Joy Southers is a freelance creative who wears many production hats: producer, talent coordinator, casting associate, and project manager, to name a few. Originally from Pittsburgh, she received a B.A. in Media Communications from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. in Organizational Development from Point Park University. Working as a production coordinator after university, she developed a passion for working behind-the-scenes. She has spent the last four years in D.C. learning the industry’s ins and outs before producing her first creative project. Joy has worked on scripted series, documentaries, commercials, international film festivals, inaugural events, and political conferences. One of her proudest moments was in the role of casting associate, where she and a small team cast hundreds of people of color as background actors for an award-winning Netflix show. Joy is a storyteller at heart. She is a 2016 Digital Content Fellow of Barack Obama’s digital grassroots organization in Chicago. In 2021, she was among 100 women to contribute to the recently published book “Dear Kamala: Women Write to the New Vice President.”

Kevon Paynter is an entrepreneur and journalist living in the United States. He’s the founder of Bloc By Block News Maryland, a media cooperative on a mission to uplift local news and neighborhood voices. Kevon has published dozens of articles in Yes! Magazine and the Solution Journalism Network, attracting 35,000+ readers and seeing beyond immediate problems to uncover community-powered solutions. You can find him passionately playing pick-up basketball and connect with him on Twitter @kevonpaynter.

Christina Sturdivant Sani is a proud Washington, D.C. native and prolific freelance journalist. As Editorial Director and Co-founder of Bloc By Block News, she oversees the production of website, newsletter, and social media content. A former staff writer at DCist, Christina wrote more than 1,600 breaking news stories on politics, transportation, education, policing, food, and entertainment, among other topics. Many of her feature stories highlighted Black life and culture in D.C. and investigated issues related to marginalized communities east of the Anacostia River. She’s written a half dozen cover stories for Washington City Paper and has freelanced for nearly two dozen publications including The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Zagat, PBS, and CityLab. She studied print journalism at Hampton University. You’re likely to spot her working remotely at your favorite D.C.-area coffee shop.

Micah prides himself as a culture curator, as he champions “sex-positive” and “body positive” ideologies in his Deviant productions. For him, baseline programming about diversity in the workplace and at school was never enough, and he understood how being left out of conversations and curriculums was damaging for minorities. Being left out of consideration when the world is making social, political decisions also breeds dangerously oppressive systems and social situations in our everyday lives. Micah aims to center the ideology and life experiences of the queer community of color that he’s a part of and loves. He knows what it means to feel unseen, unimportant, and at times unsafe. With his B.A. in Sociology and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), he’s now formed his company and mission, Deviant. He aims to make sure the social and political worlds are more understanding, inclusive, and appreciative of his queer Black and Brown peers in his work.

Montell obtained his B.A. and MBA from Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University. He has 14 years of experience in managing 25 stores and over 150 employees for Verizon Corporation. Montell uses this managerial acumen to lead the logistical and operational aspects of Deviant and engage community stakeholders towards its expansion.

Soraya Bagheri is the COO and co-founder of Electo, a civic technology company built to democratize how we get informed. Soraya is a first-generation college graduate with civil and common law degrees. She has experience working with global law firms, international organizations, and the United Nations at the grassroots level across four continents. Before her legal career, Soraya was trained as an educator. During her time in education, she focused on social and economic development programs. Soraya is responsible for scaling Electo nationwide to meet the needs of its rapidly growing user base. Soraya is passionate about youth empowerment and gender equality and advocates for more diversity in STEM and the tech industry. Soraya has worked for over a decade on projects aimed at empowering youth in communities throughout the MENA region and North America. Through Electo, she has developed a voice for minority communities to collaborate and innovate. Soraya now lives in Washington, D.C., where Electo is headquartered.

Naeim Khanjani is the CEO and co-founder of Electo, a civic technology company built to democratize how we get informed. Naeim came to the United States as a refugee to pursue a better, free and resolute life. After experiencing firsthand how difficult it was to stay informed of the divisiveness and biases prevalent in the media, Naeim and his wife Soraya founded Electo in 2019. Valuing the precious opportunity of becoming an American, he has put careful thought into every element of Electo to ensure that it would remain unbiased, nonpartisan, and easy to use. Before Electo, Naeim worked as a financial consultant in New York and at a leading think tank based in Washington, D.C. Naeim now lives in Washington, DC, where Electo is headquartered.

Some people go through their entire lives without disrupting the status quo. Then you come across a unicorn who started college at 15 years old, decoded the genetic makeup of anthrax by 17, and disrupted a multi-billion dollar feminine care industry before 30. Arion Long is the self-proclaimed “Chief Estrogen Officer” at Femly, a hi-tech feminine care company that she started after being diagnosed with a cervical tumor linked to additives in popular products.

Eziel Wedemeyer has been a part of the DC metro area’s tech startup scene for the past seven years. Graduating from college with a background in International Marketing, Eziel has primarily worked in enterprise sales and customer acquisition. He has been a part of teams that have seen tremendous growth, with early-stage startups successfully exiting larger organizations. His passion for entrepreneurship has led him to work on a few startups of his own. In 2020, Eziel founded History X, an augmented reality app that turns cities into museums. Most recently, he is also working on History X, a software company that is creating the historical metaverse. Outside of entrepreneurship, he loves music and community reform.

Mohamed Kamara is a born Sierra Leonean that is a servant leader and an advocate for the medically underserved living in Opportunity Zones. The health system fails more than 500,000 women ages 15-49 each year that die from pregnancy-related complications, 2/3 of those deaths preventable. His awakening to this brutal reality came when his sister and aunt died of preeclampsia, a preventable hypertensive disorder. InovCares was born from a personal tragedy and a commitment to improving the lives of mothers everywhere.

Lovemore Chirombo is a technology entrepreneur who is a creative, visionary and big picture thinker gifted with the ability to break down complex ideas into easy, understandable and manageable ideas. As a contra-disciplinary technologist, Lovemore has experience designing, managing and developing digital products that are human centered, user friendly and meet the ever-evolving technology world. Having worked in healthcare technology within the private and government sectors, Lovemore is focused on building healthcare products that meet the needs of consInovCaresumers, payers and health systems.

Rea Huntley (Founder/CEO) has over 12 years of professional IT experience and is an executor and overall strategic planner for business operations, technology, and future expansions. She is the company’s founder and has continued to lead the company through beta testing, product launch, securing clients, and strategic partnerships. Her dedication, passion, and work ethic have allowed the building of Lavii, INC within a short time frame with only three individuals.

James Bagley (COO) has over 14 years of professional IT experience and has a very strategic mindset regarding business operations. He provides insight into business operations from a creative, strategic, and knowledge perspective when planning for Lavii, INC’s future.

Mary Blackford is the Founder of Market 7, Washington, D.C.’s first Black-owned food hall that features Black-owned food and lifestyle businesses to alleviate food and retail deserts. Mary graduated from Babson College with a B.S. in Business Management. As a student, she also taught entrepreneurship courses to high school students in Ghana and South Africa. She began her career in the socially responsible finance industry as an analyst. In 2017 she launched her most recent venture, Market 7. Market 7 has worked with 60 Black-owned businesses in the D.C. area to create alternative community pop-up markets that include fresh food, lifestyle products, and home essentials in Ward 7 (D.C.). Market 7 is currently building a new 7,000 square foot food hall slated to open in 2021. Market 7 has been highlighted by Forbes, Washington Post, CNBC, Black Enterprise, Washingtonian, Essence Magazine, NBC, FOX, and WUSA.

Richard Adams took an uncharted route through several industries to prepare himself to take on the massive issue of the $1.6 trillion national student debt crisis. Richard spent five years in the commercial real estate industry, learning and cultivating knowledge on REIT investments and capitalization rates, and helping then-startup LoopNet complete an IPO. Richard then moved on to financial services and structured settlements, where he met future Pay Your Tuition Funds (PYT) Founder Stacie. Richard spent five years as Co-founder/Director of Operations of PYT and two years as CEO. Now, Richard is co-founding MilleniCare to help college parents access affordable child care in collaboration with co-founder Lakeisha Henry. Richard has a competitive personality, attributed to his athletic background as an All-American track athlete.

Lakeisha Henry is currently a junior at Howard University. Originally from Guyana, Lakeisha came to the United States for educational opportunities to pursue a career in the legal profession. After two years at Prince George’s Community College in nearby Largo, MD, Lakeisha enrolled at Howard University. In 2020 Lakeisha came up with the idea for MilleniCare and co-founded the organization with Richard Adams. On top of being a co-CEO, Lakeisha has excelled in her classes at Howard. She is currently majoring in Sociology and minoring in Business Administration with a 3.8 grade point average (GPA). During her time at Howard and PGCC, Lakeisha has held multiple internships in law and government. She interned in the Maryland House of Delegates and the International Law Institute. She has also served in leadership roles among student workers for the Howard University Development and Alumni Relations Office.

Brent Chase completed his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology and a Masters of Science at Northwestern University, in hopes of being invited to the Jedi counsel once reaching the level of “master.” He considers himself an entrepreneur, bagel connoisseur, and frequent Instagrammer. Often Brent finds himself recollecting the words of Winnie The Pooh, “Life’s too short to wear pants.” In short, why spend a moment worrying about life or doing anything other than what sets your soul aflame? He is passionate about helping people. Currently, his efforts are focused on utilizing smart apparel technology for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Specifically, Brent’s younger brother and love for actionable data analytics have been his muse in current life pursuits.

Kevin graduated from Lakewood High School and earned a B.A. in Sociology from Virginia Union University, with a focus on Urban Studies.

Although he achieved significant academic and professional success, his life deteriorated and he lost the privilege to live freely. Kevin served as an advocate for other residents while in the correctional system; serving as a key resource for men preparing for life outside the prison walls. His efforts to rebuild his life highlight the challenges people face when returning to their communities after incarceration.

Kevin was selected by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and its criminal justice partners as part of CSOSA’s annual Reentry Reflection celebration. For almost a decade, he has worked in the Legislative Services Division of the Council of the District of Columbia.

Wen-kuni Ceant is the CEO and Co-Founder of Politicking. Wen-kuni is a Fulbright Scholar, and through the fellowship, she studied health infrastructure in Senegal during the last year. She received her Masters in Public Health in Health Management and Policy in 2016 from Drexel University. Before Drexel, she attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors with a B.S. in Biology. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Her overarching goal is to integrate public health and policy to eradicate health and political disparities both domestically and abroad.

Jordan Wilson is the Co-Founder and Chief Political Officer of Politicking. Born in Gary, Indiana, Jordan was raised in politics and public service. Through Politicking, she aims to promote voting and political engagement among young Americans by providing a mobile platform for non-partisan election news and data. She has been featured in Forbes Magazine, the New York Amsterdam News, and Democracy Chronicles for her work as a civic tech entrepreneur. Additionally, she promotes non-partisan ideals of civic engagement and public service as a member of the Democracy Entrepreneurs Network and the JFK Library, New Frontier’s Network Steering Committee. As Public Service Scholar at Harvard College, Jordan has helped initiate civic engagement efforts such as Harvard’s first National Voter Registration Day Celebration and the campus voter engagement initiative, Harvard Votes. She is currently pursuing her J.D. at Boston College Law School, where she serves as a fellow with the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy. Jordan holds a B.A. in Political Science from Howard University.

Camille Chrysostom is a passionate and innovative strategist and co-founder of selfcenter, LLC, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to create custom individualized schedules that balance users’ lives and allow them to prioritize the moments that matter. She and her co-founder launched their company to address the challenges faced by working adults who struggle to find time for themselves during busy weeks filled with competing priorities and obligations. As chief strategist of selfcenter, Camille utilizes her expertise in customer values, market landscapes, and emerging trends to build a path forward for the company in a highly competitive digital market through innovative and experience-led software design. With her background in data journalism and career as a customer experience and innovation consultant, she combines deep knowledge and insight with creative approaches to design thinking that result in invaluable experiences for selfcenter’s users.

Ézel is an award-winning hybrid (experience & visual) designer / digital consultant with eight years of experience leading teams through the ideation, design, and development of digital ecosystems for public and private sector clients. He is certified in human-centered service design and creative leadership and currently pursuing certification in the fundamental principles of architecture on his quest to combat the divisive role the built environment plays in under-resourced communities, like his hometown of Chicago’s Southside, through innovative design thinking and application. He holds a B.A. in Art & Visual Technology with a concentration in Graphic Design from George Mason University.

Indonesian-American international fashion designer Stacy Stube has been working to revitalize Baltimore’s garment industry for the past five years. In 2021, Stube ran 200 miles in eight days to open an abandoned garment factory as SEW BROMO, a fashion heritage and needle trade school.

In 2010, Stube completed a joint Master’s program between London College of Fashion – Fashion Entrepreneurship & Innovation and London Business School – New Creative Ventures. The social impact-driven entrepreneur has been working in the luxury fashion sector between the USA, Europe, and Southeast Asia for over 20 years. She worked for brands such as Alexander McQueen, Burberry, and Hugo Boss in PR, production and retail and wholesale. Stube sews love through the business of life.

Amanda Stephenson serves the DMV, addressing disparities in health, food, housing, and income. She was a community health innovator in residence at Sibley Memorial Hospital, was an innovator spotlighted at the 2019 Chesapeake Bay Food Summit, and even won Catholic University’s grand prize for her vision developing a D.C.-focused response to the openIDEO/Rockefeller Foundation Food System Challenge. She owns The Fresh Food Factory Market, which disrupts food insecurities and creates equitable access and opportunities for underserved residents to have access to healthy and ethnic foods as medicine and provides wellness education to ensure that everyone can make informed decisions about their diet and overall health.

Alec Brewer, Co-founder and CEO. Alec’s ability to build and maintain a strong advisory network, paired with his bioengineering background, contributes to successful day-to-day operations and long-term business development. Alec has spent over three years engaged in the Charlottesville biotech and entrepreneurship ecosystems, developing technical solutions to gait irregularities, financial literacy, sleepwalking, and homelessness, and is a two-time founder.

Kobe Rogers, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer. Kobe develops methods to efficiently and sustainably introduce waste feedstocks to our bacteria, develop PHB extraction and quality control protocols leveraging his background in organic chemistry and synthetic biology. He is a graduating Biochemistry and Spanish double major at the University of Virginia.

Simonne Guenette, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer. Simonne leads strain engineering and testing to optimize cell metabolism and the assembly and testing of cellular constructs. She has worked for three years leading independent research in microbiology and synthetic biology labs and first came up with Transfoam in early 2019. She is a third-year Biology and Computer Science double major at the University of Virginia.

Rahama Wright’s entrepreneurial journey spans bootstrapping to landing deals with Whole Foods Markets and MGM Resorts, and most recently Macy’s. Her company Shea Yeleen is a social impact company rooted in the financial empowerment of women in Ghanaian villages. After 15 years of operating an indie beauty brand, she is now creating the first indie beauty maker space to help early-stage brands scale and grow their brands. Like a shared kitchen space, the indie beauty maker space will provide access to equipment, technical resources, and an in-house team to remove common barriers to entry for small start-up beauty businesses. A former Peace Corps volunteer, her love for travel has taken her to 36 countries.

Harish Bikmal is entrepreneurial, creative, and mission-driven. He built and launched new products at startups and large companies, generating new revenue. He has made an artificial intelligence-based product that produces Behavior Plans in one hour for people with Autism. Harish translated the company vision and developed a new enterprise-wide program at CVS Health to improve patient safety and save over $100 million per year. Moreover, he built partnerships and led cross-functional teams. As a result, he turned around programs using the levers of people, process, and technology – cut costs, saved time, and improved service. He led operational excellence at Manulife, reducing core process time from 60 days to four days. Harish is passionate about changing special needs individuals’ lives by combining healthcare knowledge, business acumen, and technology. He is the father of a 19-year-old with severe Autism.

At age seven, Saket Bikmal often asked, “Why can’t my little brother talk?”  While he was preoccupied creating dossiers on dinosaurs and spending time in space camp at NASA, this question remained stuck in his head. This question soon became his sole concern when he finally understood his brother’s diagnosis of severe Autism. Watching his brother’s and parents’ struggles, he was compelled to learn as much as possible. Saket began to research the brain, learning about its structure, communication, and functions. Soon, he became passionate about finding a cause and a cure for Autism. Saket is currently an undergraduate third-year student pursuing a degree in Computational Neuroscience.