The International Girls Academy presents Inaugural Global Youth Education Week from April 11- April 19, 2020. In response to COVID 19 we are helping to engage Students, Parents, families Nationally and Internationally during this unprecedented time. To help lighten the load we’ve produced a week long of fun, community based challenges for everyone to participate in .

• April 11, 2020(Day One)- 10:00am-11:00am- Kick Off Virtual Breakfast ( inorder to qualify for prizes you must register via our link on google and post via social media) - 10 Points for attending the Kick Off Virtual Breakfast.

• April 12, 2020 -(Day Two)This is our Sunday’s best and I love my HBCU competition, where you will have to submit a photo of you and your family or dress up wearing your best Sunday’s best outfit or you and your family wearing your favorite HBCU attire.
• You’ll be judged based on your creativity, colors, outfit and how many “like’s” you’ll receive via Instagram, remember to tag @theinternationalgirlsacademy

• April 13, 2020 -( Day Three) - Because Earth Matters. Please Tune in for our Panel Discussion. “ Because Earth Matters” This is a virtual panel discussion regarding climate control, how you can do your part to make the world a cleaner place. The Panel Discussion will be held from 10:00am-11:00am ( all participants must tune in) Right After the discussion, you’ll be given a mission to help produce your own project to help the world remain cleaner. ( The Project will be announced via the Virtual session)
• April 14, 2020 #IamTheBoss- this is a workshop where students, families, teachers have the opportunity to create a 30 second Business pitch about their big business idea, it can be tech related, community, nonprofit etc. ( Participants will be graded based on creativity, energy, overall pitch and the amount of views their business pitch video will receive. ( #GlobalYouthEducationWeek20 #ThInternationalGirlsAcademy #IGA #GYEW20 and tag @theinternationalgirlsacademy

• 12:00pm-1:00pm- We will host a career empowerment session where participants will have the opportunity to have their resumes reviewed, receive a list of job opportunities and resources. This will be an interactive session. Any participants interested in having their resumes reviewed for our career corner must submit their resume prior to: theinternationalgirlsacademy@gmail.com Include the subject link: Career Corner

• April 15, 2020 - Why Money Matters Panel Discussion? We will discuss everything from Credit Score, Savings Account, How to build your cash flow.Please join us from: 10:00am-11:00am.( all participants must tune in) Right After the discussion, you’ll be given a mission to help produce your own project to help the world remain cleaner. ( The Project will be announced via the Virtual session)

• April 16, 2020- Technology Matters, but so does Access. An Interactive virtual panel discussing the visibility, access, diversity within the tech and Media world. ( all participants must tune in) Right After the discussion, you’ll be given a mission to help produce your own project to help the world remain cleaner. ( The Project will be announced via the Virtual session)

• April 17, 2020 - Why does Civics Matter anyways? An Interactive panel discussion regarding the Census, The 2020 election and how you can become more civically engaged in your community. ( All participants must tune in) Right After the discussion, you’ll be given a mission to help produce your own project to help the world remain cleaner. ( The Project will be announced via the Virtual session)

• April 18, 2020- Self-Love Matters An Interactive Panel Discussion from 10:00am-11:00am about the importance of loving yourself, Loving your Body and forgiving yourself. ( All participants must tune in) Right After the discussion, you’ll be given a mission to help produce your own project to help the world remain cleaner. ( The Project will be announced via the Virtual session)

Winners will be posted posted on 5/1/2020

If you would like to sign up to join our Global Youth Education Week please sign up for free using the following Links:

Parent Link: https://forms.gle/6ctjVeaT7fjuvjS58

Teacher Link : https://forms.gle/uxcTXPYQAKzjbZEW7

Student Link: https://forms.gle/DkM11enXGkLH4F6w6

Dr. Chris T. Pernell is a dynamic physician-leader and change agent. In her public health practice, she concentrates on health justice, community-based advocacy and total population health promotion and disease prevention. Prior to joining University Hospital as Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity Officer, she led the 1199SEIU/League Labor Management Initiatives (LMI) Workplace and Community Health Program. Dr. Pernell provided oversight for the implementation of a population health strategy to spur a culture of health, drive systems innovation, and improve the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers in the workplace and communities where they lived. Working with leaders and frontline workers of 1199SEIU, and partners across NYC healthcare institutions, her efforts centered on workplace health strategies, worker engagement and empowerment, health equity, and health system transformation.
Prior to her work with the LMI, Dr. Chris, as she is affectionately known, spearheaded community initiatives in the Greater Newark, New Jersey area focused on dynamic wellbeing and health promotion in vulnerable groups. In the past, she contributed to “Health Care Rx” – an online expert panel conducted by the Washington Post, providing social and public policy commentary leading up to passage of the Affordable Care Act. She labors in her profession and faith, focusing on healing hearts, minds, bodies and spirits as an ordained faith leader in BET HaSHEM YHWH Worldwide Ministries, Inc. Dr. Chris graduated cum laude from Princeton University before attending Duke University School of Medicine. She received her Master of Public Health from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and completed the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health General Preventive Medicine Residency. She is a fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine and serves as an adjunct associate professor at the NYU College of Global Public Health.

Sunday’s Best and I Love MY HBCU competition, where you will have to submit a photo of you and your family or dress up wearing your best Sunday’s best outfit. You’ll be judged based on your creativity, colors, outfit and how many “like’s” you’ll receive via instagram, remember to tag @theinternationalgirlsacademy

Riché Smiley Outlaw has served in various capacities with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for over 25 years. In her current role as the State’s Environmental Justice Coordinator she passionately advocates and leads the Department's effort in addressing the environmental impacts that disproportionately burden the most vulnerable communities in our state. She is ideally suited to this role, more as a calling than that of a career choice. With family ties that were deeply rooted in Montgomery, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960s, Riché learned first-hand about the importance of social activism in the face of injustice and disproportionate impacts as well as the value of collective power and community engagement.
Prior to her appointment to the Office of Environmental Justice, Riché garnered over 20 years of experience as a Case Manager in the Site Remediation Program working on Superfund, RCRA, NJDOT roadway projects and responsible party remediation sites. She began her career at DEP in the Division of Water Resources, Construction Grants Program where she evaluated the environmental impacts associated with the technical upgrades of wastewater treatment plants.
In additional to her DEP responsibilities, Riché is actively involved in several civic and professional organizations including the Society of Women Environmental Professionals, Greater Pennsylvania and New Jersey chapter, where she is coordinates the DEP Regulatory Update meeting. Riché is a life member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Pi Omega chapter, where she was the chairman of the Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Initiative.
Riché received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the prestigious Tuskegee University in Alabama. She is happily married to Dev Outlaw and they have 2 lovely daughters, Courtney and Simone.

Emily DeMaio is an Environmental Specialist at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. She works in the Bureau of Sustainability within the office of Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability. Emily is a member of a group that works on and supports New Jersey’s recycling program, New Jersey WasteWise Business Network, the Sustainability Speaker Series, School Food Waste Guidelines, the New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry and the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program. The group also develops a variety of sustainability related educational and outreach materials, manages awards and contests and supports New Jersey Higher Education Sustainability programs. Emily is an expert in food waste and has recently written and released New Jersey's School Food Waste Guidelines to help schools across New Jersey reduce, recover and recycle food waste.

Jennifer Feltis Cortese, AICP has served a variety of roles at NJDEP since 2007. Jennifer recently joined the Division of Water Quality and will be working with the various programs that regulate and protect New Jersey's surface and ground waters from pollution caused by improperly treated wastewater and its residuals.Her work at DEP has primarily involved regional and state planning initiatives, water resources management coordination activities, environmental justice, and more recently, planning for electric vehicles. Jennifer leads and has led since 2008, the Sustainable Jersey Natural Resources Task Force that covers a large array of topics including water, land use, trees, conservation and habitat, including leading the Sustainable Jersey Water Gold Committee to develop a gold star in water resources. Jennifer received her BA in Government/Public Administration and MBA from Campbell University and has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. She also holds a leadership position with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association as a committee chair for the Hazard Mitigation and Recovery Planning Committee.

Nadia Akbar works in the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). In this capacity, she coordinates with stakeholders around the state and programs throughout the DEP to advance equal protection for New Jersey’s most vulnerable communities that face a disproportionate burden of adverse environmental impacts. Prior to joining OEJ, Nadia worked for four years in DEP’s Division of Air Quality, Energy, and Sustainability (AQES) on inspections, license reviews, and emergency preparedness for the Radioactive Materials Program. In the past, she worked on policy analysis and advocacy on reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector, the link between land use planning and public health, water quality, and sustainable consumption for Rutgers University and a number of U.S. based and international NGOs. She has also worked with grassroots peace and civil rights organizations. She started her public service career as an AmeriCorps member raising awareness about protecting local waterways in Newark, NJ. Nadia has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a Certificate in Public Administration and Policy Studies, a joint degree from Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and a Master of Public Policy from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

Stella Oluwaseun-Apo works with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) as a Senior Environmental Specialist with the Division of Air Quality’s Bureau of Evaluation and Planning. Stella has over fifteen (15) years of experience in air pollution control, particularly in researching and evaluating control measures to reduce the impact of pollutants on New Jersey’s air quality and in nearby states. Her main job is to develop the plans, called State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that define the strategies needed to meet the federal standards that protect public health.

Stella manages various projects and holds leadership roles at the NJDEP. She coordinates and manages the New Jersey Regional Haze Initiative to improve visibility in national parks and wilderness areas including the Brigantine Wilderness Area. She is serving her tenth year as lead coordinator of New Jersey Air Quality Awareness Week. Stella serves on the MANEVU TSC, a regional planning organization with state, tribal and federal air agency partners, as the technical lead for New Jersey. Stella also uses Geographic Information System to analyze data for the air program.

When she is not working, Stella enjoys volunteering in her kids’ activities, whether it be as a chaperone, science fair judge, board member for the parents association, in-class projects related to the environment, cheerleader in sports and performances or just playing. Stella also enjoys cooking and travelling.

Stella holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Geophysics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and is currently working on a Master of Business and Science degree at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Stella is happily married to Temitope, and they have 3 beautiful daughters, Tomi, Temi and Tolu.

Ezra is a Senior LinkedIn Talent Insights Consultant at LinkedIn and co-founder of TransformHER. Born and raised in update New York, he then went to the University of Michigan to study Sport Management, and currently lives in Dublin, Ireland. His career has been mostly in sales and customer support in the sports and tech industries. He has been at LinkedIn for over five years and in his current role he works with enterprise customers in the United Kingdom to help them use LinkedIn data to make better business decisions. He is passionate about creating a level playing field and making education available to all. In 2017, he helped to co-found TransformHER which is a conference to help women of color break into and grow their careers in the tech industry.

Essence Dashtaray currently serves as a Talent Acquisition Manager at ViacomCBS. She is responsible for delivering holistic strategy for Campus to Career Programs, including recruitment, programmatic elements and retention for business segments across the company in areas like Engineering, Research, Business Development & Strategy, Law and Sales. In addition, she manages recruitment processes for ViacomCBS’ portfolio of post grad rotational programs as well as entry-level roles within the corporate space. She is on the Leadership Board of The BEAT, the black employee resource group at ViacomCBS and actively participates in Viacommunity projects.

Rosa Santana possesses nearly 10 years of experience in higher education administration and career services. She has 15 years experience in graphic design. She holds a Master of Science degree in Media & Technology/Instructional Design from Full Sail University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Arts & Technology: Graphic Design from Bloomfield College, and is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy degree at Walden University. Rosa is currently an Assistant Director, Career Services at Berkeley College, creating the most successful social media and marketing campaigns and guiding students into their professional career path. She was elected as the current President for the New Jersey Career Center Consortium (NJC3) and presented at EACE in 2019. She was also elected as a Board of Trustee at Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton (2019-2021) and is a member of Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority Inc., where she held various executive board level positions. Rosa has assisted with the start of a foundation and a non-profit organization for young girls.

“Daria D'Italia joined LinkedIn in February 2015 in a sales role after being on the client side for many years as a corporate recruiter. In March 2016, Daria moved from the sales role into a customer success role, and has been there happily ever since. She is eager to help her clients achieve the same success in recruiting that she achieved using the platform, and is especially knowledgeable and passionate about employer branding. When not immersed in all things talent related, Daria enjoys live music, cooking, and trying not to kill the plants in her house.”

Taj Pannell has been a recruiting talent consultant with LinkedIn since 2018 where she has truly activated her passion for helping people create their own reality and actualize their full potential. She is especially knowledgeable in building compassionate relationships, creative strategy planning , and executing on intuitive insights for success in many ways, including career progression and personal brand development. As the NYC lead for LinkedIn’s Black Inclusion Group, Taj also works hard to create a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for people of color in the workplace. Outside of work, Taj enjoys riding her bike, meditating, and taking her cat, Sumo, for long walks in the park

Kevin A. Tolson works in brand marketing management for Unilever and is a graduate of the New York University Stern School of Business. Tolson’s brand leadership has spanned across CPG categories including brands like Vaseline, Axe, and Breyers Ice Cream and yielded a number of industry awards. He graduated with distinction in 2010 from Duke University and was the recipient of the 2010 Julia Harper Day Award for his cross-platform documentary work. Tolson received a Senatorial Citation for excellence in Maryland historical research for Blazing a Trail Before Brown, his documentary film highlighting the integration of his Baltimore public high school two years before the Brown v. Board verdict. Beyond his interest in marketing and the documentary arts, Tolson is an active alumni of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which provides scholarships and professional training for minority students in higher education.

Zakiya is a storyteller with a strong passion for educating, inspiring and creating avenues for diverse populations. Her background is in HR Strategy, Diversity & Inclusion, Recruiting and Employer Brand. Zakiya has been an HR professional for 10 years across Tech, Non-Profit and Consumer Goods industries.

Currently as an Employer Brand lead at Unilever, she is responsible for attracting the RIGHT talent to the RIGHT roles by educating individuals on why Unilever is THE employer of choice across North America. She leads with a data-driven and candidate-centric mindset, to help diversify and drive quality top-funnel candidates to the organization. She accomplishes this through building dynamic content & partnerships, employee advocacy and digital marketing strategies. Outside of her day job she serves as the Vice President, Advancement/Retention for Black Excellence at Unilever.

Zakiya is originally from New Rochelle, NY and holds a BS in Business Management, Concentration in HR from Delaware State University and a MS in HR and Organizational Development from Manhattanville College. She is also SHRM- CP certified and Board member for the Talent Brand Alliance(Connecting and advancing Talent Brand).

Quote: Success is not counted by how high you climb but by how many people you take with you

Nicole Rabiu is an Associate Market Manager in the Food Solutions Department at Unilever, where she manages Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s nationwide. During her two years at Unilever, Nicole increased sales over $900K - the first time overall sales for her accounts increased in over five years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from Spelman College, where she graduated with honors in 2015. Nicole is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking, and she believes her success is truly driven by her ability to humbly connect and communicate with professionals at all levels.

Before her position at Unilever, Nicole was a participant of the Vicki R. Palmer Scholars Program and an Account Manager at Coca-Cola. She is currently a mentor at iMentor and holds an executive board position within the NYC Spelman Alumnae Chapter. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys yoga, running, and oil painting.

Orane Williams is an avid Entrepreneur, Speaker, Traveler, and Youth Advocate with a relentless entrepreneurial spirit. His ultimate vision is to empower, uplift, and educate our youth, whether it’s through finance education or motivating them to chase after their dreams unapologetically. Currently, he is the proud Founder of BrandU Motivations, LLC. He is also the co-author of the motivational book “Boys to Men: The Guide for African American Boys.” Most recently, Orane served as the opening speaker at the 2018 NABA Southern Regional Student Conference.

Having a love of business and entrepreneurship from an early age, Cashem Lateif Holland, affectionately known as Cash, excelled in being able to earn funds but money management was never the strong suit. While living in New York City, a substantial amount of time was spent making ends meet but full financial self-sufficiency was never achieved.
Upon relocating to New Jersey, Cash still struggled with paying bills and enjoying leisure activities. It was time to put some mathematical and financial capabilities to work. Cashem decided to attend Essex County College and obtained an Associates of Science degree in Accounting in 2014. Shortly thereafter, it became clear that more was needed than mere balancing of sheets and bottom line figures. In 2015, Cashem realized that financial literacy was missing in their own life!! Cash began implementing some imperative money management skills by creating a budget and setting up a savings account. The perception and connotation of money now began to change.
While attending Montclair State University, Cashem continued learning how to become financially stable by mastering some effective techniques. Cash began helping others manage their finances as well. In 2017, it was realized that gaining such needed and useful information as an adult is helpful, but what a blessing it would have been to receive as a child. It was at this point, while completing a Baccalaureate Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Entrepreneurship, Financial BOSS came into fruition. Cashem's entrepreneurial spirit was ever present and success was to continue on a grander scale.
To fill this need, Cashem created a customizable curriculum to teach financial fundamentals to children as young as age five. The Financial BOSS program enables young people to acquire needed money management skills. The program's fun, interactive educational style helps guide and mold one future Financial BOSS at a time!!
Cashem continues to have an active role in the company and passionately serves as the Executive Director of Financial BOSS.

A Newark native, a daughter of pan African parents, a sister of three Queens, Nzinga Tiye Green was the name I was given on September 12th

My story begins with my Dad, Brother Pat. He helped me become the woman I am today. My father taught me how to believe in my inner spirit and stand by my truth. He showed me how to pray and give thanks to the Creator, and to leave the world a better place. I give thanks to the Creator for choosing Pat Green to be my father!

Today, I am an educator and an entrepreneur committed to using my gifts and resources to create great memories in people’s lives that will guide them as they grow and develop into self determined human beings.

The path of Education chose me and eight years later I am still teaching. The love, compassion, and support that is lacking in the Newark community and school system has shown me the importance of these necessities. To me Education goes beyond words in a textbook, paragraphs in a passage, and state testing. Education is the poetry you put in your lesson, the bridge you build to connect with students locally and globally, and the love you put into each student’s spirit.

It was my desire to remedy this lack in the community and school system that gave me the drive to start my business, Boundless Sports. My organization's mission is to engage young women and girls in playing holistic sports to promote self-awareness, develop supportive relationships and inspire a healthy ambition to achieve their dreams. Through the love of sports, Boundless Sports teaches girls to push beyond the boundaries that hold them back and leap into the realm of being Boundless! Through Boundless Sports I can reach families and young people to help rebirth the community and school system.

I am living on this earth to change lives for the better by walking with my ancestors and Creator, following my passion, and planting love in people’s hearts. As a proud woman of the Green Family, I stand tall and equipt with the confidence and courage to meet challenges head on and embrace the joy of leadership. I am Nzinga Tiye, a woman who is, Breaking the Chain, and Changing the Game.

Ash focuses her efforts within technology on curating belonging and bringing awareness to inclusion strategies for Women, URMs, and lbgtq+ communities. A former chef, Ash crafted her software approach through learnings in hospitality. After over a decade in the kitchen, she cashed in her apron when she began her career in software development, falling back on skills in engineering she acquired as a kid. An avid fan of matching business needs with technological solutions, you can find her doing her best work on whichever coast is the sunniest. Spending most of her time currently in Diversity in Engineering, Ash also has experience helping teams build out testing practices, formulate Agile processes, and redefine culture. Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Credit Karma ‘slash’ Forever Tester, Ash continues testing and consulting based out of San Francisco.

Ashley J. Hobbs is a Jersey born-and-bred new media storybuilder and storyteller. Most currently, she serves as Producer of Digital & Podcasts for Essence Communications Inc., producing all five Essence Podcast Network shows including the Webby-nominated Yes, Girl!; Unbossed; The Color Files; The Solve; and the new Gen-Z facing podcast Magic Unfiltered. She also writes for sites like xoNecole.com, producing uplifting and practical content for the modern woman. Ashley recently launched her own audio production company, Temple & Riot Productions which will develop, produce, and distribute fiction, narrative, and hybrid audio content from and for those whose stories aren’t often centered. Her goal in everything she creates is to encourage, inform, connect, and evoke.

Melissa Noel is an award-winning multimedia journalist, television host and media entrepreneur.
She brings stories to international audiences with a lens on culture, travel, social issues and business.

As a correspondent for One Caribbean television, Melissa covers major news stories out of the Caribbean region and throughout diaspora communities in the United States and Canada. Melissa is also a regular contributor to Caribbean Beat Magazine and NBCNEWS.com where she created two innovative and award-winning story series, ‘Black and Undocumented’ centered on issues faced black immigrants and ‘Love In A Barrel’ about Caribbean migration and mental health.

Melissa’s commitment to bringing attention to the often-underreported stories has earned her accolades including the global media award for excellence in reporting from the International Labour Organization; being named a 30 under 30 Caribbean American emerging leader by the Institute for Caribbean studies (2017) and a salute to excellence award in digital reporting from the National Association of Black Journalists. Melissa was also the recipient of a White House Correspondents’ Association award, an honor which was presented to her by the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.


She is 2017 International Center for Journalists ‘Bringing Home The World’ reporting fellow and a University of Southern California Center for Health Reporting Fellow. Melissa is also a grantee of the esteemed Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting. She has had the distinct opportunity to contribute to the Pulitzer Center’s education programming and engage students in classrooms throughout the United States on global issues.

Melissa is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Howard University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism and holds a Master of Arts degree in journalism from The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Journalism, where she specialized in broadcast media and urban reporting.

She is a proud first-generation Guyanese American based between New York City and the Caribbean region.

Dalvin is an alum of Montclair State University and currently works at Stitch Fix in San Francisco as a Mobile Engineer. His role is to grow a scalable app infrastructure for apps that has over a million monthly users. Along with his passion for engineering, he is also an author. He wrote an impactful book titled, “The Guidebook To High Profile Internships”. Dalvin’s goal is to share info with students and new graduates by promoting tips on how to communicate values to companies

Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey is the Global Head of Inclusion Programs for Women of Color at Google and the founder of Parenting Backwards.

Stephanie has a deep passion for investing in the growth and success of women by intentionally building community in areas they don't naturally occur. This work includes the co-creation of women of color summits (Asian, Indigenous and Latinas), including the State of Black Women @Google Summit and Collective, an initiative designed for black women Googlers, globally, to have dedicated space for community, conversation and connection.

Her career started in infrastructure engineering within the finance industry and shifted to digital media, where she spent over 10 years leading inventory forecasting and yield analysis for major media conglomerates such as Forbes Media, FOX News Digital, and NBC News Digital. Most notably she worked on the divestiture of NBC digital media properties from Microsoft, bringing their top digital media sites back under the NBC Universal umbrella.

Stephanie is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology, graduating with a Bachelor's of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and a New York native. She's married and a mom of three

Nadia Stewart’s love for news has taken her from coast to coast. These days, you’ll find her at Global BC, where she works as a videojournalist. She got her start at Rogers TV Peel as a reporter, anchor and talk show host. She’s also worked as a news writer for The Weather Network, writing weather-centric casts for a national audience. In 2010, Nadia joined the CBC, working as a multi-platform reporter and anchor in St. John’s, Calgary and Edmonton. She also spent six years as an editor and freelance writer for Planet Africa Magazine, a Toronto-based quarterly publication that celebrates the achievements of the black community across the diaspora. Nadia is also proud to be among the first graduates of the University of Guelph-Humber (2006). Off-camera, Nadia is active in her community as a mentor.

Brian was born in Montreal and raised by a mother from St. Vincent & The Grenadines and a father from Little Burgundy, the historic heart of Montreal’s black community. Most of his career was spent in Montreal and my assignments have also taken me to Toronto, Ottawa, Fredericton and, most recently, Halifax. He’s worked in every branch of the Canadian media for all three television networks, as well as The Canadian Press and Quebecor Media. He’s walked alongside Tiger Woods at the Canadian Open, while filing stories for The Canadian Press. Another highlight came in 2019 when he produced two major CBC broadcasts in partnership with the African Nova Scotian community. The first was a forum on policing and the second was a week of broadcasts from the first-ever Preston Township Homecoming. In his free time, Brian loves to hang out with my wife and three children.

“Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living,” the simple principle Tenisha lives by in both her personal and professional life.

Currently serving as a Program Officer for Greater Newark LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation), a national community development intermediary nonprofit, Tenisha’s work focuses on developing community revitalization strategies and building the leadership capacity of nonprofit organizations and residents in Greater Newark.
Prior to LISC, Tenisha served in various roles for local and nationally recognized nonprofit organizations.
Tenisha works diligently to engage community members locally and in the Caribbean. She has strong skillsets in developing community programs, with emphasis on public health, public policy, and youth leadership. With over ten years in the nonprofit sector, Tenisha has a proven track record of directing large-scale innovative fundraising strategy development and implementation efforts.
In 2016, Ms. Malcolm launched TNM Consulting, LLC to deliver mission-driven fundraising and program for nonprofit organizations.
Mrs. Malcolm-Wint currently serves as Vice Chair for the City of Newark’s Caribbean Commission; Member, Jamaica Diaspora Organization Community of Practice; Steering Committee Member, Believe In Healthy Newark, US Census Ambassador, Co-Chair Arthritis Foundation Walk for a Cure and Social Media Coordinator with the Newark Center for Meditative Culture.
Tenisha dedicates countless hours of her time, talent and resources to a number of nonprofits and service groups throughout the tri-state area and in the Caribbean.

Ray B. Shackelford is a native Houstonian who strives to make a difference in the lives of others. As a community leader, Ray has put in the time to learn the needs of Houston communities and works daily to help them thrive.
Ray was born and raised in Third Ward, Houston, Texas, where he spent his entire childhood attending Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. After graduating from Lamar high school, Ray briefly left Houston to attend Morehouse College, where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, concentrating in Finance.
Upon his return to Houston, Ray became a member of the Houston Area Urban League for Young Professionals (HAULYP), and was eventually elected to serve as its President. As President, Ray steered HAULYP to an intense focus on service programming and connecting with the community. His impact in that role led to him being named as the National President of the Year. Since then he has served as Southern Region Vice President of the National Urban League Young Professionals (NULYP) and on July 25, 2019, he was elected as the 10th National President.
Ray also takes the time to analyze and discuss the issues that are important to Houstonians. He previously served as the host and producer of “Agents of Change” on Synergy Radio Network. The show covered political, civic, and social topics to educate the public and spark young people to action. He also served as the co-host for Fresh Perspective a TV show on Vineyard TV. The show focused on connecting young professionals across the African Diaspora to bridge the gap between Africans and African-Americans through resources, education, and history.
He has also taken an active role in serving on local city boards. Recognized as a leader in his community, Ray was nominated by the Mayor of Houston and confirmed by the Houston City Council to serve on the city’s Independent Police Oversight Board (IPOB). This made him one of the youngest members to serve on this board in the city’s history. In this role, Ray reviews investigations conducted by the Houston Police Department Internal Affairs Division when officers use force on civilians, or discharge their firearms. He served in this capacity for more than 3 years & most recently was appointed to the Houston Housing Finance Corporation. On this board he now works to bring quality affordable housing to the Houston community while developing a pipeline of minority builders.
In addition to being an Eagle Scout, Ray is also a proud member of the Rho Beta Beta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and a graduate of Houston Black Leadership Institute Class II, National Urban League Emerging Leaders Class VII, National Urban League Advocacy Certificate Program, Acceler8 Cohort 3, United Way Project Blueprint Class XXXV, and Leadership Houston Class XXXVII.
While maintaining significant commitment to his community, Ray has also excelled in his professional life. Ray holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. He previously worked for the Houston Area Urban League to solve housing issues facing disadvantaged communities, provide financial education, and bring resources to the community. Afterwards he spent five years as a professional in outside sales where he excelled at both business development and account management for Coca-Cola and Grainger. Early in 2018 he joined Southwest Airlines on the flight operations team. In August of 2019 he launched a social impact & public engagement firm called “Meets Community”.
Ray wears a lot of hats, but none is more important to him than the hat of “father.” Ray is the proud father of a ten-year-old daughter, Jordan.

Ashanti’s life experiences with the New Jersey foster system's challenges, her MSW from Columbia University, and her experience as an administrative social worker are the foundation for her work with families, organizations, and communities of color concerning issues of access and equity. Ashanti’s journey has included work with re-entering citizens, children and adults with developmental disabilities, strategic planning, education advocacy, as well as developing programs to strengthen families and better communities. Ashanti is an emerging social work professional with a goal of empowering underserved communities to be the strongest advocates for the change they deserve to see.

Before joining the the NJISJ as a Community Engagement Manager, Ashanti worked as the Director of Community Engagement at Newark’s South Ward Children’s Alliance. She previously worked at the Community Chest in Englewood, Delaney House in Newark, and interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. Ashanti is a member of the Network for Social Work Managers.

Fatima Heyward is the President of the New Jersey Young Democrats, and President and Co-founder of the South Jersey Young Democrats Black Caucus. She is also the Political Action Chair for Camden County East NAACP, Leadership Team Member for the Atlantic City Women’s March, Mentor at Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, 2019 New Leaders Council Fellow, Committee Member for Rider University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Board, and General Member for National Council of Negro Women Tri-County Section. One of her strong passions is expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion. She works to equip young leaders and community members with the tools and resources to stand up for their human and civil rights.

Additionally, Fatima is the Reproductive Justice and Community Partnerships Manager at Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey and Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey. She believes in fighting for access to high-quality, affordable health care because everyone should have quality care regardless of race, income, status or zip code. In her role, she leads proactive community engagement, key stakeholder cultivation and supports programs to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and sexual health information in New Jersey.

Fatima graduated Cum Laude in Communications from Rider University in 2015. During her time at Rider she was selected for Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, Order of Omega Leadership Honor Society, Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities, Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society and Rider Star Scholar. She is a proud sister of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and served as the Tau Kappa Chapter’s president for two years. She also completed four internships and studied abroad in London. While abroad she completed her third internship, which was at the MAMA Youth Project where she worked intensively with 18 to 25-year-old trainees from under-represented backgrounds to succeed in the media industry and build on career development. This sparked her path to the nonprofit world. Based on her contributions, she received the European Record of Achievement award. In 2019, she was a recipient of the NAACP Visionary Leader Award, SJ Magazine's Woman to Watch Award and SNJ Millennials 30 Under 30 Trendsetters. Additionally, Fatima was named in InsiderNJ's 2019 Top 100 Millennials. This year, Fatima received an honorable mention in InsiderNJ's 2020 African American Power List in honor of Black History Month.

Nabila Baptiste has been with the New Jersey State Democratic Committee (NJDSC) since 2018. While working as a Campaign Manager for a municipal race in Warren Township, she enrolled in the Building Our Future NJDSC program that trains campaign operatives. Following her time in that program, Nabila was hired to be the Operations and Events Manager for the NJDSC in August of 2018. Working her way up, she became the Deputy Executive Director in August of 2019 a position that she continues to hold.

Nabila is the daughter of two immigrants who moved to Brooklyn from Morocco when she was a child. Growing up, she had a passion for helping others, which Nabila did while fundraising for the UNICEF Tap Project, a program that provided children in impoverished countries access to clean drinking water. While attending Brooklyn College, Nabila also volunteered with the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professions. As a volunteer, she led initial client intake meetings and debriefing sessions, while additionally communicating complex legal findings to clients.

In her time at Brooklyn College, Nabila majored in Political Science and Philosophy. After graduating college, Nabila worked for over two years in the Hospitality industry as an Operations Manager. Her passion for politics began following the results of the 2016 election. She believed that the best way to bring forth change in her community was to get involved in politics, a move that she has never looked back on.

Marilyn D. Davis joined Altice USA in January 2017 as the New Jersey Area Director for Government Affairs. Ms. Davis manages relations with elected officials and community partners as well as oversee legislative and regulatory matters.

Previously, Ms. Davis worked at the Democratic National Committee as the National Director of Community Engagement until December 2016. She lead a team of nine individuals responsible for engaging stakeholders in the African American, Hispanic, AAPI, Jewish, LGBT, youth, women, ethnics, veterans, rural, and small business communities as well as organized labor in electoral politics and civic engagement.

She served in the Obama/Biden Administration as a political appointee at the United States Department of Labor where she worked under the leadership of Secretary Thomas E. Perez. As the Deputy Director of the office of Public Engagement, Ms. Davis managed labor and African American outreach.

She was also the president and chief executive officer of the consulting firm, Davis & Associates, LLC. As a consultant, Ms. Davis specialized in campaign management, fundraising, strategic development, political organizing, and community outreach.

Davis has held a number of senior positions in government and electoral politics. Most recently, she worked for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) as the deputy director for Congressional Affairs and liaison to the United States Senate. Prior to joining PIC, Davis worked for the OFA-FL campaign as a political consultant and the 2012 Democratic National Convention as the director of constituency outreach.

The 2016 Presidential cycle marked the fourth presidential campaign where Ms. Davis was involved in efforts to secure a democratic victory. Her first presidential campaign was in 2000 as the Constituency Director for the Victory 2000 Coordinated Campaign in New Jersey. She served as the Wisconsin Political Director for the John Kerry presidential campaign in 2004. In 2012, Ms. Davis was a consultant to the Obama for America campaign in Florida. She has managed federal and local campaigns across the country.

Davis has also served as chief of staff to Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37), and deputy commissioner of labor and deputy chief of staff under former Governor Jon Corzine (D-NJ).

Additionally, Davis has worked as a national political representative for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and on numerous presidential, gubernatorial, state and local campaigns.

Davis received her B.A. from the University of South Carolina and pursued graduate studies at Howard University. Davis currently resides in Central Jersey.

Kamillah has a passion and purpose to be a change super- hero, changing the way that people interact with their environment and with other people. Kamillah is currently the Diversity and Inclusion lead for Unilever North America, where she is focused on attracting, cultivating, and elevating diverse talent.
She joined the company in June 2015 and has served in roles in Supply Chain Procurement, Customer Development, and now Human Resources, all with a focus on helping to bridge gaps within the business and bring Unilever’s brands and employees closer to the consumers we serve.
Outside of her day job Kamillah has started and is the President of the United Parents business resource group (BRG), the VP of Business Alignment for the Black Excellence at Unilever (BE-U) BRG, and the Competition and Grants Champion for the Enactus BRG.
Kamillah has represented Unilever as an ambassador at several conferences including One Young World, the largest gathering of sustainability focused youth, at which she delivered a speech. Kamillah was also highlighted as Unilever’s 2018 working mother of the year. In 2018 the City of Orange Township in Orange NJ declared October 2, Kamillah Knight day for her work with the city and her dedication to improving the livelihoods of its children and residents.
Prior to joining Unilever, Kamillah was a student at Cornell University where she received an MPA in 2015, a BA in Economics, a BA in Sociology and Spanish minor in 2013, also from Cornell University. Kamillah will be starting her Executive MBA at Cornell University in July of this year.
Currently Kamillah serves as the VP of Programming for the Cornell Black Alumni Association, a class officer for the Cornell class of 2013, the youngest board member of the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, and the corresponding secretary on the PTA Board for Mt Pleasant Elementary school.
Kamillah is committed to making sustainable living a commonplace with a heightened focus on Sustainable Developments goals 4: Quality Education; 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; 10: Reduced Inequalities, and 17: Partnerships for Goals.

Azline Nelson was born in Chicago, IL; however, she moved to Waterloo, IA, at the age of 5, and this is where she will always call home. She was selected as a National Gates Millennium Scholar in 2009, and this is her greatest achievement. Equipped with a full-ride scholarship, Azline left Iowa to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, for her undergraduate degree.
At Spelman, Azline received her bachelor's degree in International Studies and a minor in French and graduated Magna Cum Laude and Department Honors in 2013. At Spelman, she studied abroad in Martinique, Switzerland, and participated in the Winter Semester at Sea and visited 8 countries in South America. Her strong passion for French culture has propelled her to pursue a career in the travel and aviation industry to guide her journey as a global citizen. Azline has worked at Delta Air Lines for seven years in the revenue management and sales department. She began as an undergraduate analyst pricing international markets such as Australia, Japan, China, and Thailand and was promoted to a Specialist in the Global Sales department, where she manages contracts for travel agents and drives brand awareness for Delta’s routes from the US to Asia.
Azline will be moving to Philadelphia in July to pursue a global dual-degree master’s program at the Wharton School and the Lauder Institute, at the University of Pennsylvania. She will focus on marketing and operations to refine her global business acumen and has long term aspirations to move to Africa to focus on increasing tourism and improving hotel infrastructure.

Nandi Nelson, LCSW, BCBA is the Founder and Clinical Director of Social Behavior Learning Solutions. Nandi is America’s #1 autism and behavior guru and is on a mission to create awareness around autism and help parents and practitioners overcome any barriers that they may face. A thoughtful trailblazer, empathetic entrepreneur, and strong advocate for individuals and families affected by autism and other intellectual disabilities, she possesses a strong desire to help others, offering hope despite their challenging circumstances.

Today, she taps into her extensive expertise to empower and educate others around the world. Along with being an Adjunct Professor at a non-profit accredited institution, she regularly presents at conferences and events. An inspiring speaker, she is often sought-after to share her uplifting messages of possibility and progress, as well as, providing professional dissemination of applied behavior analysis.

At home in the United States, Nandi is highly involved with giving back to the community, partnering with organizations geared towards servicing adolescence, those affected by homelessness and special needs community. Her new book, “Jake’s Adventures: A trip to summer camp,” teaches young children about acceptance and understanding of their peers with Autism Spectrum Disorder which is available at www.NandiNelson.com

Nandi has a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies and a Minor in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. She currently resides in New Jersey and is busy working on a forthcoming events for her passion of women empowerment amongst other exciting ventures.

Maggie Arboleda is a Global Impact Leader, a National Civic Leader, and
a Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador. As a member of the Strategic
Development Committee of Women of ALPFA, Maggie develops
partnerships with Multi-National Corporations to deliver impactful
Diversity & Inclusion programming geared towards the unique
challenges faced by women of color as they build their careers in
Corporate America. Maggie leverages thought provoking conversations
to identify broken channels and gaps in diversity and inclusion
programming and hiring initiatives within the corporate and higher
education sectors. Maggie’s keen eye bridges the expertise of
seasoned professionals to exchange knowledge intergenerationally, creating a platform for
opportunity, networking and support amongst underrepresented communities, as well as allies.
In addition to Maggie’s experience in Diversity & Inclusion, she has led Community Affairs and
Communications Strategy most recently for New York Community Bank where she developed
and implemented Social Impact Marketing elevating brand awareness for community outreach
efforts. Maggie led the Communications Strategy across digital and traditional channels,
bringing a voice to the client and encouraging interaction and alternative touch points through
digital platforms. Maggie is particularly skilled at developing deeply weaved relationships with
key internal and external stakeholders to drive business and social impact objectives. Maggie’s
agile nature and passion for empowering others has allowed her to work in both the non-profit
and corporate sectors bridging the gap and building the business case for investing time and
funds in communities who have historically been underserved. Maggie began her career at
Women’s World Banking where she developed and managed multi - million dollar partnerships
with companies such as Bloomberg, Moody’s, and Barclays to pilot and launch innovative
projects to bring access to financial services to underserved communities globally.
Maggie serves as an advisory board member for The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens
College. In this fiduciary capacity, she supports advocacy and access to the local arts for New
York’s immigrant communities. She is a Next Gen Leadership Fellow of Hispanics in
Philanthropy, a program delivered in partnership with American Express.
Maggie holds a double Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Sociology and Urban Planning from Hunter
College, City University of New York. She is from Queens, New York, a first generation
Colombian - American, and a native Spanish speaker.

Reyna Dominguez was born in Mexico and migrated to the United States with her family at the age of 9. She was immersed in the ESL program within her school district for almost two years in order to become fluent in English. Throughout her school life, Reyna was an active member of Peer Leadership where she worked to develop others and has been a leader ever since. Reyna went on to become a first-generation college graduate from Saint Peter’s University in 2017, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing Management.
Reyna is now the Designer Account Executive for Metro NJ South within The Sherwin-Williams Paint Company. She began her career with Sherwin-Williams by joining the Management Trainee Program in 2017. She has held the roles of Assistant Manager and Market Manager prior to her current role as a Designer Account Executive. Aside from her core role within the company, she takes on an active leadership role within IDEA, a group of multi-cultural Sherwin Williams employees whose mission is to create brand awareness by recruiting, engaging and educating employees and customers of diverse backgrounds within the community. She leads and empowers women through her leadership within SWAN, Sherwin-William’s Active Network, a resource group within NJ whose focus is to support, lead and empower women employees. Reyna’s upbringing has driven her to inspire other women and is always in the search for opportunities to develop others while developing herself.

Hello everyone, I’m David Alexander Caldwell, but most commonly known as “DAC” (because of my initials). I grew up in Montclair, New Jersey with the tremendous support system of my Dad and Mom, as well as my big brother, Justin. In our household, education was always the top priority above athletics or any other extracurricular activity. Although I always had a passion to play sports, I had an even greater overall passion to compete in all areas of my life. I would compete in EVERYTHING, and I wasn’t satisfied unless I finished in first place! I didn’t always win, but I always learned from my shortcomings and went harder and smarter the next opportunity I got!

For any true competitor, nothing bothers us more than a situation that is unfair. Especially at a young age! I can remember saying to my parents, teachers, and coaches, “That’s not fair,” whenever a situation seemed as such. As I grew older, my experiences taught me that the word “Fair” was actually more like it’s homonym pair. The “Fair” that is associated with fun and games, like a carnival. Life being fair is an illusion and only happens in a fantasy world, while the real world is much different. With that being the case, do we give up and just accept that because things aren’t fair, we shouldn’t try to accomplish our goals? Come on, I told you I’m the ultimate competitor! We never give up! We continue to educate and prepare ourselves, so even when things aren’t fair or in our favor, we can still win and prosper in life! Then we pass the ladder to our peers, as we provide a stronger support system and foundation for our next generation.

Proudly hailing from the great city of Brooklyn, Meredith S. Benson comes from a legacy of service and community building. During a school strike in the 1960’s, her grandmother cut the chains off of a closed school building and single handedly organized parents to teach and prepare meals for the students. Her commitment to the East New York Community became part of the fabric of who Meredith became. At the young age of 12, Meredith received the John F. Kennedy Community Award for service to her school community. As a high school student, she served as the President of the Brooklyn Borough President’s Youth Council. These opportunities would serve as building blocks for her community service in the New Haven and back home in Brooklyn.
In her research career led her to Yale University and Pfizer Inc. As a Manager at Pfizer, Inc. she ran First In Human Drug Trials and was a leading global presenter on minority recruitment and the clinical trial process. Currently at Planned Parenthood, she is the Director of the Board of Directors. Meredith works to assists in community partnership strategies and is responsible for the relationships and philanthropy strategies with the CEO’s major donors. At her church, Bethel AME, she served as the Director of Bethel’s Warming Center. She has helped to serve over 5000 meals, coordinated the care of over 400 of New Haven’s most vulnerable homeless citizens and facilitated partnerships with community entities to provide services to assist in their care. Meredith also served as the PTO President at James E. Hillhouse High School. She organized a Hillhouse Lives Matter Back to School event which taught the students about their role in community activism and academic excellence while helping them to network with Community Supporters who were interested in mentoring them. Her goals for youth are to help them see and fulfill their potential and assist in the navigation of their journey. As an advocate, she fights for changes in policy to ensure that youth and the homeless set their own course of success. As a capacity builder, she engenders new paradigms and frameworks to assist vulnerable and hard to reach populations. Meredith is proud to serve her adopted city and certainly blessed to follow in the legacy of her grandmother, Cordelia Fuller. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of her son, Chase Kinzly.
Meredith was educated at Clark Atlanta University, Harvard University and Columbia University. Meredith currently sit on the Board of Directors at I’Raise Girls and Boys International and is a member of the NAACP.