Ellie brings nearly 30 years of professional and lived experience to her executive leadership of building and refining The Justice Collective’s consulting model, business and talent development, and organizational culture of a team of 20+ highly qualified consultants who have served over 130 clients since 2015. Ellie is a dynamic, in-demand strategist, coach, researcher, and community builder.

Charmaine McClarie is a C-suite advisor, keynote speaker, executive coach and executive presence authority who helps leaders have their best year ever. She has worked with leaders in 27 industries across five continents. Her clients include top executives from Cisco, Gilead Sciences, Impact America Fund, Humana, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, Starbucks and T-Mobile.

Kathryn is a Fellow in the Education Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she supports both the efforts of the K-12 Teaching and Learning and Open Education strategies.

Marthea Alley-Caliz has over twenty years of experience working with nonprofits, community, and government groups that provide critical community services. Currently, she works as a Program Contract Manager for Behavioral Health Care Services as the lead for language and culturally-specific services, and she previously worked for the Alameda County Probation Department running their data unit.

Brittney Watters is a fearless educator with a commanding presence, a passion for motivating individuals to identify their purpose, and over a decade of professional experience in K-12 and post-secondary education. Brittney holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Counseling, PPS Credential from California State University, Fresno.

Traka Lopez is currently pursuing an MA in Museum Studies and Historical Preservation at Morgan State University in Baltimore and earned her BFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Traka’s passions include sustainability, advocacy, equity in the arts for BIPOC Women, museums, and art-based communities. While living in the Bay Area, Traka was connected to community organizations including MoAD Vanguard, The Art Education Alliance of the Bay Area, and Brioxy. On the east coast, she is connected with organizations including the HBCU Alliance of Museums and Art Galleries.

A Bay Area native with 15 years of service addressing the psychosocial needs of infants, young children, and their caregivers in preschool and community mental health settings, Jei Watkins prioritizes a multimodal approach to connect with families and optimize treatment outcomes. Her fundamental guiding principles as a parent-child and family therapist emphasize Self as the therapeutic tool, cultural and general humility as a practice, and the inestimable utility of collaboration as a vehicle for agency, empowerment, cohesion, and sustainable change.

Tavita Bass is a lover of life and all its complexity, motivated by deep thought and understanding the human experience. She has worked in Mortgage Operations for over 15 years. Her soul work is in education and human/social services, and she is on a mission to support the youth.

dana e. fitchett has worked in schools and in education- and social justice-focused not-for-profits for the past 12 years with roles ranging from direct classroom work and family organizing to event management and marketing and communications.

Ayanna is a 5th-generation Bay Area native, mother, wife, friend, mentor, leader, former nomad, and BlackFemaleProject member supporter. As a Human Resource executive, Ayanna is highly in tune with the circumstances Black women often encounter in the workplace.

“It is powerful to put faces with stories to see and say, I know her story.”

These are the words of Nicole Norfles, Black African American; consummate professional; self-described super power-bearing goddess; and free woman living and working in the DC Metro Area.