SPEAKERS
SIGNATURE SPEAKERS
Prentis Hemphill
Signature Plenary
Bestselling author of What It Takes to Heal, therapist, somatics teacher, facilitator, political organizer, the founder of The Embodiment Institute and a leading voice in embodied leadership and collective healing.
For over a decade, Prentis has worked with individuals and organizations through their most challenging moments of change—navigating leadership transitions, conflict, and the alignment of practice with values. Grounded in an embodied approach, their work ensures that our intentions aren't just ideas, but are fully lived, felt, and practiced.
Before founding The Embodiment Institute, Prentis served as the Healing Justice Director at Black Lives Matter Global Network and was a lead somatics teacher with generative somatics and Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD). They hold an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and have provided therapeutic services in low-cost mental health clinics, centering marginalized communities.
Taína Asili
Signature Keynote
Taína Asili is a dynamic singer, composer, interdisciplinary artist, and activist carrying on the tradition of her Puerto Rican ancestors, fusing past and present struggles into one soulful and defiant voice. She is celebrated by NPR, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Democracy Now! for her soulful, genre-blending music echoing calls for love and liberation. For over 25 years she has offered energetic performances at diverse venues nationwide – from iconic stages such as Lincoln Center, to renowned festivals like San Francisco Pride, to historic events like The Women’s March on Washington – inspiring audiences to dance to the rhythm of rebellion.
Jim Embry
Signature Keynote
Jim Embry, the proud progeny of formerly enslaved Africans, considers himself an agrarian intellectual activist following the footsteps of his ancestors. As a civil rights activist since 10 years old, Jim served as a funeral marshall during the procession for Dr. King.
He has participated in all social justice and environmental movements of his era and now believes the sustainability movement encompasses all these movements.
Wakumi Douglas
Signature Plenary
Wakumi Douglas (Iyanifa Awosogbon) is a social entrepreneur, healing arts curator & ritualist, mother, and survivor. Her people are Jamaican with legacies of enslavement & maroonage. Her ancestors include spiritual seers, farmers, entrepreneurs & herbalists. Wakumi is the daughter of a father who served 33 years in prison and a servant-leader, God-fearing mother. This fueled her 20-year dedication to organizing to end mass incarceration. She founded & raised over $8 million for a youth-led abolitionist non-profit.
Junlei Li
Signature Keynote
Junlei Li is the Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
As a developmental psychologist, his research and practice focus on understanding and supporting the work of helpers – those who serve children and families on the frontlines of education and social services. Li studied and learned from a wide range of developmental settings with low resources but high-quality practices, including orphanages, childcare, classrooms, and community youth programs.
Darren Isom
Signature Keynote
Darren Isom is a partner in the San Francisco Bridgespan Group office, where he advises mission-driven organizations and philanthropic foundations in support of equity and justice and supports the firm’s work with arts and cultural organizations. He co-leads the firm’s commitment to advance racial equity in philanthropy and is also the host of the podcast Dreaming in Color: Creating New Narratives in Leadership, which offers leaders of color space to share how they have leveraged their unique assets and abilities to embrace excellence, drive impact, and more fully define what success looks like.
Kristen Wyman
Signature Keynote
Kristen Wyman is a citizen of the Nipmuc tribe with over 20 years of experience working to revitalize indigenous foodways and tribal economies. She is a food producer, land worker, fisher, artist, mother and co-organizer of Eastern Woodlands Rematriation (EWR), a network of Indigenous land practitioners in the northeast. Her work is deeply personal and motivated by the important roles of matriarchs as landholders, farmers, culture bearers, artisans and diplomats. As the Global Movements Program Director with WhyHunger Kristen supports social movement processes at the global level, in their path towards food sovereignty and liberation.
Sunni Patterson
Signature Poet
New Orleans Native and Visionary, Sunni Patterson, is an internationally acclaimed Poet, Performer, Workshop Facilitator, Certified Spiritual Life Coach/Consultant, and an Initiated Priestess and Interfaith Minister.
SESSION SPEAKERS
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Grace Ejiwale is a certified community health worker, Black addiction counselor and educator, and visionary organizer whose work bridges healing, equity, and systemic transformation. She is the author of How to...
Grace Ejiwale
Elizabeth Peacock-Chambers MD, MS is the Chief of the Division of Health and Behavior in the Department of Healthcare Delivery and Population Sciences, a board-certified pediatrician, and an Associate Professor of...
Elizabeth Peacock Chambers
Outlaw (they/them) is a mixed-methods evaluator who brings experience in both the arts and monitoring with a community health lens. They hold a Master’s in Public Health from Boston University and are a trained...
Outlaw
Arion Thurmond is known for her compassionate heart and dedication to helping youth heal through creativity. She graduated from Alverno College (Milwaukee) in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art...
Arion Thurmond
Dr. LaToya R. Thurmond is a wife, mother, award-winning author, entrepreneur, coach, and transformational leader committed to breaking cycles and building legacy with families. She empowers leaders, families...
LaToya Thurmond
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Kayla Benitez Alvarez, M.A., is a Research Associate at Data+Soul Research. As an early-career evaluator, Kayla works on a variety of projects related to public health, youth development, and more. Kayla enjoys...
Kayla Benitez Alvare
Leading with lived experience, Anthony advocates for system change in the family court system and child support structures. Currently earning his B.S. in Social Justice at Boston College, he works to ensure fathers...
Anthony Henderson
At a time on our world’s stage when conflict is our sole method of engaging across difference, Maia’s critical lens, at the core of which lie care, equity, and liberation, are essential to rethinking how to work amongst...
Maia Raynor
Mike Ciccarone is a partner in The Bridgespan Group’s Boston office. Since joining Bridgespan in 2008, Mike’s work has covered a range of topics: funding and scaling strategies for national nonprofits...
Mike Ciccarone
Stefanie D. Belnavis, MA, BC-DMT, LMHC (she/her), is a differently abled Black and Indo-Jamaican-American interdisciplinary artist, dance/movement therapist, educator, and spatial justice practitioner. Her work...
Stefanie Belnavis
Dra. Wendy Miron, DSW, LCSW, is a clinical expert and executive leader grounded in social work values of social justice, dignity, and liberation for all communities. As a first-generation immigrant and college graduate...
Wendy Miron
Karen Crawford Simms, MAMFT, LMHC,LCPC is a seasoned consultant, trainer, facilitator, and coach with over 30 years of experience in building trauma-informed, healing-centered, and equitable systems and...
Karen Crawford Simms
Hassan Lubega (he/she/they) is an Evaluation Consultant with Data+Soul Research who has a background in public health and health equity research. Hassan’s evaluation portfolio includes measuring community impact on...
Hassan Lubega
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Akin to the symbolism of the blue rose flower, Toni Blue Rose embraces the excitement, mystery and possibilities of new beginnings. The Boston-bred artist, survivor, author, and beloved mental health clinician lives to...
Toni Blue Rose
A’ntonia Benson is the Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Working Families. The Center offers its financial literacy education and services through the City of Boston’s Worker Empowerment Cabinet. We are...
A'ntonia Benson
Elise Tosun is a partner in The Bridgespan Group’s Boston office. She first joined Bridgespan as a consultant in 2012. Elise has worked with multiple organizations seeking to change their trajectories from incremental...
Elise Tosun
Tia Castellano is a community leader, educator, and curator of Black history whose work centers on healing, storytelling, and collective empowerment. As the Founder and Executive Director of the Bristol Black...
Tia Castellano
Nyesha Wornum is a Boston-born clarity architect and founder of Beyond the Safety Net (BTSN), a community-driven initiative mobilizing individuals, families, and organizations to navigate the benefits cliff...
Nyesha Wornum
Dominique Bellegarde is a Spirit Led Life Coach, Maternal Health Advocate,Birth Specialist, and author of Mom, I Want Milk! With over 16 years of lactation support and 3 years of midwifery, apprenticing, she brings...
Dominique Bellegarde
Mickey is a community organizer, doula and designer from Brooklyn, NY. She has been supporting her community as a doula for 12 years particularly focused on supporting young parents and creating co-designed...
Mickey Ferrera
Soraya is a visionary, birthkeeper, and mother dedicated to restoring the sacred passage of birth and reclaiming autonomy, sovereignty, and liberation for birthing individuals, families, and communities. She serves as a...
Soraya DosSantos
Jasmin Norford is a passionate advocate for childhood opportunity and early childhood educational justice. She developed her interest in the field as an early educator in centers in Georgia and Tennessee. Jasmin...
Jasmin Norford
Greg Bourne is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Lead 4 Tomorrow (L4T). Following three decades of experience in the fields of leadership and conflict resolution, in 2011 he helped establish L4T with the goal of...
Greg Bourne
Adriana is a community nurturer and connector, grounded in justice, healing, and collective care. She holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration, is a Certified Diversity Professional, and...
Adriana Raines
Jillian Brashear, MPH, is a Research Coordinator at Brazelton Touchpoints Center. As part of the research and evaluation team, she supports community-based research projects focused on improving health...
Jillian Brashear
Jaye Wilson, (she/her) Melinated Moms, Connecting Our Communities for NJ - Through compassionate advocacy, nurturing mentorship, and resilient mothering, Jatesha “Jaye'' Wilson is reshaping the world of..;
Jaye Wilson
Tyeena Carter is the founder and Executive Director of Cultivating Culture in Slidell, Louisiana, a place where food disparity is higher than the national average. As a single mother of two, she knows the struggle of...
Tyeena Carter
Katherine Riley (she/ella) is a parent, connector, strategist, and movement builder. As the Director of Partnerships at Elephant Circle, she is responsible for all things related to fiscally sponsored projects. Engaging...
Katherine Riley
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After pulling their first carrot out of the ground of a community garden plot, Lauren has worked cooperatively to impact local food initiatives in the Midwest. Lauren is a Black farmer, rancher, food systems researcher, ...
Lauren McCalister
Queer & Black Albany-based community activist, abolitionist, trauma informed yoga teacher, and doula. Jammella’s experience with food insecurity, their work with food insecure populations, and their knowledge...
Jammella Anderson
Emmanuel is a dedicated advocate for holistic community development, specializing in food sovereignty, social equity, and environmental stewardship. Based in Tucson, Arizona - on the ancestral land of the...
Emmanuel Avila Morales
Dr. Truphena Choti (she/her) is an educator, social entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for food equity and community empowerment. As the CEO and Founder of
AfriThrive, a nonprofit established in 2019...
Dr. Truphena Choti
Ellie attended UMASS Boston and received her bachelors in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. As well as Theater Arts. She holds a graduate certificate in Positive Youth Development and Social Equity...
Ellie Cordero
I am Tsimshian, Tlingit, Apsáalooke and Norwegian on my mother's side and Irish and English from my father's side. I am a mother to two lovely young humans and two four-legged friends that I am eternally grateful...
Heather Evoy
British Griffis, a Chicago native, has a rich background in food systems, community outreach, and healthcare. After earning her B.S. in Agricultural Biotechnology from the University of Kentucky, she explored fields...
British Griffis
Chantel Kemp is an environmental justice artist, food justice advocate and farmer who has spent the last 9 years dedicated to urban agriculture and to the continued education and health of communities lacking in food...
Chantel Kemp
Nekia’s passion for food justice and community organizing is informed by his life experiences growing up in “The Bottoms”, a small community along Bayou Bartholomew, located in the Arkansas Delta. It was there...
Nekia McDonald
Jordan is a dedicated public health and health equity practitioner with a deep passion for food justice. Raised between Missouri and Hawaiʻi, her experiences in Hawaiʻi have inspired her advocacy, fostering a deep...
Jordan Smith
Joyell Arvella, JD (she/her) was put on the traditional midwifery path by her family’s community midwives 20 years ago. Since then she has supported communities as an advocate, medicine woman, and writer...
Joyell Arvella
Cecile Edwards, M.Ed has a passion for maternal & child health/family wellness and believes it is a cornerstone to a well society. Cecile is an Educator, Postpartum Doula, Maternal Equity Consultant and Maternal...
Cecile Edwards
Elena Ferguson is a Nashville native and currently serves as a Policy Specialist at Positive Women's Network-USA (PWN). At PWN, Elena supports PWN chapters and members working on HIV decriminalization...
Elena Ferguson
Shenell Ford, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Childbirth Educator Apprentice is founder of community- based lactation practice, Heart2Heartbeat Lactation & Wellness in...
Shenell Ford
Lina Garcia, CPM, LM (Xicana Indigena/Caxcan), is a partera, community organizer, and migrant justice advocate transforming birth care on the US/Mexico border. As Co-Founder and Director of Luna...
Lina Garcia
Kanika Harris
Zainab Jah (she/her), MPH is an Associate Director of Research and Development at The Praxis Project. She received her Masters in Public Health from Rollins School of Public Health. She is a first generation daughter...
Zainab Jah
Tayla Kelly, BA, Doula, Tayla is a proud Black Queer Doula trained in community outreach. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Women's and Ethnic Studies from the University of Colorado. This interdisciplinary approach to...
Tayla Kelly
SeQuoia Kemp is a Black feminist community-based birth worker and health justice advocate from Syracuse, NY. As Founder of Doula 4 a Queen and Founding Member of Sankofa Reproductive Health...
SeQuoia Kemp
Tam, a proud mother of five, was born and raised in Long Beach, California. Her community upbringing and strong Baptist faith deeply shaped her journey. At 17, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy, becoming a...
Tamara Robertson
As the founder of Poppies in Paradise, I am deeply committed to supporting families through their birthing journeys with compassion, care, and creativity. I’m a Certified Lactation Educator Doula, and...
Carson Rose Zeigler
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LeAndra Shipps became a true mother lover when she became one. After birthing three children and raising them in New Orleans, Louisiana she decided to support other mothers by becoming a birth and...
LeAndra Shipps
Gordonia “Dina” Cundiff, LMHC, LPC, is the first Black woman to open a private practice in Massachusetts dedicated to supporting families on the autism spectrum. As the founder and Clinical Director of No Stones...
Gordonia Cundiff
Tiffany Ortiz is the Director of Early Childhood Programs at Carnegie Hall, supporting communities and families through music and working with artists and community organizations across NYC, nationally and...
Tiffany Ortiz
Giovanny is a Colombian immigrant with an MBA, specialized in Project Management from University of Lebrija (Spain). He has dedicated his career to strengthening marginalized and vulnerable communities...
Giovanny Zuniga
Priscilla Rodriguez, MS, IMH-E® is a bilingual trauma-informed counselor, early childhood consultant, and Founder of Family Consulting and Coaching. She is also the author of the Healing from Trauma Bonds Journal...
Priscilla Rodriguez
Jorge Mercado is a Mental Health Consultant and is employed at The Home for Little Wanderers. As a licensed early childhood educator, Jorge has provided leadership to early education classrooms for over twenty...
Jorge Mercado
Dr. Tyson Barker is Chief of Science and Innovation at the Institute for Child Success. Dr. Barker directs the ICS efforts to support improved measurement and evaluation of programs and policies supporting early...
Tyson Barker
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Ashley Gresh is both a certified nurse-midwife and a public health nurse, whose research focuses on addressing inequities in maternal and child health outcomes. Her current work examines the effects of perinatal group...
Ashley Gresh
Eurnestine Brown, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist and equity strategist, dedicated to improving the lives of birthing people, families, infants, toddlers, and children, especially those racially and historically...
Eurnestine Brown
Liz Friedman, MFA is CEO and Co-Founder of GPS Group Peer Support, a national organization founded in 2018 leading communities, nonprofits and state-entities in implementation of GPS’s trauma...
Liz Friedman
Compassion, integrity and dependability are the pillars of Tammie Jones’ calling encouraging, promoting wellness and healing for the whole person and works to normalize seeking help for mental health issues. She...
Tammie Jones
Karen Gross is a Salem MA and Washington DC based educator, author and artist. She has served as an advisor to non-profit schools and organizations and governments. Her work focuses on student success...
Karen Gross
Kate Mitchell Balla, DrPH, MPH is the Program Director for the Birthworker Equity in Education (BEE) Collaborative at Boston College. A public health researcher, program implementer, and advocate, Kate is...
Kate Mitchell Balla
Jalana Lazar, PhD, MPH, CNM, WHNP-BC, is a midwife researcher and author, with 15 years of experience facilitating groups, researching group care globally, and training other group care facilitators and trainers...
Jalana Lazar
Melissa Goldin Evans, PhD, MsPH is an Assistant Professor of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University and a...
Melissa Goldin Evans
Juan Carlos Gomez is the interim director of legislative affairs. He previously served as a senior policy analyst for CLASP’s immigration and immigrant families team. While in that role, he worked with the rest of the team to...
Juan Gomez
Curtis is a graduate student in Counseling Psychology at Framingham State University and the founder of CLC Consulting, LLC. As an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) with certifications in Financial Social Work and...
Curtis Chambers
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Chia-Jung Tung, MSc is a visiting scholar at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a PhD candidate at the Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan University. Tung's...
Chia-Jung Tung
Stephanie Schmit is CLASP’s director of child care and early education. Her work focuses on the intersectional needs of families and the foundational role that child care plays in helping meet them through federal and...
Stephanie Schmit
Dr. Victoria Royal-Williams, is a maternal-child health professional, advocate, and leader with over ten years of experience championing reproductive justice and equitable care. Holding a Doctorate in...
Dr. Victoria Royal-Williams
Keyla Kelley is the Program Director of The Basics Boston, where she leads citywide efforts to embed The Basics Principles into everyday community life and strengthen partnerships that support families. A...
Keyla Kelley
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Riches-Ann (Ann) Constable, J.D. is the founder, CEO and exec. director of a 501(c)3 which primarily combats food insecurity, The Den Org., Inc. thedenorg.org/about/ Appreciating that hunger is experienced...
Riches-Ann Constable
(Boston)—JoAnna Rorie, CNM, PhD, clinical associate professor of obstetrics & gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. A tireless member of the midwifery service at Boston...
JoAnna Rorie