Angela Terry has been pouring her heart and soul into her community for almost 25 years, really making a difference in so many lives. Her huge amount of experience within the NYC school system, plus all her amazing work with various nonprofits, has given her a super solid understanding of how children grow socially and emotionally. This deep insight has allowed her to truly use her skills to make a real and lasting impact on countless young people and their families.

As the fantastic Executive Director of the Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center, Inc., Angela has fearlessly championed the center’s mission to offer not just awesome early education but also really helpful family engagement services. Her caring and visionary leadership has been the driving force behind creating a warm and exciting environment where young children can totally flourish and families feel empowered to be a huge part of their child’s educational journey. Angela truly believes that every single child deserves the best possible start in life, and she’s dedicated her whole career to making sure children in her community get all the support they need to succeed and thrive.

Through all her interconnected work in early childhood education, community development, and even entrepreneurship, Angela Terry has truly become a cornerstone of the vibrant Bedford Stuyvesant community. Her unwavering dedication, compassionate leadership, and smart business sense have not only lifted up countless individuals but have also been a powerful inspiration, encouraging others to join her in working towards a brighter and more equitable future for everyone. Angela’s lasting legacy is a powerful testament to how much good can come from people who are deeply committed to their communities and work tirelessly to create positive, meaningful change.

Angela earned her Bachelor of Social Work at York College – City University of New York, which really set the stage for her career. She then went on to get her Master’s degree from Fordham University, deepening her expertise and commitment to social welfare. On top of all her impactful work in education and community development, Angela is also a successful entrepreneur; she co-owns and actively runs Therapy Wine Bar 2.0, showing off her diverse talents and business smarts. And just a fun personal note, Angela is incredibly proud of her daughter, Ariel, who is currently a middle school principal, continuing the family’s tradition of dedication to education and community leadership.

Ashley Eberhart is a design strategist and co-founder of Unlock NYC, a nonprofit tech collective founded in Brooklyn in 2019. In close collaboration with homeless activists at Neighbors Together in Ocean Hill and Design Impact Group members at Cobble Hill’s Blue Ridge Labs, Unlock NYC’s founding team built Rights Recorder, a free web app that enables low-income New Yorkers to document housing discrimination and create a paper trail when landlords and brokers turn them down because they use a rental assistance voucher.

Over 1,100 New Yorkers, a majority of them Brooklynites, have used Rights Recorder to learn about their fair housing rights and share 3,000+ allegations of unfair treatment on their search for a home. Unlock NYC’s platform connects these reports to free legal service providers who can help reverse illegal denials and give tenants a fair shot at the apartment they were turned down from. In addition, our immensely resourceful and creative community members have used their reports to advocate for themselves in Housing Court, testify to City Council, and partner with investigative reporters. Unlock NYC also leverages data and people power to publish groundbreaking reports and maintains a unique crowdsourced map of voucher discrimination allegations citywide.

Unlock NYC’s governance model ensures that New Yorkers who have directly experienced housing discrimination are embedded in our staff leadership, advisory board, and strategic decision-making processes. With the support of funders like Brooklyn Org and our growing base of individual donors, we have been able to expand our Leadership Collective program, which offers a tight-knit community, paid nonprofit work experience, and public speaking opportunities to tenants we’ve met through Rights Recorder.

Outside of Unlock NYC, Ashley is an urban gardener, new mom, New York Liberty fan, and proud supporter of Brooklyn Org’s Brooklyn Backs Brooklyn campaign. As she builds her own family’s Brooklyn roots, she strives to be a thoughtful neighbor and active co-conspirator in efforts to secure a shared, vibrant, and equitable future for our borough.

Barry Cooper (known to many as Coach Coop) is an educator with more than a decade supporting young men of color. Barry founded The B.R.O. Experience Foundation in 2020 to expand his work in closing the Black male mental health gap.

In a career dedicated to youth development, Barry has served as Dean and Director of Culture at Eagle Academy for Young Men, taught at CUNY Fatherhood Academy as an adjunct Life and Wellness Educator, and has mentored formerly incarcerated youth through the New York Department of Probation. He has been Vice-Chair of the Brooklyn NAACP Educational Committee and has run for local office. His books include “The Provider: a Guide for Co-Parenting Dads” and a forthcoming children’s book.

The B.R.O. Experience stands for Brothers Redefining Opportunity, and with his team, Barry is constantly discovering new ways to engage and develop young men of color to build strong leaders of tomorrow.

Ben Fuller-Googins is the Executive Director of the Carroll Gardens Association, a Brooklyn based grassroots organization fighting for housing and economic justice. CGA organizes with low-income residents, immigrants, and domestic workers to forge a Brooklyn where dignity, opportunity, and community thrive for all. In his tenure at CGA, Ben has developed immigrant led worker cooperatives promoting community wealth building, established a city wide domestic worker association reaching thousands of workers fighting for better jobs, a tenant union bringing residents together to organize for safe, accessible, and affordable housing, and is currently leading the development of 300+ new units of permanently affordable housing in Red Hook. Ben is a proud board member of the National Domestic Workers’ Alliance. He holds a BA from Boston College in History, an MA from New York University in Urban Planning, and lives in Kensington, Brooklyn.

Brenda Rosen has devoted her career to the issue of homelessness, beginning as Assistant General Counsel at the New York City Department of Homeless Services. She joined Breaking Ground in 1999 as Director of the Prince George, where she helped to establish a model of sustainable supportive housing for New York City. In 2006, she advanced as Director of Property Management and Programs, overseeing the agency’s provision of housing and social services. In her role of President and CEO since 2011, Brenda leads Breaking Ground in its mission to address homelessness in New York, shepherding its growth across more than 30 housing and program sites. Brenda is Board Chair of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, on the board of Homeless Services United, and an advisory member of New York Housing Conference. She received her B.A. from Hunter College and holds a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Eleven years ago, Caroline Gates Anderson had a vision of bringing people together through the therapeutic power of flowers and founded BloomAgainBklyn. Her goal was two-fold: to repurpose unsold or once-used flowers to foster dialogue and build community among all generations, and to bring joy and healing to those who are isolated through the acts of arranging and giving flowers. Over this time, BloomAgainBklyn has emerged as a unique force in Brooklyn and the other boroughs, galvanizing a volunteer corps of over 3,500 individuals yearly from all backgrounds and ages. They create and deliver tens of thousands of upcycled floral arrangements to more than 18,000 people annually.

Under Caroline’s leadership, BloomAgainBklyn has established partnerships with more than 80 community organizations and corporations that participate in BloomAgain’s floral wellness programs either as recipients, working partners, or through workshops. BloomAgain’s partner organizations include numerous BrooklynOrg grantees. Since 2014, BloomAgainBklyn has diverted over 2.5 million flowers from the solid waste stream and half a million tons of floral waste from landfills, transforming these unsold and once-used flowers into powerful catalysts for connection and kindness.

BloomAgainBklyn is proud to be a grantee of Brooklyn Org within their Older Adults Fund and the Samuels Foundation’s Healthy Aging program. As part of the organization’s efforts to evolve and innovate its programming to deepen its intergenerational impact, BloomAgainBklyn and its corporate partner Citi developed Flowers & Finance – a program that combines financial literacy education for older adults taught by Citi employees with flower workshops led by BloomAgain staff and volunteers. This past June, Caroline was named by Crain’s New York as one of the 60most notable philanthropists in New York City.

Before launching BloomAgainBklyn, Caroline spent over 25 years in children’s book publishing as the director of photo research for SLP/Scholastic, which published ground-breaking children’s books reflecting the diversity of American communities. Previously, she had founded and headed Gates & Tripp, one of the first vintage photography galleries in the country, located in Boston and Newport, RI. Caroline has served on the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Kindergarten Society and was the executive director of the Cambridge Art Association in Cambridge, MA. A graduate of Brown University, she lives in Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn, where she and her husband raised their daughter, who now lives in Cobble Hill with her husband and their two-and-a-half-year-old son.

Caroline can be seen from time to time, riding her bike through the neighborhood with a basket full of flowers.

Carrie Bloss is the Executive Director of Heights and Hills, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting homebound older adults as they age. With a career spanning more than two decades in social services, Carrie is committed to improving the lives of New York City’s most vulnerable residents through compassionate leadership and strategic innovation.

At Heights and Hills, Carrie leads an organization that has been serving Brooklyn’s aging population since 1971. Under her guidance, the agency continues to focus on the basic needs of older adults as they age to improve health, satisfaction, and longevity: financial and food security; access to health care; a safe, affordable, and comfortable place to live; the ability to accomplish life’s basic tasks; and social support to prevent isolation. Heights and Hills champions a comprehensive approach to aging, rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to age with dignity, independence, and connection.

Heights and Hills offers a range of core programs. The Case Management Program supports homebound older adults with compassionate and cost‐effective interventions and referrals to vital services that meet their individual needs with the goal of helping them live as independently as possible. The Caregiver Program focuses on the family members, friends, and neighbors who provide unpaid assistance to an older adult in their lives. The social work staff helps alleviate the stress of caregiving with one-on-one and group support, workshops, referrals, and respite care. At the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging, active older adults gain new experiences and connect with their community. The Center provides meals, classes and activities, companionship, and social work support to members of the surrounding neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the Volunteer Program matches community volunteers of all ages with homebound older neighbors to provide friendship and support with the goal of reducing isolation and loneliness. Our volunteers deliver prepared meals, go grocery shopping for clients experiencing a food emergency, accompany clients to appointments, and help address technology challenges.

Before joining Heights and Hills, Carrie served as Executive Director of Project Hospitality, Staten Island’s largest social services nonprofit. At Project Hospitality Carrie headed the executive management team, served as a key liaison to the board of directors, ensured financial wellness and developed strategic plans for the organization’s future – all in the service of the agency’s clients. Prior to Project Hospitality, Carrie spent 12 years working in the field of housing and homeless services at Breaking Ground, the city’s largest nonprofit provider of supportive housing and homeless street outreach. As Vice President of Leasing and Compliance she oversaw internal evaluation for all service areas, the organization’s affordable housing and government contract compliance, and the government grants management function. Carrie also worked at the NYC Department of Homeless Services.

Carrie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Mike, and their children, and remains deeply committed to building a more equitable and caring city for all.

Gregory Anderson serves as President & CEO of Bridge Street Development Corporation, a Bedford-Stuyvesant based nonprofit dedicated to promoting economic empowerment, affordable housing, small business support, youth workforce development, older adult services, community engagement and advocacy throughout Central Brooklyn. Now in its 30th year, Bridge Street continues to build on its legacy of impact, forging strong partnerships with businesses, government agencies, and community stakeholders to advance social justice and racial equity.

Under Gregory’s leadership, the organization has expanded its services, strengthened its financial empowerment initiatives, and developed innovative strategies to address the economic challenges facing Brooklyn’s diverse communities. Bridge Street is currently spearheading the 202 Preservation Project, a groundbreaking effort to preserve affordable housing for low-income seniors by providing technical assistance, financial solutions, and policy advocacy to owners of HUD 202 properties at risk of disinvestment or market-rate conversion. This initiative reflects Gregory’s commitment to housing stability and community-rooted development.

Prior to joining Bridge Street, Gregory was a Financial Services Professional at New York Life/NYLIFE Securities, where he participated in the African American Community Empowerment Plan, an initiative focused on fostering financial stability, economic opportunity, and multigenerational wealth. During his tenure, he also conducted financial seminars for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s MWBE Small Business Development Program, helping entrepreneurs access business capacity and financial resources.

Gregory has more than 25 years of experience in public finance investment banking, specializing in financing solutions to support affordable rental housing, homeownership, small business development and infrastructure. Gregory served as a Managing Director at multiple Wall Street firms, including Lebenthal & Co., Advest Inc., WR Lazard, Dean Witter, and Salomon Brothers, where he played a key role in the development and implementation of innovative housing finance and economic programs and completed more than $5 billion in financings for state and local agencies nationwide. His work has contributed to rehabilitating aging housing stock, increasing homeownership opportunities, and driving small business development and economic growth in underserved communities.

Throughout his private sector career, Gregory has maintained a long-standing commitment to community service and nonprofit leadership. He is a former Board Chair of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, an organization dedicated to ensuring that communities of color have a voice in environmental health and policy decisions. He has also served on the boards of Healing Communities Network and the South Harlem Reds Baseball Program. He has previously provided advisory support to community development finance initiatives at Wall Street Without Walls, the Financial Innovations Roundtable at the University of New Hampshire, and the Milano Community Development Finance Lab at The New School.

Hannah Anousheh, Director of the East New York Community Land Trust (ENYCLT)

Hannah Anousheh is a lifelong New Yorker. She helped found the ENYCLT in Brooklyn and serves as its director. She has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute. Before that, she was an organizer at UNITE HERE!, the international union of hotel and restaurant workers.

Hewett Chiu focuses on driving health systems transformations for underserved, vulnerable, and marginalized populations.  He is President & CEO at RaisingHealth Partners which he co-founded in 2010 after losing his mother suddenly to cancer.  Previously, he was CEO at Coral Health, which leverages artificial intelligence to revolutionize the way diverse communities receive preventive healthcare in a culturally fluent way.  Prior, he was Executive Director at the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene where he oversaw the largest municipal public mental health and primary care clinical integration initiative in the United States.  He was also Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Fern Health, developing multidisciplinary digital health solutions based on pain neuroscience to combat the global opioid epidemic.

An educator at heart with almost two decades of experience as a cardiac life support instructor for medical professionals, Hewett has practiced as an EMS provider and was a New York State Medical Skills Examiner, where he approved practical skills of candidates applying for their emergency medical services licenses.  Hewett received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and his MPA in Health Law & Finance from New York University.  He completed post-graduate training in Corporate Finance & Restructurings at Harvard University.  Currently, Hewett is an Associate Professor of Health Administration at NYU Wagner, where he has been on the graduate faculty since 2014.

In 2015, Hewett was named a Margaret E. Mahoney Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.  He also serves as a Governing Board Member of the Public Health Solutions Social Care Network, sits on the Board of Trustees of the Greater New York Dollars for Scholars, affiliated with Scholarship America, serves on the Advisory Council of the Federation of Chinese American and Canadian Medical Societies, and is the alumni Co-Chair of the United States Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce.

For his work on improving public health and education, Hewett was awarded The President’s Volunteer Service Award – Gold by President George W. Bush in 2008, given the New York Guard Coin for Outstanding Performance by the Command Sergeant Major in 2010, named keynote speaker in Congress on healthcare reform in 2009 and on infectious disease prevention in 2011, awarded Special Congressional Recognition by the United States Congress in 2014 and 2019, profiled as one of the 10 Influential Asian Americans in the United States by Wells Fargo in 2015, named to the Brooklyn Power 100 listing by City & State in 2024, received the Commissioner’s Coin for Faithful Service to the City of New York by NYC Commissioner of Emergency Management in 2024, received the Inaugural Icon Award for Advancing Health Equity by the Brooklyn Health Equity Foundation in 2025, named the 10 Most Influential Minority Healthcare Executives in the United States by Fierce Healthcare in 2025, and had a video documentary produced about his work in 2018 which premiered at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., among other honors.

Husein Yatabarry, the Executive Director of the Muslim Community Network (MCN), is a leader whose life and career exemplify resilience, service, and an unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion. As the first American-born child of Gambian Muslim immigrants, Husein’s personal journey is deeply rooted in perseverance and purpose, shaping him into a leader uniquely attuned to the challenges and aspirations of New York’s diverse Muslim communities.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Husein’s early years were marked by the complexities of navigating multiple identities. As an African Muslim growing up in New York, he experienced bullying, cultural isolation, and the challenge of learning English while Soninke, his parents’ native language, was spoken exclusively at home. These formative experiences ignited in Husein a lifelong understanding of the importance of self-discovery and belonging. Today, he fully embraces his heritage as an integral part of his identity and channels his story into empowering others to embrace their cultures while thriving in a multicultural society.

An alumnus of The City College of New York, Husein earned a degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology before dedicating seven years to education. Four of those years were spent in leadership roles at New York City public charter schools, where he honed his skills in organizational leadership, teacher development, and student advocacy. His excellence was recognized when he was nominated for the Master Teacher fellowship program and received the Cardinal (Educator) of the Year award at Brilla, a network of high-performing schools.

In the spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic upended communities across New York City, Husein took on the role of Executive Director at Neighborhood United. There, he spearheaded innovative programs in art, coding, and sports, providing youth in the South Bronx with spaces to explore their passions, build confidence, and develop skills for the future. Under his leadership, Neighborhood United experienced notable growth—achieving financial stability through resourceful fundraising, strengthening partnerships, and expanding its reach within the community. His ability to cultivate strong relationships with funders and stakeholders proved instrumental in sustaining the organization during a time of unprecedented uncertainty.

Husein’s dedication has been recognized repeatedly. He was nominated for Community Leader of the Year at the Sene-Gambia West African Awards in 2021, highlighted in The Black Muslim Series during Ramadan 2023, and named New Amsterdam Black New Yorker of the Week in 2025. These honors reflect not only his leadership but also his deep-rooted commitment to uplifting marginalized communities.

At MCN, Husein brings this breadth of experience to advance the organization’s mission of fostering civic education, leadership development, and advocacy for Muslim New Yorkers. His strategic vision and passion for community development promise a new chapter of growth and impact for MCN.

Outside of his professional work, Husein is an avid runner and traveler who values time with his family. His dedication to balance and holistic well-being mirrors his approach to leadership—grounded, purposeful, and driven by a commitment to service and community empowerment.

Ivy Gamble Cobb serves as co-founder and Executive Director of The Family Center (TFC), founded in 1994 in response to NYC children and families being devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The current mission of The Family Center is to create a path to healing, stability, and a fulfilling future for New Yorkers affected by life-altering events through the provision of holistic care and support to individuals and families.  The Family Center envisions a future where all New Yorkers thrive in secure, healthy communities.  Under her leadership, she has grown the agency budget from $3M to $7M. She helped fortify agency sustainability by establishing an Article 31 child and family mental health clinic and an Article 32 substance use clinic, and agency designation as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, offering coordinated substance use, mental health and primary medical care under one roof.  Over 60% of Family Center clients are affected by life-altering events including illness, crisis, or loss, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, incarceration, and other factors that destabilize the home. Together with her team, TFC has helped children and adults achieve remarkable outcomes on their road to healing and stability.

Ivy’s vocation to serve vulnerable families is deeply rooted in her own experiences as a child growing up in Brooklyn public housing and as a young, single mother. A lifelong Brooklyn resident, Ivy has called Bedford-Stuyvesant her home for over 50 years. She is actively involved in her community, serving on Community Board 3 as First Vice Chair and Vice Chair of the Health and Social Services Committee, representing the Bedford Stuyvesant community.

Ivy received her BS from New York University, and MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work and completed all coursework towards a Ph.D. in Social Welfare.

Jenn Chen is founder and Executive Director of Brooklyn FAM: Festival of Arts and Music, an arts organization that empowers four generations of community members, centers marginalized voices, and transforms our communities through empathy, connection, and new understanding. A community organizer, systems and design thinker, lifelong educator, and proud mother, Jenn works to bridge the gap between aspiration and action through grassroots, intergenerational community engagement.

Jenn founded Brooklyn FAM in 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an alarming rise in hate crimes and incidents and increasing social tensions and polarization across our communities. Passionate about breaking down barriers and nourishing cross-community connection and mutual care, Jenn sought to harness the universal power of the arts to join us across our differences and create new safe, welcoming spaces for us to meet authentically and sincerely, cultivate a desire to know one another, and shape our shared futures together.

Brooklyn FAM works “in, with, and for community” in a responsive approach to community desires and needs through rich partnerships with artists, community-based organizations, community groups, social service organizations, and city agencies such as the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. It produces community arts events, festivals, and participatory public art projects in Flatbush, Crown Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, Sunset Park, and Bay Ridge withthe intention to expand to East New York and Bushwick as it builds capacity.

Under Jenn’s leadership, Brooklyn FAM received a citation from the NYC Mayor’s Office in 2024 inrecognition of its work. One nonprofit from each of the five boroughs was honored with this distinction. Brooklyn FAM was selected by Pastor Gil Monrose, founder of anti-gun violence nonprofit the 67th Precinct Clergy Council and director of the Mayor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships.

Jenn chairs the Prospect Park Alliance’s Community Committee and serves on the Alliance board of directors’ Community Engagement Committee. She is a 2023 fellow of the We Are All Brooklyn Fellowship Against Hate sponsored by the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes.

Joanne N. Smith (she/her) is the founding President and CEO of Girls for Gender Equity (GGE). She advances GGE’s mission through strategic advocacy, resource mobilization, and leadership cultivation. Joanne is a Queer Haitian social worker born in New York and a staunch advocate for human rights. Smith co-chaired the nation’s first Young Women’s Initiative, which coordinated efforts among government, philanthropy, social justice organizations, and communities to create conditions for girls of color and gender-expansive youth to thrive. Her leadership was instrumental in securing a $40 million commitment from government and philanthropic sources to invest in community-driven recommendations. Through philanthropic efforts, the initiative has reached 12 states to date. Smith’s efforts to change narratives about Black girls and combat sexual violence are highlighted in the documentary “Anita: Speak Truth to Power” and the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly Part II & III: The Reckoning & The Final Chapter,” which aired on Lifetime and Netflix. She continues her culture shift efforts through the feature-length documentary “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools,” which examines the educational, judicial, and societal disparities faced by Black girls. Smith was recognized in the City & State Nonprofit Power 100 lists for 2021 and 2022 for GGE’s policy and advocacy wins in NY.

She has co-founded multiple initiatives and organizations, advises on grantmaking and advocacy for the philanthropic sector, and serves on several nonprofit boards dedicated to promoting gender and racial equity. Smith is married, has a daughter, and resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Katrena Perou is a distinguished collective impact strategist with over two decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. As the Founding Executive Director of Inspiring Minds NYC (IMNYC), she has championed transformative community engagement models that address youth empowerment in over 50 NYC and Los Angeles schools. Her career includes key leadership roles, such as Director at Groundwork Inc. and CAMBA, as well as Chief Program Officer at Urban Arts Partnership. In these capacities, Katrena has demonstrated exceptional skill in identifying and mobilizing community assets to design impactful programs and initiatives that align stakeholders toward shared goals.

During the pandemic, Katrena’s commitment to underserved youth garnered widespread recognition, with her initiatives highlighted by media outlets such as PIX11, CBS, and Good Day NY. A passionate advocate who believes that resilience, talent, and hard work can overcome any challenge, she has shared her expertise through TED Talks and at statewide and national conferences, inspiring others to drive meaningful change in their communities.

Katrena’s contributions have been celebrated with numerous accolades within the past 5 years, including the Al Vann Legacy Award, the NY State Assembly’s Women of Distinction Award, the Power Women of Brooklyn Award, and the Leadership and Excellence Award from the NYC Imagine Awards. She was also inducted into the Cleveland Heights Hall of Fame, a testament to her enduring impact.

Katrena’s journey reflects a lifelong dedication to excellence and leadership. A standout basketball player at Penn State University, where she played on a Final Four team, she completed her undergraduate studies before advancing her expertise through the Executive Leadership Program for Nonprofit Management at Columbia University. Her inspiring TEDx Talks, available on YouTube, offer a glimpse into her passion for empowering communities and creating lasting change.

Lauren Blodgett is a immigration attorney, TEDx speaker, hugger, and the Founder and Executive Director of The Brave House, a non-profit that supports young immigrant women ages 16-24 in New York City with legal and holistic services. Recognized on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for Law & Policy, Lauren is known for her innovative, holistic, and joy-centered approach to protecting human rights.

Her work has been featured in outlets including the New York Times, Glamour Magazine, and NASDAQ, spotlighting her leadership at the intersection of immigration and women’s rights. Lauren graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she served on the board of the Harvard Immigration Project and worked in non-profits in Morocco, Thailand, Jordan, Tanzania, Switzerland,  and Cambodia. She is also a Fulbright Scholar and a summa cum laude graduate of Boston College, with a double major in Political Science and German.

At the Brave House, Lauren leads strategic direction, program design, and resource development, while remaining deeply engaged in direct services—from facilitating community events to representing clients in immigration court. She also oversees the legal department, supervising attorneys and paralegals, and managing a caseload of her own.

Outside of work, Lauren finds joy in roller-disco, meditation, dancing, rubix-cube-solving, reading fiction, and learning ASL. Originally from Boston, she brings a global lens and enthusiastic spirit to all she does. She loves making new friends, so please reach out to connect!

Makeela Brathwaite, a dedicated community champion and the Executive Director of Grow Brooklyn, leads a passionate team in the pursuitof economic justice and financial empowerment for underserved New Yorkers. With Makeela’s guidance, Grow Brooklyn has become a beacon ofhope, providing essential services like free tax preparation, housing counseling, and estate planning that empower families to build a brighter future.

Through tireless effort and innovative programs, Makeela and her team have secured millions of dollars in tax refunds, directly benefiting thousands of families and strengthening the community; she works alongside a dedicated team that provides foreclosure prevention support and equips families with crucial financial education to help protect their homes and hard-earned savings.

Makeela’s career is a testament to her unwavering belief in the power of community and the potential within each individual. She remains dedicated to breaking down systemic barriers and creating a future where everyone, regardless of their background, has the tools and opportunities to thrive.

Michelle de la Uz is a nationally recognized leader in social justice and community development, with over 25 years of experience in public service. As Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC), she leads a mission-driven organization advancing economic, social, and racial justice for over 7,500 low- and moderate-income New Yorkers each year. Under her leadership, FAC and its affiliates have more than quintupled in size and impact, with annual budgets over $34 million, real estate assets exceeding $263 million, and an affordable housing development pipeline of more than 2,000 units totaling $1 billion in total development costs.

Michelle also serves on the national board of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD), the Community Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is Co-Chair of the New York Housing Conference. From 2012 to 2021, she served as a New York City Planning Commissioner, shaping citywide planning and land use policy. Her work reflects a deep and enduring commitment to equity, opportunity, and inclusive community growth.

Nigel Thompson is an advocate for disability inclusion in workforce development, artisan baker, and proud co-parent to a young man with Autism. He spent his formative years in Morvant, Trinidad and Tobago, before moving to Brooklyn at age 16, where he attended Boys and Girls High School in Bed-Stuy and was goalkeeper for the Flatbush-based Brooklyn Rovers—the first Black soccer team to win a New York State championship in 1994.

Along with Qiana Daniels, Nigel co-founded Kindred Bakery BK to create joyful, inclusive spaces where youth and young adults—especially those who are neurodivergent or impacted by systemic barriers—gain real-world baking skills, confidence, and community.

Nigel trained under Chef Sim Cass, founding baker of the world-renowned Balthazar Bakery, at the Institute of Culinary Education, and holds degrees from John Jay College and Seton Hall University. He served more than two decades as a teacher, police officer, and firefighter before turning to social enterprise.

His leadership is rooted in a simple but urgent belief: inclusivity must be the norm, not the exception.

Olivia Leirer was among the first to join the staff of New York Communities for Change when the organization was founded in 2010 and became Co-Executive Director of New York Communities for Change and the New York Communities Organizing Fund, Inc. in June 2022. Olivia had previously served as Deputy Director, overseeing all personnel-related activities, including recruitment, staff development, and human resources for both organizations. She began her organizing career at NY-ACORN. She has worked on dozens of campaigns and cut her teeth as a communicator on the Fight for $15. Olivia holds a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies and Creative Writing from Antioch College.

Peter Endriss began as the Executive Director of CHiPS in June 2023 after serving on its Board of Directors for seven years.  Peter has been active within the organization for close to a decade. As a member of the board, he was instrumental in organizing the first Annual CHiPS Gala and each one after that, annual volunteer appreciation events, small business fundraising events, and Thanksgiving food drives.  Since starting as Executive Director, Peter has overseen a five-year strategic plan and a near doubling of the budget over two years in which the number of meal services provided increased 150% and pantry services increased 350%.  Peter has built on the immense foundation of support provided by the over-50-year-old CHiPS community, and has deepened and strengthened relationships with partner organizations, local elected officials, and individual donors to ensure CHiPS’ stability and ability to face food and housing insecurity challenges to come.

In 2012, prior to joining the CHiPS board, Peter co-founded Runner & Stone, a neighborhood bakery and restaurant in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn, and was the Head Baker and co-owner for ten years.  Before that, he was the interim Head Baker and Small Business Consultant for Hot Bread Kitchen, a social enterprise non-profit which creates economic opportunity for women and gender-expansive people, immigrants, and people of color through job skills training, food entrepreneurship programs, and an ecosystem of support in New York City.  Peter has a Bachelors of Science in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University, and a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Ramik Williams became joined KAVI in 2022, serving as an expert, advocate, and champion within K-16 Education and Workforce & Youth Development domains. Throughout his professional journey, he has steadfastly committed to addressing and creating economic, educational, and health opportunities. Before his tenure at KAVI, Ramik assumed executive and senior roles within regional and national philanthropic entities, research institutions, and service organizations. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Ramik serves as an Adjunct Professor at the City University of New York. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Secondary Education and has completed graduate studies in Public Administration, Public Affairs, and Nonprofit Management. Recently, Ramik gained admission to the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where he intends to pursue a Doctorate of Education.

Samora Coles is the Founder and Executive Director of The Alex House Project. Her work helping women and girls spans 25 years. Her diverse career began as a counselor to young girls at the Center for Family Life, and includes positions with the Harlem Children’s Zone, efforts on behalf of chemically dependent women of color for the Educational Alliance, and as a Prison Based Coordinator with the Women’s Prison Association of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, where she assisted incarcerated women living with HIV/AIDS and supervised operations of the peer-inmate prison-based HIV education program.

In 2006, while employed by the Red Hook Initiative, Ms. Coles was asked, as a Red Hook resident, to identify a need in her neighborhood and build a program for it. She quickly recognized that many young mothers in public housing were trying to tackle the challenges of motherhood without basic parenting knowledge or skills, and little guidance or support. Having been a young mother herself, Ms. Coles felt called to create something better for teen moms in her community. The Alex House Project (named for her son) was born from a desire to pave a way forward for low-income pregnant and parenting youth, applying her own expertise to draw a roadmap to navigate challenges she’d faced, modeled on her experience, with the aim of providing the parenting education, workforce development and community support she wished had been available to her on her parenting journey.

Founded in February 2013, The Alex House Project has transformed the lives of hundreds of young parents and children under Samora’s leadership. Young parents create, disseminate, and lead structured programs at TAHP, embodying the peer-led principle Each One Teach One. Ms. Coles’ model focuses on infant safety, mental and perinatal healthcare, developing usable job skills, and access to higher education, employment, and housing for at-risk populations in a safe, nurturing environment. TAHP is Brooklyn’s only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving low-income families lead by parents under 25. Target populations include pregnant and parenting youth directly affected by poverty, racism, homelessness, foster care and the justice system. TAHP draws from mother-and-child group homes, foster care, domestic violence shelters, as well as referrals from community-based organizations and city and state-funded institutions, preparing marginalized youth for the rigors and joys of parenthood, while giving them the family and workplace tools they need to thrive.

Ms. Coles has been acknowledged with a community dedication award for helping families by the Red Hook Initiative, and in 2023 she was the proud recipient of Brooklyn Org’s Just Brooklyn Prize, honoring her work with TAHP. She is on the funding committee for the New Yorkers for Children Catalyst Fund, and is a former member of Community Board 6, the Planned Parenthood Community Advisory Board, PS 27 PTA, and served on the Board of Directors of the Addabbo Health Center (an Article 28 federally funded health clinic in Red Hook).

Ms. Coles was educated at Medgar Evers College (Youth Development), City University of New York Graduate Center (Evaluation Institute), and College of New Rochelle (Psychology).

Somia El-Rowmeim is a Yemeni-American community leader, educator, and advocate dedicated to advancing human rights, gender equity, and immigrant justice. With over a decade of experience leading grassroots initiatives and public programs, she has built a strong reputation for empowering underserved communities—especially women and immigrants—through education, civic engagement, and policy advocacy.

Somia began her journey in Yemen, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics from Sana’a University and served as a student leader. After immigrating to the United States, she brought her passion for social change to New York City, where she has since become a respected voice within the Arab-American and broader immigrant communities.

She holds an Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) from Baruch College and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership at Fordham University. Her academic background, combined with her lived experience as an immigrant woman, has shaped her mission to fight for equitable access to education, resources, and political representation.

Somia served for nine years at the Arab-American Association of New York (AAANY), where she led Adult Education and Women’s Empowerment programs. Under her leadership, hundreds of immigrant women were connected to ESL classes, job readiness training, college access, and leadership development opportunities. Her work helped many gain economic independence and become active participants in civic life.

In 2017, Somia founded the Union of Arab Women, the first Arab women-led political club in New York City. This grassroots organization supports Arab women through political education, community organizing, and leadership training. Through the Union, Somia has led numerous voter registration drives, advocacy campaigns, and educational workshops focused on health, economic justice, and women’s rights.

In 2023, Somia played a key role in the campaign to officially recognize the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community in New York City. This historic win created a path for more accurate data collection and better access to city services for MENA populations. Today, she is leading efforts to ensure that the MENA community is included in the city’s equity-based budgeting process.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Somia mobilized quickly to support families in need. She coordinated the distribution of food, face masks, and vital health information to immigrant households across Brooklyn. In recognition of her leadership, she was honored by the Brooklyn Borough President as a COVID Hero for her exceptional service during the crisis.

Somia’s impact has been recognized widely. She has been named to City & State’s Brooklyn Power 100 for five consecutive years (2021–2025) and was featured in the Power of Diversity: Women 100 list in 2022.

Known for her fearless leadership and deep commitment to justice, Somia continues to advocate for systemic change, uplift community voices, and inspire the next generation of leaders.

Wayne Ho is the President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), the nation’s largest Asian American social services agency. With a mission to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities, CPC serves over 80,000 community members in the areas of education, family support, and community and economic empowerment at 35 locations throughout New York City. During his tenure, CPC has opened a new mixed-use building with over 200 affordable housing residences and a community center for expanded services to over 15,000 community members in Manhattan, co-led successful advocacy efforts to secure $30 million from the State and $5 million from the City to promote Asian American recovery and safety, overseen campaigns to promote living wages for human services and home care workers, and been quoted in over 500 news stories. Previously, Wayne served as Chief Strategy and Program Officer for the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), an association of 200 community and faith-based member agencies aiming to promote upward mobility of underserved New Yorkers, from 2013-2017, and was the Executive Director of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy organization, from 2004-2013. Wayne has been recognized by City and State in the inaugural Asian Power 100 in 2020, in the inaugural Nonprofit Power 50 in 2018, and as a 40 Under 40 New York City Rising Star in 2014. He was one of 10 leaders invited to meet with President Obama during the White House’s Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration in 2011. Wayne serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Human Services Council and Partnership for After School Education, and is appointed to several New York City and State advisory boards, including the NYC Child Care Advisory Group and NYS Not-for-Profit Contracting Advisory Council. Wayne received his Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and his Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.