Theresa Alphonse, MPH is a Haitian American public health practitioner who has dedicated over a decade to promoting health equity and racial justice. With a degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Miami, Theresa has worked with health centers, hospitals, government entities, and non-profit organizations to implement equity initiatives with a focus on racial justice. Her expertise and perspectives have been sought by various media outlets including The Boston Globe, BET, and NBC 10 Boston. Theresa founded Driving Equity Consulting in 2021 to address the growing need for education and dialogue around racial injustice. Theresa sees equity as a fundamental element of all her work, and her goal is to act as a change agent to provide equal opportunities for all individuals. Her Haitian heritage and lived experience as a Black woman motivate her to use her privilege to create spaces for marginalized communities. Aside from her work, Theresa enjoys exploring new countries, learning new languages, dancing, being active and being outdoors, and spending time with loved ones.
Brianna Boggs is a leadership coach and consultant focused on supporting executives and boards of directors through leadership challenges with a particular focus on racial equity. She is co-founder and co-facilitator of the Racial Equity Leaders Learning Circle and also co-leads the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Program for Consultants. Prior to her coaching and consulting work, Brianna’s career focused on fundraising and communications in social justice organizations including GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders), Trinity Boston Connects, and StreetSafe Boston. Brianna has served as a volunteer or board member for organizations including the Boston Women’s Fund, BAMS Fest, One Love Foundation, GLAD, the Ms. Foundation, the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund, Coro Allegro and InnerCity Weightlifting. She holds a BA in Women’s Studies from the Ohio State University. She is a proud midwesterner who descends from a country music singer/songwriter and an opera conductor. She lives in Dorchester, MA with her husband Sean.
Sharon (she/her) is an organizational development consultant with more than 30 years of experience and the founder of Bueno Consulting. She has worked in every major industry in both the public and private sectors. She is a certified executive coach and a trained mediator with extensive group and process facilitation experience. In pursuit of creating healthy, high-functioning organizations and communities, Sharon offers consulting services in the areas of leadership development, diversity, equity and inclusion, organizational change, team dynamics, cultural competence, and cross-cultural dynamics. Sharon’s practice is global. She has consulted to a wide array of clients, in more than 35 countries. In 2022, Sharon was appointed the Director of the Massachusetts Institute for Community Health Leaders (MICHL), a 10-month leadership development program sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA Foundation. Sharon speaks Spanish conversationally, grew up in New York City, and now lives in Boston.
Rumbidzai Chisenga works with Rootwise Leadership as a coach. She was the founding Director of Programs at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center). Rumbidzai is one of 12 globally identified civic innovators who were part of the inaugural class of the Obama Foundation Scholars Program. Prior to this, she was a Program Manager at the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS). Rumbidzai has extensive experience working in the private sector as a cross-sectoral management consultant and has previously founded a social enterprise. She holds a master’s in public administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and bachelor’s degree in commerce (Economics and Accounting) from Rhodes University in South Africa and a master’s degree in management (Entrepreneurship) from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. Rumbidzai is a member of the Global Advisory Boards of WomenLift Health, #ShePersisted and Mountaintop. She is an alumna of the Emerging African Leaders Programme (hosted by the University of Cape Town, South Africa) and the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program (hosted by the Policy Center for the New South, Morocco).
Betsy Day leads with a commitment to effectiveness, development, and inclusion in providing executive coaching and professional development in MA state government, healthcare, biotechnology, corporate, and non-profit organizations. Over the last 30 years, she has built her a solid reputation and credibility as an accomplished partner to leaders and organizations. As a member of the Institute of Coaching (Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital), Betsy continuously learns about ways to help leaders make positive changes for themselves and organizations. She has been an authorized partner for Everything DiSC®, a Wiley brand, for 20 years. Betsy enters each engagement with an open-hearted presence, open-minded, and a generous listener.
Perry Dougherty (she/her) is the founder of Rootwise Leadership where she serves as the lead coach, consultant, facilitator, and trainer. In addition to her role at Rootwise Leadership, Perry is an Instructor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, co-founder of The Collective Leadership Certificate Program, a mindfulness meditation teacher, a spiritual director, and an ordained interspiritual minister. Perry brings nearly 20 years of experience working with global executive teams in the entrepreneurial, public, and social sectors to advance equity, justice, and social change. Her Prior experience includes executive leadership roles at Still Harbor and fundraising and communications roles at Partners In Health.Perry has undergraduate degrees in both Social Thought & Analysis and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis. She completed interfaith seminary at One Spirit Learning Alliance in New York City, was trained as a spiritual director by Still Harbor, and received her Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification from the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2019, Perry edited and released her first book, The Anatomy of Silence (Red Press). Perry is a white cis woman and trauma survivor living in recovery. She is a homebody at heart, loving time with her family and her role as mother to three, ages 8, 15, and 20.
Janis Gonsales is responsible for the overall administrative support at Rootwise Leadership. She is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil and has received her BA in marketing from Mackenzie University in Brazil and holds an MBA from Florida International University. She has over 12 years of eclectic work experience with Marketing for International Business and International Exchange and Travel Programs. She also works as Translator and Interpreter for Public Schools, facilitating the communication within the Brazilian community. Janis lives in the Boston area and enjoys spending quality time with her husband, her two kids, and her dog.
Jacqueline Kennedy (she/her) is a consultant on the Rootwise Leadership team. As a public service professional with over a decade of experience in the field of community engagement, she brings expertise as a project manager, content area expert, and strategist. Jacqueline’s interest in community development began in her own neighborhood in Southeast San Diego, CA, where she interned for a non-profit serving her community. In 2009, Jacqueline relocated to NYC for graduate school and served at a Brownsville Brooklyn based non-profit coordinating community outreach strategies. Earning a trusted place in the Brownsville community, Jacqueline stepped into the role of Interim Director of the Brownsville Partnership initiative in 2015. In 2016, she joined the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as the Director of Community Partnerships within the newly formed Center for Health Equity. After 5 years in that role, Jacqueline joined the NYC Racial Justice Commission as the Public Engagement Director. Jacqueline is committed to equity for communities of color, advancing racial equity globally, Black liberation, Black women’s health and joy. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego and an MPA in Nonprofit Management and Policy from NYU Wagner School of Public Service.
Daniel (he • him) Michaud Weinstock is the founder of dmw360 consulting. He is an organizational development consultant, coach, and facilitator, focused on leadership and transformation. He has over 30 years of experience partnering with community members, staff, managers, boards, funders, and other social sector constituents to enhance leadership and advance individual and collective clarity, alignment, and impact. Daniel takes a strengths-based approach to each partnership, rooted in values, and oriented toward surfacing and navigating the path between aspirations and current realities. His work starts with a clear definition of purpose, articulating desired outcomes to fulfill that purpose, and co-creating an energizing and fulfilling process to realize the desired outcomes. Daniel started his professional career in youth development and education, has developed and managed programs, initiatives, and networks, and actively served in board leadership positions with various nonprofit organizations. He received his MBA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He identifies as a white cisgender man, a proud and deeply committed spouse and father of two teenagers, and can often be found on adventures with their dog and in the kitchen cooking with and for family and community.
Akwése Nkemontoh (she/her) is a transformative leadership coach and facilitator passionate about the holistic development of global social change makers. She is the Founder and CEO of Leading Whole and has worked across five continents implementing programming, facilitating workshops, leading outreach initiatives, and supporting organizational development efforts for a variety of NGOs. Akwése holds an MSW in Social Innovation and Leadership, with a focus on Global Practice from Boston College. She is currently based in SE Asia where she’s spent the last two years developing the leadership of mission driven individuals across the region.
Caroline Numuhire is a writer, facilitator, and leadership coach from Rwanda. She holds a Master of Science in global health delivery from the University of Global Health Equity. She has worked in the international development sector for 10 years, where in several roles, supporting programs. She has served as a Program Officer at the Segal Family Foundation (SFF), co-managing its francophone Africa portfolio. Prior joining SFF, she has worked for Gardens for Health International and Global Health Corps (GHC). She was a 2014-2015 GHC fellow placed in Rwanda. She is the co-founder of Women ConneXion, a platform the champion women's authentic wellbeing. She currently lives between Rwanda and New York.
Kruger Nyasulu is a leadership development coach and a PhD researcher working with the Stockholm Resilience Center with a focus on building green-blue water resilience for sustainable development in Africa. He has worked as a Policy Analyst with United Nations in Bonn, Germany; Innovations Program specialist with One Acre Fund Malawi; and leadership coach at World Peace Revolution in Thailand. He is also a co-founder of two organizations: Global Hope Mobilization and Information Knowledge Labs (i-klabs). Kruger was a 2014-2015 GHC fellow at Dignitas International in Malawi, and during his fellowship year, he organized multiple leadership development bootcamps for aspiring global health leaders. He holds a Masters Degree from Uppsala University in Sweden. Kruger is from Malawi and currently living in Sweden.
Fawn Phelps has over 7 years of experience as a certified executive coach working with mid-career professionals and c-suite leaders. She is the Director of Leadership Development and an Instructor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Fawn is an award-winning instructor with over 13 years of experience teaching within Harvard Chan’s DrPH and Public Health Leadership Lab Programs. Prior to joining Harvard Chan, Fawn had a 15-year legislative and regulatory advocacy career where she led systems-level change campaigns to improve the well-being of low-income and underrepresented populations. At Health Care For All, she served as Policy Director, Interim-Executive Director, and manager of the coalition backing Massachusetts’ 2006 health reform. She also served as the Director of Public Affairs at Easter Seals MA, a lobbyist for the Human Rights Campaign, and an aide to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. She has a BA with Honors from Wesleyan University and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School with a concentration in leadership and adult development.
Eliza Ramos is a leadership and organizational development coach and consultant. Eliza is the Founder and CEO of Circles International (CI). Eliza launched CI in 2017 to begin building a movement for emotional health and wellbeing amongst leaders and organizations working toward peace and social justice. During a previous career as a social worker and global health practitioner, Eliza witnessed a high rate of fatigue and burnout. Eliza realized a direct link between the wellbeing of leaders and organizations and the impact they were either able or not able to make in their communities. Eliza holds an M.P.H. from Harvard University, an M.S.W. from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern California. Eliza is a certified Professional Coach by the International Coach Federation and holds additional certifications in mediation and conflict resolution, wilderness emergency medicine, and Reiki. Eliza resides in Oakland, California, and enjoys being part of the Bay Area’s arts, healing, and activism communities.
Doris Ferrer Roach, J.D., P.C.C., (she/her) is an executive coach and consultant with a dynamic background working as an attorney and higher education instructor with 21 years of experience serving both the nonprofit and public sectors. Bringing an expertise in board and leadership development, team building and strategic planning, Doris is adept at creating results-oriented processes to support effective leadership and sustainable change. She ensures her client is the star of the story. Doris’ strong ability to facilitate the discovery of strengths and opportunities for growth take people where they want to go. She has worked across a wide variety of industries: community development, education, government, healthcare, housing, human services, philanthropy and social justice advocacy.
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