Jamyle Cannon is the Founder and Executive Director of The Bloc—a sports-based education nonprofit using the sport of boxing to provide academic and social resources to Chicago’s youth. As a child, Cannon fought frequently, got suspended from school, arrested, and given a court order for anger management. He credits his coaches and trainers for helping him stay on track to reach his education and personal goals.

Cannon began his career with Teach for America in Phoenix, Arizona and later moved to Chicago to help start a charter school. It was while teaching, Cannon noticed that the students who were most in need of support were often rejected from the outlets meant to support them. Based on this observation, he started a boxing club that became immensely popular and produced extraordinary academic gains. Soon after, The Bloc was founded. Jamyle has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from Arizona State University.

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Nikole Collins-Puri is the CEO of Techbridge Girls (TBG) a nonprofit organization that equips and galvanizes gatekeepers – out-of-school time (OST) educators and STEM professionals – with gender responsive, culturally relevant curriculum and equity training that empowers them to act as an advocate for BIPOC girls* pursuing their STEM aspirations. TBG plans to reach 1M girls by 2030. Prior to TBG, Nikole worked at AT&T where she spearheaded their diversity and inclusion efforts, at the College Board where she advised states on their college completion strategy for Black and Latinx students, and at the Women’s Foundation of California where she advanced women’s economic security by supporting and awarding grants to visionary grassroots organizations.

Nikole’s leadership has been recognized throughout her career by Nonprofit Pro as 2020 Nonprofit Professional of the Year. Nikole has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s in public administration from City University of New York.

Dr. William P. Jackson is the Founder of Village of Wisdom (VOW), a non-profit organization that uses Black parent power to ensure that education decisions about Black learners support their consistent exposure to culturally affirming learning environments (CALEs) inside and outside of school. Under William’s leadership VOW has rapidly positioned Black parents as power brokers and thought leaders in education, specifically, as the prevailing voices in evidence-based culturally affirming learning. VOW launched with the support of fellowships with Echoing Green and Camelback Ventures. 

William’s work is regularly recognized, including in 2019 as an Ashoka Fellow. Prior to founding VOW, he worked as a high school science teacher in Atlanta Public Schools and then at Frontline Solutions, a social change consulting firm, helping support organizations codify and clarify their strategies for equitable impact. William has a bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University, a master’s degree from Georgia State University, and a PhD from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

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Adrinda Kelly is the Founding CEO of BE NOLA (Black Education for New Orleans) whose mission is to support Black educators and Black-led schools to provide a quality education to New Orleans children. Under her leadership, BE NOLA has delivered high-impact programs to more than 1,000 Black educators, quadrupled its base of supporters, and grown its budget and impact. Adrinda’s past work included several years at Teach For America where she launched the organization’s first National Advisory Board of Alumni of Color and grew its annual School Leaders of Color Conference and Staff Diversity Practitioners Conference into flagship events.

Adrinda’s leadership has been recognized locally and nationally including as a 2019 Pahara NextGen, a 2021 Loyola Institute of Politics fellow, and as a Top Woman Nonprofit Leader by New Orleans City Business. Adrinda holds a diploma from McDonogh #35, a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master's degree from New York University.

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Jerelyn Rodriguez, co-founded The Knowledge House (TKH), a Bronx-based tech-education nonprofit, in 2014. TKH closes the gaps in the education­-to-­employment pipeline by leading digital skills training in coding and design for underserved young people in New York, Los Angeles, Newark, and Atlanta. TKH combines technology training, career support, and a comprehensive network of partners to help disconnected job seekers secure rewarding careers and become financially independent.

Jerelyn’s leadership has been recognized widely including in 2016 as a Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Education. Previously, she coordinated STEM after-school programs at Braven and was the Bronx Field Director for Reshma Saujani's 2013 campaign for New York City Public Advocate. In 2011, Jerelyn joined Students for Education Reform (SFER) as the National Program Director, organizing and coaching college students in 35 states to advocate for education reform. She is currently on the boards of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition and Creo College Prep. Jerelyn has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University.

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Aimée Eubanks Davis is the Chief Executive Officer of Braven, a national nonprofit that she founded in 2013 to help underrepresented college students develop the skills, confidence, experiences and networks to secure strong first jobs after graduation. Braven provides first-generation college students and students from humble beginnings with the tools to land a quality first job and have a shot at economic mobility and closing the racial wealth gap. Forbes named Braven one of America's Best Startup Employers in 2022. Aimée’s professional experience also includes executive roles at Teach for America as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Engagement, Executive Vice President, People, Community, & Diversity and Chief People Officer where she effectively led large teams and their vital functions. 

Aimée and her leadership at Braven have been recognized nationally including as an Obama Foundation Fellow. Aimée also serves on numerous leading education non-profit boards. Aimée has a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College.

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Sharif El-Mekki is the CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, which he founded to create a national pipeline to attract, develop, support and empower Black teachers to help Black children liberate themselves, their families, and ultimately, society. As the son of two Black Panther Party members and the cousin of two more, Sharif had a strong desire to address issues relating to social and racial justice, equity, and educational opportunities. After almost a decade as a teacher, Sharif became a middle school principal, where his teams significantly raised student achievement and created nurturing student-centered learning environments. 

 Sharif is also the founder of The Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice, served as one of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s inaugural group of Principal Ambassadors, is a contributor to the Philly's 7th award blog, and is a co-host of the 8 Black Hands education podcast. Sharif received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), and a master’s degree and principal certification from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

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Nicole Lynn Lewis serves as the CEO of Generation Hope, an organization she founded to build what she did not have as a young parent in college. 

To ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming. Generation Hope has gained national attention for its whole-family approach to dismantling poverty, and its expansion beyond its current Washington, DC-area footprint. 

Nicole’s honors and recognitions include the inaugural Black Voices for Black Justice Award, which “recognizes incredible leaders who have been on the frontlines working to dismantle the deep-rooted, racist systems that have plagued our country for centuries.” Last year her highly-anticipated memoir, Pregnant Girl, was released by Beacon Press and was named one of the best books of 2021 by NPR. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary and a master’s degree from George Mason University. 

Nicole and her husband, Donté Lewis, live in Maryland with their five children.

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Dr. Adrian B. Mims Sr. is the Founder and CEO of The Calculus Project (TCP), a nonprofit that partners with families, community-based organizations, school districts, and higher education institutions to ensure Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students have the support they need to succeed in honors and advanced mathematics.

The Calculus Project has impacted over 10,000 students in over 100 middle and high schools in Massachusetts and Florida and in 2011, the initiative was inducted into the Minority Student Achievement Network’s Promising Practices Clearinghouse. Since its inception, thousands of Black and Latinx students who were once missing from AP Calculus and high school calculus courses now pursue post-secondary opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and thrive in a technologically advanced workforce.

Dr. Mims’ work has been recognized nationally including as a Bright Spot in Middle Years Math by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Adrian has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, two master’s degrees from Simmons College, and his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Boston College.

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Hiewet Senghor is the Founder and CEO of the Black Teacher Collaborative (BTC), a nonprofit organization that believes in the genius and beauty of Black children and the unique role of Black teachers in cultivating those gifts. BTC seeks to redefine the training and development of Black educators to fully maximize the unique benefits that emerge from Black SRILE classrooms. SRILE stands for Shared Racial Identity Learning Environment and is the term BTC uses to describe educational environments in which the majority of teachers (＞65%) share the racial identity of 85% or more of the setting’s student population.

Hiewet previously helped advance the political and social conditions of Black people through her work in civil rights and education reform organizations including the NAACP, the Children’s Defense Fund, and Teach for America. Hiewet received a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and she completed graduate level work in public administration at the University of Georgia. Hiewet grew up in Atlanta, Georgia where she continues to reside.  

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