Meet the Team
- All
Management Analyst & Employee Engagement Team Lead, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Maira Benjamin has been dedicated to the technology sector for over two decades playing instrumental roles in engineering organizations for over 10 technology companies. Currently, she is the Sr. Director of Engineering at Auditboard. Maira is the founder of the Tech Intersections conference, a conference for women of color in Tech. She believes fervently in enabling people worldwide to promote the change that they want to see in their communities.
Warren Dickson, also known as the music artist & producer D.Zign, is from Watts, CA. He represents the New C Movement and is using his music, life and background to inspire change through acknowledging intersectionality between the his community and world change initiatives.
Zoë is the visionary convener and facilitator of the Southcoast Coalition for Early Childhood Education, a robust network of cross-sector regional executive leaders and sector-based gatekeepers seeking to increase kindergarten readiness through collective impact. Through this coalition, Zoë initiated the adoption of The Basics Southcoast and currently leads the regional implementation strategy and movement.
Tobey currently works at Our Sisters’ School (OSS) as the Creativity Director, leading the curricular and grant work of the Creative Suite which includes teaching art and STEAM and collaborating with staff to design and implement student-led learning experiences that center on innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving. With a focus on social impact, Tobey works with a multitude of community partners to expand learning and understanding through a social justice lens. With over 28+ years of experience, Tobey also works as a curriculum specialist, educational consultant, and outdoor classroom designer.
La Marla has almost 15 years of combined experience working with nonprofits. From her current role with CoBiz Richmond as Events Coordinator to being a board member with several nonprofits in the areas of youth and community development. She also has over 10 years of experience working with nonprofits in her federal service with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Ariel Kirshenbaum is an enthusiastic leader and educator with demonstrated skills in curriculum development, public speaking, and community-building with adults and adolescents.
Ariel is devoted to enacting system-
level change to ensure all students can achieve their potentials.
Wesley Alexander’s motto is We Must Do More as stewards for the next generation, which is why he uses his experience in tech, law, big business, law-enforcement, non-profit, and education to help entrepreneurs, non-profiteurs, startups, and people who are rooted in their calling and purpose actualize their dreams strategically, efficiently, and effectively. Wesley completed a dual JD/MBA from the Washington College of Law and Kogod School of Business at American University and is barred in the State of Maryland. He is proud to support the efforts of Ben and his team to empower and inform the youth.
Cliff Chen is a creative polymath who develops iconic brands, award-winning products, and collectible fine art. He is founder of Locus New Media — a branding and product innovation consultancy, and was recently chief of creative & experience at Vi Labs, a fitness-tech R&D powerhouse that utilizes AI to promote more personalized wellness coaching.
Tammy Silva is a Research Marine Scientist for NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Her research focuses on top predator ecology and includes using different types of tagging technologies to study the movement and behavior of whales and seabirds in order to better protect them and their habitats. Tammy was born and raised in Fall River, MA and is excited to help support the mission of STS in and around her hometown and beyond.
Damany Fisher’s passion is helping people access training and resources to develop skills and competencies that lead to meaningful, livable-wage work. One of his areas of focus is aligning career education with the constantly changing needs of industry. He’s an evangelist for Registered Apprenticeships and work-based learning. He’s also focused on developing career pathways for the justice-involved population. With an ever tightening labor market, it remains imperative that employers expand their candidate pool to include talent with records. In 2022 he co-founded More Than Our Worst, along with colleagues, Rehana Lerandeau and Ian Harriman. Services include internal staff training and coaching, partnership development, Reentry simulation, and culture shifting.
