Meet Our Talented Team

Principal of Sycamore Philanthropy, with more than 20 years of experience in social justice philanthropy in the US and internationally. Former programme officer at Oak Foundation, helping funders move more money to social change.

Co-founder of Seven Directions of Service and citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Burlington, NC. Expert in Strategic Intelligence, Political Campaigns, and Public Administration, with a focus on tribal sovereignty and environmental justice.

A North Carolina native serving schools, universities, and churches across the US, Italy, and Germany for over thirty years. Facilitator with the Racial Equity Institute, focused on equity through a systems approach examining individual, cultural, and structural dynamics.

A southern girl raised in Appalachia, Jenn spent nearly two decades in the Boston Metro area before returning to North Carolina in 2013. She holds an MA in Peace & Conflict Studies, researching the correlation between lived experiences and identity formation, with years of program design experience in diversity, inclusion, leadership, and cultural humility. As a white woman, Jenn believes white folks have a moral obligation to risk unearned privileges by being unapologetically anti-racist. Outside the work, she finds solace in nature, playing chess, and unfinished DIY projects.

A native North Carolinian with formal education in psychology and nursing. Trained with the Racial Equity Institute and Anne Braden Program, Trina specializes in coaching, facilitation, and programming to help white folks engage joyfully in the liberation of all peoples.

Artist, activist, and co-founder of Island Culturez in Winston-Salem, NC. Works toward grassroots economic decolonization, cooperative ownership, and equitable public health — prioritizing agriculture and food access for marginalized communities.

First-generation queer Korean immigrant and community minister bringing systems thinking, spiritual grounding, and transformative leadership to organizational development. Specializes in equity-centered strategic planning, participatory evaluation, and liberation-focused change.

Social worker, community organizer, and public education advocate in Alamance County. Holds an MBA from Mississippi State and MSW from UNC-Charlotte, with REI and Anne Braden training fueling her commitment to racial equity and a more just world.

Program evaluator, mixed-methods researcher, and health policy professional. Passionate about the power of data to connect grassroots communities with decision-makers. MPH in health policy from UNC Gillings; BA in Public Health from Elon University.

Farmer, sustainable food systems advocate, and co-food hub manager of Piedmont Fresh in Davidson County. Co-chair of the Piedmont Triad Regional Food Council, applying a racial equity lens to food access, land conservation, and strengthening local farms.

Based at CEFS (NC State), Abbey supports coalitions in becoming effective multi-racial teams. Certified in Visual Coaching, she brings 10+ years of strategic planning and racial justice facilitation with a focus on white women addressing power and whiteness.

Public policy, education, and equity professional with expertise in Results-Based Facilitation and Liberatory Design. Trainer with the Racial Equity Institute, contributor to Elon’s Health Equity and Racism Lab, and leader in data-driven systems change initiatives.

Midwife and Executive Director of CORE (Community Organizing for Racial Equity). Trained at Davidson, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Frontier Nursing, Karinda develops workshops on reproductive justice, birth equity, and racial equity fundamentals for healthcare institutions.

Born and raised in South Africa, Mtende is a multi-passionate professional in NC with a degree in Economics from NC A&T. Real estate investor, racial justice advocate, and spoken word artist whose poetry explores faith, identity, and the Black experience.

Mother, writer, award-winning poet, and professional asker of challenging questions. BA from NYU, Masters from Duke in postcolonial African-American literature. Co-creator of Listening Sessions and Artists4Justice; her poetry collection Psalms from the Psych Ward examines postpartum bipolar depression.

PhD in Nutrition from UNC-Chapel Hill, co-founder of Food Insight Group, and Assistant Director of Food Systems Planning for Durham Public Schools. Driven by community-led food-as-social-justice work that centers race and the climate crisis.

Rev. Breana van Velzen (none/they), M.Div., M.S.W. Professional facilitator and spiritual director with a certificate in Conflict Transformation from Duke. Specializes in theo-ethical praxis, DEI, and racial and LGBTQ+ justice for faith-based institutions across religions.

Licensed clinical mental health counselor and Director of Restorative Practices at CORE NC. Background in health equity, community education, and public health systems, with workshops on trauma-informed care, structural racism, and organizational wellness.