2020 Speakers

Congresswoman Gwen Moore was elected to represent Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District in 2004, making her the first African American elected to Congress from the State of Wisconsin. She is a member of the esteemed House Ways and Means Committee, which is the oldest committee in the United States Congress and has jurisdiction over the Social Security system, Medicare, the Foster Care System, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Unemployment Insurance, and all taxation, tariffs, and revenue-raising measures. She serves on the Oversight, Select Revenue Measures, and Worker and Family Support Subcommittees.

On the Oversight Subcommittee, Congresswoman Moore works to guarantee that the laws within the jurisdiction of the Committee are being implemented and carried out efficiently and in accordance with Congressional intent. She is also a member of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, working to create a more fair and progressive tax code that provides Americans greater opportunity and financial security. And she oversees a range of critical supports for workers, children, and families as a member of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee.

She is an active member on the Congressional Progressive Caucus, LGBT Equality Caucus, the Great Lakes Caucus, and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. She was also a former member of the Financial Services and Budget Committees and the former Regional Whip for the Democratic Caucus.

A strong advocate for measures that focus on improving the economic and employment conditions in low-income communities, she has fought to curb predatory lending in minority neighborhoods, led efforts to help small businesses grow and advance the creation of new jobs, pushed for affordable housing, and advocated for compliance with respect to the non-discriminatory hiring of minority-owned businesses for government contracts. She has been outspoken on behalf of low-wage workers, and in 2014, peacefully demonstrated for a living wage with fast food workers, leading to her arrest.

A champion for women, Congresswoman Moore served as the Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Women’s Caucus from 2011 to 2013. In this capacity and through her subsequent work, she has become a leader on issues like health insurance reform, women’s health, maternal and infant mortality, and domestic violence – leading the charge to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act over the past two Congresses. She has also been an outspoken opponent of efforts to limit women’s reproductive freedom and care.

The Congresswoman has made it her mission to give voice to the voiceless, both domestically and abroad. As a member on the House Democracy Partnership, a commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, she collaborates with international partners and serves as a global presence to advocate for and implement the development of responsible democracies. In January of 2015, she received global recognition for assembling members of Congress to raise pencils in honor of free speech and the victims of the attack on Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, during President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. 

She has been an ardent supporter of initiatives that put low-income students on the path to educational success. The Congresswoman has consistently supported legislation to ensure low-income students have school access to three nutritious meals a day, year-round, as good nutrition has been proven to improve children’s attendance and attentiveness. Congresswoman Moore is an alumnus and strong advocate for the Federal TRIO programs, which are designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and help them get to college. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first generation college students – and students with disabilities – to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs.

Born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1951, Congresswoman Moore was raised in Milwaukee. The eighth of nine children, Congresswoman Moore’s father was a union factory worker and her mother was a public school teacher. Congresswoman Moore attended North Division High School in Milwaukee, where she served as Student Council President. After graduation, she started college at Marquette University as a single, expectant mother on welfare who could only complete her education with the help of TRIO. Congresswoman Moore earned a B.A. in Political Science from Marquette, and went on to serve as a community leader spearheading the start-up of a community credit union as a VISTA volunteer for which she earned the national “VISTA Volunteer of the Decade” award from 1976-1986. She was also a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate before serving in Congress. 

She served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1993-2004. Prior to her election to the Senate, Congresswoman Moore served two consecutive terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1989-1992. In 2000, Congresswoman Moore earned a Harvard University Certificate for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. As a state legislator, Congresswoman Moore was a champion for progressive and social issues and has continued to stand up as a voice for each and every constituent and region across the city. She applied her career expertise to help create jobs and build communities. She made a positive impact in critical issues related to welfare, education, and criminal justice. A tireless advocate for women’s rights and civil rights, Congresswoman Moore led the fight against racial profiling, domestic abuse, and voting rights violations.

She is the mother of Jesselynne, Ade, and Sowande “Supreme” and is a proud great-grandmother.

Self-Worth Midwife Abiola Abrams is a Spiritpreneur® Transformation Coach, speaker, writer and media personality and who empowers Big Vision Women find freedom from their personal fears, manifest authentic power and align with purpose.

In addition to her online group coaching programs and courses, Abiola has given motivational advice on networks from the CW, BET and Discovery Channel to MTV and the BBC and sites and publications from the DailyOm and Match.com to Essence Magazine.

Abiola also leads transformational workshops from London to the Bahamas, speaks at organizations and schools from Dropbox to Cornell University, and creates spiritual wellness retreats from Bali to Belize. The award-winning motivational speaker, transformational author, and advice columnist is passionate about midwifing conscious women leaders to breakthrough.

Abiola’s empowerment books include The Sacred Bombshell Handbook of Self-Love and the forthcoming Spiritpreneur Goddess Sisterhood. Her inspirational affirmation decks include the Sacred Self-Love Journal Cards, African Goddess Affirmation Cards and the Womanifesting Fertility Goddess Cards. Abiola’s meditation albums include Chakras on Fleek and Manifesting Your Miracles, Magic and Mojo.

With a BA in sociology and creative writing from Sarah Lawrence, MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in women’s media and storytelling, Abiola’s coaching certifications include neuro-linguistic programming from American Union of NLP. Her practice includes teachings in mindfulness, emotional freedom technique and intuitive mindset reprogramming. As the first person in her family born in America, Abiola is committed to using her gifts to inspire, uplift, transform and inspire.

Les is the creator of Balanced Black Girl and host of Balanced Black Girl Podcast. She started her career in fitness as a personal trainer and fitness instructor in 2012, and launched her first blog The Balanced Berry in 2014 to share her love of fitness and nutrition with others. As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, Les spent over five years helping women reach their wellness goals in a balanced, sustainable way. After taking some time off from fitness in 2018, she pivoted to create Balanced Black Girl to introduce her community to Black women experts in health and wellness. As the host of Balanced Black Girl, Les facilitates meaning conversations showcasing representation for women of color in areas of fitness, mental health, personal development, and empowerment.

Desi is a graduate of the University of Virginia and her passion for PsychoHairapy stems from her experience in intersectionality, navigating mental health spaces, and having an arduous hair journey of her own.  She has presented at Columbia University on PsychoHairapy and co-authored two manuscripts on the role of hair in therapy.  After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2014, Desi spent her “main” career running inclusive recreational programs at UVA, Valdosta State University, and adult sports on a national level at ZogSports. At each institution, she introduced adaptive sports as well as created grassroots DEI initiatives leading to long-standing internal changes. She’s been featured in publications concerning national sales strategy and LGBTQIA+ representation within the sports world. She has also volunteered for the past five years as a Venue Director for the Special Olympics of Georgia. In 2019, Desi became a research assistant for the Head of Psychology at the University of DC, Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka. After conducting extensive research and working on several manuscripts, she shifted her role to become the Business Development Manager for PsychoHairapy. The organization utilizes hair care as an entry point for self care and equitable mental health access for POCs.

Joia Adele Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG – a thought leader around racism as a root cause of health inequities, Speaker, Trainer, Advocate, Policy Expert, and fighter for justice – is the Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative.

Recently, she addressed the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge a human rights framework to improve maternal mortality. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Birthing Project, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Jefferson Community Healthcare Center and as the Director of Clinical Services for the City of New Orleans Health Department where she was responsible for four facilities that provided health care for the homeless, pediatric, WIC, and gynecologic services within the New Orleans clinical service area. Dr. Crear-Perry has been celebrated for her work to improve the availability and utilization of affordable health care for New Orleans’ citizens post the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. Currently, her focus has expanded nationally and internationally as it relates to Maternal and Child Health.

Joia, a proud recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Hero’s award and the Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard University Global Visionary Award for Commitment to Advancing Women’s Health, is most known for her work to remove Race as a risk factor for illness like premature birth and replacing it with Racism. She has been asked to train in Maternal and Child Health and is a sought-after speaker as a result of her articles in a number magazines including Essence, Ms. Magazine, as well as her publications around Structural Racism.

Dr. Crear-Perry testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee as the Democratic witness in support of the only Maternal Health Bill signed into law since the new Administration came into office. Dr. Crear-Perry has received funding from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to work with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) to develop a Standard for Respectful Maternity Care and serves on the Joint Commission Perinatal Safety Project Technical Advisory Panel. Dr. Crear-Perry currently serves on the Advisory Committee of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Principal at Health Equity Cypher and on the Board of Trustees for Community Catalyst, National Medical Association, and the UCSF PTBi.

After receiving her bachelor’s training at Princeton University and Xavier University, Dr. Crear-Perry completed her medical degree at Louisiana State University and her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. She was also recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is married to Andre Perry, MD, and has three children: Jade, Carlos, and Robeson.

Dr. Angela Cudger is a Master Holistic Health Coach & Integrative Lifestyle Expert. She is the primary educator & founder of Legacy Holistic Health Institute. Earning her Bachelor’s of Cardiopulmonary Care Sciences from Georgia State University and her Master’s of Medical Science in Anesthesiology from Emory University School of Medicine, she is educated to the medical school level in Human Anatomy, Physiology & Chronic Disease Management. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) & currently coaches corporate and healthcare clients. Dr. Cudger’s passion for mind-body-soul connection has also lead her to become a Certified Kemetic Yoga Instructor (CYT 200) & Level III Reiki Healer.

In 2019, Dr. Cudger received her Doctorate of Philosophy degree with a focus in Healthcare Leadership. She is currently enrolled and pursuing a Doctorate of Metaphysical Sciences degree.

Her personal journey in the holistic health & wellness space has given her an extensive background in nutrition. Couple with a Critical Care medical career that spans over 18 years, her knowledge and experience make her a powerhouse in the holistic wellness space.

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 the Imperative, Linda served as the Vice President of Programmatic Impact for the United Way of Greater Atlanta, where she leads a team focused on achieving transformation in health, income, education and housing stability through place- and population-based work.

Prior to that position, Linda was the first-ever National Vice President of Health Disparities at the American Cancer Society. There, she was responsible for providing strategic vision and leadership to the Society and its 12 geographic divisions for nationwide health equity policy and social determinants initiatives.

With more than 25 years of experience in the public, for-profit and nonprofit sectors, Linda has a distinguished career that includes successful tenures at The Coca-Cola Company leading strategic business initiatives and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Expert Scientist. She also has extensive international health expertise and has served as a consultant to government ministries in Germany, Barbados, Malawi and Trinidad and Tobago.

Linda is a sought-after speaker and is a member of several organizations, including the American Association of Cancer Research, American Public Health Association and National Association of Health Services Executives. She serves on the Emory University Center for Ethics Advisory Board, and Morehouse School of Medicine, Public Health Program Advisory Committee among other board service work.

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

In 2019, Dr. Cudger received her Doctorate of Philosophy degree with a focus in Healthcare Leadership. She is currently enrolled and pursuing a Doctorate of Metaphysical Sciences degree.

Her personal journey in the holistic health & wellness space has given her an extensive background in nutrition. Couple with a Critical Care medical career that spans over 18 years, her knowledge and experience make her a powerhouse in the holistic wellness space.

K-Love the Poet is an internationally renowned Spoken Word Artist/Motivational Speaker who made her 2003 debut in the heart of Chicago’s vibrant poetry scene.

She also has titles to her credit of actress, author, and mentor; Since 2015 more than 3 videos of her work have gone viral. Her signature poem entitled ” Million Dollar Melanin,” is currently trending on the internet  as well as empowering people of color with over 900k views. Other accounts of her work have been featured in a variety of publications including Ebony/Jet and the Chicago Sun Times.

As a performer, she has shared the stage with such legends as Angela Davis, Ameena Mathews, Ava Muhammad, Jessie Jackson, Common, Chaka Khan, Kelly Price, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh just to name a few. She’s a regularly featured artist in more than a dozen cities across the nation. She has been a featured artist on several albums, including one produced by Good Music, Kanye West’s recording label.

The African Festival of Art, Caribbean Festival of Life, The West Side Music Festival and The Black Women’s Expo are just a few traditional Chicago events that have welcomed her talent. In addition to general online searches, her work can be seen on her self-released DVD, Broken Cycles 33:1. K-Love is also the recipient of several awards for her community work and humanitarianism.

In September of 2009 Kendria founded the mentoring org L.Y.R.I.C. which stands for LET YOUR RHYMES INSPIRE CREATIVITY where she uses Hip-hop and spoken word poetry to teach character building and community activism. From that org a host of programs and workshops to empower the youth have been developed.

PRINCESS Program is a cultural identity training program that sets the foundation for self-love and ethnic pride amongst girls ages 6-11yrs. PRINCESS is an acronym that also expresses the principles of our program; Powerful Respectable Intelligent, Noble, Conscious Minded, Empathetic Sister and Student. PRINCESS uses affirmative chants, spoken word poetry, dance, music and art to introduce participants to African Women, historically proven to be authentic royalty.

Being in love with hair her whole life, Dr. Afiya grew up as her family’s hairstylist, graduating from lawn chairs at cookouts to eventually holding space in her college dorm room for a mini-salon. The conversations during the hair care process were her favorite part! Her trait of being a skillful active listener and creative translated smoothly to the field of psychology, earning her degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Howard University. At the age of 26, Dr. Afiya earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and was a full time therapist at Columbia University. She is now a professor and head of the Psychology Program at the University of the District of Columbia. Dr. Afiya is a natural hairstylist at N Natural Hair Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland where she loves creating art with locs, twists, and afros.

Dr. Afiya innovated the practice and research of, “PsychoHairapy,” where she uses hair as an entry point for mental health services in beauty salons and barbershops, as well as through social media. Dr. Afiya has provided engaging multi-media talks at universities throughout the country, and in the intimate setting of hair care spaces. She has now gone international, leading cultural and mental health focused trips to Cuba and to various African countries. Dr. Afiya’s favorite hair product is water!.

Kelli Joy Richardson Lawson is an Emmy Award winning creative visionary and entrepreneurial business leader with 25 years of leadership experience in television & entertainment marketing, consumer packaged goods, book publishing, and technology. She is the CEO and Founder of The Joy Collective, and of the Sonrise Project, a mental health advocacy organization for youth and parents. 

Her expertise in strategic insights, research, marketing, advertising, communications, special events, public affairs, and advertising sales has translated to exceptional results for powerhouse brands including Procter & Gamble (P&G), BET Networks (Viacom) and Dell. In addition to driving volume, share, and ratings increases for P&G and BET, respectively, Kelli has created multiple award-winning creative campaigns, including image campaigns, new branding and visual identification systems, and targeted programs to drive specific viewership goals. While leading the Global Consumer Branding and Advertising function for DELL’s Consumer Products division, she crafted key strategic partnerships with the Steve Harvey Foundation, the Alonzo Mourning Charities, the Magic Johnson Foundation, the Austin Urban Music Festival, and U.T. Urban Media Symposium. During her eleven year tenure as head of marketing and communications for BET Networks, Kelli personally spearheaded two pro-social initiatives: BET’s Emmy Award-winning HIV/AIDS program “Rap-It-Up” and the BET Foundation, a 501(c)3 focused on health-related problems and social issues in the African American community. Kelli has received hundreds of cable television industry awards for television, print, and marketing work, including several Telly, Promax, BDA, NAMIC, CTAM, CTPAA and NAACP Image Awards. Kelli is a proud wife and mother of two boys.

Loretta J. Ross is a Visiting Associate Professor at Smith College in Northampton, MA in the Program for the Study of Women and Gender. She teaches courses on white supremacy, human rights, and calling in the calling out culture. Since beginning her academic career in 2017, she has taught at Hampshire College, Arizona State University, and Smith College as a visiting professor of clinical practice teaching courses on White Supremacy in the Age of Trump, Race and Culture in America, and Reproductive Justice.

She has co-written three books on reproductive justice: Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice in 2004; Reproductive Justice: An Introduction in March 2017; and Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practice, Critique in October 2017. Her current book, Calling In the Calling Out Culture is forthcoming in 2021.

She has appeared on CNN, BET, “Lead Story,” “Good Morning America,” “The Donahue Show,” the National Geographic Channel, and “The Charlie Rose Show.” She has appeared in the New York Times, Time Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and Oprah Winfrey Radio, among others. She is a member of the Women’s Media Center’s Progressive Women’s Voices. More information is available on the Makers: Women Who Make America video at http://www.makers.com/loretta-ross.

Her activism began at 16 when she was tear-gassed at a demonstration as a first-year student at Howard University in 1970. As a teenager, she was involved in anti-apartheid and anti-gentrification activism in Washington, DC as a founding member of the DC Study Group. As part of a 50-year history in social justice activism, until her retirement from community organizing in 2012, she was the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective from 2005-2012, and co-created the theory of Reproductive Justice in 1994.

Ross was National Co-Director of the April 25, 2004 March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C., the largest protest march in U.S. history at that time with 1.15 million participants. She founded the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE) in Atlanta, Georgia from 1996-2004. Before that, she was the Program Research Director at the Center for Democratic Renewal/National Anti-Klan Network where she led projects researching hate groups, and working against all forms of bigotry with universities, schools, and community groups. She investigated the links between the white supremacist and anti-abortion movements, adding a gender lens to anti-fascist work. She launched the Women of Color Program for the National Organization for Women (NOW) in the 1980s, and was national program director of the National Black Women’s Health Project. She was one of the first African American women to direct a rape crisis center in the 1970s, launching her career by pioneering work on violence against women, as the third Executive Director of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center. Before that position, she worked as an assistant at the National Football League Players’ Association.

She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and holds an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law degree awarded in 2003 from Arcadia University and a second honorary doctorate degree awarded from Smith College in 2013. She also has credits towards a PhD in Women’s Studies from Emory University.

Loretta is a rape survivor, was forced to raise a child born of incest, and she is also a survivor of sterilization abuse at age 23. She is a model of how to survive and thrive despite the traumas that disproportionately affect low-income women of color. She also serves as a consultant for Smith College, collecting oral histories of feminists of color for the Sophia Smith Collection which also contains her personal archives (see https://www.smith.edu/library/libs/ssc/pwv/pwv-ross.html).

She is a mother, grandmother and a great-grandmother. The one thing left on her bucket list is to see Venus and Serena Williams play tennis live. She is an avid pinochle player, competing in tournaments across the country, because this is how she balances her activist life with apolitical hobbies.

Kara Stevens is a life coach, writer, speaker and founder of the personal finance and lifestyle blog The Frugal Feminista, www.thefrugalfeminista.com, an online home dedicated to inspiring and informing women of color about financial empowerment, girl power, and “juicy” living.

As a financial friend, Kara  teaches, coaches, and guides women and others to moving their money mess to a money maker. Additionally, she provides clients with the right resources and supports to get them where they want to be financially.

When Kara created The Frugal Feminista, she wanted to tell the truth and nothing but the truth about Black women and money. “Nowhere on the web will you find a site that simultaneously helps brown girls heal, deepen, and strengthen not only their relationship with themselves, but also with their money. It’s an ambitious mission, but one I feel completely committed and qualified to do”, says Kara.

Since 2013, Kara has worked with thousands of women as a writer, coach, consultant, and speaker on helping Black women break up with being broke, break free from the money blocks and personal hurdles that keep them from financial confidence, living a debt free life, and owning their piece of financial peace. On top of that, She has partnered with a number of brands to spread this message. From Prudential to Chrysler to Dove to Dryel, The Frugal Feminista has worked with quality brands with campaigns that align with their mission: financial empowerment and personal development that is authentic, kind, and thoughtful

Sonya Young Aadam is the CEO of the California Black Women’s Health Project, and brings nearly 20 years of experience in management and strategic planning to her most important work in the past 10 years–supporting transformative intervention and leadership development in under-resourced, urban communities. A South Los Angeles native and University of Pennsylvania- Wharton School graduate, Sonya is fully committed to a “health in all” approach to improving the overall lives of African Americans and other communities of color. In her previous roles with the Los Angeles Urban League (Director – Strategy Development) and BTL Health/MetroHealth Station (Co-Founder and Community Relations Officer), Sonya worked in partnership with the California Black Women’s Health Project (CABWHP) on programmatic and grant funding opportunities. In addition to her strong technical and managerial skills, Sonya’s deep passion for the overall health and uplift of Black women and girls is driven by her rearing as a woman of faith, committed to education and the heartfelt sentiment that “…we lift as we climb”. 

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.

Keena is Owner of R’oujie Wellness, a multifaceted lifestyle company that merges her passion for mind-body-spirit health and fitness. A lover of fitness and active living, Keena is a certified RYT – 200 yoga instructor and a WERQ instructor who can be found teaching classes across the Greater Madison area. Keena is also a Co-President of the Brown Girl, Green Money Madison Meetup Chapter, owner of Knaturally, a beauty and haircare business, and Co-Founder of the Uplift Innovative Youth Alliance. A former executive leader for a fortune 500 retailer, Keena has channeled her business talent into driving her own entrepreneurial ventures. Outside of work and service, she is a Mother to her two sons. Keena is passionate about building financial wealth, education, and empowerment in people of all ages through budgeting, planning, thought, and action.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tracie Robinson, Ph.D. holds a doctorate in intrapersonal psychology and a master’s in dance/movement therapy. She has been practicing since 1997 and the owner and founder of Emotions N Motion Healing Practices a non-profit organization as well Essences of Wellness Authentic Transformation, LLC. She uses structure and/or authentic dance and movement to facilitate synergistic change. With the goal of exposing people to their predispositions by integrating movement, gestures, rhythms, breaths, verbal and non-verbal communication with a less defended expression of the body. She also holds certifications in Reiki, Reflexology, and Hypnotherapy with pending certifications in Yoga and Herbal Medicines. Tracie has combined the healing approach of dance with nutrition and alternative therapies to create a plan of action to healthier lifestyle.

The President of All Around Sports/Fitness, LLC (ASF), Shannon All Around, CPT, has extensive years of experience in the fields of athletics and health & fitness. Shannon is a Certified Personal Trainer, and she has numerous years of competitive sports play as well as sports training such as skill work, strength, conditioning, and agility work. Shannon played competitive sports at the middle school, high school, and Division 1 Collegiate level. She has been training and coaching athletes for over ten years. Throughout Shannon’s coaching span the following sports were covered basketball, soccer, volleyball, track & field, and softball and each team won 1st place championships due to Shannon’s guidance and expertise. Shannon is accustomed to success, and will show athletes and non-athletes alike, the proper technique to train for success. Adults and youth receive fitness training at All Around Sports/Fitness. Shannon has 12 years of experience in the field of health and fitness.

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.

Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH is a pediatrician, motivational speaker, former collegiate athlete, community and international volunteer, health educator, preventive health advocate, entrepreneur, mentor, mother, and wife from the Madison area whose mission is to heal, uplift, empower and inspire. 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! Dr Zapata is also a published author, recently debuting her first book, Multiple Streams of Income’ which launched in 2015.

Dr. Tiffany Green is an economist and population health scientist and a nationally recognized expert in racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in reproductive health. She is currently Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Green earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.A. in economics from Florida A&M University. Her research focuses primarily on understanding the individual-, family-, and structural-level determinants of disparities in women’s health and birth outcomes. Dr. Green’s mission is to shed light on how and why Black women, regardless of socioeconomic status experience the worst maternal and child health outcomes of any racial/ethnic group—and what evidence-based solutions might ameliorate these persistent inequalities in health and wellbeing. Most recently, she was selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Society of Family Planning’s Changemakers in Family Planning grantees and as a University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health Centennial Scholar. Dr. Green is also honored to serve as the co-chair of the Black Maternal & Child Health Alliance of Dane County, where she is committed to centering and uplifting the voices of Black mothers and ensuring that Black children are free to reach their highest potential. 

Tamara N. Thompson is a Black femme activist, Lactation Counselor, Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Student Midwife originally from Illinois who has lived in Wisconsin since 2004.

Tamara studied the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin Madison and is a current student of Midwifery at the Midwives College of Utah. Tamara is a founding member of the Wisconsin Doulas of Color Collective, co-founder of Harambee Village, a community based-doula organization, and Maroon Calabash, a Black Womyn led Reproductive Justice organization.

Tamara’s activism work includes the intersections of pregnancy and racism, incarceration, trauma, gender identity, infant loss, trauma, economic status, and access to human milk.

In her personal life, Tamara is a life partner, mother of eight (six from her own womb), who enjoys family roadtrips. Tamara advocates for (while practicing) radical self-love, mindfulness, peaceful communication and honoring the sacred Mother Earth.

Rosa Thompson is the Founder of the Black Girl Magic Conference and an  advanced learning teacher leader with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in Madison, Wisconsin where she has worked since 2009. She uses her unique life experiences and teaching art to help young Black girls and all students navigate life. Ms. Thompson became the person she is today by building relationships in her community and engaging in school through various activities, and she’s relaying that to younger generations.

In 2018, Rosa created the Black Girl Magic Conference, a one-day event for teen girls hosted by MMSD that has grown from 80 girls to over 450 in just 2 years. The conference gives fourth through seventh grade girls who identify as African American or multiracial an opportunity to come together for a day of learning, connecting, fitness and fun — all led by women who look like them. The conference will resume in May 2021. 

A native of Decatur, Georgia, Rosa moved to Madison as a young child after her Parents adopted her in 1986. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University in early childhood education and her Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Curriculum and Instruction. Rosa and her husband live in Madison with their two children. 

Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi is a geriatric nurse and Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she directs a research program focused on promoting effective and equitable care and research for those living with dementia and their caregivers. Her research focuses on gaps in care that negatively impact vulnerable groups as well as care for populations who suffer as a result of system and service inequities. She and her team work to partner directly with people with dementia and caregivers to fully integrate their perspectives into the research process and results.

Dr. Sagashus T. Levingston was born in Chicago and raised in the area now known as Bronzeville. She holds a bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of Illinois. She also holds a master’s in Afro-American Studies and a PhD in English literature—both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While her research focused primarily on literature, it was informed by theory and criticism from rhetoric, motherhood studies and black feminism. Her coffee table book, simply titled Infamous Mothers, is inspired by this work and so is Infamous Mothers, LLC. Sagashus and the Infamous Mothers brand has been recognized in several publications, including Demeter Press (the premiere publishing house for motherhood/mothering research), BRAVA Magazine, the Wisconsin State Journal, Forbes and Essence Magazine. She is a highly sought-after speaker, educator and consultant. Dr. Levingston, or Dr. Sagashus—as she is often called—is a proud button-wearing member of the Doyenne Group, Inc. located in Madison, WI. She also sits on the WWBIC South Central Ambassadorial Advisory Committee. As the proud mother of six children—three boys and three girls, she and her family lives in Madison, WI.

Ms. Green-Harris serves as the Director of The Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships, UW School of Medicine and Public Health Milwaukee Regional Office. This is a newly created Center designed to further advance research in the African American community in a culturally inclusive manner.

She is also the Director of the WAI Milwaukee Regional at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, in that role she provides leadership and governance to guide and build the capacity of the WAI Milwaukee office which is designed to provide outreach services, programs, resources and to recruit African Americans into research using culturally tailored method and build interconnected relationships between the community and investigators using an Asset Based Community Engagement program model.

Under her leadership the program grown from a pilot to a regional office and has more than doubled the number of African Americans enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) study and has been instrumental in nurturing multiple successful research opportunities across disciplines for investigators at UW and other academic institutions in WI.

Ms. Green-Harris was also instrumental in collaboration between the University and Milwaukee Health Services, Inc. (a federally Qualified Health Center) to establish a minority specific memory clinic in the heart of Milwaukee. This is the first of its kind and is being established as a national model for other FQHC’s to replicate.

Ms. Green-Harris is also the Director and Principal Investigator the Lifecourse Initiative for Heathy Families (LIHF), an initiative to address infant mortality and prematurity of African American women and families supported by the the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s Wisconsin Partnership Program.

Ms. Green’s Harris’ work is being followed by community leaders, executives, and researchers across the state and nation to learn about their outreach and recruitment model.

Ms. Green-Harris holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology.

Monique Minkens has been a part of the anti-violence movement for 10 years. She is currently the Director of Coalition Programs at End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, the State Coalition for domestic violence programs in the state. She is a social justice practitioner and change agent who believes service to others should include helpful help that exposes those in crisis to options and choices that allow them to liberate themselves.

Her ultimate goal is to facilitate the dismantling of white supremacy in the anti-violence movement and create a movement that serves all individuals who see support and liberation.

Prior to working in the anti-violence movement, she worked in higher education in Student Affairs on various institutions of higher education in Wisconsin.

A dynamic voice on behalf of Black girls and women throughout the African Diaspora who carry the heavy burden of generations of sexual trauma, as well as their own—Lilada Gee has committed her life to the defending of Black girlhood and the healing of Black women.

Sexually abused at a very tender age, Lilada suffered dire effects such as self-hatred, clinical depression and suicidal ideation. These devastating experiences made her deeply compassionate for how girls who have been sexually abused feel, think and live, through their trauma. Via her own healing journey, she developed an unyielding passion to help Black girl victims of sexual abused heal and reclaim their spirits, minds and bodies from the devastation of abuse.

A bold biographer, Lilada uses her critically acclaimed book, ‘I Can’t Live Like This Anymore!’ as a powerful tool to empower survivors take back their lives. In this edgy inspiration, a triumphant story of victory rises from a past scarred by sexual abuse. She unveils her darkest secrets and deepest scars with incredible honesty and courage. Her book has strengthened the will to heal for survivors world-wide.

Daring preacher and intuitive inspirational speaker, Lilada captivates audiences across the globe with her wisdom, insight and distinct sense of humor. She will have you laughing until you are crying one minute and deeply contemplating how to live your best life, the next.

With more than 30 years in the fields of education and social services, Lilada founded Black Woman Heal—a Madison based non-profit organization that inspires Black women to join her in her life’s work to defend Black girlhood, by creating safe places for Black girls as well as themselves, to heal. She revives lives that have become weary from the carrying of secrets, shame and other people’s shit, through her writings, videos, workshops, presentations and one-on-one mentoring, all over the globe.

Unapologetic advocate and audacious Healer,  Lilada organized the international healing movement—Black Woman Heal Day. Black Woman Heal Day is held world-wide every April 1st. Lilada founded the day to raise awareness about the impact of sexual abuse on Black girls and women throughout the African Diaspora and to create a pathway for prevention and healing. She travels the world organizing inspirational experiences for Black girls who are victims of sexual abuse, trafficking, prostitution and hopelessness.

Lilada is a life-long resident of Madison, Wisconsin and a proud mother of two awesome adult children–Alexandra and Christian.