The People Behind the Work.

Baronessa Bonano is a brand and operations strategist whose practice sits at the intersection of culture, commerce and execution. Her current venture, Smartest Hires, is an AI-powered revenue capture platform. A first-generation American of Cuban-Puerto Rican descent, she translates lived cultural experience into strategic and creative insight.

B.S., Finance, Florida State University · CIRCL Award for Customer Centricity · SPOT Award, revenue generation.

Devin Cabanilla is a continuous improvement professional with expertise in Lean Six Sigma methodologies and strategic operations. He has led large-scale organizational transformation initiatives across education and healthcare sectors, serving as Senior Continuous Improvement Project Manager at Seattle Public Schools and Executive Director of Filipinotown Seattle.

MBA, Project Management & International Business, Northwest University · Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

Erika Hardaway is an educator, researcher and equity strategist with more than a decade of experience disrupting systems that harm historically racialized and marginalized communities. Her work bridges education, social justice and wellness, using historical truths as a lens for understanding structural challenges communities face today.

B.A., Spanish Language and Literature, CUNY Hunter College · M.A., International Education, NYU Steinhardt · Pursuing Doctorate, Educational Policy and Leadership, American University.

Evette Jasper is an equity leadership consultant whose work centers healing-centered and trauma-informed practice across education systems. As Equity Leadership Consultant with the National Equity Project, she facilitated classroom educators, principals, administrators and district leaders in the Puget Sound Educational Service District to develop recommendations for supporting educators and leaders of color. As Racial Equity and Social Justice Administrator with the WA State Department of Children, Youth & Families, she designed and facilitated trauma-informed professional development and served on the TRANSFORM advisory board.

M.Ed., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Washington · B.A., Art History and Political Science, University of Washington.

Jacob O. Alabi is a data strategy and business intelligence leader with nearly 20 years of experience helping public-sector and nonprofit organizations make better decisions through rigorous analysis and systems design. He served as Data Branch Director for the City of Chicago's New Arrival Mission and continues as strategic consultant on Chicago's 5-Year Plan on Homelessness.

PMP · Executive graduate, Harvard Business School · FEMA Public Assistance, SCRUM, Agile and Lean certifications.

James E. King Jr. is a nonprofit leader and environmental strategist with more than 15 years of experience advancing conservation, community resilience and economic opportunity in underserved communities. His work operates at the intersection of environmental advocacy and social equity, ensuring natural spaces and economic opportunity are accessible to those historically excluded.

Louisse Park is a graphic designer and brand strategist with more than seven years of experience creating visual identities that communicate purpose, not just aesthetics. Her work blends conceptual thinking with design craft, translating complex organizational missions into clear compelling visual narratives across print and digital channels.

BFA, Communications Design, Pratt Institute · Minor, Psychology.

Mario McMichael is a nonprofit and philanthropy leader with more than 15 years of experience designing, funding and scaling cross-sector strategies that advance economic stability, workforce access and educational opportunity. As Director of Economic and Social Mobility at TNTP, he repositioned economic and social mobility as the organization's primary impact outcome. His work spans education, workforce, housing and public systems, grounded in deep Cleveland roots and national thought leadership in social mobility.

MS, Social Work, Case Western Reserve University · Ed.D. in progress, Rutgers Graduate School of Education.

Melanie Calhoun is a nonprofit strategist and Salesforce consultant who helps mission-driven organizations harness technology to strengthen operations and deepen community impact. As Director of the Senior Companion Program at The Senior Source, she expanded partnerships and increased fundraising to help older adults maintain independence.

B.B.A., Marketing, University of Houston · Boards: Park South YMCA, Goated Nation.

Michelle Jolivet is a workplace inclusion strategist, military veteran and keynote speaker with more than 30 years of leadership experience. As Founder of HR-Inclusion, she works inside organizations to translate equity into operational architecture: hiring practices, leadership pipelines, accountability structures and the decisions that determine who thrives at work.

Communication and Business degrees · Cornell University Diversity and Inclusion certification · PHR · Lean Six Sigma · U.S. Air Force Levitow Leadership Award.

Niya Smallwood is a licensed psychologist and school psychologist with more than 15 years of experience supporting low-income, racial and ethnic minority individuals with disabilities. As Supervisor at the Office of Psychological Services for a large urban school district, she oversees compliance with special education regulations while advocating for social justice.

Rhonda Kirk is an organizational strategist and human capital leader with more than 25 years of experience aligning people strategy with institutional mission. Her work sits at the intersection of organizational culture, workforce development and community accountability, helping institutions build internal capacity to serve the people who depend on them.

B.A., Communications, University of Texas at Arlington · M.A., Dispute Resolution, Southern Methodist University.

Stacy Anderson is an organizational improvement and implementation strategist with more than 15 years of experience supporting mission-driven organizations through leadership development, operational strategy, stakeholder engagement and systems implementation. Known for her ability to translate complexity into clear sustainable structures, she specializes in facilitation, change management, capacity building and cross-functional collaboration. Her work has included leading large-scale implementation initiatives, designing professional learning and coaching systems, and partnering with executive leaders to strengthen alignment and drive meaningful impact.

Tyrone Allen is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur and operator known for building, scaling and optimizing high-performance businesses at the intersection of healthcare, technology and human performance. As Chief Operating Officer at Truth Treatment Centers, he led operations, compliance and risk management during hypergrowth and regulatory scrutiny.

M.S., Environmental Health and Safety Management, Indiana University · B.A., Business Management and History, Indiana University.