Dr. Jaykyri Simpson Executive Director, Young Man with a Plan Dr. Jaykyri Simpson is the Executive Director of Young Man with a Plan, a holistic mentoring program serving young Black and Latino men “in the middle” across 8 Boston schools. Under Jaykyri’s leadership, YMWAP has grown from a small program serving 20 students to a…
Jeannie W. Salomon Founder & Director, Cultural Society Jeannie W. Salomon is a professional with over fifteen years of non-profit management experience. She is the Founder and Director of the Cultural Society. Jeannie has used her formal training in humanities, business, and education to start the Asian American Connections initiative in the non-profit organization she…
Rodney L. Powell High School Principal, Founder, EdArchy.org Rodney L. Powell is a High School Principal and founder of EdArchy.org, where he and his team provide idea incubation, network development, and mini-grants for aspiring youth social entrepreneurs. In his 24-year career in education, he has designed and led several schools and programs in both Baltimore,…
Niamiah Jefferson Lead Organizer, ARISE Niamiah Jefferson is a Lead Organizer at ARISE. Before her current role, she was a Youth Leader at ARISE, allowing her to flourish in the various spaces she currently exists in. She is a Senior at Wheaton College and is an Eliza Wheaton Honors Scholar majoring in Psychology and minoring…
Dr. Arria Coburn Executive Director, School Leadership in Hartford, CT Dr. Arria Coburn is the Executive Director of School Leadership in Hartford, Connecticut. She is entering her eighteenth year in education. Prior to her current role, she was a special education teacher, an assistant principal, and principal at the Springfield Renaissance School in Springfield, Massachusetts.…
Shineika Fareus organizing director, ct bbsu Shineika Fareus is an anti-racist educator, a community organizer, and a transformative leader. A youth organizer since 2014, she is a co-founder of Hearing Youth Voices and values the importance of having access to equitable education. Through her organizing work as a Program Associate at the Center For Youth…
Pema Latshang Executive Director, Teach Western Mass (TWM) Pema Latshang is the founding Executive Director of Teach Western Mass (TWM) and the TWM Residency, an alternative pathway to teacher licensure. She has worked in urban public education since 2003, as a teacher, school, and district leader in New York City, Holyoke, and Springfield. Originally from…
Ivette Martinez Director, Welcome Center at Lynn Public Schools Ivette Martinez is the Director of the Welcome Center at Lynn Public Schools, a district that serves almost 17,000 students, 80% of them minorities. Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Ivette is an effective, strategic, and passionate leader with 13 years of experience developing partnerships to address social…
Addie Lentzer Founder & Executive Fellow, Vermont Anti-Racism Network Addie Lentzer is a student activist from Bennington, Vermont. She is the founder of the Vermont Anti-Racism Network, an organization dedicated to achieving education without racism, and is currently the Executive Director as well. She also works as an Executive Fellow at Our Turn, an education…
Jessica Vega Senior Policy Analyst, Rhode KIDS COUNT Jessica Vega is a Senior Advocacy and Community Engagement Manager at Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. In her role, she leads statewide policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management in education and economic well-being. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Rhode Island College, where she was…