Our Team
Staff
Charli Cooksey
Founder & CEO
Charlene Mack
Vice President of Movement Building
Vanessa Pimblott
Operations and Team Development Lead
Yoni Blumberg
Director of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Initiatives
Edgar Payano
Entrepreneur Support Fellow
Gloria Nolan
Advocacy and Operations Coordinator / Community Leader in Residence
Joey Saunders
Director of Policy & Systems Change
Allison Gibbs
Public Policy Fellow
Anya Silva
Development & Communications FellowEXTENDED TEAM
We are fortunate to work with a talented group of extended team members, who help drive our work.
Rebecca Kazdoy
Program & Evaluation Assistant
Connie Flores
Communications Designer
Sara Katz
Program & Research Assistant
Dr. Phylicia Bediako
Data & Research Analyst
Izaiah Johnson
Event & Portrait Photographer
Rodney Brown
Power-Building Academy Facilitator
Antwan Chambers
Elevate/Elevar Project Manager &
Community Engagement Fellow
Kristen Trudo
Black Census Project Field Organizer, Photographer & Storytelling Consultant
Jessica Wernli
Power-Building Academy Facilitator &
Curriculum Designer
Sarah Martin
Campaign Communications Fellow
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Roo Yawitz
Claudia Mendoza
Crystal Martin
Michael Butler
Abdul-Kaba Abdulla
April Fulstone
Ryan Strode
PARTNERS
Leadership for Educational Equity
Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being
National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis
Urban Strategies
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
East St. Louis Center
Missouri Foundation for Health
Black Futures Lab
St. Louis Promise Zone
Incarnate Word Foundation
MEMBERSHIP
St. Louis Equity in
Entrepreneurship Collective
MOVE
Leadership for Educational Equity