Dr. Chris Wachira DNP, RN, MPA, NE-BC
Dr. Chris Wachira DNP, RN, MPA, NE-BC

Dr. Chris Wachira is passionate about patient advocacy and improving clinical outcomes. As a healthcare professional, she has over 10 years of clinical expertise and leadership skills to change practice, influence clinical processes, and systems. As a certified TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer, Dr. Wachira is equipped with teamwork tools, aimed at optimizing patient outcomes through improved communication and collaboration skills amongst healthcare professionals. Dr. Wachira’s healthcare analytics interest areas include Predictive Modeling, Care Pathway Analytics, Patient Similarity Analytics, and Utilization Analytics.

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Abayomi Jones, M.D.
Abayomi Jones, M.D.

Given the Yoruba name Abayomi- which means: born to bring me joy- by proud African-American parents, Dr.Jones’ life began with purpose. Growing up in East Palo Alto, California she learned the value of community, the strength of unity and the meaning of perseverance. At 17, she left home to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she earned a bachelors of science in Biology.

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Ericka Blount, Counselor
Ericka Blount, Counselor

Since relocating to Texas from Georgia in 2015, Ericka Blount has been actively involved in wine making, with a focus on Italian mead wines and use of local agriculture products. Her work with Blount Wine Therapy opens a new door for her to expand her passion of informing others about honey-based wines. Her goal for Blount Wine Therapy is to make wines that offers health benefits to enhance the social and emotional experience of each consumer.

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Britte Cheng, Lead Researcher
Britte Cheng, Lead Researcher

Britte Haugan Cheng, Ph.D., has been leading R&D in STEM instruction, learning technologies, and assessment for two decades. Applying this expertise, her work has focused on the development of innovative methods and infrastructure to address persistent problems in education, including serving as co-PI of the NSF project that conceptualized Design-based Implementation Research. At MenloEDU, she continues her work on STEM research projects coupled with strategic advising partnerships across research, funding, and policy communities.

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Aasha Joshi, Researcher
Aasha Joshi, Researcher

Aasha’s work is guided by three questions: What’s being done? Is it working? And how can we make it work better? For over 15 years, she has been advising, designing, conducting, managing, and integrating robust research within and for organizations so that they can improve their processes, services, and products to meet their goals and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

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Ayesha Lee
Ayesha Lee

My name is Ayesha Lee and I am a graduating senior at California State University, East Bay. My major is Health Science with a concentration in Public Health. I was born and raised in Richmond, California and was raised by my mom for the later half of my life. I have a deep passion for helping others and providing resources and education to the Black community in relation to health and wellness services.

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Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser
Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser

Dr. Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser is the CEO and Founder of Liberated Expressions. Liberated Expressions is a Professional Services agency that enhances the professional credibility of mid-executive level career women. Dr. Ceaser is also the Founder of The Professional Oasis; author of When the Bow Breaks, a children’s book that teaches girls to love and embrace their natural beauty and talents; and contributing author of Quarantine Queens: The Stories of Forward-Thinking Women Entrepreneurs During the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Desire Johnson-Forte
Desire Johnson-Forte

Desire J. Forte is an expert of micro participatory project ideation to implementation monitoring. She owns the BIZ Stoop (founder), Damn Good Teas (consumer product), and Luv Euphor (artisan crafts). Through the principles of her social enterprises, she offers a unique perspective to service providers who work with or for young adults.

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Asandi Conner
Asandi Conner

Asandi Conner is Director of the Detroit Equity Action Lab at Wayne State University, where she previously directed the Detroit Revitalization Fellows, a talent and leadership development program of the University’s Office of Economic Development.

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Cecily Joseph
Cecily Joseph

Cecily Joseph (she/her) is a nonprofit and advisory board member, lawyer, and sustainability executive recognized as a thought leader and influencer in social and environmental responsibility, ethics, and diversity.

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Member Spotlight: Brittney Watters
Member Spotlight: Brittney Watters

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.

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Member Spotlight: Traka Lopez-White
Member Spotlight: Traka Lopez-White

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.

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Member Spotlight: Jei Watkins
Member Spotlight: Jei Watkins

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.

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Anasa Troutman
Anasa Troutman

As CEO & Founder of The BIG We, Anasa works to build & execute strategies for artists & organizations that are aligned with her vision of a loving world & her belief in creativity as a pathway to personal, community & global transformation.

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Erin Dale Byrd
Erin Dale Byrd

The Partnership Funds are proud to welcome Erin Dale Byrd as our incoming executive director. She will start work at the Funds in June. Erin brings over 19 years of experience in successful coalition work on campaigns including increasing the minimum wage, public financing of judicial campaigns and same-day voter registration. She is a mother, community activist, political strategist and cultural worker in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was raised in a military family with roots in Tennessee and Texas.

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