PROGRAM JOURNAL - 2026 BWNLF

PROGRAM JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 3, 2026

Dawn L. Brown President & CEO EmpowHer Institute It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 EmpowHer Institute Black Women Nonprofit Leaders Forum!

In a time such as this--when nonprofit organizations are under attack and diversity, equity, and inclusion has been demonized instead of embraced--a program such as the Black Women Nonprofit Leaders Forum is so deeply necessary. The forum's purpose is to provide a brave space to convene, network, grow professionally, and heal from the trauma of misogynoir.

This forum is my personal love letter to Black Women Nonprofit Leaders. It grew out of conversations with so many of you who shared the common experience of misogynoir in the workplace. It is designed to be a space of healing and celebration. A celebration of the magical unicorn that is a Black woman who sacrifices for both her family and her community. It is my way if saying, "I see you sis."

I see you because I am you. For almost 30 years, I have walked this nonprofit journey. Through its ups and its downs. On days when I threw my hands in the air out of exhaustion at the 10th funding rejection and on days when my hands were raised in praise over the accomplishment I supported a youth in achieving. I understand firsthand the journey you walk as a nonprofit leader and I hope today offers a respite from work demands, providing you with a brave and welcoming space to pour back into yourself.

The work we do is hard. But it is our calling. We do it out of love. That is why this year's theme, "Rooted in Purpose and Called to Rise," represents the spirit of Black women nonprofit leaders and the urgency of our leadership at this particular moment in history. It represents the spirit of Black women nonprofit leaders and the urgency of our leadership at this particular moment in history. Our calling at this time is bigger than us. It is about the survival and protection of our people and our nation. It is a calling rooted in us from our ancestors.

Thank you for answering the call. I hope you will gain something from being here today that you can take back to the Black women in your lives. I also look forward to walking beside you as we heal and grow together.

In Solidarity,

Dawn L. Brown President/CEO EmpowHer Institute

PROGRAM

8:15 AM - 9:00 AM | Registration/Check-in 8:15 AM - 9:00 AM | CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM | MORNING SOUND BATH MEDITATION Devon Cunningham 8:55 AM - 9:40 AM WELCOME CEREMONY Claire Jefferson-Glipa | Executive Director Family Promise of Riverside Tige Charity | Founder and CEO, Kids in the Spotlight Kameron Green | Philanthropist Joanna S. Jackson | President & CEO, Weingart Foundation Geneen White | Gospel Artist Daasekou | African Dancers 9:40 AM - 11:05 AM | EMOTIONAL JUSTICE FOR YOU: WELLNESS IN THE FACE OF WARFARE Esther Armah | Founder The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice 11:05 AM - 11:20 AM BREAK

PROGRAM 11:20 AM – 12:30 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS

The Think Tank: What If My Nonprofit Could Earn Income? Rethinking Sustainability Beyond "Doing More with Less" Tige Charity | Founder and CEO, Kids in the Spotlight Dr. Michelle Burton | CEO, Rising Communities Tanisha Hall| Founder | White Hall Arts Academy (WHAA) Reserve Planning & Financial Storytelling for Black Women-Led Organizations Bre Onna Mathis-Perez | Nonprofit Finance Fund, Director, Consulting Chiweta Rozaline Uzoka | Nonprofit Finance Fund, Manager, Consulting Becoming Pressure-Proof: How the Right Conversation Moves You and Your Team Through Change, Uncertainty, and Burnout Chrysta Wilson | Founder, Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting, LLC

PROGRAM 12:30 PM - 1:25 PM | LUNCH 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM | KEYNOTE SPEAKER Tarana Burke | Founder, ‘me too.’ Movement 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM BREAK 1:45 PM - 2:55 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS II Goodbye to the Emotional Mammy Esther Armah | Founder The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice Lessons from the Trenches: Navigating Uncertainty While Prioritizing Personal Balance Kameron Green | Philanthropist Crystal Crawford | Founder, Wilson and Associates Coaching and Consulting, LLC Fran Jemmott | Philanthropist Leveraging Your Board'sZone of Genius: A Strength-Based Strategy for Increasing Board Engagement and Fundraising Amber Wynn | Philanthrepreneur, Amber Wynn Consulting

PROGRAM 2:55 PM - 3:10 PM | SNACK BREAK 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM | MAKING THE CASE FOR INVESTING IN BLACK LED NONPROFITS Dawn L. Brown, President / CEO, EmpowHer Institute Bre Onna Mathis-Perez | | Nonprofit Finance Fund, Director, Consulting Jai Phillips | Senior Director of Special Initiatives, Center for Nonprofit Management 3:55 PM - 4:00 PM | CLOSING REMARKS 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | AFTER THE FORUM NETWORKING

SPECIAL GUEST JOANNA S. JACKSON President & CEO Weingart Foundation

Driven by her commitment to social justice, Joanna has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors. Joanna joined Weingart Foundation in 2008 and has served in a series of roles, including six years on the leadership team.

Joanna was appointed President & CEO in June 2024.

Prior to joining Weingart Foundation, Joanna held roles at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, The California Endowment, the City of San Jose and several other nonprofit organizations. Joanna currently serves on the boards of Southern California Grantmakers and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO).

Joanna earned a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, The City University of New York, where she was a National Urban Fellow. She is also a proud HBCU graduate having received her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Joanna lives in Mid City Los Angeles with her husband and children, who are the joy of her life.

SPECIAL GUEST NATALYA ROMO

Senior Deputy, Justice Office of Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell 2nd District, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Natalya Romo is a Los Angeles native and is a experienced public sector leader with deep expertise in public safety, criminal justice systems, and cross-agency program implementation. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude, from Howard University and holds a Master of Public Administration with distinction from California State University, Northridge.

She currently serves as a Senior Justice Deputy for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, where she oversees complex policy portfolios spanning law enforcement, the courts, and county justice agencies. In this role, she advises on systemwide reform efforts, and leads the development and implementation of strategies aimed at improving public safety outcomes, increasing accountability, and advancing equitable practices across one of the largest local governments in the nation. Her career reflects both breadth and depth across government systems.

She has led and supported initiatives in cities in the San Gabriel Valley, launched programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness and vulnerable populations, and managed regional policy coordination across multiple jurisdictions through the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. She also served with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Victim Services, providing direct support to victims of crime across specialized units and navigating complex, high-impact cases.

Recognized for her ability to translate policy into implementation, she operates at the intersection of strategy, operations, and community impact, bringing together government agencies, stakeholders, and systems to help communities to thrive.

MORNING PLENARY SPEAKER ESTHER A. ARMAH

Founder The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice

Esther A. Armah is an author, playwright, film-maker, former international award-winning journalist, and CEO. Esther is CEO, The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice (The AIEJ), a global creative, cultural and intellectual institute working across the US, the UK, Ghana and Cape Town. The AIEJ is the implementation home of the racial healing framework, Emotional justice, where they develop resources through projects, trainings and thought leadership using storytelling as a strategy for systemic change. The AIEJ is home to the WELLNESS in the face of WARFARE project centering global Black women, and the 10-year global lab; MOVING MASCULINITY. Emotional Justice is a racial healing roadmap Esther created over a 15-year period through assignment, research and community engagement in Accra, Philadelphia, South Africa, London, Chicago and New York. Esther is author of ‘EMOTIONAL JUSTICE: a roadmap for racial healing’ a #1 New Release on Amazon for six straight weeks, named a Top 2023 Pick by Stanford Social Innovation Review, and featured in the Los Angeles Review of Books.

As a journalist she has worked in London, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. As a playwright, she has written five plays, that have been produced and performed in Accra, New York, Chicago. As a film-maker she has made two films; ‘…goodbye to the EMOTIONAL MAMMY…’ and MOVING MASCULINITY. As a global speaker, Esther has appeared at Stanford, NYU, Brown, Omega Women’s Leadership Center in the US; The Institute for Social Justice & Reconciliation and University of Stellenbosch in South Africa; and Webster University in Ghana. Esther is a 2024 Soros Equality Fellow and was the Spring 2022 Distinguished Activist in Residence at New York University’s Center for Black Visual Culture.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

TARANA J. BURKE Founder ‘me too.’ Movement

For more than 35 years, activist, advocate, and author Tarana J. Burke has worked at the intersection of sexual violence and racial justice. Fueled by a commitment to interrupt sexual violence and other systemic inequalities disproportionately impacting marginalized people— particularly Black women and girls—Tarana has created and led campaigns focused on increasing access to resources and support for impacted communities.

She is the founder of the ‘me too.’ Movement, which has galvanized millions of survivors and allies worldwide, and the me too. International nonprofit organization, founded in 2018. Her New York Times bestselling books You Are Your Best Thing and Unbound highlight the power of healing, vulnerability, and storytelling in the movement to end sexual violence.

host committee

Tige Charity

Kameron Greene

Founder / CEO Kids In The Spotlight

Philanthropist

Claire JeffersonGlipa Executive Director Family Promise of Riverside

SPEAKERS

DAWN L. BROWN President & CEO EmpowHer Institute

DR. MICHELLE BURTON CEO, Rising Communities

FRAN JEMMOTT PHILANTHROPIST

TIGE CHARITY Founder and CEO, Kids in the Spotlight

BRE ONNA MATHISPEREZ

Nonprofit Finance Fund, Director, Consulting

CRYSTAL CRAWFORD Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships Weingart Foundation

JAI PHILLIPS

Senior Director of Special Initiatives, Center for Nonprofit Management

KAMERON GREENE Philanthropist

CHIWETA ROZALINE UZOKA

Nonprofit Finance Fund, Manager, Consulting

For complete bios of workshop presenters and planning committee, please visit EmpowHer.org or download the BWNLF App

TANISHA HALL Founder, White Hall Arts Academy (WHAA)

JOANNA S. JACKSON President & CEO Weingart Foundation

CHRYSTA WILSON AMBER WYNN Founder, Wilson and Philanthrepreneur, Associates Coaching and Amber Wynn Consulting Consulting, LLC

MORNING MEDITATION DEVON CUNNINGHAM Artist, Community Healer Devon Cunningham is an artist and community healer. A passionate and enthusiastic student of continuous learning and personal growth through traditional therapy, intuitive studies, guidance and nature, Devon finds self-exploration a key ingredient to world transformation. With a variety of professional experiences in contracting, corporate America, pre-school education, and mothering, Devon now spends much of her time working in collectivity and individually with students, activists, and artists to provide opportunities for people to check-in, connect, and clarify their needs, dreams, and blocks. Though familiar with the power of music, specifically jazz, since a young girl, her spiritual journey with music began in 2018 when led to the mountains of Cuenca, Ecuador to study varied spiritual wellness forms. There, she studied with Shamans, learned indigenous practices of healing and connecting with the earth, and was there called to sound alchemy. Devon coorganizes the 28 day Global Dance Meditation, volunteered for LA City parks and recreational centers teaching inner city children ages 6-13 sound bowl meditation and is also an instructor at LA County parks and recreational centers and organizations located in and outside of Los Angeles.

SPECIAL GUESTS

GENEEN WHITE Gospel Music Artist

AFRICAN DANCERS

DJ MIDI RIPERTON

MANLY HANDZ

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOrS PRESENTING

LUNCH

AFTER THE FORUM NETWORKING

OUR MISSION Empower girls and young women in marginalized communities by helping them gain the skills necessary through education, training and mentorship to become confident, college and career ready.

OUR VISION We envision a world where every girl is provided the opportunities and resources she uniquely needs to: embrace the power of her voice; make informed decision about her body and future; break generational cycles of poverty; contribute to the creation of an equitable society.

BECOME A CHAMPION OF GIRLS! WHEN YOU DONATE TO EMPOWHER, YOU ARE MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. www.empowher.org | info@empowher.org Follow Us Facebook: @empowherorg | IG: @empowherorgla