Dr. Lisa Richardson (she/her) is a co-Executive Director at The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies. Prior to rejoining IWES in July 2013, she served as the National Director of Southern Access Project for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She has interests and experience in sexual health education and advocacy (particularly for women of color and youth) and has been involved in community change and participatory action programs for more than 25 years in New Orleans and beyond.

Kelsie Rhodes (she/her) is a Black queer woman originally from Cincinnati, OH. She has been working with people living with HIV for 4 years. A year ago, she transitioned into doing HIV prevention work, where she had the opportunity to educate, support and empower black queer young people in New Orleans.

Social Channels: @fattyfemmebot

Obinaya Brown (They/Them) is a recent graduate of The NET Charter School in New Orleans, Louisiana. They chose to participate in both panel discussions because they want to show the youth that there is a place for youth voices and people who want to hear our voices. This August, Obinaya be attending Southern University at New Orleans withi a major in Social Work. Their areas of interest include positive youth development, reproductive justice, gun reform, and policy change regarding homelessness.

Social Channels: @colourmeobiii_

Kailynn Williams (She/Her) is a Louisiana native and a double major in Environmental Science and Nutrition & Health Informatics at Southern University A&M College. Kailynn is a reproductive justice advocate and currently interns with 10,000 Women Louisiana located in Baton Rouge. Her inspiration for working in reproductive justice stems from witnessing her own family members' harmful experiences with poor maternal healthcare rooted in medical racism.

From private and public legal practice to nonprofit leadership and academia, Kristen Rome is dedicated to expanding possibilities for Louisiana families. Since 2011, the New Orleans native defense attorney and doula has worked with Louisiana families navigating interwoven systems that - from conception - define young people’s life outcomes. Kristen currently serves as Co-Executive Director of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights—an organization that represents and advocates for young people in the criminal legal system.

Social Channels: @kristenarome

Jaelyn “Jae” Stewart (She/They/Her/Them) is from Marrero, a town on the Westbank of New Orleans, and desires to impact Louisiana through medicine and science with career aspirations to become an OBGYN. She aims to help promote the talent of Louisiana and bring resources to a place that deserves it, like any other place in the world.

Social Channels:

TikTok: @u1spook

Instagram: @unit01clothing

Ama Sumbry (She/Her) has been dedicated to working in the mental health field since she was a high school student in her hometown of Washington, D.C. She holds a B.S. in Psychological Sciences from Xavier University in Louisiana, and will be starting Loyola’s Master of Science in Counseling program this fall. She hopes to combine her interests in mental health and working with youth by becoming a professional counselor.