taliba obuyaShe/Her/Herstaliba is a comrade, mother, daughter, sister, foot soldier and a dreamer for a new South. Raised by a single father and hailing from the 713, she spent the early days of the 80s and 90s in Houston, under the social effects of the War on Drugs and hip-hop politics. Currently, taliba is the…
Trinh Duong EngShe/Her/HersTrinh is a founding member of the Circle for Justice Innovations, convening a handful of donors, community organizers, and activists to discuss what authentic community safety can look like. She has worked to develop large-scale projects in higher education and philanthropy. Trinh is also a recipient of the Echoing Green Fellowship, Union Square…
Stevie VallesHe/Him/HisStevie Valles, Executive Director of Chicago Votes, grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio but has lived all over the place – Virginia, Alabama, Washington DC, Dallas, Austin, and now Chicago. A graduate of Oakwood University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work, Stevie has committed his entire career to make sure all people have a voice…
Sibyl O’MalleyShe/TheyI am a theater artist whose practice includes writing, directing, teaching, and community organizing. My artistic universe is shaped by humor, queer-punk aesthetics, and scrappy, insurrectionist politics. Collaboration is at the heart of my practice – I love to write plays inspired by a specific group of collaborators, by a performance site, or by…
Sam SeidelHe/Him/HisSam is the Director of the Student Experience Lab at the Business Innovation Factory and the author of Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education (2011). Sam speaks internationally about innovative solutions to challenges facing schools, community organizations, and prisons. He is a passionate and experienced leader in education transformation. Sam has taught in…
Ross ChapmanHe/Him/HisRoss is a Software Engineer based in San Francisco and has been working in Silicon Valley tech for 10 years. Ross was introduced to US prison conditions and mass incarceration under Joy James at Brown University during his undergraduate years in the early 2000s. His commitment to prison abolition extends back to 2005 when…
Norris HendersonHe/Him/HisNorris Henderson, Founder and Executive Director of Voice of the Experienced-NOLA (VOTE-NOLA), believes that “those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution.” A former Soros Justice Fellow, he has successfully impacted public policy and discourse about police accountability, public defense for poor and working-class people, and reforming the notorious Orleans…
Mel MotelShe/Her/HersMel is a Vermont-based educator, activist, and CJI donor. As Founder and Director of Just Schools Project, Mel trains and supports people in schools to use restorative practices to both build school community and respond to harmful behavior without relying on punishment or exclusion. She also teaches a course called “Community and Restorative Justice”…
Mekayla Ichneumon BeaverShe/Her/HersMekayla is the founder of Gloworm, a network of top creative professionals who are committed to finding innovative ways to bring about Radical Change. Mekayla is a design researcher and human factors specialist focused on tackling social and environmental problems. Mekayla has worked with Fortune 500s, start-ups, local communities, non-profits, universities, and government…
LuzHilda CamposShe/Her/EllaLuzHilda Campos is a community organizer and racial justice movement builder. LuzHilda currently serves as a policy manager at Bold Futures NM. She was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico, and migrated to New Mexico alongside her family at the age of three. LuzHilda began organizing at the age of 16 and later co-founded…