Patricia Ashanti is a dedicated advocate for Black women’s economic equity in the Arkansas Delta. She collaborates with multi-generational leaders in communities of color to address economic disparities and directs an entrepreneurial hub that encourages innovation, inspiring communities to re-imagine and thrive. In 2009, Patricia led a community effort that resulted in the creation of a nonprofit organization, Delta Circles. As the founder and CEO, she drives its mission to support families in overcoming poverty and challenges Black women to rethink their self-perceptions, finances, and businesses. In 2014, Patricia received the Arkansas Times Visionary Award for her creative leadership in the Arkansas Delta. She is a passionate supporter of entrepreneurial leadership and was recognized as a 2019 Community Philanthropy Advancing Equity Award recipient. Most recently, she was selected to join the SOAR Fellowship at the Aspen Institute Forum on Women and Girls, where she executes bold ideas to advance equity, equality, and economic justice for women, families, and girls in the U.S. and worldwide. Patricia is a proud native of Helena, Arkansas, and has been a highly respected community leader in the Arkansas Delta for more than twenty years.

Brittany K. Barnett is a visionary attorney, author, and entrepreneur committed to creating change at the intersection of hope, justice, and freedom. As the founder of Manifest Freedom, she has implemented effective investment models to support individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, with a focus on economic justice, advocacy, and reshaping narratives. Brittany’s commitment to justice is deeply personal. As the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother, she experienced firsthand the far-reaching impacts of mass incarceration, fueling her passion to transform the criminal legal system. As a corporate attorney, Brittany devoted countless pro bono hours to fighting for the freedom of individuals unjustly sentenced under federal drug laws, securing executive clemency for seven clients from President Obama. She went on to co-found the Buried Alive Project, securing the release of more than 65 individuals serving life sentences under outdated drug policies. Through her decade long leadership of Girls Embracing Mothers, Brittany has also empowered thousands of women and girls impacted by maternal incarceration. Her memoir, A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, was an NAACP Image Award nominee and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist and was named the #1 Best Book of 2020 by Amazon Editors. Brittany’s TED Talk titled “The Creativity, Innovation, and Ingenuity Languishing in US Prisons” has garnered over 1.7 million views, inspiring a new vision for justice and freedom in America. Brittany is a graduate of SMU's Dedman School of Law and recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award. She previously served as Associate General Counsel at ORIX USA Corporation, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Prior to her legal career, she was a Certified Public Accountant and worked at PwC. Brittany holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Accounting. Passionate about transforming the criminal justice system, Brittany founded two nonprofits: Girls Embracing Mothers, which empowers girls with incarcerated mothers, and the Buried Alive Project, which fights to free people sentenced under outdated federal drug laws. Her work aims not only to free individuals from prison but also to nurture their creative and entrepreneurial potential. Brittany also established the Manifest Freedom Fund and Milena Reign, social enterprises that demonstrate the transformative power of justice-impacted entrepreneurs when given access to capital and resources to thrive. Her critically acclaimed book, A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. Amazon Editors selected it as the #1 Best Book of 2020. Brittany is a graduate of SMU’s Dedman School of Law and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in accounting.

As the CEO of GirlTrek, T. Morgan Dixon leads the largest health movement for Black women in the United States. The leader of an organization with over one million members, the speaker behind two major TED Talks, and the creator of a viral podcast called Black History Bootcamp, Morgan has been named among the top 1% of social innovators in the world. She has been awarded fellowships from Echoing Green (2013), Ashoka (2014), and The Aspen Institute (2015) and is currently a visiting innovator at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. Under her leadership, GirlTrek won The Audacious Prize, a historic investment given to support the boldest ideas for social change. Morgan currently works from Ghana, West Africa, to unite women and girls worldwide for health justice.

Dr. Henard has dedicated seventeen years to the DC Rape Crisis Center, taking on various leadership roles in fundraising, operations, relationship cultivation, and coalition building. As Executive Director, she has strengthened the nation's oldest rape crisis center, which is now celebrating 50 years of survivor-centered services. Under her leadership, the center has received accolades such as the 2019 and 2020 Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal and the 2019 Agency of the Year Award by the National Association of Social Workers. With over 20 years of experience in the violence against women movement, Dr. Henard has informed public policy initiatives through her direct service work. She has also contributed to survivor-led advocacy on both national and international levels. Her expertise has supported the opening of the first rape crisis center in Lagos, Nigeria, and the development of a mobile app for refugee workers assisting sexual assault victims. Dr. Henard has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2020 Washingtonian of the Year and the 2021 Women Who Mean Business Award. She serves on multiple boards, such as the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Catholic and Howard Universities. Dr. Henard holds a BA degree from Wheaton College, an MSW from Catholic University, and a Doctorate of Social Work Degree from the University of Southern California, and has served as a Senate Aide to Senator Barack Obama and as a Special Assistant on his Presidential campaign.

Lecester Johnson is a visionary leader and advocate for social change, with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, education, and advocacy. With deep expertise in human development, adult literacy, and workforce training, Johnson is a skilled strategist who fosters community-centered solutions for impactful outcomes. She has been instrumental in creating programs that have transformed lives, and has led significant legislative achievements for adults with low literacy as a founding member and former chair of the DC Adult and Family Literacy Coalition. Since joining Academy of Hope (AoH) in 2006 as CEO, Johnson has overseen the expansion to a second campus, its transition to an adult public charter school, and the growth of its workforce programs, including healthcare and an IT Academy. Under her leadership, AoH's staff tripled, and its annual revenue increased from $650,000 to over $12 million. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Johnson integrates racial justice and civil rights into her work and values. She resides in the Washington, DC, area with her wife and son. Her accolades include the Amtrak Pioneer Award, Georgetown University’s John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award, and the Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award. Johnson holds Master's and Ed.S degrees from George Washington University and a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Grambling State University.

Adrinda “Drin” Kelly, Executive Director of BE NOLA, exemplifies the impact of supporting Black educators through her own journey. Her concept of "spirit capital" emphasizes that being Black is not a risk factor and highlights the importance of representation and community-building. Inspired by her first Black teacher, Mama Oretha, Drin understood early on the inherent brilliance and value of Black children. In 1998, she was the only Black student from Louisiana at Harvard University, where she earned a B.A. in English. She also holds an M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought (Global History) from NYU. Her career in publishing, with roles at Time Warner, McGraw-Hill, and Princeton Review, focused on diverse student populations. Hurricane Katrina’s impact spurred Drin’s return to address the deep-rooted educational inequities in the New Orleans community. She questioned why Black children have been neglected in New Orleans' public schools and sought to address these issues through BE NOLA. With 19 years in the education field, Drin has consistently worked to amplify marginalized voices and tackle systemic neglect. Before BE NOLA, she was the national managing director of staff diversity at Teach For America. She has written for various publications and is involved with the McDonogh #35 Alumni Association and the Education Leaders of Color Network. Drin lives in New Orleans with her partner Alix and their boxer, Muggs.

Nicole Lynn Lewis is the founder and CEO of Generation Hope, a nonprofit that works to ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed, experience economic mobility, and build wealth by engaging education and policy partners to drive systemic change and by providing direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming. As a former teen mother who put herself through the College of William & Mary with her infant daughter in tow, Nicole is dedicated to changing the statistic that less than 2% of teen mothers earn their degrees before age 30. Generation Hope has partnered with more than 25 higher education institutions across the country to transform their campus environments to better serve parenting students and works directly with more than 200 teen parents in college annually in the D.C. metro region, New Orleans, and soon Dallas, TX. Nicole is an Aspen Institute SOAR Fellow and received an honorary degree from Trinity Washington University. She was recognized as one of five “luminaries” by The 1954 Project, receiving a $1 million award for initiatives that enhance education-to-career pathways in the Black community. She also received the Black Voices for Black Justice Award and the Boulder Fund award through Education Leaders of Color. Nicole has been honored as a CNN Hero and the national grand prize winner of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Award. Her book, Pregnant Girl, was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2021 and featured on NPR’s Fresh Air and The New York Times. Nicole holds a Master’s in Social Policy and Communication from George Mason University and a Bachelor’s in English from the College of William & Mary. She lives in Maryland with her greatest achievements, her five children.

Chastity is the President + CEO of Jeremiah Program (JP), a nonprofit organization helping single mothers invest in themselves so they can thrive and take steps towards economic mobility by helping them access higher education, affordable childcare, housing, skills training, and career development. Founded in 1993, JP now supports over 1,000 moms and kids across nine residential and non-residential campuses: Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Fargo, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Rochester. Chastity has spent two decades dedicated to dismantling systems of inequity for marginalized communities. She deeply believes that generational poverty is a social justice issue and that families are the best owners and narrators of their lives. Chastity’s professional North Star and commitment to equity and justice for the past two decades is influenced by her own personal experience as a first-generation college graduate. She has a BA in organizational communication from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA in strategy and marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She is a 2012 Pahara-Aspen Fellow with the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Chastity is the incoming Board Chair for Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and has been quoted as a thought leader in top-tier outlets including Reuters, Politico, CNN, MSNBC, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, CBS Morning and NPR.

Aisha Nyandoro is the founding CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, a Jackson, MS nonprofit that uses a “radically resident-driven” approach to end generational poverty. In 2018, she created the Magnolia Mother’s Trust – now the country’s longest-running guaranteed income program. In addition to leading Springboard’s community work and growing the Magnolia Mother’s Trust exponentially, Aisha is focused on shifting gendered and racialized narratives around poverty and deservedness, and working to show how the success of the Trust can be scaled nationally through policies like the expanded Child Tax Credit and a federal guaranteed income. Her expertise on economic, racial and gender justice issues is regularly featured in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Amanpour & Company, Essence Magazine, NBC Nightly News and CNN. She is a TEDx speaker and a fellow of the Highland Project, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network and Ascend at the Aspen Institute. She holds a B.A. from Tennessee State University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. She lives in Jackson with her husband and two very charming sons.

Michelle’s career has been defined by her advocacy for equity and access for disenfranchised communities. Before joining LIFT, she spent nearly 20 years leading youth and community development efforts in New York and Los Angeles. Michelle joined LIFT in 2012 as the Founding Executive Director of LIFT-Los Angeles, where she pioneered key innovations such as an intergenerational approach to poverty, financial coaching, and direct cash assistance to members. She was promoted to Chief Cities Officer and, in 2019, became LIFT’s Chief Executive Officer. Michelle’s commitment to LIFT is driven by her belief in the transformative power of “hope, money, and love,” her unique take on LIFT’s mission. Her parents’ unwavering support inspired her to achieve beyond expectations, and she aims to provide that same transformative support to historically marginalized populations. A sought-after public speaker and thought leader, Michelle has been featured in SSIR, Variety, LA Magazine, NPR’s Marketplace, and the 2018 United State of Women Summit. She is a Senior Fellow at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and USC Marshall School of Business, a Promise Venture Fellow, and a member of ProInspire’s Catalyst Collective. She serves on the boards of United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Social Justice Partners LA. Michelle lives in Los Angeles with her two children, who are her greatest motivation and inspiration.

Hiewet Senghor is a visionary leader who believes education is a critical vehicle for the advancement and self-determination of the African-American community. Hiewet’s professional journey exemplifies her deep commitment to supporting the leadership of Black children and pioneering programs that serve those leaders. Hiewet is the Founder and CEO of the Black Teacher Collaborative (BTC), a nonprofit organization that believes in the genius and beauty of Black children and the unique role of Black teachers in cultivating those gifts. As the founder of BTC, Hiewet casts a bold vision for a Black-led education-focused social entrepreneurship venture that works to build the mindsets, skills, and knowledge of Black teachers specific to the relationship between positive racial identity and learning and the development of Black children. Hiewet is uniquely positioned to bring the important and innovative work of BTC to life. Her decision to start BTC leveraged her years of work of advancing the political and social conditions of Black people through traditional civil rights organizations like the NAACP and the Children’s Defense Fund, along with her solid grounding in the power and perils of education reform gained through six years in leadership at Teach for America. Hiewet is a proud graduate of Hampton University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She also completed graduate-level course work in Public Administration at the University of Georgia. Hiewet is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, where she currently resides.

Adeola (“Ola”) Whitney believes that all students deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential in school and beyond, and that early literacy is a foundational driver of educational equity. She brings 20+ years of education leadership experience to the CEO role. Since returning to Reading Partners in the fall of 2020, Ola has led the organization through the development of a new strategic plan, the rollout of an online tutoring platform and several new partnerships, an increase in the size and diversity of the national board, and strengthening the organization’s commitment to race equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI). Ola rejoined Reading Partners from iMentor, where she led the expansion and implementation of the college-success program and managed executive leadership in the Bay Area, Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City. In a prior role at Reading Partners as chief regional operations officer from 2013 to 2016, Ola oversaw 85 percent of the organization while managing over a dozen executive directors across the country. Ola has also held leadership and management roles with Playworks, Kaplan, and McGraw Hill. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in English and African-American studies.