Alex Aide is the Director of Programs + Impact at Born This Way Foundation. In this role, he manages Foundation programming, including the Be There Certificate, Channel Kindness, the Kindness in Community fund, and teen Mental Health First Aid. Prior to joining the Born This Way Foundation, Aide gained experience working for Arianna Huffington and at the William Morris Endeavor (WME) talent agency in Los Angeles. Originally from West Virginia, he is a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate degree from West Virginia University.

David C. Banks is Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, the largest school system in the nation. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Eagle Academy Foundation, founding principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first school in a network of innovative all-boys public schools in New York City and Newark, New Jersey, and founding principal at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice. Banks is a lifelong New Yorker, born in Brooklyn, and graduate of New York City public schools, attending P.S. 161 in Brooklyn and Hillcrest High School in Queens. After a year working as a school safety officer, he began teaching at P.S. 167 in his childhood neighborhood. Banks is a graduate of Rutgers University and received his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate degree in Education from Wheelock College in 2014.

Natasha Carrizosa is a poet, writer, creative writing teacher, and speaker. Her work is deeply rooted in her childhood and life experiences. Raised as the daughter of a fierce African-American mother and Mexican father, her writing reflects the dichotomy of these two rich cultures. Carrizosa is the author of mexiafricana, heavy light, and crown. She has performed her work and conducted workshops for audiences in Madrid, Paris, St. Lucia, New York, Chicago, Houston, and many other places. Her love for the arts inspired the creation of natty roots & rhyme, one of the most dynamic poetry open mics in the country.

Kathleen Corradi is New York City’s first Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation, bringing over a decade of community engagement, program development, and facilities operations to the role. Leading the city's initiatives to address rodent-related issues, Kathy focuses on science, evidence-based strategies, and coalition building. Starting as an elementary teacher in Central Brooklyn and program lead at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Corradi developed the Zero Waste Schools program at the New York City Public Schools Office of Sustainability. As the District of Education’s Queens Director of Space Planning, she optimized public schools' building utilization and resource distribution. Corradi holds a Biology degree from Eckerd College and a Master's in Urban Sustainability from The City College of New York.

Rev. Kimberly Council is Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, appointed by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in April 2023. Council is a Law Librarian, Assistant Pastor at Greater Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, former non-profit executive, and mom of two. She has dedicated her life to community service, led by her faith.Council has served as Superintendent of the Young Adult Sunday school Department, on the Board of Christian Education, and Minister to both youth and young adult populations at Berean Baptist Church. She has led programs to build affordable housing, organize food pantries, develop youth enrichment activities, violence prevention programs and was appointed to serve on the HBCU International Task Force by the International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Positions held include, Executive Director of the Berean Community & Family Life Center, President of the East Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Local Development Corporation of East New York, Executive Board member of Women of Faith Advocating Change. All this, while working her day job as a Senior Reference Librarian at Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP for the past 24 years. Previously, she was the President of the Law Library Association of Greater New York.Council has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Science in Library Science from Pratt Institute.

David McKinney is Executive Director of Youth Leadership Programs at Aspen Institute. He has over twenty-five years of experience in the US social sector, and is dedicated to advancing equity and opportunities for youth, families, and marginalized communities. Prior to his current role, he was Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at TNTP, where he managed philanthropy, communications, and business development, fostering better experiences for K-12 students. During his tenure, TNTP's revenue grew from $60MM to over $110MM. Previous roles include serving as the inaugural Director of the Center for Engagement and Neighborhood Building at the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and contributing to the growth of Public Allies. Honored with an Aspen Institute Fellowship and selected as an American Express NGen Fellow, David holds a Bachelor's degree in Education Policy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and began his career as a community organizer in his hometown of Milwaukee.

Jackie Muller Z is Interim Co-Executive Director, New York State Youth Leadership Council, and an undocumented immigrant and a DACA recipient residing in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from CUNY Guttman Community College and CUNY Queens College, majoring in Urban Studies. Since 2017, Jackie has been actively involved in the New York State Youth Leadership Council, serving in various roles, including President of the Queens College Dream Team, Core Member, Fundraising Team Member, Operations Manager, and now Interim Co-Executive Director. In 2019, she founded Ballet Folklórico Hermoso Amanecer, a traditional Mexican dance group in NYC, aiming to connect with her roots and showcase her culture.

Hassan Naveed is Executive Director for the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, and brings a decade of expertise in addressing criminal justice issues affecting vulnerable communities. Formerly the Deputy Executive Director of OPHC, he was appointed Executive Director by Mayor Eric Adams in October 2022. Hassan's experience extends to his role as Director of Outreach at the New York City Department of Investigation’s Office of Inspector General for the NYPD. Before entering city government, he spearheaded community initiatives in Washington, D.C., focusing on improving hate crime response and prevention by the local police department involving LGBTQ, Muslim, immigrant, and other communities. Hassan holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master's degree from New York University.

Angy Rivera is a queer Colombian immigrant leading the charge for immigrant justice through the organization's undocumented youth-led efforts. Graduating from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a degree in Culture and Deviance Studies and a minor in Human Services, Rivera is also the creator of the award-winning undocumented immigrant online advice column, "Ask Angy." Her story, documented in the Peabody Award-winning film "No Le Digas A Nadie (Don't Tell Anyone)," aired on PBS in 2015, The Peabody Award winning documentary, which aired on PBS in 2015, navigates the difficult reality and double silence Rivera experiences as an undocumented immigrant and survivor of sexual assault. Recognized as one of The Hispanic Coalition New York's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in 2012, Rivera's dedication to immigrant justice also earned her the American Immigration Council’s Immigrant Youth Achievement Award in 2016. She has been featured in “The New York Times,” “Latina Magazine,” “Teaching Tolerance,” “New York Magazine,” and Maroon 5’s recent ‘Girls Like You’ music video among others.

Janice Ross is the superintendent of New York City Department of Education-Brooklyn North High Schools. After receiving a Bachelor of Education at Stony Brook University, where she graduated cum laude, Ross began her career as an educator in East New York, Brooklyn, teaching social studies. Following a Masters in Guidance and Counseling from Brooklyn College, she was a guidance counselor, and then the founding principal of the School for Classics: An Academy of Thinkers, Writers and Performers. Ross’s pedagogic philosophy is that of critical love, which is about teaching the whole child with a growth mindset. She has worked to introduce equity focused practices such as culturally responsive sustaining practices and advanced literacy into her district, along with improved social and emotional learning. Brooklyn North High Schools continue to improve with more students graduating college and career ready. Ross is a long time resident of New York.

Elizabeth Yeampierre is Co-Chair of the Climate Justice Alliance and Executive Director of UPROSE, Brooklyn's oldest Latino community-based organization. She is an internationally recognized leader in Puerto Rican environmental and climate justice, embodying Black and Indigenous ancestry, with roots deeply embedded in New York City. Yeampierre was the first Latina Chair of the USEPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and the opening speaker for the first White House Council on Environmental Quality Forum on Environmental Justice under President Obama. Featured in the “New York Times” as a visionary paving the path to climate justice, she was named by Apolitical as Climate 100: The World’s Most Influential People in Climate Policy, and “Vogue” recognized her as one of the world’s 13 Climate Warriors. She also earned a spot on “Oprah’s List of Future Rising'' and is a recipient of the Frederick Douglass Abolitionist Award FD200. Recently, she has spoken at Oxford University, the Ethos Conference in Brazil, and the Hague.