Naomi Beckwith is Assistant Curator at The Studio Museum in Harlem whose particular concerns focus on identity and critical practices in contemporary art. Her master's thesis on Adrian Piper and Carrie Mae Weems earned Distinction from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Prior to joining the Studio Museum, Beckwith was a project coordinator for BAMart at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a Helena Rubenstein Critical Studies Fellow at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program and, most recently, the Whitney Lauder Curatorial Fellow at the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania. Naomi has curated and co-curated several exhibitions at the ICA in Philadelphia and in New York at Cuchifritos, Artists Space and at the Studio Museum where she also manages the Artists in Residence program.

Olukemi Ilesanmi is the Director of Grants and Services at Creative Capital Foundation where she shepherds the process that selects new grantee-artists each year and then works closely with them to realize their projects.Prior to joining Creative Capital, she spent six years as a curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis where she organized several exhibitions including To/From: Rivane Neuenschwander and The Squared Circle: Boxing in Contemporary Art which was named the top contemporary art exhibition of 2003 by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She also ran the Walker's visual arts artist residency program, working with such luminaries as Julie Mehretu, Christian Marclay, Robin Rhode, and Catherine Opie. She has written extensively on several artists including Glenn Ligon, Nari Ward, and Allora & Calzadilla.She also serves on the advisory board of None on Record, an African oral history project, and briefly served on the board of No Name Exhibitions at the Soap Factory in Minneapolis. In addition, she often volunteers for feminist, political, and queer causes.She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro-American Studies from Smith College.

Kavita Rajanna lives in Philadelphia and is a Program Officer at the National Philanthropic Trust in Jenkintown, PA. Over the past 13 years, she has worked with many community organizations, such as Youth Communication: Metro Atlanta, Highlander Research and Education Center, and the Asian American Writers' Workshop, as an organizer, cultural worker, and program developer. Most recently, she was Program Director at the Leeway Foundation, where she developed and implemented new grant programs focused on social change through art. Kavita is involved in organizing work in Philadelphia working with an array of community-based organizations. She is also a board member of the KRS Foundation, a community-development organization working in small villages near Bangalore (India). Kavita has a B.A. in sociology and women's studies from Emory University and a M.A. in culture and politics from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Studies.

Emma Taati is Assistant to the Director in the Mellon Mays Graduate Initiatives Program at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). She joined SSRC in 2002 after graduating from Vassar College with concentrations in political science and women's studies. Taati is a consultant to the Africana Studies Group at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and has worked in similar capacities with the Applied Research Center, the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University and Teacher's College. Her principal areas of focus include migration histories, gender and sexual identity among African Diaspora populations.

Jacquette M. Timmons is the founder and CEO of Sterling Investment Management, an investment education and financial coaching firm. She has worked in the investment industry for nearly 20 years, dedicating the last ten to teaching intelligent people how to be smarter with their money. Ms. Timmons holds an MBA in finance from Fordham and a BS in marketing from FIT. She is a member of the NY Chapter of the National Black MBA Association and is on the Board of Directors for Non-Profit Connection, an organization that provides management assistance to non-profit organizations. She is also a former Board member of the NY Chapter of the National Association of Securities Professionals, an organization she helped to form.

Risë Wilson
Founder
The Laundromat Project, Inc.

Risë holds a BA in African-American Studies from Columbia, and an MA in Africana Studies from NYU. After conceiving the idea for The Laundromat Project in 1999, Risë tailored her career path to bring the organization to fruition. She gained a practical education in Organizational Excellence and Arts Administration by working for institutions like ARAMARK, the Painted Bride, MoMA, and ICP. She also became a printmaker, working primarily in linoleum and silkscreen. Recognized as one of the "World's Best Emerging Social Entrepreneurs" Risë is a 2004 Echoing Green fellow and prior recipient of fellowships from both CAA and NYU. Risë periodically serves as a consultant to other non-profits, offering expertise in Visual Literacy, Curriculum Development, and Strategic Planning. She also teaches at the Parsons School of Design, helping product design students apply their talents to the public sphere.