Dr. Charles Lewis

Director of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy. He received his M.S.W. degree in clinical counseling at the Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University. He strongly believes that social workers have much to bring to the policy discussion.

Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos

Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where he co-directs Medicine for the Greater Good (MGG). He is Community Engagement Co-Director, Baltimore Breathe Center.

Dr. Joseph Carrese

Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a core faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, and Chair of the Ethics Committee at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Chair of an Institutional Review Board at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Kelly Ranum

Kelly is Chief Executive Officer Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency Kelly has been with LOPA for 23 years holding multiple clinical and managerial positions prior to becoming the CEO in 2001.

Joia Jefferson Nuri

She has written and coached Congressional and City Council testimony for DC government agencies and human rights groups. Joia has been on the leadership teams at NBC, CBS, C-SPAN, and BET, working as a senior producer, anchor, reporter, and host.

Dr. William Lawson

Emeritus Howard University College of Medicine, Medical Director and Psychiatrist for the Medication Assisted Treatment Program in the Department of Health and Human Services Specialty Behavioral Health Service. He has over 200 publications and has continuously received federal, industry, and foundation funding to address mental and substance abuse disparities. He has created an institute to utilize research, education, and clinical care to reduce racial disparities in mental health outcomes.

Shawn-Paul Harrison

Physician and Donation Navigator, Louisiana Organ Procurement Organization.

Michael Browning

Michael Browning, nationally recognized public health program developer, policy analyst, and trainer, has a passion for constituent-led community advocacy.

Zarinah Shakir

Zarinah is the Producer/Host of the award-winning Perspectives of Interfaith, for over seventeen years. Also it airs at DCTV, Washington, DC, Manhattan Neighborhood Network and other markets.

Rana Dajani Ph.D.

Rana is a molecular cell biology from U of Iowa. World expert on genetics of Circassian and Chechan populations in Jordan. Most influential women scientists in Islamic World, 12 among100 most influential Arab women 2015.

Dr. Zack Berger

Associate Professor, Ethicist, Johns Hopkins Division of general internal medicine.

Dr. Clive Callender

Professor of Surgery, Howard University Hospital

Denis Antoine

Dr. Denis Antoine is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine with over a decade of experience in the administration of clinical treatment programs and research of substance use disorders. 

Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina

Professor and Endowed IIIT Chair in Islamic Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He conducts research and writing in the field of Islamic Law, Ethics, and Theology (Sunni and Shiite). His work is in social and political ethics (Interfaith and Intrafaith Relations, Islamic Biomedical Ethics and Islam and Human Rights).

Judge Hassan Ali El-Amin

Judge Hassan was born in 1949 and raised “Vernon S. Jones” in Charleston, WV. After graduating from Yale University in 1970, with his junior year spent in France, he joined the Nation of Islam in 1972.

Collin Ross

Collin is Vice President of Global Development for Eversight, a leading network of non-profit eye banks. Eversight restores sight to thousands of people across the world each year, in countries where cornea tissues and eye banking services are otherwise unavailable.

Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH

Kara was sworn in as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services on Feb. 6, 2017. She oversees one of the largest departments in Delaware's government with an annual budget of more than $2 billion.

Imam Wahyuddeen Shareef

Imam Wahyuddeen Shareef currently serves as the imam of Masjid Waarith ud Deen in Irvington, NJ. Imam Shareef is a Co-host on a new monthly NJTV (PBS) television program “A Matter of Faith.”

Jamal Williams

Founder and Managing Partner of RED Dove Partners, LLC, a firm with unique and comprehensive approach to real estate and economic development. He is currently focused on pioneering a new discipline known as Social Architecture.

Sensei Ali

Musawara Ali Shabazz better known to students and friends as sensei Ali has more than 45 years in martial arts and holds the rank of 9th degree in aikijujitsu.

Imam Earl El-Amin

Imam Earl S. El-Amin was raised and educated in the Baltimore Metropolitan area and is a graduate of Morgan State University and Sojourner Douglass College.

Steve Miller

Steve is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO, Miller leads AOPO in its mission to work with the 58 federally designated member Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) across the United States.

Mona Makki

Mona is an impassioned proponent of rights for underserved members of the community, Mona has fearlessly advocated against crime and domestic violence for over a decade.

Dr. Ted Sutton

Ted Sutton is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. During his life in the streets, he was known as "Crazy Ted", and was affiliated with the characters in the HBO television drama, THE WIRE, a series about the perils of street life in Baltimore, MD.

Dayvon Love

Dayvon is a Baltimore-based political organizer and the Director of Public Policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), grassroots think-tank that advances the public policy interests of Black people. In 2010, Love co-founded Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).

Dr. Debbie Almontaser

Debbie is an internationally recognized, award-winning educator, speaker and authority on cross cultural understanding. She is an influential community leader and the Founder and CEO of Bridging Cultures Group, Inc.

Adar Ayira

Adar Ayira is part of the senior leadership team at Associated Black Charities, a statewide public foundation focused on broadening economic opportunities and access and reducing the structural and institutional racialized barriers of African Americans in Maryland.

Aura Vasquez

As a former commissioner at the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Aura learned first hand of the immense frustration people feel when city services fail them.

Jamiah Adams

Professionally, Jamiah has produced educational, advocacy, and documentary media for the internet, television, radio, and film. Her consulting work went hand in hand with a keen acumen for social and digital media strategy.

Dr. Rachel J. Thornton

Dr. Rachel J. Thornton is Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Associate Director for Policy for the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, and Associate Medical Director for Pediatric Managed Care in the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians.

Caroline Plott

Caroline Plott is a 4th year medical student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Emory University and a Master of Science in Nutrition at Columbia University.

Pastor Melvin Russell

Chief of the Community Partnership Division, Baltimore Police Department (Ret.), Colonel/Chief Melvin T. Russell created the non-profit “Transformation Team” (TTT), a grassroots organization committed to working together to make a better Baltimore.

Major Neill Franklin (Ret.)

Major Franklin is a 34-year law enforcement veteran of the Maryland State Police and Baltimore Police Department. He held the position of commander for the Education and Training Division and the Bureau of Drug and Criminal Enforcement.

DeBorah Ahmed

She currently serves as Executive Director of the Better Family Life Cultural, Educational and Business Center, a 60,000-square foot facility that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ameedah Rashid

Ameedah Rashid is the Founder/CEO and Counselor for CYCLES. She has master degrees in counseling and Social Work with specializations in clinical intervention with children and families and systemic relationship counseling from the University of Michigan.

Pastor John Arnold

Deputy Director John C. Arnold, Jr., a law enforcement professional, currently the Assistant Director of Emergency Management for RWJ BARNABAS HEALTH.

Diane Bell McKoy

Diane Bell McKoy, President & CEO Associated Black Charities, who serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer. 

Darnell Blackburn

Darnell is currently employed full time with the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (referred to as MCOLES). 

Muhammad Bashir

Attorney and author who graduated from Howard University School of Communications and completed his education at Howard University School of Law. He specializes in criminal and constitutional law.

Yaya J. Fanusie

Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and founder of Cryptocurrency AML Strategies, an advisory firm that helps financial institutions and technology companies address money laundering and terrorist financing risks associated with digital assets.

Mike Bonifer

Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of 21 Day Story. He is the author of GameChangers-- Improvisation for Business in the Networked World, four other books, and several scholarly articles on the craft of storytelling.

Donna Pahel

Co-founder and CEO of 21 Day Story. She has more than twenty-two years of experience in the field of transformative change at the systemic level.

Rasul Sha’ir

Founder of Cnvrgnc, a Washington, DC based, boutique marketing and strategy consultancy and TEDxWDC “The Creative City: Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Innovation”

Dr. Sandro Galea

Dr. Sandro Galea, a physician, epidemiologist, and author, is dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He previously held academic and leadership positions at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine.

Patti Magyar, RN, MSN, JD

Manager at Transplant Living Community, Education & Development at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She has practiced across the US in university, regional and community hospitals settings. She has fellowships in Nursing Ethics and Patient Safety Leadership.

Dr. Mark Pettus

Dr Mark Pettus is a board-certified Internist, Nephrologist and Integrative medicine. He is the Director of Medical Education, Wellness and Population Health at Berkshire Health Systems.

Andre L Robinson Jr

CEO of The Robinson Group, a collaboration of conscious community development, social enterprise, creative placemaking, and urban residential development practitioners focused on the revitalization of Baltimore City.

Dr. Lisa A. Cooper

A Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. She directs the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity. She is a general internist, social epidemiologist, and health services researcher.

Dr. Farha Abassi, MD

Asst professor in the Dept of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and staff psychiatrist. She has established the Muslim Mental Health Conference and is the managing editor for Journal of Muslim Mental Health.

Latif Rasheed, LCPC, MMQ 

Program Director and psychotherapist for a Maryland County Fire and EMS agency and also serves private clients. He has extensive experience in the in Emergency Mental Health and as a Crisis Interventionist.

Jameel Aalim-Johnson

Associate Vice President at NASDAQ. He formerly served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY), President of the House of Representatives Chiefs of Staff As- sociation, and staffer to former Congressman Floyd H. Flake (NY).

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein

Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement for the Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative. He also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Health Policy and Management.