Michele Collison is a freelance writer published in both the New York Times and The Washington Post. She’s the author of the bestselling book, “It’s all Good Hair,” published by Harper Collins Books. She is the former Assistant Editor for the Chronicle of Higher Education where she wrote news and feature stories for the nation’s popular national education newspaper. Ms. Collison’s work has been applauded by both national and international audience, having covered Nelson Mandela’s visit to Morehouse College, the late renowned scholar Manning Marable and the declining number of African-American young men attending college. She has traveled extensively throughout the country to attend academic conferences to cover tenure and faculty research issues.

Rafi Aliya Crockett is a native Washingtonian and founder of Maroon Compliance, a compliance, risk and regulatory consultancy. Ms. Crockett is a life-long advocate for the arts, humanities and social justice. She has served as the D.C. organizer for National Expungement Week, promoting automatic record-sealing, and social and racial equity. Ms. Crockett is executive producer of a forthcoming documentary about cannabis legalization, racial justice and statehood in D.C. In 2019, Ms. Crockett was appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Tania Jackson serves as Chief of Staff for Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau. She is also the owner of Create Communitas Consulting and has worked with local government, community-development nonprofits and socially responsible for-profit entities. Ms. Jackson has years of real estate development experience in Washington DC, working as an Outreach and Compliance Officer for Capitol City Associates and the External Affairs Director of Jair Lynch Development Partners.

As a proven leader and decorated strategist, Brendan Kelly best exhibits his expertise in marketing and business administration. Receiving a Masters in Business Administration and Business Leadership at Notre Dame after serving as a US naval officer for seven years, Mr. Kelly has thrived in project management, working with Andaman Capital Partners. He is currently a Strategy and Operations Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, LLC.

Lee Murphy has a passion for helping people achieve their dreams. Her mission to assist her clients to navigate their path to home ownership has driven her to become a premiere realtor in Washington, DC. As featured in the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Murphy has consistently been ranked in the Top 20 in Individual Sales Volume since 2014 for the Washington, DC area. She received her undergraduate degree in International Studies and French from Austin College and the American University in Cairo.

Rosemary Reed is the President/Owner of Double R Productions (Double R), a leading creative communications and video production firm in the District. Ms. Reed also donates her time and talent by giving back to organizations such as HumanitiesDC, Veterans Moving Forward and Miriam’s Kitchen. She served as the President of DC’s Women in Film & Video (WIFV) and is now on the WIFV Advisory Board as well as a corporate member of DC’s Television, Internet & Video Association. Ms. Reed has a passion for encouraging young people through a successful internship program at Double R since 1989, empowering women in small business as a member of the National Small Business Association and she believes in giving back to the Washington, DC community, where she has lived since 1985.

Maceo Thomas is an advocate in the local creative community with over 10 years of experience in programming and event planning. Receiving his Masters in Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Thomas has applied his instincts for public service to creating opportunities for artists in Washington, DC. Working with musicians and painters alike, Mr. Thomas has created various programs including a monthly art exhibit and music festival, garnering the recognition of The Community Foundation with the Linowes Award in 2011. He is is currently a real estate sales associate and independent property manager in the DC and Maryland area.

Joyce Wellman began her artistic journey in the early seventies in various printmaking studios in New York City, relocating to Washington, DC in 1981. Throughout her career Ms. Wellman’s concern has been discovering a means by which to create an art vocabulary and grammar that includes vibrant colors, cryptic marks, shapes and symbols that reference mathematics, anthropomorphic forms, even text and personal experiences, referencing her experience growing up in a household where “the numbers” were played. During the mid-1980’s through the early 1990’s, she served as the artist in residence in public and non-profit organizations. Ms. Wellman developed, taught in and coordinated arts education programs, serving the DC public schools, youth at risk, and adult and senior citizen programs.

Donna Woolf is an International Communications Strategist with the U.S. Department of State. She has strong management skills and extensive media and public diplomacy experience in Europe and the Middle East. In addition, Ms. Woolf is a documentary producer/director with experience leading creative teams to produce over 15 award-winning audio and video programs for national and international audiences. She is fluent in French, Arabic and Spanish.