Aaron taught ninth grade English in West Philadelphia, put together deals for companies large and small as a lawyer, and supported new ideas to improve education as a portfolio director for the NYC Fund for Public Schools. Aaron is humbled to say that he graduated from the University of Virginia and Penn Law School. He also knows that this doesn’t entitle him to anything and is ready to earn his keep.

Shawna Young is a social impact entrepreneur, educator, and speaker who has dedicated her career to empowering individuals and driving social change. She joined Camelback as CEO in the Spring of 2024 leading the organization through a Founder transition. Prior to Camelback, Shawna was interim CEO of Prior Ada Developers Academy, a nonprofit that has trained over 1,000 women and gender expansive people of color as software developers, since 2013.  Shawna also served as the Executive Director of the Scratch Foundation, Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP), and MIT Introduction to Engineering and Science. She began her career as a science educator in North Carolina and also managed diversity programs at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

With a background in creating accessible educational opportunities for underrepresented communities, Shawna is an influential voice in education, equity, and social justice. As a visionary leader, Shawna has spent nearly 25 years nurturing talent and shaping the futures of thousands of aspiring changemakers. She received her BS in Chemistry from Howard University, MAT in Science Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MBA from MIT, and Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Boston University.

Dr. Nashlie Sephus is the Principal AI/ML Evangelist for Amazon AI focusing on fairness and identifying biases at AWS AI. She formerly was CTO of AI startup Partpic based in Atlanta which was acquired by the Amazon Visual Search team. After then joining Amazon as an Applied Science Manager, she led many product launches including visual search for replacement parts on the Amazon Shopping app in June 2018. Also in 2018, Dr. Sephus became the founder and CEO of The Bean Path non-profit organization based in Jackson, MS assisting individuals and startups with technical expertise and guidance. In September of 2020, she became the owner and developer of the Jackson Tech District—21-acres of mixed-use commercial real-estate in downtown Jackson—to bring tech training and workforce/economic development to the area.

An entrepreneur + investor, Brandon Andrews is co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gauge; an AI-driven market research platform. He is also CEO of The Inexorable. He has done casting Shark Tank and other business shows on TV for over a decade; engaging with thousands of entrepreneurs each year. Brandon is a speaker for the State Department and hosts global business events like Clinton Global Initiative, Web Summit, and the World AI Conference. Working with AI for Good – the United Nations’ AI program – Brandon hosts Innovation Factory pitch competitions around the world and the Impact with AI podcast engaging entrepreneurs using AI to support the United Nations SDGs.

Wa’il Ashshowwaf is a serial entrepreneur, systems thinker, and ecosystem builder dedicated to empowering founders and changemakers through technology, equity, and action. As the founder and CEO of Unstuck Labs, a 360° innovation studio and digital agency based in Arlington, Virginia, Wa’il leads a hands-on accelerator that supports early- to pivot-stage startups with coaching, mentorship, and product development. Unstuck Labs integrates AI-augmented software development into its services, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of product builds. His approach emphasizes radical candor, actionable insights, and a commitment to execution—hallmarks of his belief that innovation thrives when founders are equipped with both strategy and support.

Wa’il’s work is deeply rooted in social justice and systemic change. He previously founded Reyets, a tool that allowed users to know their rights and document and report misconduct. In 2024, in collaboration with DREAM.org, he co-founded 51AI, an AI-powered advocacy platform designed to close the justice gap by empowering individuals and organizations with tools for advocacy, civic engagement, and accountability. 51AI reflects Wa’il’s broader mission: to leverage technology as a force for equity, access, and liberation.

Wa’il is currently in the process of launching a fund to invest in underrepresented founders, further extending his commitment to building generational wealth and opportunity for marginalized communities. His leadership style blends first-principles thinking, systems design, and a passion for human-centered innovation.

Wa’il is a proud father, vinyl collector, former semi-professional skateboarder, and tech enthusiast who believes that dreaming boldly and acting decisively are not mutually exclusive. At the 2025 Guardian Summit, he looks forward to collaborating with fellow Guardians to reimagine the future of inclusive entrepreneurship and co-create systems that honor the genius of all people.

Antoinette Banks is the Founder and CEO of Expert IEP, an AI-powered platform that helps families decode special education plans and advocate with clarity and confidence.

She’s also a cognitive scientist and PhD candidate at UC Davis, where her research uses large language models to analyze how language in IEPs shapes access, power, and family engagement. Her original framework—Family Mattering—uncovers how documentation practices in special education either center or silence families, particularly those from historically underserved communities.

Antoinette’s journey began as a single mother navigating the special education system after her daughter was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. She became an advocate, legal researcher, and system translator—because she had to. That path led her to write Better Than a Diagnosis: A Single Parent’s Guide to Autism, and to build the tech-enabled platform now used by over 1,200 families across the country.

Expert IEP has helped 87% of families secure new or expanded services and see gains in reading, math, or access to support. The work has been recognized with over $1.5 million in mission-aligned funding from organizations like Black Ambition, NewSchools Venture Fund, Camelback Ventures, and the Yass Prize.

Antoinette has spoken at the United Nations on equitable AI deployment, advised the former Office of the First Lady, and been featured in Forbes, Essence, and Fast Company. She’s a Halcyon and Camelback Fellow, and was recently named one of the top women leading innovation in AI and education.

She is currently leading a national crowdfunding campaign to expand Expert IEP’s reach to 1,000 more families—because every child deserves more than the bare minimum, and no family should have to decode the system alone.

Alexandra (Alex) Bernadotte is the founder and CEO of Beyond 12, a technology-enabled nonprofit that integrates personalized coaching with AI-powered technology to increase the number of traditionally underserved students who graduate from college and translate their degrees into meaningful employment and choice-filled lives. She has more than 18 years of executive management and strategic development experience in the nonprofit and private sectors. Immediately before launching Beyond 12, Alex was an entrepreneur in residence at NewSchools Venture Fund where she developed the business plan for Beyond 12.

Alex’s previous professional experience includes serving as executive director of The Princeton Review’s Silicon Valley office; executive director of Foundation for a College Education; co-founder and vice president of marketing at educational travel company Explorica; director of operations at EF Education; and operations manager at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, where she coordinated the efforts of an international youth substance abuse prevention foundation. Alex currently serves on the board of directors of Cengage Group, the board of advisors of the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Presidential Commission for Financial Aid at Dartmouth College.

Alex received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth and earned a master’s degree with a concentration in policy and organizational leadership from Stanford. She is an Ashoka Fellow, a recipient of the NewSchools Venture Fund Entrepreneur of the Year award, a Jefferson Award for Public Service winner, a Dartmouth College Social Justice Award and Stanford University Alumni Excellence in Education Award honoree, a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow, and a Distinguished Visitor in Public Interest Technology at Stanford. In addition, Beyond 12 was named one of the world’s ten most innovative education companies by Fast Company.

Sharhonda Bossier is CEO at Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), and a committed advocate for children of color who have been denied adequate educational opportunity. She previously served as EdLoC’s deputy director.

EdLoC supports talented leaders of color in education and related fields to thrive as disruptive and innovative agents of change. Under Sharhonda’s leadership, the organization is expanding its scope and focus by strengthening its growing multi-racial coalition and designing holistic solutions to disrupt cycles of generational poverty in the communities EdLoC serves.

Sharhonda started her career in education as a public school teacher. She also brings years of legislative and electoral campaign experience in both volunteer and leadership capacities to her work. Among the variety of her experiences, she launched a multi-state education engagement and advocacy organization to help communities develop the skills and capacity to more effectively engage with policymakers and other decision-makers.

From marching 76-straight miles, to hunger striking for 26 days, Dr. César Cruz has dedicated his life to justice. Born in México, he migrated to the U.S. with a single mother. Cesar grew up in South Central L.A. and moved to study at UC Berkeley earning a B.A.-History. He has now been a resident of East Oakland for the past 3 decades.

A 34-year vet in education, co-founder of Homies Empowerment, 16 years ago. Author of “Revenge of The Illegal Alien,” and “Bang for Freedom.” He was the first Mexican immigrant male to received his Doctorate in Ed. Leadership (Ed.L.D.) at Harvard University. He is proudest to be a husband, and father of three children: Olin, Amaru and Quetzali.

Dr. Tonyel Edwards is a partner in Bridgespan’s San Francisco office, where she leads engagements with donors, impact investors, and nonprofit organizations. Her work focuses on place-based strategies, systems-level investments, and multi-sector collaboration. She is co-author of Philanthropy’s Role in Reparations and Building a Culture of Racial Repair (Bridgespan.org, 2023).

Before joining Bridgespan in 2022, Tonyel held several leadership roles at Houston Endowment, a private foundation. There, she led initiatives in early childhood system-building, community-school models, and neighborhood development. As Director of Civic Assets and Impact Opportunities, she managed a portfolio that deployed more than $40 million in unrestricted funding to community-rooted organizations. She also led cross-sector partnerships with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and helped guide the city’s philanthropic response to Hurricane Harvey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spearheaded efforts to expand childcare access for essential workers in the Houston region.

Tonyel’s earlier roles include serving as executive director of DiscoverU, working on Teach For America’s national team, teaching in Houston’s Third Ward, and beginning her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch–Bank of America.

She holds a BBA in Finance from Howard University and both a Master’s and Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston. She currently serves on the boards of Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, the American Leadership Forum, and the Local Advisory Council of LISC. She is also a member of the Missouri City (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and the Junior League of Houston.

After winning $1.3 million in scholarships, Christopher Gray co-founded Scholly, an app that helps students easily find scholarships for college and graduates pay off their student debt. Scholly was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, landing a deal with Daymond John and Lori Greiner and sparking the biggest fight in Shark Tank history. Scholly has over 5 million users and has helped students raise over 100 million dollars in scholarships. Sallie Mae has since acquired Scholly to expand and reach even more students.

In addition to Scholly, Christopher co founded Path, an AI-powered platform that provides students with unlimited practice questions, exams, and personalized study plans to prepare for major exams like the SAT, ACT, GED, LSAT, GMAT, and more. Path also supports students pursuing professional certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CompTIA A+, and other IT certifications, making high-quality test prep accessible and affordable for learners from all backgrounds.

Tiffany Green is a licensed psychotherapist and founder of Uprooted Academy™, a -tech non-profit that is using AI to democratize college access. Their AI powered platform uses neuroscience and mental health research to provide a psychologically safe process for students applying to college. Tiffany is trained in trauma modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She has 15 years of experience in high schools (both domestically and abroad) and colleges in a first-year counseling center and as a former adjunct professor of Psychology. She is a graduate of UCONN and Howard University. Her doctoral research focuses on the impact of an AI tool to mitigate the stress that comes with applying to college. She has been featured in Forbes for her tech innovation. Tiffany currently lives in Los Angeles and has traveled to over 80 countries. She is a true adventurer who enjoys cycling, surfing, snowboarding, museums and matcha.

Greg Gunn is a leader in using technology, innovation, and venture capital investing to promote educational and economic opportunity. As co-founder of Lingo Ventures, he makes early-stage investments in education and workforce technologies. Greg co-founded Wireless Generation (now called Amplify Education), a leading educational software company serving millions of K-12 students with groundbreaking instructional products. He was named one of Fast Company magazine’s “100 Most Creative People in Business”.

Mr. Gunn serves on the boards of the Donors of Color Network, FHI 360, Bridgespan, Transcend Education, and Zearn. He holds a Master of Science in Management and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

Shawon Jackson (he/him) is the Founder and Executive Director of Vocal Justice, a nonprofit that inspires and prepares Black and Brown youth to be lifelong leaders for liberation. Since 2019, Vocal Justice has engaged 2500+ young people in their storytelling for social change curriculum across 19 states. They have also trained 150+ educators on youth power-building, storytelling, and healing-centered pedagogy. In 2021, Shawon became an Echoing Green Fellow and Camelback Ventures Fellow. He also made the 2023 Forbes 30 under 30 list for education.

Before Vocal Justice, Shawon worked with an education nonprofit in the Dominican Republic and did public and social sector consulting with Deloitte. Shawon completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton, where he studied public policy and served two terms as student body president. He earned his MPP/MBA from Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford Business School, where he is now a part-time lecturer of strategic communication. If he’s not working, you’ll likely find Shawon dancing hip-hop, bachata, or merengue; raving about Beyoncé; or enjoying walks around Lake Merritt in Oakland, where he lives now.

Nicole Jarbo is the CEO of 4.0 Schools, a national nonprofit that has invested in over 1,000 education ventures since its founding 15 years ago, reaching millions of students nationwide. 4.0 funds and supports innovators who create equitable and community-driven educational opportunities.

Nicole has a longstanding relationship with 4.0, having served as one of the organization’s earliest fellows, a coach to education entrepreneurs, and a board member before becoming CEO in 2024.

Before returning to 4.0, Nicole founded a VC-backed fintech startup, becoming one of only 100 Black women at the time to raise over $1 million in venture funding. She brings extensive entrepreneurial experience and has advised leading education organizations on strategy, funding, and design. Nicole also has experience in philanthropy, where she strategically guided investments focused on educational innovation and social impact.

She also hosts 4.0’s Pitch Playground, a podcast highlighting bold ideas from education entrepreneurs and connecting them to funding opportunities and mentorship.

Nicole earned both her BA and MA degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, where she lectured in the Education department and played on the Division 1 Women’s Soccer Team.

Malcolm Jenkins is a two-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Pro Bowler, and a three-time Walter Payton Man of the Year finalist—but his impact extends far beyond the field. Over 13 seasons with the Saints and Eagles, he built a legacy of leadership, not just through his play, but through his ability to inspire and elevate those around him.

Today, Malcolm applies that same championship mindset as a CEO, investor, media personality, and author—helping businesses, athletes, and organizations navigate high-performance environments and create lasting impact.  Malcolm recently launched a new Substack, entitled Love, Art and War. He’s here to share his insights on leadership, strategy, and building a winning culture. Please welcome, Malcolm Jenkins

Ralonda Johnson serves as the President and Chief Investment Officer of Malcolm Inc., overseeing investment and financial decisions for the various portfolio companies. Ralonda is also the Co-founder and General Partner of Broad St Ventures, a multi-million dollar venture capital fund co-founded by two-time Super Bowl Champion Malcolm Jenkins.

Prior to her current roles, Ralonda was a veteran in the accounting and finance industry. She has over a decade of experience which includes leading operational and financial audits at the leading insurance company Prudential Financial and luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. She has also led external audits and provided assurance on financial statements for SEC clients during her tenure at Ernst & Young LLP. Her most notable client included an investment management firm with $70 billion dollars of assets under management which specializes in asset-based investing in private equity and credit funds. In addition to this, Ralonda sits on the Executive Board for the City of Newark’s Workforce Development Board.

Dr. Tammy Kwan is a researcher, entrepreneur, and product leader working at the intersection of early childhood education and technology. She co-founded Cognitive ToyBox, a game-based assessment platform designed to make early child assessment more efficient, accurate and actionable. Following its acquisition by Teaching Strategies, she now serves as a Vice President of Product, leading innovation and strategy work on Teaching Strategies’ suite of early childhood solutions. Tammy holds a Doctorate in Education and an MBA from NYU and a BA in Psychology from Stanford. Her work is grounded in a commitment to quality, shaped by her experiences as a mom, researcher, and builder of mission-driven technology.

Ana Leon Santos is an Associate Partner on the Equitable Investing team at NewSchools. Her responsibilities include managing the organization’s funding opportunities and community engagement strategy.

Before her current role, Ana led research projects examining the impact of socioeconomic disparities on child development. She began her career in early childhood development at Columbia University, where she completed a master’s degree in Neuroscience and Education. At Columbia, Ana led a national study investigating the relationship between poverty reduction and brain development. Following this, she managed research and mentoring initiatives at the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families and the Columbia Population Research Center.

As Chief Executive Officer, Kat leads the organization and team to actualize Moonshot’s mission of cultivating a community of leaders to design and launch innovative solutions for youth most on the margins in Colorado. Kat joined Moonshot in 2019 as Chief of Staff, later serving as Chief Program Officer, where she facilitated the Moonshot Fellowship for Cohorts 3 and 4, including a re-design of the Fellowship into a virtual format during the pandemic.

Kat became CEO in November 2021 after serving as Interim CEO. As CEO, Kat has grown the organization to a team of ten staff, an alumni network of over 100 education leaders, and a budget of $2.5 million, including a $1 million grant through MacKenzie Scott’s giving, the Yield Grant.

Prior to Moonshot, Kat worked in rural education, teacher development, and community organizing. Her previous roles include Managing Director at Teach For America – Arkansas & Mississippi, where she led a team responsible for supporting a cross-state 500+ alumni network. Prior to that role, she served as the Manager of Teacher Leadership Development, coaching 50+ educators in southeast Arkansas, and as Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness when she designed and facilitated trainings on culturally relevant pedagogy and racial equity and identity development for 100+ educators and a 15-person staff. She managed the team responsible for district partnerships, licensure, hiring, and placement for new educators in Arkansas.

She graduated from Cornell University magna cum laude with a major in English and a minor in Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies. She has a Master’s in Public Service through the University of Arkansas – Clinton School of Public Service. Kat is a member of the Leadership Denver Class of 2022 and Pahara Institute. She is a founding member of the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle and the Colorado AAPI Giving Circle. She serves as a member and former Chair on the Denver Mayor’s LGBTQ Commission, and Board Chair of the local nonprofit, Asian Girls Ignite.

Marvin Pierre currently serves as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Eight Million Stories in Houston, Texas.

Prior to taking on the role, Marvin was selected as a Bridge Fellow with The New Teacher Project, where he focused his fellowship on developing an alternative education program he called “Eight Million Stories”. His program became a reality and now aspires to upend the school-to-prison pipeline by supporting previously incarcerated youth as they re-enter school and – curbing unnecessary referrals from schools to the justice system in Houston.

Marvin has also served as the Assistant Principal at KIPP Polaris Academy for Boys, also in Houston, Texas. Prior to joining KIPP Polaris, he served as the Dean of Students at Excellence Boys Charter School in Brooklyn, NY. Before pursuing a career in educational leadership, Marvin worked in finance at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Marvin, a native New Yorker, holds a B.A. in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut, and a master’s degree in education administration and Supervision, from the University of Houston.

Marvin is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is an American Leadership Forum Fellow alumni and current board member and was selected into the inaugural class for Leadership ISD. Marvin was also recognized by the Houston Business Journal as a member of the 2022 40 Under 40 Class and was most recently named to the 2023 Black Changemakers Program, an award that highlights and trains the top 16 Black non-profit leaders.

Marvin currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Tabor Academy, a Board of Fellows member at his undergraduate alma mater, Trinity College (Hartford, CT) , a founding board member of Friends of the Children (Houston Chapter) and past board member of The American Leadership Forum.

Miriam is Founder, CEO, and General Partner of Brass Ring Ventures, an exited-operator-led fund investing in tech founders building solutions to foster economic mobility through educational attainment and workforce opportunity. She also plays an active role across the ecosystem, as a mentor for programs like Techstars and StartEd, a coach for the Transcend Network, and an education and workforce industry expert to private equity groups.

Previously, as Co-founder and CEO of Kinvolved, the industry leader in efficacy-tested technology to elevate student attendance, Miriam led the company from idea through its exit in 2022 to PowerSchool, a then-public company backed by Vista Equity Partners. At PowerSchool, she served as Vice President, Go-to-Market Strategy and Partnerships for the innovation group, where she worked cross-functionally to drive early adoption of five new K12 and workforce products.

Early in her career, Miriam was a public high school history teacher in the New York City Department of Education via Teach For America. She has been an Education Pioneers Fellow, a two-time entrepreneurial fellow at Columbia University, and an Adjunct Professor in Social Entrepreneurship at NYU Wagner. Her work has been recognized in global publications including the New York Times, Forbes 30 Under 30, Crain’s Business Journal, and Business Insider, and through awards from New York University, The University of Pennsylvania, the Robin Hood Foundation, Teach For America, and more. She holds an MPA from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, an MA, Ed from Lehman College, and a BA with Honors from Brown University.

In her local community, Miriam serves on the Boards of Directors for The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade and The Brown Club of Greater Miami.

Melanie Richardson, a native of New Orleans, is the co-founder and executive director of TrainingGrounds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering families through early childhood education, parenting support, and workforce skills training. Since co-founding TrainingGrounds in 2016, Melanie has remained steadfast in her mission to provide families with the resources and support needed to create high-quality early learning experiences for children from birth to age five. A licensed master social worker, she is deeply committed to creating accessible, preventative programs that equip parents with the tools necessary to foster their children’s development and long-term success.

From 1995 to 2013, Melanie’s career in higher education focused on improving graduation rates for first-generation college students, student-athletes, and non-traditional students. In 2010, she was honored as the Most Valuable Staff Member by the Black Student Union at Arkansas State University. Following this, in 2013, Melanie was appointed as the first director of Northlake Youth Academy, a pioneering psychiatric residential treatment facility for adolescents across Louisiana. The facility enabled young people to receive critical treatment close to home and allowed families to remain engaged and provide vital support as the adolescents navigated their mental health challenges.

Under Melanie’s visionary leadership, TrainingGrounds has expanded its reach, making a meaningful impact on families across Louisiana. She has cultivated strong partnerships with community leaders and organizations, maximizing available resources and ensuring that families have access to the support they need to thrive.

Melanie is actively engaged in several prominent initiatives focused on advancing early childhood care and education, infant mental health, and diverse leadership. She is a steering committee member for Promise Venture Studio – Early Childhood Leaders of Color and the New Orleans Early Education Network (NOEEN) and a board member for the Louisiana Association of the Education of the Young Children. Additionally, she serves as an advisor for the Parent Leadership Collaborative in Orleans Parish, an Early Adopter Advisor for Early Childhood Support Services in Louisiana, and is a member of the Children’s Cabinet Early Childhood Infant Mental Health Subcommittee. Melanie’s accomplishments have been widely recognized, including being named a 2022 Fellow of the Early Childhood Policy Leadership Institute, a 2023 Fellow of the Volunteers of America Futures Fund Community Health Incubator, and a 2023 Cohort 3 Fellow of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network. In 2025, she joined the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellows Network.

Melanie is deeply committed to collaborative leadership and creating lasting, positive change for families. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Melanie is married to Seneca Knight, a third-grade teacher, and together they have one son, Seneca Sean.

Professional: Angela N. Romans has spent 25 years as a leader in nonprofit and public sector organizations, focused on the education ecosystem. She currently serves as founding Executive Director of Innovation For Equity, a network of changemakers across the education ecosystem focused on improving life outcomes for Black learners by connecting and cultivating Black leaders and advancing innovative solutions. In her roles, Angela has provided capacity-building and coaching to organizations and senior leaders in areas of collaborative action, racial equity, strategy, higher education access and success, adaptive leadership, leadership development, talent management, and governance; and has managed multiple, complex systems-change projects at the intersection of research, policy, and practice. Angela is recognized for her facilitative leadership style and systems thinking.

Angela began her career teaching high school math and science in small, alternative public schools in Boston and New York. She holds degrees in biomedical engineering and education, both from Harvard University; is an alumni Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellow and Innovation For Equity Senior Leadership Fellow; and serves on the Board on Gulf Education and Engagement of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the Council of Advisors of the National Civic League.

Personal: I was named after Angela Y. Davis and Nikki Giovanni and I strive every day to fill, in some small way, their big shoes. I am a child of the South, having grown up in Atlanta, GA and Tallahassee, FL, and am a newish Washington, DC resident after having lived in New England for 25+ years. I deeply value my roles as daughter, sister, auntie, mentor, and friend. My hands are happiest and most creative when they’re tending something in the soil or using the harvest to cook delicious meals. Educator, executive director, facilitator, racial equity and leadership coach by day. Sci-fi nerd and amateur backup singer by night. Black woman all the time.

Armed with a patent-pending algorithm to convert song lyrics into literacy tools, Gil Perkins (doing business as Sage Salvo) developed a digital platform as a service (PaaS), called The Opus App, to facilitate the mass collaboration between music artists and classrooms for automating lesson plans for literacy instruction. Salvo is the award-winning social-entrepreneur founder of Words Liive and the 2022 Milken-Penn Education Business Grand Prize Winner!

Sage is also a 2025 Pahara Fellow, a 2023 a16z Talent x Opportunity entrepreneur receiving investment from Andreessen Horowitz, and a 2021 Aspen Institute Tech Policy Fellow. As an ‘edtech entrepreneur’, Sage was selected as a 2021 Elite 200 GSV Cup Startup, 2020 AfroTech World Finalist, 2020 Harvard Alumni Launch Lab Accelerator Fellow, 2020 Education Pioneers Fellow, and a 2018 AT&T Aspire Entrepreneur. He is a current graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) where he is completing a Master’s Degree in Literacy Studies and is also a 2017 graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, where he earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on Social Innovation.

In 2019 and 2017, Sage was honored as a selection into the US Delegation of Entrepreneurs to represent the U.S. at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, and in Hyderabad, India; respectively. Sage was awarded the 2022 Educator Innovator of the Year by Montgomery College’s BOND Academy.

Roy Scott is a visionary entrepreneur, cultural architect, and the CEO of Healthy Hip Hop Inc. — a groundbreaking company reimagining children’s education through the lens of hip-hop culture, cutting-edge technology, and positive engagement. With over 20 years of experience across the music industry and corporate communications, Roy has mastered the art of building authentic, culturally relevant products that inspire and uplift the next generation.

Roy’s journey began with a personal epiphany: realizing the influence of his music on his young son, he pivoted from traditional hip-hop to create a movement that empowers youth through music, movement, and mindful media. That spark became Healthy Hip Hop — a tech platform that bridges entertainment and education, igniting minds and transforming a generation.

Raj Thakkar is the Founder & CEO of Charter School Business Management (CSBM) as well as FOREsight Financial Services for Good. Widely regarded as an expert on nonprofit and charter school finance, Raj has presented countless financial best practices workshops across the country. He is the author of fiscally seCURE: prepare, protect & propel your CHARTER SCHOOL with responsible financial management. Raj has taught Understanding Social Enterprise: How to Use Business as a Force for Good as an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. He was named NYS’s Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. CSBM/FOREsight was named Small Business of the Year for the Eastern Region of the U.S. by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce multiple times.

Yulkendy Valdez is a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, public speaker, and ecosystem builder. She started her first company while studying at Babson College, the #1 school for entrepreneurship. However, she is not your typical dorm-room founder. As an Afro-Latina from the Dominican Republic, Yulkendy’s journey was shaped by her experience interning in corporate America and feeling isolated in an environment that lacked diversity and inclusion. This inspired her to create a DEI consulting and training firm focused on fostering belonging in the workplace, working with executives and young professionals.

She has also developed recruiting products for tech companies to help them build diverse workforces, supported by funding from Techstars and other notable investors. Yulkendy is a sought-after public speaker, having presented on global stages from Lyon to St. Gallen, discussing topics such as the Future of Work, Women of Color in Technology, Mentorship and Sponsorship, and Diversifying the Startup and Venture Capital Ecosystem.

Additionally, she founded Phenomenal Talent, a talent agency dedicated to connecting BIPOC creatives with opportunities in events, collaborations, and more. Yulkendy is also a consultant and coach for leading entrepreneurial organizations that support underrepresented founders and funders, including Google for Startups, Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood Foundation, and LaFamilia Foundation. Through her work, she focuses on building equitable ecosystems, expanding access to capital, and providing mentorship and sponsorship to the next generation of innovators.