We are thrilled to introduce the newest cohort of professionals enrolled in our Emerging Consultants of Color Training Program. This innovative initiative is designed to empower and equip consultants of color with the skills, knowledge, and networks necessary to excel in the nonprofit sector. Our diverse group of participants brings a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to driving positive change within their communities. Over the coming months, these emerging leaders will engage in intensive learning sessions, hands-on projects, and collaborative discussions, all aimed at enhancing their consulting expertise and fostering a supportive network of peers and mentors.
Additionally, we are thrilled to announce a special collaboration with Overture Brand Studio (OBS), an award-winning, socially-conscious branding studio that is 100% Black-owned and women-founded. OBS will lead a session focused on marketing your consultancy, offering critical insights and strategies that will help you effectively market your services. Due to this program collaboration, cohort participants will all have 1:1 time with the Founders of Overture Brand Studio to expound on their marketing plans post training.
“We know firsthand how life changing it is to go out on your own and start your own business, we also know how challenging it is, which is why we are so excited to collaborate with TSNE for the Emerging Consultants of Color Program. It is in our DNA to help those who want to create change, so we can’t wait to offer our guidance and resources to help this cohort achieve their goals of having successful consultancies.” – Teddy Johnson, Co-Founder & President of Strategy, Overture Brand Studio
Learn more about our facilitators and the Emerging Consultants of Color Training Program, and join us in welcoming the cohort of participants below!
Meet the Cohort
Andrea Minor, MPA, is dedicated to thoughtful and culturally humble partnerships. Andrea has collaborated with families, organizations in the helping professions, and stakeholders for 10+ years. Andrea focuses on early relational health, family and community voice, DEIBJ, healing centered care, policy, and evidence-based programming. Andrea has experience in a variety of roles, including fidelity director of an evidence-based program, associate director of new initiatives, home visitor, child welfare worker, educator, and consultant. Throughout these roles, Andrea strives to create environments where all individuals feel valued and respected. Andrea’s commitment to partnering with others is integrated into all aspects of their work, from evidenced-based program training, to curriculum design, to cultural adaptation work, and community engagement. Andrea’s vision is to foster inclusive and kind spaces for all who interact with them or their work.
Originally from South Jersey, Andreana Barefield (she/her/ella) takes pride in returning to her family’s roots to live and work in Philadelphia. During some of her earliest work in philanthropy, Andreana volunteered as a donor organizer through a participatory community grantmaking committee. Her vision for change is informed by her background as an organizer and social worker; she believes in the collective power of people and community. She was recently hired as a Senior Manager for Grants and Partnership at Sustainable Cities Fund (SCF) – a strategic regrantor, which works directly with cities, local partners, and other subnationals to ensure that our funders’ programs and projects have a greater impact. SCF currently supports the implementation of the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities Initiative, America Is All In coalition, and Local Infrastructure Hub Cohorts program. Andreana is most interested in innovative techniques that uplift community development, participative decision making, and collaborative processes while also fostering a spirit of connection and fun. When Andreana is not working, you can find her reading the latest book in fiction, learning a new language, or raving about her favorite place in Philly – Caphe Roasters.
Prior to joining Sustainable Cities Fund, Andreana served as a Community Engagement Liaison and Special Assistant to the Chief of the Community Engagement Unit at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. She is also an alumni and former facilitator of Giving Projects (community grantmaking committees) for Bread & Roses Community Fund – Philadelphia’s largest funder of racial and economic justice through grassroots organizing. She earned an undergraduate degree focusing on Spanish and Japanese language from Rutgers University – New Brunswick, and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.
Carlene Fonseca is a trailblazing millennial, survivor, mental health and recovery advocate, and business owner with over 15 years of unique personal and professional experiences. Carlene is a first generation Cape Verdean American who strongly believes education, mental wellness, financial empowerment, and self-advocacy are the keys to healing and living a happier life. Carlene began her role as the Statewide Director for the RI Afterschool Network in November of 2023. Prior to that she served as the Associate Director at the Feinstein Institute for Public Service at Providence College for five years. She previously served as Director of 21st Century Programs for the Central Falls School District, Confidential Assistant to the White House Liaison at the United States Agency for International Development in Washington, DC, and served on the Central Falls City Council for four years. Carlene is currently a faculty member at College Unbound, serving non-traditional adult learners.
During the pandemic, she started to do her own self work around the Eight Dimensions of Wellness, which include emotional health and financial health, and wanted to share her passion with others. She started The Greatest You Consulting, which focuses on providing wellness workshops, support groups, public speaking, and soon e-commerce around health and wellness products. Carlene graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelors in Government and received her Masters in Criminology from The George Washington University. Carlene is mother to a 5-year-old named Reyna, is a lifelong learner, loves listening to podcasts, and hitting the gym. She enjoys living a healthy lifestyle both physically and emotionally in recovery, is a survivor of childhood and adult traumatic experiences, and loves empowering others in the community to become their best self.
Eliza Fabillar brings over 25 years of experience in education research and development and nonprofit leadership. She is committed to helping leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and community advocates improve K12 school districts, postsecondary institutions, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations, with the aim of supporting underserved communities. Eliza was senior project director at Education Development Center (EDC), education director at the Center for Media and Learning, City University of New York, and senior advisor at Advance CTE. Currently as an independent consultant, Eliza works with clients to navigate the strategic planning process, develop grant proposals, design innovative programs, and facilitate diversity and organizational culture discussions.
Eliza’s experiences growing up as an immigrant in New York City inspired her to work in the educational equity and nonprofit fields. She also brings a unique background teaching mindfulness, breathwork, and movement, and applies these approaches to her consulting work as she cultivates individual and collective wellbeing. Eliza holds a Master of Arts in cultural anthropology and education from Columbia University, and received her bachelor’s degree from the City University of New York.
Jennifer Fei (she/her) is the Founder and Principal of ōen studios. She is a strategist, facilitator, leadership coach, and advisor based in Brooklyn, NY. With over a decade of experience and through past senior leadership and advisory roles, Jen has launched grassroots non-profit organizations, managed cross-functional teams and budgets, led successful multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns, and implemented global partnership programs. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and her Master’s in International Policy from Stanford University.
In addition to leading ōen studios, Jen also serves on the Board of Directors of the Mockingbird Incubator, a non-profit accelerator for grassroots non-profit organizations and activists. She is a grantmaking panelist for the Brooklyn Arts Council, a two-time fellow of the Women’s Impact Alliance leadership development program, and a 2024 UPenn Center for Social Impact Strategy GSIH fellow. She also volunteers with the Asian American Justice and Innovation Lab. Jen is a 500-hour Yoga Alliance certified advanced yoga and mindfulness teacher with specializations in trauma-informed and restorative yoga. With extensive professional experience in philanthropic, corporate, research, and non-profit organizations, she is passionate about leveraging her skills and expertise for the benefit of impactful leaders and teams and in service of a more just and equitable world.
Jessica (Jess) Fei is an education researcher-practitioner with over 17 years of experience leading equity-focused initiatives in schools, universities, and community-based organizations. A woman of color with roots in the Chinese diaspora and the immigrant communities of Queens, NY, Jess has collaborated with diverse students and educators towards shared goals for systems change and social transformation. While earning her doctorate in education, Jess organized weekly events for faculty and students in the social sciences, co-chaired a national conference focused on race and educational justice, and partnered with local educators and artists in their racial equity work. She co-edited the book volume At Our Best: Building Youth-Adult Partnerships in Out-of-School Time Settings (Information Age Publishing, 2020), and has published her research in Palgrave Encyclopedia of Critical Perspectives on Mental Health, Youth Today, Toward a Positive Psychology of Relationships: New Directions in Theory and Research, and Educational Researcher.
In her recent role as a senior team member of Sadie Nash Leadership Project, a nonprofit that supports the leadership of young women and gender-expansive people of color, Jess successfully increased youth voice and participation in the organization, infused democratic approaches into departmental decision-making processes, and helped accelerate the organization’s development as an accessible workplace grounded in values of community care. As a coach and consultant, Jess seeks to support a wide range of leaders and changemakers through her expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and access; critical and culturally-responsive approaches to education; youth-adult partnerships; healing-centered engagement; participatory design; building inclusive communities; and arts-based learning. With deep commitment to collective liberation, Jess’s joy lies in building authentic relationships and creating loving conditions that support people’s learning, wellbeing, and thriving. Jess holds a B.A. in Literature and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration (Yale University, 2006), an Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology (Harvard University, 2015), and an Ed.D. in Culture, Communities, and Education (Harvard University, 2018).
Jimmeeka Love Harris is a Donor Database Consultant with over 22 years of experience in donor systems and database management. She founded the Akeemij Group in 2021 to help organizations understand and manage their donor information. She has worked with numerous organizations providing a range of services including configuration and cleanup to procedure development/documentation. Prior to consulting, Jimmeeka served as the Development Database Administrator at Metro Housing Boston for six years. In her spare time she is committed to assisting community members with housing search, voting engagement, and DEI initiatives. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Human Services from Cambridge College, is an Alum of Emerge MA and a member of the Randolph DEI Coalition. Jimmeeka resides in Randolph, MA with her daughter Charli Ann and yorkie pup, Sir Grahms.
Kellynette Gomez, LCSW (she/her/ella), is a dedicated advocate and licensed social worker committed to empowering individuals to achieve their goals. With a diverse background in organizational training, talent searches, and leadership development, she has actively served various local and national organizations in roles such as community liaison, peer advocate, volunteer, and consultant. Kellynette holds a master’s degree in social work from Springfield College and a bachelor’s degree from Gallaudet University, along with a recent certification in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Institute of Nonprofit Practice (INP).
Kellynette currently serves as an adult service navigator at the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and as a board member for Our Deaf Survivors Center, Inc. She is also committed to increasing accessible resources and employment opportunities for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard-of-hearing communities. To this end, she founded the Deaf Job Seeker Network Facebook group, which now has over 8,000 members.
As a Deaf Latina woman, Kellynette’s advocacy extends beyond her professional roles. She aims to bring a valuable and diverse perspective to the forefront by actively championing inclusivity and representation at every level of society, reflecting her passion for creating positive change.
Kimaleen Tran is a proud first-generation Vietnamese American and social entrepreneur with a deep passion for the arts, culture, and humanities. She is passionate about amplifying diverse voices, breaking barriers, and bridging gaps within communities and beyond. As the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, her personal and professional interests are deeply rooted in her purpose and values. Kimaleen strives to find connections at the intersections of storytelling, representation, and social impact from a multicultural perspective. Beyond DEI, she is a passionate advocate for mental health, social change, community, and belonging. She believes in coming together in the community through our differences and advocates for equality, inclusivity, and empowerment.
Committed to representing underrecognized communities and bridging gaps between cultures, identities, and health disparities, Kimaleen aims to amplify voices in the media and connect people within our communities and globally. Most recently, she left her traditional career to embark on a journey of resting, healing, wellness, and personal and professional development. A multi-hyphenated creative and changemaker, Kimaleen is a connector and visionary, always finding ways to weave in her passions for community building and social impact efforts into her work, including co-founding a nonprofit and leading community and DEI initiatives. She feels most fulfilled and joyful when connecting with people and when her work can help or uplift others, whether through shared resources, community, or honesty. Her goal is to transcend boundaries and make a lasting positive impact on the world.
Marie-Frances Rivera (she/ella) is a queer, Afro-Boricua mother, dedicated community-builder, non-profit leader, policymaker, consultant, and artist. Born in Boríken (Puerto Rico) and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the original lands of the Pauquunaukit Wampanoag tribal nation and other tribal nations. She resides in Roslindale with her son.
Marie-Frances (also known as Marí, Marie, Mami) spent nearly two decades successfully building and strengthening non-profit organizations by establishing strategic vision(s) and implementing smart, tactical plans through diverse and talented teams. She’s worked at and led direct service, base-building, public policy research and advocacy, philanthropic organizations holding numerous programmatic, executive-level, and board roles throughout her career. Most recently, she served as President of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center where her central charge was moving a previously white-led organization toward embodying anti-racist principles and practices. While there, she spearheaded a shift in the mission, vision, and internal and external practices of the organization. During her tenure, she shifted massive amounts of private and public resources to Black and brown communities across Massachusetts.
She has now launched her own consulting firm, adoro consulting, where she’s partnering with values-aligned people, projects, and organizations to leverage resources and support leaders as whole individuals. Her passions are mothering and reconnecting with her ancestral tradition of Bomba, using movement, percussion, and voice to heal and deepen ties to her community.
Marisa C. Steward holds a Bachelors in Music Education from New York University and a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Pratt Institute. Marisa holds over 15 years of experience in education, partnership cultivation, and community engagement, beginning her career as a choir teacher for the NYCDOE. It was in the classroom that she discovered her passion creating experiences for students of color that affirmed a sense of belonging and connectedness, developing a powerful voice through the performing arts.
After transitioning into administration, she joined WeMusic as their Director of Education, launching a program portfolio of K-12 music classes, college audition preparation, and teacher training programs in both China and the United States. She later transitioned into an operations role at an acting studio and then as Director of Community Initiatives for Girls Write Now. There she designed, executed, and evaluated community engagement and equity initiatives aimed at enhancing representation and inclusion in internships and early career placements for women of color aged 18-27. Under her leadership, she launched the Career360 Early Career Development Program, established the organization’s first DEI Leadership Team and led the nationwide expansion of Girls Write Now’s programs, launching eight hybrid programs incorporating career readiness training across 22 states.
Never losing sight of what she has gained from her own unconventional career path, Marisa is committed to inclusivity and empowerment, dedicated to creating opportunities for others to define their authentic power in any seat or table they desire. Currently residing in Brooklyn NY, she is raising two brave, amazing daughters, a rescued, one-eyed Malti-poo, and enjoys exploring new restaurants, live music, and salsa dancing.
Nigel Charles (he/him) is a first-generation Afro-Caribbean with a deep love for Philadelphia. Held and motivated by a familial legacy of resistance and community, he is drawn to organizing spaces that honor and celebrate Black lives. Nigel’s early professional career as an educator and workforce development professional in economically-challenged areas shaped him in significant ways. To counter the persistent under-resourcing his learners experienced, he began to turn his classrooms into communal spaces of support for learners, who found a richness of resources among each other. In this space, Nigel formalized his commitment to better understanding the power of organized communities working towards a common goal and the systemic challenges that historically marginalized communities face. After earning a Masters of Urban Studies from Eastern University, Nigel joined Philadelphia LISC as a community development assistant to deepen his understanding of community-led projects and initiatives. Here, he supported community residents in Philadelphia neighborhoods to design youth leadership programs, crime prevention through environmental design projects, and convening community-based organizations to share strategies and work collaboratively.
In 2017, Nigel joined the staff of Bread & Roses Community Fund to support the growth of the Giving Project, an innovative model for building leadership that has moved over $3 million to grassroots community organizations working for real change in Philadelphia since 2016. As the Director of Donor Organizing his team led several cohorts of community members through transformational processes of collective learning, fundraising, and participatory grantmaking. Currently, Nigel is part of the Donor Organizing & Political Education team at Solidaire Network, supporting its members in their work to advance racial, gender and climate justice. He brings to this work a cross-class analysis of philanthropy, grantmaking, and community organizing developed through life experience and the investment of other great professionals in the field.
You can often find him photographing marches, protests, and actions by movement organizations as a way of capturing and preserving our collective story of resistance. Nigel believes that a more just and equitable world is possible; it only looks impossible because we haven’t tried to do it together yet.
Rae Negron is an experienced strategic analyst with over 10 years of nonprofit and performance management experience. Rae is a first-generation college and graduate student, holding a Bachelors in Psychology from Colorado State University and a Masters in Social Work from Boston College. She is also a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) in Massachusetts.
After obtaining her Masters, Rae served as an associate consultant for Mendelsohn, Gittleman & Associates, LLC, designing performance and impact evaluations for nonprofits, school districts, and for-profit companies in the Greater Boston area. Rae then worked at a Boston-based nonprofit startup, Empower Schools, building and managing the organization’s business operations including finance, human resources, administration, mergers and acquisitions. Rae currently works full-time at the national nonprofit, Equal Justice USA as the organization’s Director of Training & Capacity Building.
In 2022, Rae founded Strategy with Intention, LLC., her own consulting firm. After completing a first project for her first client, Rae took a break from consulting on the side to start a family. Rae was born in Denver, Colorado and comes from a large family. She met her husband in Boston, Massachusetts and they welcomed their first child in May of 2023. Rae resides in Worcester, Massachusetts and enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and helping her son explore the world.
Raina Sutton is a social justice strategist with expertise in making problems manageable, and progress measurable. In various roles across the nonprofit sector, she has conducted applied research projects, implementation studies, and impact evaluations to identify measures of success, support data-informed decision-making, elevate community voices, and build capacity for high-performing organizations. As a consultant, she holds equity at the center of her approach, and is passionate about elevating the capacity for learning to accelerate impact. Her passion for transformational change is driven by a commitment to ensuring that dispossessed and underinvested communities have equitable pathways to mobility.
Ruby Maddox is a Purpose Coach, strategic consultant, and facilitator dedicated to helping individuals and organizations cultivate their potential for meaningful contributions to society. She has spent more than 17 years working in the field of nonprofit management and philanthropy. Ruby is the co-founder of two nonprofit organizations focused on social justice, leadership, and equity. She is a TEDx speaker and the recipient of the 40 Under 40 Business and Community Leader’s award. Ruby believes in cultivating community to inspire others and find strength in broken places.
As we welcome this dynamic cohort to the Emerging Consultants of Color Training Program, we look forward to witnessing their growth and impact in the nonprofit sector. These talented individuals are poised to bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to the challenges facing our communities. By investing in their development, we are not only strengthening their individual careers but also enriching the broader landscape of nonprofit consulting. Stay tuned for updates on their journey and the remarkable contributions they will undoubtedly make in the months and years ahead.