Good Advice

Lesley is part of a team that is building Chicago’s first Black midwife-led, free standing birth center on the south side. Lesley is a student midwife and a doula and has dedicated 20+ years to strengthening Chicago’s non-profit sector. Prior to dedicating the second half of her professional journey to birth justice, Lesley served as Chief Equity Officer for Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and was previously Director of Strategy and Organization Development at Cabrini Green Legal Aid. Lesley served five years as a Senior Program Officer at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, where she managed the Foundation’s Child and Youth Education and Health and Wellness Portfolios. Lesley has a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in English and Women’s Studies from Stephens College.

Sylvia is a dynamic leader who excels at strategic problem solving and managing high pressure situations with poise, competence and a sense of humor. Most recently Sylvia led the day to day operations of the Chicago Transit Authority as Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff. Prior to CTA, Sylvia spent almost a decade working for the federal government in Washington D.C., shaping policy related to housing, community development, education, labor, health and transportation.

Ahmad Jitan is a community organizer, educator, and writer. At the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, he leads the Corner Store Campaign in addition to supporting IMAN’s other organizing and advocacy efforts. Like many other Palestinians and children of refugees, Ahmad has called many places home. An immigrant to the United States from a young age, he was raised predominantly in the U.S. South, whose culture of resilience and resistance he carries with him to this day. Ahmad has worked as an educator and community organizer advocating for young people, racial justice, and immigrant and refugee rights in Durham, NC; Brooklyn, NY; Beirut, Lebanon; and Nablus, Palestine.

As the ED of Black Chicago Tomorrow, Danielle is responsible for leading the organization’s vision of creating a vibrant African American Community that benefits from and contributes to the region’s economy and society. Most recently, Harbison was an associate principal with Civic Consulting Alliance; prior to this, she served as the Chicago executive director for Peer Health Exchange, a non-profit focused on advancing health equity for young people. Harbison is a graduate of The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Era is a leader at the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, which protects the fundamental rights, liberties and dignity of each person whose case has been entrusted to us by providing the finest legal representation. Era is also a Chicago United for Equity Fellow where she works on various equity projects. Era has served in numerous leadership roles in criminal justice/juvenile justice reform, implementing policies that enhance positive outcomes for justice-involved people.

Eugene Robinson, Jr. serves as Director of Student Engagement, with a focus on strategically managing all student engagement activities across 500+ CPS schools impacting over 100k+ students. Before this role, Eugene served as the Sr. Program Manager for Mentoring and Out of School Time. As manager, he oversaw a portfolio of over 365+ CPS schools engaging over 75k+ students annually in out-of-school time programming and an OST catalog of 170+ Community Partners. Prior to returning to CPS, he served as the Interim School Director of The University of Chicago Charter School High School, Woodlawn Campus. Eugene earned his undergraduate degree from Chicago State University and a Masters in Social Work from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at The University of Chicago. He also completed Culinary Arts education at Washburne Culinary Institute and is an alumnus of City Year Chicago (an AmeriCorps program).

Sejal Shah-Myers is the executive director of Springboard Foundation Fund, which improves the lives of students by supporting grassroots educational afterschool programs and their intrepid leaders. She also consults with family foundations and corporations on creating nonprofit-centered philanthropy. Sejal has a unique 360-degree view of philanthropy as fundraiser, grantmaker, and consultant and has taught at several universities. She has a history as a strong relationship builder and creative problem solver.