Clint Smith (he/him) is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times Bestseller and a 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award Winner for Nonfiction, and the poetry collection Counting Descent, which won the 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He has received fellowships from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New America, the Emerson Collective, the Art For Justice Fund, Cave Canem, and the National Science Foundation. His essays, poems, and scholarly writing have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, Poetry Magazine, The Paris Review, the Harvard Educational Review and elsewhere.

Born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Stephanie (she/her, they/them) moved to Madison, Wisconsin, in 2015. She graduated with honors from Vel Phillips Memorial High School as an ESL student and from UW–Madison with degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science and with certificates in Chicané/Latiné Studies and Public Policy. Stephanie founded the Memorial High School Green Club after awareness of the interaction of systems of oppression led her to climate justice activism. The Green Club along other high schoolers climate justice activists helped organize the 2019 Madison Climate Strike, out of which emerged the Youth Climate Action Team (YCAT), a nonprofit that mobilizes young people to demand climate justice. Stephanie was subsequently invited to join the Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, which issued its landmark report in December 2020. Stephanie now works as the Madison Community Organizer for Voces de la Frontera, an organization committed to intersectional understanding of advocacy for immigrants rights and youth.

Dr. Bettina L. Love is an award-winning author and the William F. Russell Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her writing, research, teaching, and educational advocacy work meet at the intersection of disrupting education reform and strengthening public education through abolitionist teaching, antiracism, Black joy, and educational reparations. You can preorder her new book Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal wherever books are sold.

Semaj Sconiers (she/her)
I go by many names, but you can call me Semaj! Beyond being a mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend, and phenomenal black woman thriving and surviving all at once. I also hold the roles of being an educator, mindfulness & wellness practitioner, rest enthusiast, and one of the newest Race and Gender Equity Practitioners at YWCA Madison, very near and dear to my heart!

For the past seven years, I have devoted my career to advocating for students’ and staff’s well-being and needs within the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD). Through my many roles there, I have led, co-led, developed, and delivered professional development on topics such as restorative justice, adult self-esteem and wellbeing, and mindfulness to educators throughout MMSD and Dane County. My advocacy also stretched across several youth-led initiatives, one of which launched a district-wide team (Youth Voice & Vision) on a mission to bring youth and adults together to co-construct foundational practices that foster authentic youth voice, agency, and empowerment for all students, especially our BIPOC students and non-traditional leaders.

Now I get to call YWCA Madison and the Race and Gender Equity Team home, devoting even more effort, energy, and attention to supporting the well-being of others, especially our youth, while also empowering women and eliminating racism (and as many other forms of hatred) along the way!

Mya Williams (she/her) is the Community Restorative Justice Coordinator at the YWCA Madison. She works with youth ages 12-17 in weekly Restorative Justice Clubs within community centers in the Madison area. Her work focuses on community building, conflict resolution, non-violent communication, and the collective sharing of experiences and stories of youth in Madison. She is passionate about creating more space for youth to have their voices heard within our communities, social justice, and restorative justice. In her freetime, Mya loves photography, film, urban gardening, and riding her motorcycle.

Malú Machuca Rose (they/elle) is a transfeminist and anti-colonial scholar, organizer and cultural worker from Lima, Perú. They bring activism and teaching together with caring facilitation and a fierce, intersectional feminist pedagogy. Malú is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Performance Studies and a Mellon Cluster Fellow in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University. Their research focuses on Latin American arts and performance, feminist and sexually dissident forms of activism, and queer and trans of color critique. Malú earned their BA in Sociology from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, and their MA in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Malú is currently conducting fieldwork for their dissertation with the support of the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and the Sexualities Project at Northwestern University.
Malú is the Author of: Estado de Violencia (2014), Nuestra Voz Persiste (2016), and Giuseppe Campuzano’s Afterlife: Towards a Travesti Methodology for Critique, Care and Radical Resistance (2019).

T.J. Jourian (he/him) is an independent scholar, educator, consultant, and trainer with 10 years of experience in student affairs. His consulting work has included assessment and strategic planning with professional associations, nonprofits, and more. Centering trans and queer people of color’s experiences and epistemologies, his research examines race, gender, and sexuality in higher education, with particular attention to masculinity and trans masculine students, and campus gender and sexuality centers and practitioners. T.J. earned his Master’s in student affairs administration (with a multicultural education cognate) at Michigan State University and his Ph.D. in higher education at Loyola University Chicago.

He is the Author of: “Fun and carefree like my polka dot bowtie”: Disidentifications of trans masculine students of color, in Queer People of Color in Higher Education, Engaging transgender students in higher education, with Chase Catalano and Z Nicolazzo, in Student Engagement in Higher Education, and Centering trans/nonbinary people of color: Health disparities, resiliency, and opportunities for affirmative clinical practice, with D. L. Whitfield & K. T. Claybren in Social Work and Health Care with Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals and Communities.

Shannon Garth-Rhodes is an educator, communications strategist, and organizer with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU,) and has organized with fast food workers in the “Fight for $15 and a Union” movement for 10 years (since the first strike in St. Louis, MO in 2013.) Prior to joining the labor movement, Shannon was a middle school teacher in Louisville, KY, where they cut their teeth organizing within the reproductive justice movement. Shannon holds a Masters in Education Policy from Harvard and a Masters in Teaching from the University of Louisville.

Eleanor Hancock (she/her) is the founder and director of White Awake, an online platform and nonprofit organization that specializes on anti-racist, political education for people who are socially categorized as “white.” Having built White Awake from a small website to an organization of national significance, Eleanor holds a strong vision for the organization’s work and has drawn together a diverse team of facilitators and contributors through White Awake’s full annual cycle of online programming. Eleanor’s leadership grows out of years of experience as an activist, artist, educator and mother. Her work is informed by labor organizing, and she merges anti-racism with a strong class analysis. For more on how Eleanor frames her work, you can listen to this recent interview on Upstream Podcast.

From Mexico to the Midwest, Alondra Quechol-Ramirez (she/her) is a DACAmented graduate of UW-Milwaukee. Ms. Quechol majored in Latin America, Caribbean, and U.S. Latinx Studies (LACUSL) with a focus on Psychology and mental health. She’s the first in her family to receive a 4-year college degree. Her leadership, resilience, and voice, has opened the eyes, hearts, and minds of many. A poet, artist, public speaker, educator  and community activist. In light of her endless fight, she has received the Wisconsin Women of Color Award for Leadership and Humanitarian Service, the Youth Visionary Leadership Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Leadership Award, and most recently the Women’s Achievement Award from UW-Milwaukee. Ms. Quechol is happy to be back in Madison, where she calls home.  Alondra is honored to continue to take her leadership background and lived experience to uplift Latinx students in obtaining a post-secondary education under Avanzando Through College as a College Transition Coordinator program and as a Living Wellness in Community member.

Dr. Alyssa M. Ramírez Stege (she/her/ella) is a counseling psychologist from Cholula, Puebla, México where she received her licenciatura (bachelor’s degree) in psychology at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla. Alyssa completed her graduate training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is back as a clinical assistant professor and Director of the Esperanza Bilingual Psychological Services Certificate in partnership with Centro Hispano of Dane County (https://www.micentro.org/) and housed in the Counseling Psychology department. Her work focuses on understanding and developing culturally-affirming Latine-centered psychotherapeutic training and practices through liberationist, anti-racist and decolonization frameworks that seeks to integrate ancestral ways of knowing to strengthen Latine communities. For more information about Esperanza, visit: https://esperanza.wisc.edu/

Danya Soto Leyva was born and raised in Mexico City and moved to the Chicago area when she started high school. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and two minors in early childhood education and political thought/public law at DePaul University. Most recently, she attained her Master of Science degree in school psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she is pursuing her PhD in school psychology. Danya values and relies on indigenous forms of healing particularly from the Mexica tradition. She loves to sing, dance, hike, ski, and hang out with her family and friends.

Sara Sanchez is the Social Media Coordinator at Centro Hispano of Dane County. She graduated in 2020 with a master in Public Policy at University of California, San Diego with a B.A. in International Relations at ITAM. Sara is proudly Mexican and has been learning how to live in a bilingual environment for the past 4 years.  Sara is passionate about the Laties living in the US as well as local communities in Madison. She defines herself as a curious person with a long list of books to read, a lot of things to learn, and always more series to watch. She likes being presented with disruptive topics and thinking about social issues in a non-traditional way, receiving new trends open-mindedly and with a flexible mindset.

Abha Thakkar (she/her) has spent the last 20+ years as a community organizer, nonprofit administrator, trainer and convener of systems-level work. She brings with her a unique combination of skills and experience, including grassroots leadership development, community organizing, non-extractive public engagement, food systems resilience, community journalism, solidarity economics, restorative justice, and nonprofit operations, including fiscal management and policy and process development. Abha specializes in organizational systems, facilitation and coaching for collective impact initiatives, nonprofits, and local government  through an antiracist lens.

Abha was born in India into a family of revolutionary leaders and community organizers who resisted the British colonizers on two continents.  She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, has an 12-year old daughter and has traveled to over 60 countries, doing work in many of them to support the social-emotional and educational needs of vulnerable children.

Gery Paredes Vásquez  (she/ella), currently the Race and Gender Equity Director at YWCA Madison, is a lifelong practitioner and collaborator for intersectional justice, healing and collective liberation.

In this role and together with her beloved team, she collaborates with a growing community of artists, advocates, organizers, educators and practitioners in the co-creation of offerings such as this annual Racial Justice Summit, an ongoing Racial Justice Series as well as intersectional race-based offerings such as the BIPOC Healing Justice and Co-Liberation Series. In her work, she also provides collaborative consulting services for equity to organizations via YWCA Madison’s Creating Equitable Organizations partnership program.

Since 2003, she has collaborated with people, communities, and organizations from around the world, including co-founding a non-profit organization in her country of birth. These experiences gave her the opportunity to co-create programs, build capacity and co-facilitate learning experiences that deliberately center social justice with young and adult populations from a very broad range of race, ethnic, gender, socio economic and ideological identities in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, United States, Swaziland, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Italy.

Gery was born in Bolivia, to families of mixed ethnicities and races due to colonization: Indigenous Quechua, Aymara and Guarani with Spanish. She is a graduate of the United World College of India (UWC 98-00), received a bachelor’s degree on Interdisciplinary Social Justice Education from Prescott College, served as Co-Curricular Director of United World College in Costa Rica, and presided over the International Association for Experiential Education.

Libby Tucci (she/her) has been dedicated to social justice in one form or another for most of her life. She is currently a Race & Gender Equity Practitioner at YWCA Madison, and has been with the YWCA for almost 13 years.

Libby’s work (for 10 years at the beginning of her “professional” life) in the field of supporting survivors of domestic violence in varying moments of their journeys led her to become further connected and committed to the exploration of healing from the violence of white supremacy and patriarchy. She is passionate about working to dismantle white supremacy in all of its manifestations—inside of her, in the ways that she shows up in the world, and in our collective culture and structures. She believes that, not only can we all heal from the violence of white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism, but we can also nurture more liberated, interconnected, and compassionate ways of existing together. We can take good care of each other and build a culture in which we can celebrate the beauty of our shared humanity.

Kacie Lucchini Butcher (she/her) is an award-winning public historian whose work is dedicated to building empathy and advancing social justice. She is currently the Director of the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History, formerly known as the UW-Madison Public History Project — a university-wide effort to uncover and give voice to the histories of discrimination, exclusion, and resistance on campus. The project culminated in the Sifting & Reckoning physical and digital exhibitions, public lectures, curricular materials and more, that give space for the Madison community to reckon with this history. The Center was opened in summer of 2023 to continue and expand upon that work. She is active in the public history community and is the co-chair of the Membership Committee for the National Council on Public History.

Bio for Amaya Boman coming soon.

Bio for Kaleb Autman coming soon.

Taylor L. Bailey (she/her) is a public historian and literary scholar interested in how marginalized people navigate life, seek liberation, and establish kinship. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History, which was formerly the Public History Project, a multi-year effort to uncover and give voice to the histories of discrimination, exclusion, and resistance on campus. Taylor’s work on the Public History Project and with the Center for Campus History has allowed her the opportunity to unite the aspects of storytelling present in literary scholarship with public history, to research lesser told and known histories, and to impart the knowledge of historical findings to the public in intellectual yet creative ways.

Marcela Kyngesburye (she/her/ella)
For over 15 years, my career has revolved around various roles, including engineer, healer, transformational coach, and teacher. Throughout this journey, my utmost dedication has been to ignite curiosity, nurture imagination, and cultivate well-being, not just for myself but also for the individuals I’ve had the privilege to serve. My life has been a continuous adventure, greatly enriched by the presence of exceptional people. My unwavering commitment to intentional living and mindfulness led me to create the “Bliss in All the Right Places: Reinvent Yourself in 90 Days” program, aimed at helping others transform their lives. I find immense fulfillment in posing thought-provoking questions and offering choices that empower individuals to break free from judgments, opening the path to joy and ease. To learn more about my work, please visit my website.

Nola Walker, MA.  Nola is a professional learning facilitator, educator, mindfulness and visual practitioner. She is an environmental steward and has over twenty years of experience in social justice and inclusion work. These broad and deep experiences inform Nola’s learning facilitation work with individuals and groups.  She is a collaborating consultant with Consulting Collaborative co-creating, developing and implementing programming in organizations committed to social change and innovation. Nola’s mission is to design and facilitate learning experiences that promote sustainable life transformation.

Julie Swanson is an end of life doula, systems story coach and circle host.  She started What’s Possible Now, LLC as a sandbox for her learning journeys to explore new ways of working, learning, and healing.  Julie companions people through transitions, hosts circles and co-creates learning journeys. You can learn more about Julie on Linked In, What’s Possible Now Facebook Page and  Pick My Brain.

Stephanie Steigerwaldt is a certified grief support specialist and death doula-in-training. Along with Julie Swanson, Stephanie co-founded Endings Matter, a project of What’s Possible Now in Madison, WI, that emerged as a response to COVID-19 and the unprecedented mental health challenges of this current time. Stephanie and Julie leverage their pre-pandemic experience as graphic facilitators and storypreneurs to co-create virtual and in-person gatherings that support individuals and groups engaged in self-care and healing work through experience and knowledge sharing, ritual design and The Circle Way. Stephanie holds a Master’s Certificate in Sustainability Leadership through Edgewood College and has more than 20+ years of experience working as a web marketing and communications professional empowering local small businesses and nonprofits. Stephanie lives on Madison’s east side with her partner, daughter, and menagerie of pets, and volunteers with neighborhood small businesses and public school projects.

Kaitlin McNamara
I am the oldest sibling to three younger sisters, two of whom identify as people with disabilities. In 2019, I relocated from my hometown of Wausau to Madison in order to join the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities as the Project Coordinator for a Project of National Significance called Living Well. My work has focused on enhancing quality services, educating about human rights, and improving the systems of reporting abuse and neglect of people with disabilities. In 2022, I graduated from The University of Wisconsin Law School where I concentrated on disability justice and changing systems through administrative law. I am passionate about creating inclusive and safe communities for people with disabilities and equipping community members to be allies and partners in this work.

Bio for Kristi coming soon.

Cynthia Lin (she/her, they/them) is a facilitator and organizer at heart who centers connection and curiosity. She has recently been Deputy Director of Movement Building at the National Network of Abortion Funds and is currently board president of local member fund WMF Wisconsin. As a consultant and strategist, she supports movement leaders and organizations to embody purpose, strategy, and their values in practice.

Bio for Ali Muldrow coming soon.

David Dean is a political educator, writer, and speaker seeking to support the growth of powerful coalitions in our social movements. He gives particular focus to helping white people engage in these movements with emotional strength, political clarity, and fierce purpose. He leads trainings independently and is also a current facilitator and former Associate Director at White Awake, where he has led courses for more than 5000 individuals. He is currently writing a book titled Roots Deeper than Whiteness meant to help white Americans cultivate a rooted, anti-racist identity based on a deeper understanding of their ancestry that can drive their efforts for collective liberation. To receive regular writing from David and learn about other training opportunities with him, sign up for his newsletter, Toward Solidarity.

I’m Jen Wilson, a resident of the northside of Madison, WI. I identify as a white, cis-gendered, queer woman, and I’m a coach, consultant, and author. The YWCA of Madison Racial Justice Summit is an anchor event in my year because I believe that we learn best in community, in brave space with each other. My background is in community social work, education, and nonprofit organizational development. I’m founder/principal of New Leaf Coaching and Consulting where I write, teach, collaborate, coach, and consult with individuals, teams, and organizations that are working toward equity, justice, and collective liberation. I’m excited to be at the Summit with you!

Heather Sorensen (she/her)
Hello everyone! My name is Heather. I identify as a white, cisgender woman, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, far from my roots and family in California. I’m a parent and partner, and love to hike, write, and create.

I’ve long been drawn to the ways our inner worlds weave with the collective, both in trauma and in healing. I’m continually learning more about the ways that white supremacy creates violence on every level–inside us and around us. I’ve learned to trust that when we slow down and listen to the body, heart, and mind, we will find ways to take that next step toward healing in our relationships and in the larger culture. I’m so grateful for the beautiful human beings who have invited me into racial justice practice, and am committed to extending that invitation in the work that I do.

A licensed clinical social worker, I’ve worked for over twenty years in clinical and community settings with individuals and groups. I’ve recently completed training in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based, organic approach to trauma healing. I am a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Instructor with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies. I am a practicing psychotherapist, and I facilitate mindfulness meditation and embodied racial justice groups with the UW Health Mindfulness Program and the YWCA Race and Gender Equity Team.

Emily Hagenmaier (she, her) is a clinical social worker and somatic therapist in private practice in Madison. Emily is on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mindfulness Program where she developed a play-based mindfulness class for young children and their caregivers. Her work explores how creative mindfulness practices can support attunement and connection. Emily also teaches Mindful Self Compassion to adults and is an advisor to Sesame Street Workshop. Emily is interested in how creativity can interrupt and transform white supremacy culture. She enjoys eccentric crafting, thinking about colors, cheese, and visiting trees. She is a parent of 12 year old twins and a 9 year old.