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.

As TNTP’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tequilla Brownie oversees TNTP’s executive team and all aspects of the organization’s operations, strategy, and growth.

Prior to becoming CEO, Tequilla led TNTP’s Strategy, Policy, and Community Coalitions division as an Executive Vice President. Her team’s work was focused on improving local and national student outcomes and disrupting educational inequities to ensure all students are afforded an opportunity to be successful.

Previously, Tequilla served as both Executive Vice President and Vice President in the Client and Consulting team, leading TNTP’s work with school districts to design and implement integrated approaches to talent and academic strategy. Before joining TNTP, Tequilla worked for nine years in Memphis City Schools, where she oversaw the district-wide effort to improve student outcomes by increasing teacher effectiveness. Working alongside TNTP’s staff, Tequilla helped build community support for quality education and drove human capital reforms that led to significant policy changes. Tequilla is also a licensed therapist and worked as a school social worker, where her focus was on supporting students’ and families’ efforts to improve academic and social outcomes.

Tequilla holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University, an MA in Social Work from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, and an Ed.D in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Memphis. Her dissertation was on the policy implications surrounding teacher evaluation and effectiveness. She is a sought-after national speaker on policy issues and frequently presents to key state legislatures and other leaders and stakeholders at the national and local level to drive important policy changes related to educational equity.

Tequilla serves on several local and national boards including Stand for Children, ForwARd Arkansas, The MindTrust, KIPP Delta School Board, and Memphis Seeding Success. She is also a founding Leadership Committee member and former Board Member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.