#blackwomensparkchange
It’s time to share their stories
Know someone you think should be highlighted? Let us know!
April Walker Centers Racial Equity in Philanthropy
April Walker is a nonprofit consultant and founder of Philanthropy for the People, an organization dedicated to centering racial equity and justice in fundraising and grantmaking. In this role, April works with nonprofits, donors, and foundations to challenge biases and bring people with lived experiences to the forefront of the philanthropic conversation. After spending years…
Melody Webb Advocates for the Economic Empowerment of Disadvantaged Black Mothers
Melody Webb is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Mother’s Outreach Network, a non-profit that supports the economic empowerment of disadvantaged Black mothers in the DC area. The organization uses legal programming, policy and advocacy and community outreach to help these women. From an early age, Melody knew she was drawn to community…
Veronica E. Jones Leverages Her Passion for Operations to Expand Abortion Access in America
Veronica E. Jones is the Chief Operating Officer for the National Abortion Federation (NAF), the professional association for abortion providers. NAF also runs the NAF Hotline Fund, a free hotline for patients in the US and Canada seeking abortion care and financial assistance. When Veronica joined NAF in 2019, she made it her priority to…
Lul Mohamud Brings a Trauma-Informed and Culturally Specific Approach to Violence Prevention Work
Lul Mohamud is the Executive Director of The Person Center (TPC), a DC-based non-profit that supports African Immigrant and Refugee survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. TPC was founded in 2013 by the late Amelia Missieledies and the organization continues to honor her vision by prioritizing linguistic inclusivity and intersectional justice in its trauma-informed…
Crystal Clark-Chatman Answered the Call to Build a Mentorship Program for Historically Underserved Girls.
Crystal Clark-Chatman is the founder and CEO of Beautiful Spirited Women (BSW), a nonprofit mentorship program that works to empower and uplift young girls. Crystal started BSW in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, to help advocate for girls in her community who experience domestic violence, depression, low self-esteem, bullying, and so much more. Since the…
Yterenickia Bell Brings a Social Work Perspective to Politics
Yterenickia (YT) Bell is the Senior Advisor of Voting for The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, an organization that works to expand voting rights to vulnerable populations. She also teaches social work and social welfare courses at Georgia State University. YT was also just re-elected to her second term as a Clarkston City…
A researcher, an artist, an inspiration: Dr. Ayoka Wiles embodies the magic of living passionately
Throughout the course of her life, Dr. Ayoka Wiles has followed her heart. She currently works in arts and culture, global unit, at Open Society Foundations, the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. Attaining a PhD in Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in nonprofit…
Leigh Player is Making a Lane for Black Women in the Fundraising World
Leigh Player is the Chief Development Officer of Horton Kids, a wraparound out-of-school-time service provider for under resourced DC neighborhoods. Horton Kids offers a range of programming, from tutoring to field trips to basic needs support. Students who participate in Horton Kids are twice as likely to graduate from high school. While Leigh loves building…
Ashley Munson Serves as a Liaison From the Streets to the Statehouse
From an early age, Ashley Munson felt called to represent those who don’t have a voice. Mentors, friends, and even strangers have repeatedly told her she was created for this work. She currently works as Senior Manager of Advocacy with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, an organization that helps provide food to more than 700…
Saran Fossett Encourages Black Girls and LGBTQ+ Youth to Shine
Saran Fossett is the founder and executive director of AZIZA PE&CE (AP), a nonprofit program that uses music, fashion, art, fitness, and entertainment to help girls of color and LGBTQ+ youth build self-esteem and confidence. AP offers in-school, after-school and summer mentorship programming that includes everything from workshops on toxic relationships to museum field trips.…