Community Alliance PartnersĀ
African Women investment Fund Initiative
Pan-African executive leader, institution builder and strategic advisor with 20+ years of experience spanning organisational leadership, economic development, governance, women's economic empowerment, policy, international development and cross-sector partnerships. Founder and President of Leading Women of Africa (LWA), established in 2008 as a Pan-African platform advancing leadership, economic participation and development across Africa.
Courageous Access
Courageous Fire, CHW is an award-winning author, national trainer, and Scholar-Practitioner of Lived Experience. She is the Founder and CEO of Courageous Fire, LLC and the Founding Executive Director of Courageous Access, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing safety, health, and economic mobility for Black women. Through culturally responsive, trauma-informed frameworks, cohort-based programs, and healing spaces, she works to help Black women move from survival toward greater safety, stability, and generational well-being.
Women in Sustainable STEM Africa
Hillary Atindah is an Outreach and Partnership Coordinator at Women in Sustainable STEM Africa (WiSSA), where he supports partnerships and initiatives that expand access to STEM education, technology, and innovation. With a background in Business Information Technology and experience in STEM education, mentorship, robotics, and community development, Hillary is passionate about using technology to empower young people and create sustainable opportunities across Africa.
LaTonia Monroe Naylor
She has raised over $8 million in funds and resources and has worked on both sides of the funding table. On the funder side, she oversaw multimillion-dollar investments and designed and managed competitive grant programs, including deciding who got funded. On the leadership side, she secured multimillion-dollar funding for programs she ran, including AmeriCorps. Notably, as co-founder of a nonprofit organization, she raised over $3 million, and 90% of it came to her rather than being chased.
Black Women in Charge, Inc.
Yasmine Anderson is CEO of BWC, Inc., a health and law think tank democratizing autonomy over one's wellness and education from a human rights perspective. Under her leadership, 100+ Black women students and professionals have completed 30+ research initiatives since 2021 and provided consulting to government, financial, health, technology, academic, and advocacy organizations internationally. Partners include MIT, BMC, Amazon, Fund II Foundation, USDA, and NEBLSA.
LaShea Conner-Gaten, Ed.M.
LaShea Conner-Gaten, Ed.M. is the Founder and CEO of CAI Collective Group, a human-centered AI, organizational transformation, workforce innovation, and social-impact firm helping organizations and communities translate emerging technology into measurable human and economic value. Her work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, organizational leadership, workforce transformation, education, economic mobility, emerging technology, and social impact.
Colorintech
Ashleigh Ainsley MBE is a technology, strategy and diversity leader and Co-Founder of Colorintech, a leading UK non-profit focused on diversity and inclusion in technology. With extensive experience in strategy consulting, technology, innovation and partnerships, Ashleigh has worked across areas including SaaS, digital products, e-commerce, telecommunications, fintech, programme management, corporate and startup partnerships, and corporate strategy.
ALIVE PODCAST NETWORK
Angel Nicole Livas is an award-winning media executive, technology entrepreneur, producer and Founder & CEO of ALIVE Podcast NetworkĀ®, a multimedia company spanning audio, connected television, content production and distribution. With nearly three decades in media, Angel has produced for broadcasting legends Larry King and Jane Pauley and led nationally syndicated programming for AARP. A 2024 Inc. Female Founders honoree, TEDx speaker and international best-selling author, she is also a recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
Black Speakers Bureau
Teona Washington is a business development specialist, expert business trainer, and coach with over a decade of experience in business development, leadership, and property management. She empowers entrepreneurs, executives, and emerging leaders through strategic planning, leadership development, customer success, and business growth. At Neighborhood Development Center, Teona develops tailored coaching programs that help clients turn their business goals into actionable strategies and sustainable results.
Deaf Queen Boss
Kellina Powell is an author, keynote speaker, consultant, and the founder of Deaf Queen Boss, an organizational practice built on more than a decade of advocacy for Deaf and disabled people. As a Black Deaf woman, Kellina knows firsthand what it means to navigate spaces where representation, accessibility, and inclusion were never designed with people like her in mind. Her lived experience fuels her mission to ensure that the next generation ā€” and the next customer ā€” does not feel invisible.
