Lailaa Ortiz

eccentric, woman of action, educator of life

Lailaa's strength rests in her complexity and her ability to "see" what others may not. She has been in education for over a decade and holds an unwavering belief that our (black and brown) children deserve the absolute best. Lailaa is a radical advocate for the preservation of culture and the liberation of the underserved. She hopes to empower people by giving them the tools essential to achieve all things.

Kyle The Conductor

Kyle The Conductor is an edutainer, servant leader, and community mobilizer from Philadelphia. His loving parents and support system couldn’t protect him from what the streets of Philadelphia had in store. He briefly died after being shot 6 times in 2013 while attending a New Year's Eve celebration. He has dedicated his second life to spreading love and creating opportunities for people, so they do not have to experience what he has. After losing students to both sides of the gun, he decided to create an organization that fills the gaps in his community. Like his non-profit,  The ECO Foundation, 501c3, his mission is to work collaboratively with the people we serve to provide creative education, healthy food, and employment opportunities, so they can meet their needs today and thrive for generations to come. His goal is to liberate people from institutional and structural oppression, so they can be better for themselves and their communities. 

www.theecofoundation.com

Jasmine Hawkins

strategic, solution-oriented, organized, inspiring, team-oriented

Jasmine Hawkins is a Philly-based educator, community organizer, and author of the poetry chapbook Urgent Conversations: Race, Reality, and Responsibility. With a lifetime in the church and a decade of experience as an inner-city high school teacher, education, empowerment, and faith are intertwined in every thread of Jasmine’s work. She uses writing, workshops, and her Accountability Tribe to help leaders unpack and uproot unhealthy habits, narratives, and mindsets in order to uncover their true identity and unleash their God-given potential. Recognized for her endeavors, Jasmine was the recipient of the 2016 Young Educator and Entrepreneur Award, the 2018 AIM-IRS Mid Atlantic Award of Excellence, the 2020 Bartol Foundation Micro-Grant, and the Leeway Foundation 2020 Art and Change Grant in addition to being named a Phenomenal Woman of the 200th legislative district by State Representative Chris Rabb. After years of helping small groups achieve their goals, Jasmine created The 2023 Intention Planner as a self-help resource for the masses. Jasmine’s additional publications and writing is featured in Mogul Millennial, the Mizz Jasz blog series, The Dreamer’s Anthology, and Trauma, Tresses, and Truth. Her newest manuscript, Uncapped Faith will be released summer 2023.

https://www.jaszthepoet.com/

Atiya Nimmons

intuitive jawn, neighborhood seer

Atiya Nimmons is a full-time holistic practitioner and entrepreneur who is trained as a Usui Reiki master and herbalist. She utilizes these healing modalities, along with past life experiences, and the practices of mindfulness, to counsel and aid people through life and life’s challenges. Prior to transitioning to her career as a full-time holistic practitioner, Atiya worked as and still maintains her license as a Biology and Middle School Science teacher, in which she taught eighth and ninth-grade science for eight years. She has a dual degree in Biology and Anthropology from Temple University and received her Masters in Secondary Education from Saint Joseph’s University. While transitioning out of education was initially very challenging, Atiya has used her new path to allow her to educate people in new ways. Using the practices of Reiki, herbalism, and mindfulness, Atiya has been able to engage the people in her life in a new way that is more aligned with her ideals of engaging a person’s mind, body, and spirit.

tinyurl.com/intuitivejawn