Lisa Peyton-Caire is the Founding CEO & President of The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. Her work as a passionate advocate for women’s health was spurred by Mother’s untimely death at age 64 from heart disease in 2006, after which Lisa established Black Women’s Wellness Day, an annual summit now in its 12th year that empowers women and girls to sustain healthy, wellness-centered lives. The Foundation is an outgrowth and progression of this work which has mobilized a movement in the Greater Madison community and across Wisconsin to intentionally address and improve Black women’s health. Based on her work and impact, Lisa was appointed in 2018 to serve on then newly elected Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Health Policy Advisory Council through which she was able to influence proposed policies addressing maternal and child health and health disparities in Wisconsin.

Lisa also previously served as Assistant Vice President of Life, Learning and Events at Summit Credit Union (2014-2018) where she and her team led the company’s efforts on Diversity & Inclusion, Employee Wellness, Financial Education, Community Giving, and Corporate Events.

 An experienced leader, manager, and educator, Lisa has led impactful work over the past 20+ years spanning the PreK – 16 education, non-profit, women’s health, and financial service sectors. She is actively engaged in a number of local efforts to promote thriving, sustainable communities, and has served on the boards of Unity Point-Meriter Health, the Center for Resilient Cities, Sustain Dane, and A Fund for Women, and presently on the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute Advisory Board.

Among Lisa’s lasting contributions to community is the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s highly successful DoIT Information Technology Academy (ITA), a pre-college technology training & college access program she designed and launched with colleagues in 1999 and now in its 21st year. 

Lisa has been widely recognized for her work in women’s health and community stewardship and was recently named a national Go Fund Me Hero in 2019 for her change-making leadership; and was among local health innovators named on the Madison Magazine’s 2017 M List. In 2016 she was recognized as one of 44 Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin by Madison365 Magazine. Other honors include the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health Woman of Character Award (2015) for her efforts to mobilize Black women and partners to eliminate health disparities. She is the 2014 recipient of the Public Health Madison & Dane County Leadership Award, 2014 Brava Magazine Woman to Watch, and was nominated an “Everyday Health Hero” by the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation in 2013. Additionally, she is a 2008 UW Alumni Association Forward Under Forty Award honoree for her service and impact on the world by living the Wisconsin Idea.

A Mother of five, Lisa holds a Masters of Science degree in Educational Leadership & Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also a proud former Hampton University student, home of the Pirates, where she completed her first three years of undergraduate studies.

Milan Spencer is the Associate Director of Workforce Development and Partnerships with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. In her role she aides staff across departments in providing the Alliance with technical assistance across BMMA’s bucket areas, she helps map out resources and helps inform BMMA’s overarching strategic goals. She also manages relationships with BMMA partners. Milan has a BA in History with a concentration in African-American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Education from California State University, Long Beach. Milan’s passion work is in Maternal Child & Adolescent health, specifically addressing disparities in perinatal care and birth outcomes among Black birthing persons, Black children and Black families. She is a certified childbirth doula and a certified lactation education counselor. She is a mom of three beautiful children and in her free time enjoys reading, jigsaw puzzles and watching true crime tv.

Kathryn Hall-Trujillo is a public health expert and advocate who focuses on healthcare for African-American women. Best known for founding Birthing Project USA, “Mama Katt,” as she has been affectionately called, was named a 2010 hero by the CNN television network for her work with at-risk mothers and babies.

Kathryn Hall was born on July 19, 1948, in Moscow, Arkansas, a small town near Pine Bluff. Her mother’s name was Corrine, and she has said that her grandmother was her mentor. She said of her childhood, “Even though I came from a family that was poor, I came from a very good family; we loved one another and were part of a larger community.”

She had a rough adolescence, however, and dropped out of high school. She found herself in an abusive marriage and sometimes lived at a bus station in Oakland, California, with her two daughters: Tamu and Kenya. She said, “But other women in the community said, ‘Oh, no, we’re not going to have this.’ Those were the women who modeled caring for me.” She eventually received a Bachelor of Arts degree in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and went on to receive a master’s degree in public health from UCLA in 1976.

She worked as a public health administrator for the State of California from 1976 to 1991. Her experience with underserved women and her concern about their lack of access to quality healthcare led her to establish the Center for Community Health & Well-Being, a health and social service agency. In the course of this work in public health, she realized how costly it was for the state to pay for babies’ healthcare when they were born sick; at the same time, she saw how comparatively cost effective it was to provide care for pregnant women that could improve outcomes for their babies.

With this in mind, in 1988, she founded the nonprofit organization Birthing Project USA: The Underground Railroad for New Life, which has the goal of reducing infant mortality rates by pairing pregnant women (primarily black women) with “sister friends” to guide and support them during pregnancy and after the birth of their child. Between 1988 and 2010, the Birthing Project helped 12,000 babies in ninety-four community chapters in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Central America, and Africa.

In addition to her work with the Birthing Project, she is also an independent consultant for government, community, and private agencies in health administration, project development, and education. She directs a research project in Cuba that looks at the system for child and maternal health. She also works with the Cuban Medical Scholarship Program to train American students in Cuban medical schools to practice medicine in underserved parts of the United States.

Hall-Trujillo has received many honors. She was chosen as Woman of the Year by the California State Legislature, named a Hero in Healthcare by the Coalition for Excellence in Healthcare, and made Child Abuse Prevention Professional of the Year by the California Statewide Child Abuse Consortium. She is the recipient of the Essence National Community Service Award, the United States Public Health Service’s Women’s Health Leadership Award, and the California State Maternal and Child Health Certificate of Excellence. She was inducted as an Ashoka Fellow in 2008.

She met Arnold M. Trujillo when she first started visiting Cuba; the couple married in 2005. She said of her future, “The Birthing Project feels like my child who’s growing up, and I am ready to be a grandparent. I want to live long enough to see the next generation take it over.

With vulnerability, authenticity and transparency not only being the staples of her brand of artistry but also the staples of her brand of human, K Love is recognized as a highly sought after Spoken Word Artist.

K Love the poet is an international touring poet, speaker and author.
Shortly after her 2003 debut on the Chicago poetry scene, K love quickly gained notoriety in the genre of spoken-word. In 2007 she landed a feature on a Malik Yusef album produced by Kanye West. Since then she’s shared stages with likes of other note-able industry artists such as The Last Poets, J.Ivy, Talib Kweli, Common Sense & Jasmine Sullivan as of 2021, just to name a few.
Taraji P Henson, Kimberly Elise, Fantasia, Black Thought, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Erykah Badu, Sway Calloway and Most recently Mary J Blige, are all just a few of the celebrities that have felt compelled to share her work on their social platforms. Garnering a social media presence of 150k followers, and more than 5 accounts of her work reaching more than 1 million views, The Shade Room, All Def Digital, Jet/Ebony,Rolling out, The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times are some of the national/ international media publications that have highlighted her career.

Though becoming a global name as it pertains to poetry, In the city of Chicago, the twice published author, and awarded humanitarian is affectionately referred to as the “ Mother of the Southside” for her service and dedication to mentoring the youth. K Love is a favorite amongst the educational circuit, attracting bookings for key-note speaking and workshop facilitation for more than 300 High-schools,colleges and universities.

Ms Love available for speaking engagements, Live performances, youth trainings and workshops.

Contact Janice at
Bookklovepoetry@gmail.com

For Quick Looks
@klovethepoet on Instagram

Mandela Barnes serves as Wisconsin’s 45th Lieutenant Governor. He is the firstAfrican American to serve as a Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, and the second African American elected to statewide office. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lt. Gov. Barnes is the son of a public-school teacher and a manufacturing assembly line worker, a proud product of Milwaukee Public Schools, and a graduate of Alabama A&M University. At the age of 25, Lt. Gov. Barnes was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served two terms. Now, as lieutenant governor, he serves as the Chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change and also serves on the Governor’s Health Equity Council, Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Wisconsin Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, and the statewide 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.The lieutenant governor uses a platform of sustainability and equity to fight for solutions that invest in opportunities and fairness for every child, person, and family in Wisconsin, regardless of zip code.

Representative Sheila Stubbs who was elected in 2018 as the first African American state representative from Dane County, is a true public servant and champion for social and racial justice and Black Maternal & Child Health. Representing Dane County District 77, which covers the South and West parts of the City of Madison. Rep Stubbs is also the current Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, leading on issues impacting the lives of all Wisconsinites. Representative Stubbs is also a member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors, leading on critical issues since 2006; and recently proposed a unanimously passed resolution establishing April 11 -17th as Black Maternal and Child Health Week in Dane County.

Representative Shelia Stubbs is extremely active in the community, providing leadership, mentoring and volunteer services, and has received numerous community recognition, service award and honors including being named 2019 YWCA Woman of Distinction Award Recipient, 2020 BRAVA Woman to Watch Recipient. and Legislative Board Member of the Wisconsin Women in Government. She is the beautiful wife of Bishop Godfrey A. Stubbs and the mother of Aquila. Also, she is a Co-Founder of the End Time Ministries International Church in Madison, WI.

Ellie Diop is a Business and Strategy Coach, the Founder and CEO of Ellie Talks Money and Ellievated Academy, and the host of the Get Ellievated podcast.

Ellie took her $1,200 stimulus check to start a business that she turned into a multi-million-dollar company in less than one year.

She has served over 50,000 students, and is committed to assisting women to build successful businesses so they can live the life of their dreams.

Ellie has built an online community of 500,000 people and helped her students secure over $5 million in business funding.

She has shared her business success story in several media outlets including  Fortune Magazine, Entrepreneur, Newsweek, Fox Business, Business Insider, NextAdvisor, Bloomberg, Inc. to name a few. 

Janette Robinson Flint is a founding member and present Executive Director of Black Women for Wellness, a California based non profit organization established in 1997 and committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment and advocacy.

Janette’s work in the health field began as an advocate during her pregnancy, seeking a holistic practitioner to work with her concept of a gentle birth. Today, she is part of the Reproductive Justice Coalition of Los Angeles, California for Reproductive Freedom, and National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. Over the course of the years, her journey has included The Birthing Project USA/Los Angeles, Great Beginnings for Black Babies, National Health Foundation, March of Dimes, California Primary Care Association, Inglewood Healthy Mothers & Babies, South Los Angeles Health Project and Women Infant & Children (South Los Angeles advisory board) Programs. An alumnus of the University of Southern California, she is currently seeking a doctorate in community organizational development.

Janette also loves radio, having produced day-long specials celebrating the lives of African American leaders, weekly programs highlighting women’ voices with Talking Book, African World News, Family Tree, Some of Us Are Brave and Liberated Sisters radio programs. Great food, a good story (either book or movie), spoken word, live music, salsa dancing, and a scenic walk make her day in Los Angeles. A victory that encourages health for women and girls grounds her through the challenges, traffic, and the struggle for freedom.

In 2009, Maggie Anderson, Congressman John Lewis’ former aide, President Barack Obama’s former law student, and a successful corporate executive, publicly pledged to “buy Black” only for a whole year. Her family was threatened, her mother was dying of pancreatic cancer the entire time, and for five months they had no Black owned grocery store. Her history making year AKA ‘The Empowerment Experiment’ resulted in tens of millions in revenue for and deposits into Black owned businesses and banks; a landmark Kellogg study proving 1 million jobs could be created if these businesses received a small increase in support; more media, university, and corporate attention than ever specifically on Black owned businesses; and her critically acclaimed book, “Our Black Year”.

Since her historic stand, Maggie has given thousands of speeches and interviews hosted by the most respected corporations, universities, trade/ professional/ rights organizations, and media outlets. Millions have shed tears while taking notes as she teaches the victorious yet violent history of Black businesses and Black economic unity; preaches about economic justice and empowerment; and shares The Empowerment Experiment, and how it has since changed and ‘saved’ her life. 

TED Founder, Richard Wurman, called Maggie “one of the most powerful orators in America”; Black Enterprise Editor, Alfred Edmond Jr. called her “Heroic”, and Radio One/TV One owner, Cathy Hughes said “Thank God for her commitment to our Black community!” She was chosen by BET as one of “The Most Fascinating Women of 2016”, and by YWCA as “Women of the Year”. Publishers Weekly said her book is “Dynamite” and that her stand was “historic” and “effective”. And the Library Journal said Maggie’s book would “appeal to all those looking to effect positive change in their communities.”

Maggie, the only American born child of Cuban immigrants and a native of Liberty City in Miami, has a BA from Emory University, and a JD and MBA from the University of Chicago.  She lives in Oak Park, IL with her husband John, who has degrees from Harvard and Northwestern universities, and their two teen daughters, Cori and Cara. Maggie’s most recent project, launched in the summer of 2020 in honor of George Floyd and Congressman John Lewis, is the “Black Owned Hair Care Challenge”. 

Linda Goler Blount joined the Black Women’s Health Imperative in 2014. As President and CEO of the only national organization focused on Black women’s emotional, physical and financial health and wellness, Linda has overseen more than $20 million invested in Black women to prevent chronic diseases and HIV, ensure reproductive justice and healthy maternal outcomes and advocate for policies that protect Black women. Before joining BWHI, Linda was the first-ever national vice president of health disparities at the American Cancer Society where she was responsible for developing a nationwide health equity strategy to reduce cancer incidence and mortality among underserved populations.  She has extensive international health experience and has served as a consulting epidemiologist to government ministries in Germany, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, where she lived for four years. A speaker, published author and advocate, Linda is a champion for the rights of Black women.

Linda is a sought‐after speaker and a member of the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Health Services Executives. She serves on the Community Health Charities Board, the University of Michigan School of Public Health Summer Enrichment Program Board and is past chair of the University of Michigan School of Public Health Alumni Board of Governors. She previously served on the Emory University Center for Ethics Advisory Board, and the Morehouse School of Medicine Public Health Program Advisory Committee.

A Michigan native, Linda holds a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering/Operations Research from Eastern Michigan University.

Nyra Jordan has been with American Family Insurance for over 20 years serving in various leadership roles throughout the organization. Nyra is a social impact investment director at the American Family Institute for Corporate and Social Impact where she is advancing the creation of economic opportunities for historically overlooked communities including those impacted by incarceration. Nyra holds an undergraduate degree in mass communication from UW-Madison and has a master’s in criminal justice administration from Valdosta State University. She also has a master’s in social innovation and sustainability leadership from Edgewood College. Nyra’s goal is to utilize venture capital investment as a vehicle to drive social change while leveraging the thought leadership of innovative community partners.

Alex Shade is the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for CUNA Mutual Group where she leads strategy and execution of corporate social responsibility programs and initiatives, including philanthropic giving, employee volunteering, environmental sustainability, and community relations. Alex also leads and manages the CUNA Mutual Group Foundation portfolio and investment strategy, building strategic partnerships throughout the communities served by CUNA. Prior to her time with CUNA Mutual Group, Alex served as executive director of the NWFCU Foundation at Northwest Federal Credit Union in Herndon, Virginia; National Director of Strategic Alliances for the Muscular Dystrophy Association; the Director of Development for the Mentor Foundation, and Chief Partnership Officer for the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Angela Russell is the Chief Diversity Officer and is the Vice President of the CUNA Mutual Foundation at CUNA Mutual Group. In these roles, Angela provides strategic enterprise-wide leadership to ensure that CUNA Mutual’s commitment to DEI is reflected in the workplace, community partnerhips and marketplace in our products, processes and services.

In 2021, Ms. Russell was the recipient of the inaugural DEI Trailblazer Award from the African American Credit Union Coalition. In 2018, Ms. Russell was named as one of the nation’s most powerful diversity executives by Black Enterprise magazine.

Ms. Russell has 20 years of professional experience. Prior to joining CUNA Mutual she worked in various roles in public health including serving as a Health Equity Coordinator for Public Health Madison Dane County and she was the Community Engagement Lead for the national County Health Rankings & Roadmaps Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Population Health Institute.

Ms. Russell has also worked in a variety of roles in Wisconsin state government including Division Administrator for the Division of Early Care and Education, and Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Department of Children and Families, and Policy Advisor to Governor Jim Doyle. She was formerly an epidemiologist with Wisconsin AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis C Program at the Department of Health Services.

Angela serves on the Board of Directors for JustDane which is focused on providing programing for individuals returning to the Dane County community after incarceration. She also hosts a Wisconsin based podcast called Black Oxygen, which was recently awarded the 2021 Wisconsin Innovation Award.

She holds a Master of Science in Population Health from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Beloit College. In 2021, Angela was awarded and honorary Doctorate of Science degree from Beloit College.

Angela has two children that are the loves of her life and are a regular source of feedback (the good, bad and often very funny).

Dr. Jasmine Zapata, pediatrian, published author, speaker and health equity advocate is a dynamic leader who wears many hats! Recently named Chief Medical Officer and state epidemiologist for community health at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Dr. Zapata is also an assistant professor, researcher and educator in the University of Wisconsin Department of Pediatrics with an affiliation with the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. One of her many passions both inside and outside the clinic walls is to empower and inspire young girls to make healthy choices, embrace their inner beauty, overcome despite adversity, and never give up on their dreams! This passion led her to launch the Beyond Beautiful International Girls Empowerment Movement of which she is the founder and CEO. She helped develop a financial literacy program for school-age students, and wrote “Beyond Beautiful,” a socioeconomic empowerment book for girls of all backgrounds. Dr. Zapata is also the faculty director for The Ladder, a partnership between the Univeristy of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County that offers long-term mentorship for scholars from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Zapata is passionate about developing innovative strategies to combat racial inequities in maternal and child health in Madison and beyond and is a member of the Black Maternal and Child Health Alliance of Dane County.

Angela Mallett, LMT is the founder & CEO of Honey Bee Sage Wellness, an Herbal Apothecary & Metaphysical Shop serving Milwaukee’s North side with an online shopping presence that spans the entire globe. A Licensed Massage Therapist by trade, Angela is also a Full Circle Doula, Reiki Master, Yoni Steam Practitioner and an herbalist by passion. Her interest in becoming her own healer has led her to become enthusiastic in sharing all that she has learned along her journey, in hopes to inspire and cultivate healers all around the world. This summer Angela will open the 2nd location of Honey Bee Sage Wellness in an expanded space, and has successfully merged business and wellness to bring healing power and products to the world!

Zakiyyah Sorensen is the Outreach Manager for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE). CORE engages in research and policy evaluation to address critical needs in abortion and contraception access in Wisconsin. Zakiyyah is a former public health nurse who specialized in sexual and reproductive health within the reproductive justice framework. Zakiyyah’s approach emphasizes reproductive and knowledge justice principles as guiding frameworks for collective liberation.

Bianca Shaw is an innovative Director, Policy Advisor and Senior Strategist with more than 16 years of leadership experience and progressive public service in non-profit, state and local governance. She presently serves as CEO & President of Milwaukee-based Black Equity and Policy Institute, and is an Executive Consultant who has influenced both state and local policy programs.

Bianca also currently serves as the grassroots manager for All Voting is Local Wisconsin, and previously served as a political appointee as the Director of the Office of Urban Development in the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families from 2019 until 2022. In tha role, she directed the governor’s quality early care and access educational initiative and managed more than $2.2 million in funds. Bianca has also designed and managed social service, economic development, and community advocacy programs.

As a human rights advocate with an interest and background in state and local policies, Bianca has served as a Business Service Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Program Director.

She is adept at crafting and executing a vision to transform communities and create effective social change. Bianca’s mission is to help individuals move from poverty and low-income situations to middle-income and stability.

dr. monique liston is an unapologetic Black woman that also identifies as a warrior scholar, joyful militant, evaluator, sister and friend. She is the founder of UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, a professional learning community led by Black women.  If global white supremacy hadn’t wrecked havoc on her existence, she would probably be a food scientist and homemaker. Her professional interests include race work, Black-centered education, and critical media studies. She is a proud alum of Howard University.

Sybongile Cook is the Director of Business Development and Strategy in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development (DMPED). Since 2009, Sybongile has held multiple roles within the Executive Office. She has led major initiatives like the Bank on DC program banking over 11,000 residents, conducting 900 financial education classes, and training 500 social service providers; launched the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund (NPF) to award catalytic projects in underinvested communities. This first grant resulted in Ward 8 first community grocer, Good Food Market. In the last 24 months (during the height of the public health emergency COVID-19), she directed over 350 million dollars in relief to business and capital improvement grants. Prior to her current role at DMPED, she worked at the Department of Employment Services (DOES) and launched their Office of Talent & Clients Services.

Originally from Houston, Texas, she has called the District of Columbia home for the last 20 years. She is a licensed life & health insurance broker and enjoys traveling, teaching, dancing, and being the best “Auntie Bongo” to her twin nieces and nephew.

The Honorable Reverend Everett Mitchell is a fierce advocate for education and equity. Judge
Mitchell was elected to the Dane County, Wisconsin Circuit Court in 2016 and presides over the Juvenile Division in Branch Four. As a juvenile court judge, he hears cases involving family re-unification, juvenile delinquency, and other civil and criminal proceedings. Judge Mitchell also oversees Dane County’s High Risk Drug Court Program.

Reverend Judge Mitchell is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School where he teaches courses on “Race, Racism and the Law” as well as the “Foundational Principles of the Juvenile Justice System.” He is committed to dismantling what he describes as the child welfare-to-juvenile delinquency-to-adult prison pipeline operating not only in Wisconsin but nationwide. In this pipeline, systems pass traumatized children from one system to the next without acknowledging or addressing their trauma. His approach is documented in the Wisconsin Public Television Series, “Not Enough Apologies: Trauma Stories.”2 He believes passionately in the endless potential of children and communities to transform their trauma stories. As a trauma survivor himself, Judge Mitchell approaches each case with an eye towards making sure the court system does not contribute to the ongoing traumatic narrative that many children and families experience. He often tells the children in his court, “I am not your judge, I am your reflection.”

During his tenure on the bench, Judge Mitchell has worked with colleagues to change courtroom policies to reflect trauma informed practices, such as removing restraints and handcuffs on youth during hearings. He joined several judges in petitioning the Wisconsin Supreme Court to support changing the presumption to ensure that children in Wisconsin can attend their court.

Judge Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Religion from Morehouse College; Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary; and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married to the love of his life Dr. Mankah Zama Mitchell. They have two children, Sydney and Braylon.

Dr. Emmanuel Ngui is an Associate Professor of Community and Behavioral Health Promotion at the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also serves as Director of the Maternal and Child Health Graduate Catalyst Training Program and Director of the Masters in Public Health Program. In his work and research, he seeks to eliminate infant mortality, and to elevate the central role and importance of Black fathers in supporting and improving Black maternal and child health.

Dr. Ngui’s broad research interests include health inequalities in maternal and child health populations and the role of social determinants of health in birth outcomes and child health and wellbeing.
His active research areas include racial/ethnic inequalities in birth outcomes and community/policy level interventions and engagement, with a particular focus on the role of socioeconomic position, paternal involvement, and neighborhood deprivation on birth outcomes.

Dr. Ngui’s teaching interests include maternal and child health policies, programs and practices, racial/ethnic inequalities and social determinants of health, MPH field practicum and community engaged participatory research. He received his doctorate in maternal and child health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Gabe Doyle serves as the Chief Health Initiatives Officer with the Foundation For Black Women’s Wellness. He has spent the past 15-plus years leading community health efforts in Milwaukee and Dane County. He began his career counseling victims of violence and designing hospital-supported, community-based programs for victims and their families. In his prior role with Milwaukee Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Gabe led and developed a new division of Community Health Workers focusing on a social determinants of health (SDoH) framework. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and spent 5 years counseling adolescents, adults and families. The persistent social, economic and environmental factors driving disparities across Wisconsin and locally in Dane County inspired Gabe to explore the root causes of inequities, to strategically collaborate, and to effectively organize & align resources towards our most vulnerable communities and members. Prior to joining the Foundation, Gabe led the direction of health investments at a major philanthropic nonprofit in Dane County. While there, he redesigned the health investment process to prioritize funding to center the experiences of Black, Indigenous, Southeast Asian, Latinx/Hispanic and other marginalized communities. As a member of the Dane County Health Council, Gabe worked closely with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness as co-chair of the Black Maternal and Child Health care-coordination initiative and the Saving our Babies Project.

Glenna Scholle-Malone was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and has served in the education arena in both the Milwaukee and Madison area for over 12 years. She currently serves as the Coordinator for Girls of Color at Milwaukee Public Schools out of the Gender, Identity, and Inclusion Department. Glenna is most passionate about her role of empowering and strengthening women of color – mind, body, and soul – through her personal training business, Glenna Maureen, LLC.

Glenna is co-owner of SpinnMKE a Black-owned spin cycling center. She is also an inaugural member of the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness Well Black Woman Institute.

www.glennamaureenfit.com

Dr. Sterlin is a Community-based pharmacist who aims to establish best practices in diabetes and medication management to improve patient outcomes and address health disparities that impact communities of color. As a consultant, Dr. Sterlin provides integrative health evaluations for assessing patients’ care needs to provide comprehensive and targeted interventions that optimize their health. As a holistic health practitioner, Dr. Sterlin supports and guides individuals beginning their transition into complementary and alternative care practices. Ultimately, she aims to support her patients to live healthier lives by focusing on living holistically and simplifying medication regimens.

Dr. Sterlin is a graduate of Florida A & M University with a Doctor of Pharmacy and has amassed certifications in immunization, Medication Management, Diabetes Drug Management, Lifestyle Coaching and a speciality in self-care. Her family originated from the islands of Acklins and Eleuthera and she attends St. Matthew Episcopal Church, which has cultivated her sense of Bahamian culture. Working through the pandemic has been a physically and mentally challenging experience, however, Dr. Sterlin believes that experience confirmed her pursuit of being an advocate of disease prevention and promoting healthy living. Hence, her business ‘Sterlin Wellness Rx’ an online wellness and recovery center, was established.

Gale D. Johnson has been the director of the Wisconsin Well Woman Program (WWWP) in the Department of Health Services for the last 20 years. The WWWP is the Wisconsin component of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Since 1994, the WWWP has provided health screening services to more than 70,000 Wisconsin women. Ms. Johnson is a past Chair of the Council for Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control and past president of the Wisconsin Association of Black State Employees. Ms. Johnson is an active member of the Wisconsin Women of Color Network (WWOCN). Recognizing the importance of women living long healthy lives, Ms. Johnson has coordinated health programs for the WWOCN for more than 10 years and is a national expert and frequent speaker on health equity and women’s health.

Dr. Tinka Barnes is a board-certified family medicine physician who practices medicine predominantly in an underserved population in the urban core. She takes the time to help her patients get to the root cause of their health conditions. Using evidence-based medicine to help transition individuals from the standard American diet to a more whole food plant-based diet. She recently started her company Veginar PLLC, that focuses on delivering colorful culturally sensitive seminars and workshops focusing on whole food plant-based nutrition and movement as medicine.

Dr. Tinka Barnes is an alumnus of Jackson State University with a BS in Biology. She graduated from medical school at the University of Kansas, began her internship at LSU in New Orleans in 2003, survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and then returned to the University of Kansas to complete her residency.

Taylor Davis is the CEO and founder of Sunkissed Organics. Taylor launched Sunkissed Organics on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2020 as she was finishing up her last semester in her Master of Public Health graduate program. Sunkissed Organics launched in an on-campus apartment, originally creating natural hair products and catering to the natural hair community. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, Taylor recognized the need to focus on products from a holistic perspective with an emphasis on self-care. The mission of Sunkissed Organics is to provide natural, ethically sourced, sustainable, and cruelty-free products.

Past experiences with other products, from big industry brands that use harsh chemicals and ingredients negatively impacted Taylor’s hair and body. After graduating, she knew that she wanted to take her Public Health background and incorporate it into her business. She began her research and soon started to develop products that would be beneficial to the skin, body, hair, and overall health. All Sunkissed Organics products are vegan or vegetarian and are sustainably sourced. Sunkissed organics takes pride in being an inclusive Black and woman-owned business!

Dr. Debbie Jones is a Hospitalist physician for SSM Health – Dean & St. Mary’s in Madison, WI, the first to hold a hospitalist role in the State of Wisconsin. She has been a full-time Hospitalist for over 17 years. Dr. Jones has been the director of 2 Hospitalist programs – Family Health Plan (Milwaukee, WI) and Swedish American Hospital (Rockford, IL). She is a board certified Internist who received her education at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine (Maywood, IL) and her formal training at St. Joseph Hospital (Chicago, IL). Dr. Jones is a member of the Society of Hospitalist Medicine. In her spare time, Dr. Jones leads and supports many efforts locally and nationally to advance women and persons of color in Medicine. Her work has been recognized by many organizations, most recently the Madison Metropolitan Chapter of the Links, Inc who honored her in 2018 with a Community Impact Award. Dr. Jones is also a breast cancer survivor- diagnosed in 2002 and lends considerable time to supporting others through prevention education and survivorship.

Dawn Shelton-Williams, MSW, LCSW has professional experience and expertise in the areas of mental health, health care, and child welfare. She earned her master’s in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the State of Wisconsin. Ms. Shelton-Williams is the Quality Specialist for Aurora Family Service (Advocate Aurora Health). In her position, she manages the agency’s Quality program and the Wisconsin Well Woman Program – Social Work Navigation program. Wisconsin Well Woman Program – Social Work Navigation is a prevention program for breast and cervical cancer screenings; diagnostic screenings; and initiation of cancer treatment for uninsured and underinsured women in southeast Wisconsin. Ms. Shelton-Williams is also in private practice at Sebastian Family Psychology Practice, LLC. as an independent contractor for mental health services. She contracts her services to the clinic through her business Shelton-Williams Therapy and Consultation Services, LLC. Dawn has provided clinical services to children and families for approximately 31 years. Her clinical interest is in providing psychotherapy services to women of color who are experiencing Anxiety and Depression Disorders.

An active member of her professional association, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), she is the immediate past President of the NASW-WI Board and currently serves as Co-Chair for the Diversity Task Force for NASW-WI. In 2022, Dawn was re- appointed to the Governor’s Wisconsin Council on Mental Health. She serves on the Council as an Advocate and is a member of the Council’s Adult Quality Committee. Ms. Shelton-Williams also serves on the Board for the Black Child Development Institute – Milwaukee Affiliate as Vice President; is a member of the Volunteers of America – MN/WI board; the African American Cancer Community Advocacy Board; and the American Heart Association (Milwaukee) board.

Adrian Jones is a public health leader and reproductive justice advocate with over 15 years of experience in community health improvement. In her present role with UW Health, she manages efforts to advance the improvement of health outcomes and to reduce disparities in Dane County through community collaborations and targeted programming.

She previously served as Community Health Educator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and is a sexual and reproductive health educator specializing in working with women and young adults. Adrian has taught comprehensive sexuality education in schools and provided sexual health trainings to youth-serving professionals, and has trained community health educators locally and statewide. She also previously worked as a Program Coordinator for the Girls, Inc. Program at Goodman Community Center, and is a gifted developer of adolescent health programming.

Adrian is a graduate of the University of WI Madison where she received a dual Bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and Women Studies with a certificate in Sexuality education. In her spare time, Adrian enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two pre-school aged daughters.

Alia Stevenson serves as Chief Programs Officer with The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. An advocate for health, wellness, and equity, Alia brings a holistic approach to her work through assessing and improving environments to support the health needs of both individuals and organizations. She brings a track record of experience in shaping health equity efforts that disrupt disparities, and is an expert in team development, program planning, evaluation, and training facilitation. Alia was recognized as one of Brava Magazine’s 2015 Women to Watch, is a 2017 graduate of Nehemiah’s African American Leadership Capacity & Development Institute, and a 2017-2018 Human Impact Partner Health Equity Awakened Fellow. A former Foundation Board member and volunteer, Ms. Stevenson most recently worked for local government as the City of Madison’s Organizational Development Manager, and as Policy, Planning & Evaluation Manager and Health Equity Coordinator for Public Health Madison & Dane County. In these roles, she launched successful programming including the City of Madison’s Women’s Leadership Series and the Public Health Madison & Dane County’s health and racial equity team. Madison native, Alia is an active member of the Greater Madison community, presently serving as Co-Chair of the Board for Forward Community Investments and on the board of Edgewood College’s Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership Program.

Jasmia Hamilton serves as Program Manager of the Well Black Woman Institute. A Chicago transplant to Madison, Jasmia has lived, learned, and worked in the community for nearly a decade. She earned a Master of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies and a Bachelors in Gender and Women’s Studies with minors (certificates) in Global Health and LGBT+ Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has completed additional graduate-level coursework in Organizational Leadership and Change at Edgewood College. Prior to joining the FFBWW, Jasmia worked with mission-driven teams in education (K12 and higher education) and with area non-profits. In these roles, Jasmia implemented culturally responsive and identify-conscious practices as a student services coordinator/advisor, collaborated as a member of a racial justice team, and co-managed equity-focused professional learning and programming. She is ecstatic to join the Foundation at this moment which provides her the novel opportunity to be an inaugural collaborator for the launch of the Well Black Woman Institute. She is thrilled to see the new possibilities and transformative impact that actualizes when Black women are well, uplifted, and thriving.

DJ ACE, aka Vanessa McDowell is a leading woman of many talents! A CEO by day, and DJ by night, she has been named one of Madison’s premier disk jockeys and can be found spinning the hottest jams at local parties and celebrations across the city in her spare time. She has been DJ’ing in the Madison area for over 8 years and is frequently in demand! She has performed at several high profile events including Dane Dances, CapitaLand Music Festival, Gospel Fest, Madison Network of Black Professionals First Fridays, Live After Five, the Next Level Artist Showcase, various weddings and graduations, and is a favorite feature at the annual Black Women’s Wellness Day event!

By day, Vanessa serves as the CEO of Madison’s YWCA, leading a powerful agenda to achieve racial and gender equality in our region. She is the first African American CEO in the 106 year history of the YWCA.

A proven leader in the human services field for over 14 years, Vanessa McDowell brings a plethora of experience to her position as YWCA Madison’s Chief Executive Officer. She was initially hired in 2014 as the Director of Support Services for the YWCA, then promoted to Chief Programs Officer, later promoted to Interim CEO, and finally CEO . Vanessa is deeply committed to offering programs and services that support women and social justice, help families and strengthen communities. She has a passion for serving others by leveraging voices that have been silenced as well as empowering others to live out their purpose. She works from an empowerment model which aligns with the mission of the YWCA Madison which is to eliminate racism and empower women.

Martinez White, Emmy Award recipient, founding member of the Wisconsin Association of Black Men upholds the belief that “Dreams Are Made To Be Achieved™”. White is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first Black collegiate fraternity, amongst the ranks of Dr. King and Donald Driver, and has a profound passion for music, art, film and culture. He loves to read and write on his down time as well as spend quality time raising his 5 year old son Harlem.

Living in Mombasa, Kenya and volunteering at Alicia Keys’ Keep A Child Alive campaign’s BOMU Medical Center, fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic forever changed White’s world perspective.

At just sixteen years old, White emerged from a single-parent home of six children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Against all odds, White earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts and Afro-American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as a PEOPLE and Chancellor’s Scholar at a mere twenty years old.

Sharon Hardiman is a Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Excel Wellness with SSHerese. She offers individual personal training and fitness opportunities to help her clients transform their lives, one body at a time! Sharon’s business is inspired from her own health and wellness transformation which she has now built into a practice to help others achieve their best health. Her goal is to walk in purpose while pursuing her passion.