As a daughter of Pakistani-Muslim immigrants growing up in Texas, Aysha has understood the importance of unapologetically advocating for her community and other marginalized groups from a young age. This mantra has driven her work in civic engagement initiatives and public service to help ensure the perspective of minority groups are heard on a higher level. She was first introduced to Justice + Joy’s work while serving as a fellow for the Texas Women’s Foundation’s Young Women’s Advisory Council. In her current role as Senior Director of Projects, she works on Justice + Joy’s grant with the State of New Jersey’s Rape Prevention and Education initiative, as well as research related to the In Solidarity Conversations. Prior to joining Justice + Joy, Aysha pursued her passion for advancing gender equity, both locally and abroad, through multilateral organizations, a variety of international development nonprofits and corporations, and in the federal government. She graduated with her MPA from the University of Texas at Dallas and currently splits her time between Canada and the States.

Becky is new to Justice + Joy.  Her role as Finance Director allows her to support the mission of Justice + Joy behind the scenes, utilizing 25 plus years of diverse experience. She has served as a data analyst for the Department of Defense, office manager, Treasurer for a non-profit youth sports organization, marketing assistant & a variety of support roles. Before coming to Justice + Joy she served at a non-profit medical agency providing assistance to the uninsured and under-insured in the community requiring substance abuse & mental health services by finding alternative funding.  Becky has a teenage daughter & 3 fur babies.  She enjoys trying different foods and NFL football!

Carrie Hatfield’s role as Senior Director of Strategic Vision Advancement utilizes her passion for national events, policy and education to elevate awareness surrounding issues among cis and trans girls, young women and gender-expansive young people, while sharing information to advance social justice.  Being a proud member of the Diné (Navajo) nation, she was raised to understand the importance of fostering a strong, informed voice to be used as an advocate for equality.  She uses ancestral knowledge as part of her framework to dismantle and decolonize damaging systems of power, which helps inform her work at Justice + Joy.  She graduated from Arizona State University with her degree in Anthropology, gaining an understanding of past and present power structures and cultural significance. With a background in marketing, public speaking, and supporting positive political change, she uses her lived experiences to educate and be an advocate for her/them*. She is proud to work for an organization at the forefront of the dismantling of oppressive systems by and for powerful women. Living on the homeland of the Timpanogos tribe in Salt Lake City, Utah, she frequently volunteers locally to help members of her community experiencing homelessness. She is always looking for the next good book or podcast to enjoy at a new coffee shop or curled up with her cat Franklin.

Chloe Williams began her journey with Justice + Joy as an In Solidarity We Rise 2019 attendee before taking on her role as an In Solidarity Research Fellow in 2020. Along with her passion for advocacy, community building, art and communications, Chloe has developed herself professionally in her multiple roles on the team, working up to an associate position on the Strategic Vision Advancement team. Originally a grassroots activist in the Sacramento and Bay area, Chloe has been using her voice, resources, and strategy to uplift her community for over a decade. In addition to her work with Justice + Joy, Chloe has organized multiple community drives from the ground up, founded a mutual aid network in Sacramento, and has voiced her bold perspective in spoken word poetry and published work. Chloe’s mission to amplify and celebrate the storytelling and lives of girls and gender-expansive young people of color continues at Opus Open Mic, a monthly immersive art event downtown Oakland originally started to promote her debut book, Opus.

Ebony is a Portland native with an extensive background in Finance through her multiple roles in Retail Banking. Ranging from frontline customer service, to behind the scenes prevention work. Bringing her work ethic, compassion, and organizational skills into the Finance and Operation world of Justice + Joy Ebony hopes to continue to grow and learn while furthering the mission of the organization. 

Ebony enjoys spending time with her family creating long lasting memories, spoiling her dog, and cooking.

Erykah has been connected with Justice + Joy for over six years, between volunteering and completing her internship hours. As a formal collegiate athlete, she has a strong passion for advocating and creating bold spaces for Black girls, young women and queer people of color through health and wellness that are impacted by social norms and policies. She’s a firm believer that through storytelling, research, advocacy, and education we can achieve meaningful systems and social justice reform.  Erykah holds a Bachelor’s in Public Health from CWU, and a Master’s in Education: Equity and Social Justice from SFSU. She enjoys various movements, eating tasty foodies and traveling.

Holly has always been dedicated to supporting the resilience of girls, young women and gender expansive young people. Her lived experiences allow her to bring a unique perspective and passion to her work and understanding the needs of girls and young women of color impacted by chronic adversity and violence. She’s a firm believer that healing and knowledge is the first step in breaking generational cycles of adversity and achieving liberation and joy. Holly has been with Justice + Joy for over 10 years and has over 20 years of professional experience in fundraising, project management, event management, organizational development, community outreach, grant management, resource development, human resources, and accounting in both the non-profit and private sectors. Holly is the board chair of the Mullen-Polk Foundation, a local non-profit supporting foster youth in Washington State. Holly and her husband are proud parents of three, who are empathic passionate advocates working hard to make the world a better place through service, leadership and kindness.

Jaclyn Cirinna is a strong leader and advocate for change both nationally and statewide. Jaclyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice from Salem State University. Jaclyn is currently a project associate for Justice+Joy providing support to the project director and coordinating the efforts of project site TTA teams and to ensure cross team communication as necessary. She enjoys being heavily involved in decision making for the juvenile justice system reform. Her interest in the juvenile justice system relates to her personal experience in it. She is a consultant for performance-based standards focusing on re-entry work, as well as a consultant for the Department of Youth Services assisting in various projects and events. She is also an alumni for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) where she was able to focus on professional development as well as have an impact in the juvenile justice reform on a national and state level.

Jamelia’s work is committed to ending violence in the lives of Black Girls and Girls of Color through community-engaged research, advocacy, and organizing. Her current research draws on creative arts-based methods, storytelling, and Black Feminist frameworks to explore how the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and geography shape girls’ experiences in the U.S. public school system — with a specific focus on school discipline and push-out. Jamelia firmly believes in amplifying the collective power of Black Girls and Girls of Color by centering them as research and thought partners as we collectively work toward the systems and world we need and deserve. She holds a B.A. in Black Studies and Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Jamelia enjoys listening to live music and spending quality time with her Cavapoo puppy, Nipsey, in her spare time.

Jasmine joined the Justice + Joy family in 2017 bringing her administrative and operations expertise to the organization. Most recently her job expanded to include Human Resources focusing on making sure Justice + Joy’s pay, benefits, policies, and practices are consistently progressive and equitable. Jasmine’s empathetic and passionate heart drive Jasmine in her role to continue to challenge the ways of traditional HR departments and corporate structures. Her goal is to put her staff’s needs first and always pursue Justice + Joy’s mission within the organization. She also serves as the organization’s Board Liaison providing secretarial support to the Board of Trustees. Jasmine earned her Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Oregon and now resides in Portland, OR. She spends most of her free time trying the latest vegan spots around town or chasing after her energetic toddler.

Jasmine Yesenia’s passion for fighting racial and gender injustices as well as her creative and bold mindset make her a great fit for the Strategic Vision Advancement Associate role. Jasmine Yesenia’s role combines communication, development and partnership to focus on social media strategy, development strategies and her personal favorite, the Justice + Joy newsletter. Jasmine Yesenia is a proud Afro Latina of African and Puerto Rican descent who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She attended New York University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Cultural Analysis as well as her recent degree of a Masters In Social Work. Through her time living in New York and through her work at various organizations from The Latino Social Work Coalition, The Mayor’s Office To End Domestic and Gender Based Violence, The Food Bank for New York City and more, her dedication to mental health, gender based violence, diversification and overall equity continued to bloom. Jasmine Yesenia never expected to work with an organization not only fighting for justice, gender and racial equality, but to be part of a team that actively embodies those values every day. Although she may be new to the team, she feels like this is where she was meant to be and where she has already been at heart for some time. She looks forward to unapologetically fighting for justice and joy and where her future with Justice + Joy will take her.

Jeannette has led Justice + Joy through the reinvention of this 140-year-old national advocacy organization since 2007. Her commitment to advocating for issues of importance to cis and trans girls, young women and gender expansive young people began as a young activist in the mid 70’s. This is where her firm belief in the “nothing about us without us” practice and a dedication to following the leadership of those most impacted by all forms of oppression and the intersections of them was born. Her prior experience includes being a partner in a social change consulting agency; working in human and civil rights at the city, county and state levels; serving as senior policy advisor on Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts team; founding a nonprofit education program for middle and high school students; and holding leadership roles in student services in public and private four-year universities. Jeannette holds a master’s degree of education in student development theory, counseling and administration. She and her husband are the parents of four “grown” children ages 37–42.

Jessie Domingo Salu brings to Justice + Joy more than 20 years of experience in program leadership and development, strategic communications, and direct service. At Justice + Joy, Jessie strategically engages in developing individual, organizational and philanthropic relationships to support Justice + Joy’s impact, visibility and financial resources. She is humbled to be part of an organization that advocates for and works alongside cis and trans girls, young women and gender-expansive young people who are powerful and have the ability to change the world. 

Jessie is a first-generation Filipina, born and raised in Hawaii. In her spare time she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two sons. One of her favorite past times with her family is playing laser tag. She and her husband are active in their communities and love hearing and sharing stories of their ancestors. Jessie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, with an emphasis in Social Work, from Washington State University.

As a pregnant and parenting teen growing up in the North Carolina foster care system, Lanitta Berry always had a passion for her peers and changing the system. During her advocacy career, she worked on all three levels of government while also able to volunteer each year to give back to her community. These experiences allowed her to make connections that directly shaped the system. Locally, Lanitta was a youth leader at Mecklenburg County and would advocate for things that her peers wanted and needed. She participated in statewide and national policy transformation when she was on the board of directors at Sayso from 2015 to 2018. Her commitment to the work was rooted in the belief in uplifting issues whenever influential government leaders listened. At the beginning of 2018, Lanitta started her official role as a child/mother welfare consultant working alongside nonprofit organizations, community partners, stakeholders and government agencies both in and outside her community. In May of 2022, Lanitta Berry graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with her bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance. Today she continues to advocate, advise, and lead in building a better world for her community.

Lisette has been working with Justice + Joy for over a decade in various capacities – from advocate, to contractor, and finally employee working to elevate the voices of young mothers and advancing the organization’s advocacy and policy activities. Being unapologetic and bold, Lisette has navigated both government and nonprofit spaces, and prior to joining the organization, was the Executive Director of a nonprofit that provided housing and case management services to formerly homeless young moms. As a daughter of immigrants, she advocates for immigrant families in her community and for services for children with special needs in the school system. Lisette holds a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies from UMUC, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore. She lives in Germantown, MD, is a mom to 2 young adults and 4 fur babies. She enjoys lively conversations in her many book clubs, discovering new wineries, and early morning sessions on the Peloton.

Shakira’s work combines community organizing, advocacy, and research to address social, economic, and political inequities faced by communities that are often marginalized, with a specific focus on communities of color. Her work includes engaging youth and community members in participatory action research, facilitating discussions between communities impacted by harmful policies and practices and decision makers, and working collaboratively to plan and implement actionable research studies. Her most recent work has focused on change for girls, young women and gender expansive youth who have been exposed to various forms of adversity and the challenges they face because of these experiences (i.e., homelessness, school disconnection, poverty, juvenile justice and child welfare involvement). Engaging youth as leaders of social change that shifts existing narratives that are antithetical to health, healing, and well-being, is her passion. Shakira received her BA in Urban Studies from SF State University, MPA in Public Administration from NYU, Wagner School of Public Service, and Ph.D. in Behavioral/Community Health from UMD, College Park, School of Public Health.

Maryann has spent more than two decades working with social justice-focused nonprofits and philanthropy. At Justice and Joy, she implements organizational, advancement, and communications strategy. It’s an honor for her to contribute to the liberatory work of social and systems change at the intersections of race and gender as it impacts girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth of color. She is the author of TÉO’S TUTU, a children’s picture book published by Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House, which was named an Amazon Best Book of 2021 for 3-5 year olds; a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council; a 2023 Rainbow List book by the American Library Association, and is part of the Drag Story Hour and Pride and Less Prejudice collections. Maryann serves on the board of directors of Baldwin for the Arts, a residency program for Artists of the Global Majority. She received her BA in English from the City College of New York, CUNY; her MFA in Creative Writing from the Solstice MFA Program; and a Certificate in Human Rights from Columbia University.

Michelle A. Diaz is a Director with Justice + Joy. Ms. Diaz’s role is to provide leadership and direction. She is responsible for the implementation of projects including the prioritization of objectives, activities, work plan development, and team coordination. She is a former Community Associate for the New York City (NYC) Department of Probation (DOP) with the Division of Juvenile Operations. Ms. Diaz helped develop, implement and provide support on creating and expanding mentoring opportunities for justice-involved and/or at-risk youth. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Ms. Diaz to the New York State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (NYS JJAG). They are principally responsible for monitoring and supporting their state’s progress in addressing the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (OJJDPA). The NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS) commissioner, Sheila J. Poole, also appointed Ms. Diaz to the Office of the Ombudsman (OOTO), where their role is to help to protect the legal rights of youth who are currently residing in secure, non-secure and close to home placements in New York State. Ms. Diaz is also the National Vice Chairwoman for the Executive Board at the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ). More recently, Ms. Diaz joined the Canary Impact Fund board of directors as their Vice-Chairwoman. Ms. Diaz’s goal is to ensure that youth are treated fairly, avoiding further contact with the justice system, and receive all the support and opportunities they need to succeed.

Nicole was born and raised on Kauaʻi and currently resides on Hawaiʻi Island. Her adult years were spent between Hawaiʻi and Portland, both places giving her endless opportunities to be in nature and eat good food. Nicole has spent the last 10 years working in the mental health field from providing direct services and counseling to individuals and families, developing programs and curriculum, and engaging in systems change initiatives. Nicole is currently a part of the Liberation in Practice team working to bring together local, state and regional advocates. But her favorite role is being an aunty to all of her family and friend’s children. Growing up in Hawaiʻi she was able to be immersed in her Hawaiian, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipino, and Spanish cultural backgrounds, and is passionate about contributing to a world where Native Hawaiian kamaliʻi (children) and ʻohana (family) can thrive.

Samantha (she/they) is a sibling, tia, child of immigrants, who began on the path of social justice advocacy as a teenager—a path which continues to this day. Samantha draws from personal experience, along with learnings with and alongside community activists and organizers, to work toward social change that centers girls and gender expansive youth, particularly youth of color most often impacted by systemic marginalization. As Vice President of Liberation in Practice, Samantha works collaboratively with partners and fellow staff, including young folx, to identify strategies that advance us toward true social justice and collective liberation because, as described by Audre Lorde, “without community there is no liberation.” Samantha’s previous experience includes non-profit work in mentoring and educational access, research experience focused on educational inequity, and program development and project management.

Selene’s passion for making a change while advocating a better future for young moms began 10 years ago when she become part of  BOLD, which stands for (Bridging Opportunity, Love and Determinations) this was the beginning of her support towards advocating for another young mom who have been involved in the system, such as foster care like herself, to overcome all of the barriers and heal from past trauma to be able to give our children everything they need to succeed. She was also able to use her voice to advocate for others nationally by speaking in front of State Legislators and the White House. Selene’s current role is to develop and deepen relationships with new and existing partners to advocate and improve progress in projects. Currently, Selene is working closely with the Steering Committee of Young Mamas on the IMPACT project  (Invincible Mammas Pushing for Action and Change Together) in developing a national advocacy network by/for young mamas and their families as well as learning how to support her community and is deeply committed to making an impact while working to develop and implement innovative resources and strategies based on the principles that those most impacted must be at the forefront of decision making about their own lives and have a platform to be heard.  Selene is passionate, outspoken, and is always ready and willing to be thoughtful about work toward system transformation that centers girls and gender expansive youth of color. Selene is a mom to three incredible children and a couple of fish who loves to hike and has found a liking to long road trips.

Shemia is a Project Associate with Justice + Joy focusing on young mothers initiatives, juvenile justice work, and advocacy and policy. For over ten years, Shemia has advocated for foster youth, young mothers, and girls and young women who are system involved and system impacted. As a survivor, Shemia uses her lived experience to provide recommendations on improving systems and listening to those most impacted. Ms. Dillard has testified and spoken in front of various Congressional briefings, participated in public engagement events to raise awareness of issues impacting young women and gender expansive youth, and volunteers locally on issues impacting her community. She holds a degree in Sociology and is based in the Atlanta area.