Lotus House: An Overtown Anchoring Organization Improves Lives In this series, OCYC highlights organizations that positively impact the residents in our Overtown Community. Lotus House shelters 1,550+ women, youth, and children annually—11,000+ since its establishment in 2006. Lotus House is the largest women’s homeless shelter in the country. What is the inspiration behind your organization? […]
Registration #: CH53165 "A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE."
Jerome “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jr. is the Founder and Chief Servant Officer of the ICABA® World Network, a technology and marketing company. The ICABA World Network is the world’s leading online ecosystem that assists Black professionals and entrepreneurs in achieving their career, business, and life aspirations.
Hutch is also the Chief Visionary Officer of Black Professionals Month (BPM), an unprecedented annual initiative celebrating Black professional excellence worldwide throughout October. BPM convenes Black professionals to build strong collaborations, enhance leadership, and promote wealth creation.
Hutch is active in the South Florida community, serving on numerous boards. He serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Broward County and the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation. Hutchinson also mentors and coaches many Black professionals and entrepreneurs. He is a formal advisor to several Black-owned companies, including MI Group, Inc. and Sociallybuzz, Inc.
Past board affiliations include the Broward Alliance, BB&T Bank Advisory Board (Broward County), Nova Southeastern University Ambassadors Board, the Broward Workforce Development Board, Board Chairman, Broward Health Foundation, and the Broward Alliance Governor’s Council. He is an alumnus of the 2008-09 Leadership Broward Class XXVII.
Hutch has received numerous awards for his business and civic leadership; in 2009, he was named one of South Florida’s 50 Most Powerful Black Leaders 2015 by Legacy magazine, the Collective Empowerment Group presented him with the “Grand Champion” award, and the TJ Reddick Bar Association presented him with their “Business Leadership” award in 2016. In 2017, Mr. Hutchinson received the Vanguard Award for business advocacy and support from the Mosaic Group, and in 2023 the South Florida Business Journal named Hutchinson one of South Florida’s Leading Voices for Diversity.
Donna L. Ginn is a visionary organizational development practitioner, leader, and speaker. She founded two international organizational development consulting practices, Crossroad Consulting Group and Ginn Scroggins & Associates, serving clients in the US, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Practice areas include change management, leadership development, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, executive coaching, and strategic planning.
Prior to founding the two practices, she was Procter & Gamble’s Latin America Division Manager of Organizational Development, in Caracas, Venezuela.
Donna has a long history of board leadership with community and social impact. organizations. She is currently a Director on the Procter & Gamble Alumni Foundation. She served as Florida State Volunteer President of AARP, President of Urban League of Greater Miami and the YWCA of Cincinnati, and the Greater Miami Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She has also served as a board director of the League of Women Voters, the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, and the YWCA of Greater Miami.
She holds a Master of Science in Organization Development from American University and certifications in organization development from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and the NTL Institute of Applied Behavioral Science.
Hey hey!
I’m Ashley but my friends & clients call me Ashley Relates. Born to ambitious Trinidadian parents, I am a social media strategist by day and Soca and Carnival enthusiast by night.
With over 8 years of experience in social media, branding, and content marketing, I know what it takes to create a profitable, sustainable, and irresistibly attractive brand online. Working for brands like the American Black Film Festival, Miami Broward Carnival, and Blavity, Inc., I’ve become a jill of trades in the field.
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 17,000 professional women of African descent in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.
Our core values are friendship, integrity, honesty, service, commitment, family relationships, courage, respect for self and others, legacy, confidentiality, responsibility, and accountability. The members of The Links, Incorporated are influential decision makers and opinion leaders. The Links, Incorporated has attracted many distinguished women who are individual achievers and have made a difference in their communities and the world. They are business and civic leaders, role models, mentors, activists and volunteers who work toward a common vision by engaging like-minded organizations and individuals for partnership. Links members contribute more than 1 million documented hours of community service annually – strengthening their communities and enhancing the nation. The organization is the recipient of awards from the UN Association of New York and the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation for its premier programs. In 2019, The Links, Incorporated was nominated for a Luxembourg Peace Prize by the Schengen Peace Foundation and recognized by the late Congressman John Lewis as a distinguished organization of outstanding community service and influence.
The outstanding programming of The Links, Incorporated has five facets which include Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services and Health and Human Services. The programs are implemented through strategies such as public information and education, economic development, and public policy campaigns.
My name is Delvin C. Rogers Sr. I am a 44-yearr-old, South Florida native. Grew up in Miami, graduate of Miami Central H.S. and Florida Memorial Univ. Currently a Broward County resident and School Teacher for the last 5 years but have held positions such as Behavior Specialist, Community Liaison, Juv. Justice Prevention, Case Manager etc. I love working with Youth of all age groups and promoting my Youth and Anger Mgmt initiative. I think it is our due diligence to get Youth the key tools they need to help navigate them through life’s ups and downs. My mission is to change the mind of one and that one can help change the mind of another. #StrengthInNumbers
Shedia Asiya Nelson is a multi-talented individual with an impressive array of accomplishments and contributions in the fields of education, the arts, and youth empowerment. Nelson is a published author of five volumes of poetry, three stages plays, 10 poetry anthologies, editor of 8 youth led comic books, three books by Emily Diane Gunter and a fiction book “Confessions of a Neglected African Daughter” by Kwasi Bosompem. Her first publication began at 16 years old by the National Library of Poetry in “Whispers in the Wind” followed by notable publications in “The International Library of Who’s Who in Poetry” and “Best Poems of the 90’s” to name a few. She is featured in articles published by Voyage MIA where her poetry publication showcases her literary talents and her commitment to raising awareness about relevant social issues. “She Kept Her Bra On: Chronicles of a Teenage Love Affair,” is a three-part play series that addresses the critical issue of teen dating violence through the perspective of youth. The play series toured Miami Dade County and culminated in a film adaptation of the fourth installment under the direction of Jalen James Acosta. Nelson’s career is a testament to her passion.
Nelson is a dynamic professional who serves as the Senior Operations/Programs Manager and Artistic Director at URGENT, Inc. Her diverse talents and dedication to youth empowerment, education, and the arts have made her a notable figure in her field. She has edited and produced public service announcements, bi-lingual parent orientation videos, program and film trailers, short films, and digital photo galleries. Her students are award winning middle school entrepreneurs and have been recognized at film festivals.
Nelson’s dedication and hard work have not gone unnoticed. She has received accolades such as the “Bronze Bra” award for Trainer of the Year in 2020 and was recognized as the Employee of the Year in 2010. Her expertise and contributions have also led to television interviews on CBS for their “Mentoring Matters” segment and NBC 6, where she discussed important topics such as environmental justice. Shedia Asiya Nelson’s career is a testament to her passion for education, the arts, youth empowerment, and her work continues to make a positive impact on her community and beyond. She is featured in articles published by Voyage MIA in “Meet Shedia Nelson” and “Meet Shedia Nelson: Artistic Director and Programs Manager at URGENT, Inc. and published author”.
Ericka J is a dynamic young entrepreneur who discovered her passion for hairstyling at a young age. With a keen eye for innovation, she embarked on a journey to develop her own brand of hair products, leveraging her expertise and creativity. Through dedication and hard work, Ericka has established herself as a trailblazer in the beauty industry, inspiring others with her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence.
Vincent’s dreams of becoming a professional mascot started at the young age of thirteen when he became the mascot for his middle school. With hard work and raw talent, he went on to become a mascot for his high school, college, and, subsequently, a college development league. In 2011, Vincent went on to begin his professional career as the mascot for the Tulsa Drillers, Tulsa Roughnecks, and the Tulsa Oilers. Now a professional mascot for the NBA, Vincent was recently featured on Good Morning America during the 2023 NBA finals and was awarded the 2023 NBA Community Impact Award.
With every step, it was Vincent Pace’s faith and family that empowered him to overcome life’s challenges and dare to dream bigger. Vincent credits the support of his grandmother Vivian Smith, aunt Carolyn Whitney, and the memory of his mother and biggest fan, Theresa Medly, as foundational to his success. As the first and only African American professional mascot out of Kansas City, Missouri, Vincent has the vision to see individuals and organizations everywhere inspired and empowered to keep dreaming, believing, and giving.
As the founder and CEO of Mascots with Soul LLC, Vincent is on a mission to impact your soul so that you reach your goals positively. He provides a host of services, including appearances, motivational talks, performance coaching, mascot design and tailoring, mascot camps, youth mentorship, corporation-to-community connections, and entertainment that feeds the human soul.
On June 30, 2010, thirty-one of South Florida’s most accomplished professional women were inducted as charter members of the Miami-Biscayne Bay Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. On Saturday, June 14, 2014, we expanded our circle of friendship by welcoming eight awesome, educated and engaged women to our Chapter. On Sunday, June 18, 2016, we once again strengthened our circle of friendship and dedication to service by embracing eleven amazingly talented, socially conscious and community-minded women. We are so grateful to extend our friendship circle with six dynamic, civically engaged and educated women on Sunday June 9, 2019.
Lotoya K. Brown, Esq. is a Project Attorney in the Put Something Back Project. She previously worked at Childnet., Inc., and at Andell Brown & Associates concentrating her practice in the areas of business transactions, estate planning and legacy building education. She provides healthcare directives, power of attorney, and notarial services. Ms. Brown has experience in municipal law having served as Interim Deputy City Attorney of the City of Sunny Isles Beach. Ms. Brown earned her Juris Doctor from Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law in 2017 and her undergraduate degree from Florida State University. She is a proud alumna of both schools.
Currently, she serves as President of the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women’s Lawyer Association, is a Member of the Caribbean Bar Association, Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, and is an Affiliate Member of The Florida Bar YLD and Miami-Dade County Bar Association Board of Directors. She is also a Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Miami Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Ms. Brown is admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts and the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida.
Christie Grays Chambers is Vice President and Lead, Healthcare & Culture and Inclusion at Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Inc., the leading independently owned commercial real estate services firm in Florida. With a career spanning more than 23 years in commercial real estate and healthcare, Christie leads the expansion of the firm’s healthcare practice across all service lines and also leads the firm’s culture and inclusion initiatives serving as the liaison with corporate real estate directors.
Christie previously served as a broker with Cushman & Wakefield, Codina Realty and Duke Realty, specializing in office and healthcare properties. She has successfully led the negotiations of significant lease transactions on behalf of both owners and tenants.
Christie also served as the Director of Government and Community Relations for Baptist Health South Florida. There, she ensured positive relationships in business, government and civic communities were maintained, while managing the department’s multi-million dollar budget.
Christie is a graduate of Spellman College and has her MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School having studied abroad in Manchester, England and Hong Kong. She is an active board member of City Year Miami.
Christie has been fortunate to receive numerous recognitions including Miami’s Most Powerful & Influential Black Leaders” by Legacy Magazine, “Distinguished Young Leader” by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and “40 Under 40” by South Florida Business Journal.
Lemar Ingram, is an executive, entrepreneur, philosopher, and confessed hip-hop junkie. As a leader he has learned to marry his love of music, street smarts, education, professional and life experience into a book of practical business and life advice in a format that is entertaining and resonates with readers:
The G-Code Behind the Bars.
A hustler at heart, Lemar has always been artistic and creative. As a young man his passion for music inspired him to study sound design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). However, disillusioned with the music industry and with a taste for the finer things he reluctantly joined corporate America. There he learned the value of applying street knowledge in business and collected meaningful advice from trusted mentors along the way.
As a big thinker and idea generator, Lemar has navigated the corporate world to lead at a high level, execute ideas and get paid. Using the often-underrated knowledge of hip-hop as a guide while staying true to his identity.
Rashad D. Thomas is the Regional Director for AT&T Florida overseeing local and government relationships in Miami-Dade and parts of Broward County. Before his role at AT&T, he worked on Strategic Partnerships and Community Relations for PortMiami which is the busiest port in the world. He was Assistant to the County Deputy Mayor in the Office of the Mayor. In this role he was responsible for all matters related to Public Safety and Human Services. Mr. Thomas served as the Vice President of Business Connect and Legacy Projects for the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee for Super Bowl LIV in 2020. Upon his return to the Office of the Mayor in 2020, he was responsible for COVID-19 and addressed all matters regarding essential and non-essential businesses, Senior Meals Program, and New Normal Tactics related to the reopening of Miami-Dade County.
Mr. Thomas is a Bethune-Cookman University graduate and attended Harvard Business School -Young American Leaders Program, he also served in various capacities in Miami-Dade County government for 18 years. He began his career as a Community Organizer/Social Worker and has held several positions in Miami-Dade County government, where he was responsible for policy, legislative affairs, special development projects, Community Action and Human Services, Homeless Trust, and Juvenile Services.
Rashad is a member of Omega Phi Psi Fraternity, Inc and a: 2017 Legacy Magazine 40 Under 40 award recipient, 2017 Bethune-Cookman University 40
Under 40 award recipient, Class X Miami Fellow, 2019 Legacy Magazine Influential Leader in Business, 2018 and 2019 FIU Emerging Leader finalist, 2019 Miami-Dade County Black Affairs Board: Man of Valor, Black Professionals Network 2020 Black Men in Excellence, 2021 Black Affairs Advisory Board Community Pillar, 2022 Leadership Miami – Outstanding Project of the Year, 2023 Florida Panthers Black Excellence, 2023 ICABA- Black America’s Best, and 2023 Father’s MIA- Father of the Year.
A native Miamian, Rashad is married to Shannon and the father to three handsome boys (Rashad Jr., Rashaun, and Rasheem).
Jefferson Noël is a professor at Florida Memorial University. He is a four-time published author, professional orator, award-winning educator, and TEDx speaker. Jefferson is the founder of Barbershop Speaks, an organization that engages in intelligent discussions inside barbershops and beauty salons. He has been featured on MSNBC, NBC News Now, NPR, and more. Additionally, he has received Miami’s Top Black Educator Distinction of 2021, Legacy Miami Top Leader of Today & Tomorrow of 2022, the Man of Honor Award in 2023, Literary Trailblazer Award, and Black Man of Excellence by the Black Professional Network in 2024.
Niyada Thomas, 28 years old graduated from Florida State University in 2018. During college I interned at ESPN 97.9 and worked closely with ESPN Radio College Gameday. Once I graduated I landed a job at ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, CT working as a Production Assistant. COVID-19 happened and I took my talents to NBC Sports in Stamford, CT working as an Assistant Producer. I am currently working as a Digital Line Producer at CBS Sports HQ in Fort Lauderdale, FL where I am working diligently to become an on-air talent. Being in front of the camera covering sports gas always been my passion. With continued faith and hard work anything is possible.
Sherri Ann Flanders-Duncan is a proud Miami native, raised in a two-parent household with a strong emphasis on education. She pursued her passion for healthcare by earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Miami (UM). Throughout her life, she has been dedicated to accomplishing her goals and realizing her dreams. Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, Sherri never lost sight of her aspirations. With hard work, perseverance, and a steadfast commitment to her studies, she excelled in the Administration and Financial Leadership program at FAU and earned her master’s degree. This achievement was a defining moment for her and a testament to her unwavering determination to succeed.
Sherri’s story serves as an inspiration to others who may be facing similar challenges and who have big dreams, they hope to one day manifest. Her unwavering commitment to her goals, her dedication to her education, and her relentless pursuit of success serve as a testament to what can be accomplished when you stay focused on your goals. Today, Sherri continues to make a positive impact in her community and inspire others as a skilled and compassionate nurse. As the CEO of Women of Dynamic Change Inc, she continues to aim towards providing resources and tools to allow women of all backgrounds to create a more fulfilled life, ultimately helping them reach their full potential. Her accomplishments serve as a reminder that with hard work, dedication, and a never-give-up attitude, anyone can achieve their dreams and make a lasting impact on the world.
Registration #: CH53165 “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.”
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DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Beth Harry is a professor of special education and chair of the Department of Teaching And Learning at the University Of Miami. A native of Jamaica, she entered the field of special education as a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, an experience that has been chronicled in her memoir, Melanie, bird with a broken wing: A mother’s story published by Brookes.
Inspired by her experience as a parent, Dr. Harry’s research and teaching focus on the impact of special education on children and families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Her studies have included Puerto Rican, African American and a wide range of other cultural groups. In 2002, Dr. Harry served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ panel to study the disproportionate placement of minority students in special education. Her research findings on these topics have been published in numerous books and articles, most recently, two books: Why are so many minority students in special education? and Case Studies of Minority Student Placement in Special Education, published by Teachers College Press. In 2003 she received a Fulbright award to do research on Moroccan children’s schooling in Spain, where she was based at the University of Seville.
Dr. Harry graduated from St. Andrew High School in Jamaica, earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Toronto, Canada, and her Ph.D., at Syracuse University in the US. Previously an associate professor at the University of Maryland at College Park, Dr. Harry has also taught in Toronto and Jamaica, and was founder and director of the Immortelle Center for Special Education, Port of Spain, Trinidad.
BOARD-CERTIFIED PEDIATRICIAN
Dr. Kimberly Reynolds is a Board-certified Pediatrician who has dedicated her life’s work to improving the lives of children in South Florida. She was born in Inglewood, CA and grew up in South Florida. She attended the University of Miami for her undergraduate work, where she majored in Psychology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors. She then attended the University of Florida, where she graduated in 2010 with her Medical Doctorate. After 3 years of Pediatrics residency at one of the country’s premier children’s hospitals, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Dr. Reynolds relocated to South Florida to continue her career and give back to the community that raised her. She was a fellow in the HRSA Primary Care Fellowship at the University of Miami, where she honed her interest related to cross-cultural education for medical students and residents.
As an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and a pediatric hospitalist at Holtz Children’s Hospital, Dr. Reynolds treats various inpatient conditions and dedicates her academic scholarship to curriculum development, research, and education related to cultural competence and implicit bias. She has published in premier journals such as Pediatrics and Hospital Pediatrics and has conducted training on cultural competence and implicit bias for faculty, staff, residents, and students at the University of Miami. She has presented her work at national and international conferences, such as The Pediatric Academic Societies Conference, the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference, and The National Medical Association. Dr. Reynolds has been recognized for her outstanding commitment to educational scholarship through the Academic Pediatric Association Educational Scholar Program. Dr. Reynolds is a wife, mother, philanthropist, and chair of the West Park Community Service Initiative. She enjoys cooking, reading, and spending quality time with her family. Dr. Reynolds currently resides in Weston, FL.
DEPUTY SECRETARY AT CHILDREN’S MEDICAL SERVICES, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
As Deputy Secretary, Dr. Brosco oversees Florida’s Part C early intervention program (Early Steps), Child Protection Teams, newborn screening follow-up program, poison control centers, and a managed care plan for 60,000 children with special health care needs. He has been also been active in national health policy groups, including the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (Department of Health and Human Services) and the National Workgroup on Standards for Systems of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs/National Academy for State Health Policy).
Dr. Brosco completed an M.D. and a Ph.D. in the history of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as chief resident after training in pediatrics at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, and he is board-certified in Pediatrics and in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. He continues to teach and practice both general pediatrics and developmental pediatrics. His research includes an analysis of the history of health care for children in early 20th century Philadelphia, the historical epidemiology of intellectual disability, and the history of newborn screening in the US.
OWNER OF RELEASED SOLUTIONS
Kenneth (Kenny) and his team’s top priority is to help small businesses and non-profit organizations grow their online presence by utilizing modern technology and media platforms and channels that can expose their personal profiles, brand, services, and products to the largest audience possible.
Released Solutions accomplishes this by using online space (the internet) to uncover the hidden gems in all social channels and advertising networks in order to help their clients maximize their advertising dollars to achieve the highest ROI possible.
Released Solutions goes beyond just getting your business online. They hope to be your first choice in choosing an online presence management agency.
FOUNDER AND CEO OF RADICAL PARTNERS
RFL founded Radical Partners to accelerate social impact innovation in South Florida. She cooked up a few social innovations of her own (30 Days of Change, 100 Great Ideas, Social Entrepreneurship Bootcamp) and began coaching and supporting top local innovators to scale their impact. Over the past four years, Radical Partners has helped scale and launch over 50 social-impact ventures. Rebecca just completed serving a 4 year term on the Florida Board of Education. Before starting Radical Partners she was Executive Director at Teach For America. She’s a mom, a closet musician, and has horrible taste in movies.
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER AT COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION BY PEG
Glenn E. Singleton has devoted over thirty years to constructing racial equity worldwide and developing leaders to do the same. He is the author of Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools (2006 & 2014), a protocol for sustained, deep dialog, and the creator Beyond Diversity™, the curriculum that has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to use it. As President and Founder of Pacific Educational Group, Inc. (PEG), Singleton has created an agency that has developed racially conscious leaders in a variety of sectors: education, government, business, law enforcement, and community organizing among them.
The work has been transformative and far-reaching. In September 2015, The United States Embassy selected PEG to guide the development of law enforcement leaders throughout Western Australia. Singleton launched the first Institute for Courageous Conversation – in New Zealand. In the US, Singleton has served on statewide commissions for racial equity in New York and California, and all the while he has stayed true to his hometown, Baltimore, the premiere and two-time host of PEG’s National Summit for Courageous Conversation.
Singleton’s passion for equity flows to and through his civic life as well. He is the founder of the Foundation for a College Education of East Palo Alto, California, an agency responsible for the collegiate admission and graduation of hundreds of students. Accolades for his work include the ADCOLOR 2017 Most Valuable Partnership Award with Wieden+Kennedy Advertising Agency; The 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Community Service Award in 2015 and The Eugene T. Carothers Human Relations Award in 2003. A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Stanford University (MA), Singleton is also a member of The Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He currently resides in San Francisco, California.
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT P.S. 305
Yannell Selman is the Founder and Executive Director of P.S. 305, a non-profit community organizing project whose vision it is to ensure every child in Miami-Dade County receives a high quality education. P.S. 305 informs, organizes, and empowers leaders that fight for a rigorous system of quality, choice, and accountability across all of Miami’s schools. Yannell was born and raised in Miami, and attended public schools. During this time, she observed vast inequities in the school system, especially for her cousins who had recently arrived from Cuba and were labeled as English language learners. While she was studying at Northwestern, a student was stabbed and killed at her high school, compelling her to work on the issue of educational equity full time. She joined Teach for America and taught second grade bilingual in the Bay Area. After her corps commitment, Yannell began parent organizing in her placement district on campaigns relating to school choice with the California Charter Schools Association. She later led a team of five parent organizers across San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, and Richmond toward big wins for kids in northern California with CCSA. After years of teaching and organizing, Yannell decided to return to her home community to organize around education reform, founding P.S. 305.
STRATEGY & IMPACT MANAGER AT RADICAL PARTNERS
Joan manages our consulting arm, growing and scaling social impact organizations across a variety of sectors. She is a powerful connector who is passionate about promoting and providing opportunities, especially for minorities and disadvantaged groups through empowerment experiences and intercultural exchanges. She is a Clinical Psychologist with a Masters of Arts in International Non-Governmental Organizations in the Netherlands, and a very proud and cheerful Guatemalan. We are lucky to bring her 10 years of experience in social development all over 5 countries to help strengthen the social impact sector, as a collective, in our beloved and diverse South Florida. To top it all off, she is a dancer, a runner, an avid yogi, and a frequent traveler with her life partner.
CEO AT VOICES INSTITUTE, LLC
Selena Webster-Bass, MPH is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and has served as a health advocate for over 15 years. Selena’s professional background is in public health, health equity, sickle cell disease, minority health and health education/promotion. She has worked in a variety of settings as Community Medicine Director with pediatrics and family medicine residency programs at UF/Shands Jacksonville, adjunct professor at University of North Florida
College of Public Health, Science Teacher in an urban setting and Webster-Bass Consulting developing national disease education campaigns for pharmaceutical companies focusing on multicultural populations. In her current position with Jacksonville System of Care, Selena educates organizational leaders, health professionals, family advocates, youth and families in becoming culturally and linguistic responsive. Selena is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Program at the University of North Florida (UNF) with research interests in culturally responsive organizations and servant leadership. Selena’s other voices include youth development, emotional well-being and spiritual development. Selena is eternally tied to County Court Judge Lester Bass and has three energetic kids; Spencer, Micah and Trinity.
DIRECTOR AT RADICAL PARTNERS
Alia runs our Leadership Development arm, including initiatives like our Social Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Leadership Lab, and our coaching work with local change-makers, philanthropists, and innovators. She’s all about helping leaders achieve their greatest potential, and she’s a powerful connector and advisor. Before joining Radical Partners, Alia worked at a local tech startup, Kairos, and led Microsoft’s corporate citizenship work in 7 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. She is also a co-founder of Aminta Ventures – a coalition of women working to cultivate the next generation of female angel investors in South Florida. She has a M.S. in International Business and Economic Development from New York University and speaks 3 languages.
VICE PRESIDENT OF CATALYST CONSULTING
Santiago joined Catalyst Miami in January 2015. His role includes connecting and forming collaborative networks that are committed to achieving tangible results within their communities. Santiago’s professional commitment is to improve the quality of life for the marginalized. He has a Masters in International Development, Nonprofit Management, and International Economics as well as training in Financial Management. Santiago serves on the board of the Awesome Foundation.