Kibri’s interest in the earth and environmental science began in the 6th grade. Her passion for the nature led her to North Carolina State University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. She later completed a Master’s degree in Earth Science at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). During her studies at NCCU, she worked on her first environmental justice project, which involved an examination of toxicological risks posed by soil and groundwater contamination in communities of color in Durham, North Carolina. For 20 years, Kibri has worked as an environmental scientist with multi-disciplinary teams of scientists, engineers, economists, and community groups on projects ranging from water quality to waste management. She has applied her technical, writing, and engagement expertise to the benefit of many organizations. To date, she has secured over $2 million in funding for community -based organizations. Kibri is based in North Carolina.

Darius received his Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology at North Carolina State University and wanted to apply his knowledge to improve widespread environmental justice issues. This guided him to complete a Master’s Degree in Environmental Anthropology where he could combine his interests in people and the environment. His degree led him to study how environmental justice was experienced among different individuals, communities, and organizations in the Walnut Creek Wetlands in Raleigh, North Carolina. Darius is utilizing his unique background to secure a better environmental future. Darius is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Christina’s journey into the world of numbers began during her college years, as she navigated the complexities of student loans, credit card debt, and the intricacies of personal finance. These early challenges ignited a lasting passion for financial management, a passion that continues to drive her today. Over the past decade, she has dedicated herself to mastering the art of interpreting financial data, identifying trends, and capitalizing on opportunities. Christina is the proud founder and CEO of David & Associates, where she redefines financial success for small businesses. Christina is located in Massachusetts.

Dr. Derrick Sauls is a researcher, professor, and farmer in Raleigh, NC. While obtaining his Ph. D. from North Carolina State University in the area of Nutrition (2003), he developed an interest in studying Diabetes and his research entailed investigating the effect of homocysteine on fibrin clot formation and lysis. For twenty years of research studies at Duke University, he worked with several Biomedical start-up companies. His investigations have led to the development of a method for the prevention/treatment of HIV, ultimately obtaining a patent (N0. 6,787,527). Recently, he has been involved in Health Initiatives that involve prevention and eradicating health disparities and health inequities. When reviewing the disparities, he has focused on food insecurity and the effects of COVID on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other people of Color (BIOPIC). His efforts have led to Agritherapy- the process of farming as a means for therapeutic meditation and deterring food insecurity.

Catherine has always been passionate about nature and helping others. During high school, she began to learn more about sustainability and humanity’s impact on the planet and became very interested in ways to mitigate and minimize these impacts while also expanding creativity, compassion, and connection. These interests and passions led her to Appalachian State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Development. During her studies, she became passionate about local, small-scale change and developed an elaborate portfolio with items such as a policy brief titled “The Implementation of Green Streets to Improve Walkability and Connectivity in Statesville, North Carolina,” and the result of her capstone, “A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing Sustainable Transitions in American Suburban Cities.” Catherine is excited about her career in sustainable development and work with communities to create meaningful and lasting change. Catherine is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Toya has a unique background encompassing corporate, small business, and non-profit experiences, which has allowed her to become effective at achieving impactful results within the three communities. Toya has overseen the development, execution, implementation, and sustainability of global, enterprise-wide DE&I strategic programs and initiatives. She has provided leadership and strategic oversight of diversity data collection and management initiatives, written DE&I strategies, and guided strategic alignment of DE&I programs to ensure companies are driving measurable outcomes. Toya has developed successful, strategic programs, as well as curated and managed seminars, workshops, and symposiums targeting professionals at all career levels and business owners in the various stages of the business lifecycle. Toya is based in North Carolina.

Michelle Eichinger is the owner of Planning4Health Solutions with over 20 years of experience as a subject matter expert in community health and development. She combines her passion and experience in public health, climate change, environmental sustainability, food systems, and public policy. Her niche is in quantitative methods and urban data science, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and machine learning applications. She aims to apply her work toward equitable people-based and place-based policies and interventions. Dr. Eichinger has been a program administrator at the Delaware Division of Public Health and public health advisor/policy analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With a dual discipline in public health and urban planning, she has worked with planning and public health agencies to develop strategies in supporting healthy behaviors and climate resiliency. Further, Dr. Eichinger has experience in climate change research and studied the impact of climate change on urban food systems in African cities while completing a postdoc at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Dr. Tony Graham is a retired professor from the Built Environment and Graphic Design Technology departments at North Carolina A&T State University. He was responsible for developing and teaching courses in architecture, engineering, project management, construction management, cost estimating, SketchUp, Revit, Project Architect, GIS and BIM. Dr. Graham continues to consult and collaborate with researchers, non-profits and private industry while recruiting students into Science, Technology, Engineering, Architecture, and Math (STEAM). Dr. Graham is a motivational speaker and works with TRIO and STEAM programs.