The Brooklyn Org 25

Randy Ali is the Executive Director of the Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC), a Brooklyn-born nonprofit that has spent more than 30 years walking alongside immigrant and refugee families across all five boroughs. AAFSC provides wraparound, multigenerational services spanning mental health, legal services, youth development, anti-violence work, benefits enrollment, and more.

Randy joined AAFSC in 2025 following more than a decade of public service with the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he led large, multidisciplinary teams and programs focused on youth development, economic opportunity, community resilience, and humanitarian response. His work has been guided by a consistent focus on equity, service, and creating opportunities for underserved communities.

Amy Andrieux is an award-winning curator, storyteller, and educator who serves as Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA). Driven by Design Justice, Amy curates participatory experiences that advance creative and cultural placemaking and center the art and experiences of the African Diaspora.

Alongside her leadership at MoCADA, Amy is a professor at Parsons School of Design and is currently developing a telenovela supported by WarnerMedia150 exploring Haiti’s relationship to the new world through the semi-autobiographical lens of five generations of women in her family.

Caron Atlas is the Director of Arts & Democracy, which brings together arts and culture, civic participation, and social justice to increase participation in the decision-making that impacts our lives. She also directs Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY), a citywide alliance of community networks and leaders working to revitalize New York City from the neighborhood up.

Caron has spent her career connecting arts, cultural policy, community development, and civic engagement. She was part of the team behind CreateNYC, the city’s first comprehensive cultural plan, and continues to contribute to collaborative efforts that put culture and community voice at the center of public life.

Jenna Bimbi is the Founder and Executive Director of the NY Birth Control Access Project (NYBCAP), which leads statewide efforts to expand access to birth control and invests in the next generation of reproductive justice activists. Since founding NYBCAP in 2020, she has built the organization around the belief that lasting policy change requires both dedicated implementation and long-term investment in emerging leaders.

Through NYBCAP’s advocacy and leadership programs, nearly 1,000 young people across New York have developed the skills to organize their communities, advocate for policy change, and pursue careers in public service, government, nonprofit leadership, and healthcare. Together, they have advanced state legislation, improved birth control access on college campuses, and supported the implementation of landmark birth control policies.

Wai Yee Chan is President and Chief Executive Officer of Homecrest Community Services, where she provides strategic leadership across the organization’s operations, program development, fundraising, advocacy, and partnerships. Under her leadership, Homecrest has expanded culturally responsive services for older adults, immigrant families, youth, and low-income residents across Southern Brooklyn.

Wai Yee has led initiatives promoting healthy aging, civic participation, intergenerational engagement, and community resilience while strengthening partnerships with government agencies, healthcare providers, philanthropic organizations, and community organizations. Her leadership is guided by a commitment to empowering individuals and families and creating opportunities for every community member to thrive.

Atiba T. Edwards is President and CEO of Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM), where he previously served for more than four years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In his current role, he leads one of Brooklyn’s most beloved cultural institutions and its work serving children and families through learning, play, and exploration.

A Brooklynite who grew up in Brownsville, Atiba is also the co-founder of FOKUS, a nonprofit organization that connects and builds community through the arts. His career has spanned education, arts and culture, nonprofit leadership, and the private sector.

Aundaray Lamond Guess is a nonprofit executive, community advocate, and playwright with more than two decades of experience championing the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities. Since 2023, he has served as Executive Director of GRIOT Circle, which provides a vital support network for LGBTQ+ elders of color. Having spent more than 11 years with the organization, including previously serving as Deputy Director, he has been instrumental in its continued growth and success.

Aundaray is also an artist and storyteller whose work explores the intersections of identity, including what it means to be gay, Black, and a man. His advocacy has included projects focused on aging and HIV and reducing HIV stigma within Black communities.

DeVanie A. Jackson is a food justice advocate and co-founder and Director of Programs at Brooklyn Rescue Mission Urban Harvest Center, where she manages hunger relief initiatives including Bed-Stuy Farm, the Urban Harvest Center Food Pantry, and Growing Success Youth programs.

Under her leadership, the center established New York City’s first urban farm focused on providing free food to families through the Emergency Food Pantry System and became the first pantry citywide to pilot the Plentiful app, which simplifies access to food pantry services. Her work brings together communities, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to address social determinants of health and strengthen community well-being.

Julia Jean-Francois is the Executive Director of Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, a neighborhood-based family and social services organization with deep roots in the Sunset Park community. She joined the Center in 2003 and has dedicated her work to strengthening families and communities through comprehensive, community-based support.

Before joining Center for Family Life, Julia served as Director of Operations at the Puerto Rican Family Institute and taught research methods in graduate social work programs.

Rasu Jilani is a Brooklyn-rooted cultural strategist, nonprofit executive, curator, and social sculptor who serves as President and Executive Director of Brooklyn Arts Council. He leads one of New York City’s oldest multidisciplinary arts organizations, advancing a borough-wide vision that supports artists and cultural workers through grantmaking, arts education, professional development, public programming, and advocacy.

Under Rasu’s leadership, Brooklyn Arts Council has deepened its commitment to creativity, wellness, justice, and thriving communities while expanding its role as a connector across Brooklyn’s cultural ecosystem. His work is grounded in the belief that arts and culture are essential infrastructure for community vitality, neighborhood resilience, and collective imagination.

Marj Kleinman is an award-winning visual storyteller and the founder and Executive Director of Stoop Stories, a nonprofit community collective connecting New Yorkers across generations and differences through documentary storytelling and programs. Stoop Stories works to increase social connection, preserve neighborhood stories, and revitalize communities through stoop culture and intergenerational relationships.

Marj’s collaborative “Stoop Chat” docuseries has been featured in 21 film festivals and received 12 awards, including two Anthem Awards for community engagement. She has also developed intergenerational programming centered on the street games and shared traditions that bring neighbors together.

Sierra Kraft is the Executive Director of the ICARE Coalition, the centralized coordinating hub connecting unaccompanied immigrant children and youth to free legal representation and supportive services across New York City. Since becoming ICARE’s first Executive Director in 2023, she has helped establish the coalition as critical infrastructure within the city’s immigrant legal services network by strengthening provider coordination, expanding access to representation, building cross-sector partnerships, and advancing policy solutions.

With two decades of experience standing alongside refugee and immigrant communities, Sierra is committed to building stronger systems and advocating for an immigration system rooted in humanity, due process, and the belief that every child deserves the safety and freedom to simply be a child.

Toya Lillard is a theater artist, director, arts educator, and facilitator who currently serves as Executive Director of 651 ARTS, a nationally renowned arts presenting organization. She is also part-time faculty at The New School, where she teaches in the School of Drama and serves on the Equity Inclusion and Social Justice Committee.

Before joining 651 ARTS, Toya served as Executive Director of viBe Theater Experience, an arts education organization and theater company in Brooklyn, and as Director of School Programs for the New York Philharmonic’s Education Department.

Tiera M. Mack is the Executive Director of United for Brownsville, a resident-led, data-driven collaboration working to remove systemic barriers and create the conditions for Brownsville families to flourish. As both a resident and member of Brooklyn Community Board 16, Tiera lives, serves, and leads in the same community, grounding her work in deep local knowledge, accountability, and commitment.

At United for Brownsville, she leads work focused on housing stability, early childhood equity, resident leadership, and community-driven systems change, positioning the organization as a trusted community partner that connects families to resources while addressing the policies and systems that shape long-term outcomes.

Morgan Monaco is President of Prospect Park Alliance and the Prospect Park Administrator for NYC Parks, setting the vision and overall strategy for Brooklyn’s flagship park. She leads a workforce of more than 200 Alliance and NYC Parks staff and oversees fundraising and revenue-generating activities that provide $18 million in operating support for the park each year.

Morgan brings extensive knowledge of park equity, community development, and sustainable impact to her role and is the first Black leader of Prospect Park Alliance. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Red Hook Initiative and held leadership roles within New York City government and NYC Parks.

Jonathan Monsalve is President and CEO of Osborne Association, one of the country’s oldest providers of direct services to individuals, families, and communities affected by the criminal legal system. Jon oversees nearly 40 programs in New York’s prisons and jails, along with policy and advocacy focused on children, families, and older adults impacted by incarceration.

Under his leadership, Osborne has expanded reentry programs, court advocacy, and other diversion services, with new supportive housing projects underway across New York State and a free transportation program for families visiting loved ones in prison. Throughout his career, Jon has advocated for the humane treatment and dignity of people interacting with the immigration and criminal legal systems.

Nanda Prabhakar is the Executive Director of The Opportunity Hub, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit serving Spring Creek Towers and the surrounding communities of Canarsie and East New York. Over the past five years, she has grown The Opportunity Hub from a staff of one to a 29-person team providing youth development, economic mobility, wellness, and community-building services, while also operating a community newspaper and urban farm.

Nanda brings more than 20 years of nonprofit and public-sector experience in direct practice, program leadership, and executive management. Her work has included youth and community development, alternatives to incarceration and diversion, mentoring, and support for families.

Dana Rachlin is a public safety innovator and Co-Founder of We Build the Block, where she has helped architect some of New York City’s most recognized community-led safety programs, including the Brownsville Safety Alliance, Heal the Violence, Block AID, and the Rapid Youth Referral System. Her work brings together community power, public health, and government infrastructure to build coordinated, care-centered approaches to safety.

Dana also serves as Associate Director of Punishment to Public Health at John Jay College, partnering with district attorneys, public health and government agencies, and community-based organizations to operationalize diversion, harm reduction, and care coordination at scale. Her work includes the Brownsville Situation Table and Central Brooklyn Violence Intervention Collaborative.

Ravi Ragbir is a nationally recognized immigrant rights leader, grassroots organizer, and Executive Director of the New Sanctuary Coalition. His advocacy has helped empower thousands of families navigating the complexities of the U.S. immigration system and is informed by his own experience with detention and a decades-long deportation struggle.

At New Sanctuary Coalition, Ravi has pioneered grassroots initiatives including the Accompaniment Program, which mobilizes volunteers to support immigrants attending ICE check-ins and immigration court hearings, and volunteer-driven Pro Se Legal Clinics that help asylum seekers and unrepresented immigrants navigate the legal system. His work brings together clergy, attorneys, grassroots activists, and everyday New Yorkers in pursuit of a fair, humane, and dignified approach to immigration.

Robin Redmond is the Executive Director of Flatbush Development Corporation (FDC), a trusted community development organization serving Greater Flatbush. Under her leadership, FDC has significantly expanded its capacity and programs in youth development, immigrant family services, affordable housing, small business support, and neighborhood revitalization.

Robin has also led transformative investments in Brooklyn’s commercial corridors, including the redevelopment of Newkirk Plaza and continued revitalization of the Cortelyou Road and Newkirk commercial districts. Her leadership is rooted in the belief that successful community development requires strong programs and physical investment, as well as trust, relationships, and genuine connection to the people being served.

Régine M. Roumain is the co-founder and Executive Director of Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX), which presents Haitian culture to broad audiences while supporting emerging and established artists, promoting cross-cultural exchange, and encouraging dialogue around contemporary social issues.

For more than 15 years, Régine has spearheaded HCX’s artistic vision, developing programs that highlight the cultural richness of Haitians and are rooted in community, collaboration, and dialogue. Through this work, she has become a leading figure in the presentation of arts and cultural programs focused on Haiti and the Diaspora.

Dr. Florence Saint-Jean, also known as Dr. Flo, is the Founding Executive Director of Global Trauma Research, Inc. (GTR), a Brooklyn-based nonprofit redefining what mental health care can look like. She built a treatment model that brings conventional mental health treatment together with alternative medicine, including acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine, and massage, in coordinated plans of care delivered in English, Haitian Creole, or Spanish.

GTR’s work spans a Counseling Clinic, International Training Program, and Research division, with international reach through the Haiti Trauma Project. A Brooklyn native and hands-on practitioner, Dr. Saint-Jean’s work is grounded in trauma-informed care, multicultural competence, and a global commitment to healing.

Dr. Melony Samuels is the Founder and CEO of The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH), one of New York City’s leading anti-hunger and community empowerment organizations. Today, TCAH reaches more than 1.5 million New Yorkers annually, providing nutritious food and connecting families to benefits, workforce development, nutrition education, urban agriculture, youth programs, and resources that promote long-term stability and self-sufficiency.

Dr. Samuels has helped transform TCAH from a traditional emergency food provider into an innovator in community-based food infrastructure, pioneering New York City’s first farm-to-pantry model and creating the Urban Healthy Food Coalition, a network of more than 200 community partners. She is now spearheading major investments including a permanent Community Food Hub in Brooklyn and the Marlboro Agricultural Education Center in Coney Island.

Emily Shechtman is the co-founder and Executive Director of South Brooklyn Sanctuary, where she works to advance legal empowerment for immigrant communities. She is particularly committed to supporting families impacted by the intersection of immigration, criminal, and family court systems.

Previously, Emily served as Chief of Staff at Envision Freedom Fund, formerly Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, which pays bond to free immigrants from ICE detention in the New York City area. She also spent a decade working in child welfare and advocating for quality legal support for families at risk of separation.

Yamilée Toussaint is the Founder and CEO of STEM From Dance, which empowers girls with the skills, experiences, and confidence to pursue careers in STEM through the transformative power of dance. Combining her background in engineering and education with a lifelong passion for dance, she founded the organization in 2012 to inspire girls of color to see themselves as future STEM leaders.

Her innovative approach has earned national recognition, including being named a 2024 Top 5 CNN Hero.