Dr. Sunyatta Amen is both an allopathic and naturopathic doctor and the TeaEO of Calabash Tea. She is a fifth-generation master herbalist and natural lifestyle expert who was raised steeped in ethnobotany behind the counter of the “Black Pyramid,” an herb shops and vegan juice bars founded by her father in Harlem. She has had a lifelong drive to create beautiful, safe spaces in gentrified communities and decolonize wellness for all.

Dr. Chris T. Pernell is a dynamic physician leader and social change agent. In her public health practice, she focuses on health justice, community-based advocacy and health promotion, and disease prevention. Working as a senior executive in a hospital in Newark, New Jersey, she oversees a portfolio that includes Population Health, Strategic Planning, Community Affairs and the Human Experience. Dr. Pernell, author of Letters to My People, is a participant in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trials.

Dean Edwards is a stand-up comedian, actor, singer, writer, musician and voice artist. His work as a voice actor includes Scottie Pippen and Spike Lee in Celebrity Deathmatch, a robot in Robotomy, and Donkey in Scared Shrekless after Eddie Murphy was unable to reprise the role (Edwards had impersonated Murphy on stage). He also appeared in season 2 of They Ready on Netflix, Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Halftime Special as Savion Glover and Don Cheadle, in Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding as Father Mark, and The Sopranos. Edwards has a YouTube channel, “deanedwardscomedy.” He was also the host of the critically acclaimed TV show “Vidiots” on TVone.

Michelle is a graduate from Syracuse University where she earned a BA in Psychology and earned her Masters of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work. She also earned a Post – Graduate Certification from Baruch College in Health Care Leadership. Despite of her professional success, her love of fitness organically grew as a result of her personal battle with health and wellness. She understood the interconnection between a balanced mind, body and soul is necessary to give to others from a full cup. Henceforth, she began her career in fitness nearly two decades ago, teaching various forms of movement to include PiYO, ZUMBA, kickboxing, step aerobics and toning classes.

Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. is a pioneer of faith-based community development, Dr. Soaries’ impact on First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) and the community has been tremendous. In 1992, he founded the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation (CJCDC): a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that specializes in revitalizing distressed neighborhoods. In 1996, Soaries founded the Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc. (HOH). This organization develops permanent solutions for children in the foster care system. Dr. Soaries served as New Jersey’s Secretary of State (1999-2002), making him the first African-American male to do so.  In 2005, Dr. Soaries launched the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement. The dfree® strategy teaches people how to break free from debt as a first step toward financial freedom. dfree® was featured in a 90-minute CNN documentary Almighty Debt. He is author of Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom and Meditations for Financial Freedom – Volumes 1&2.

Jennifer Jones Austin is a fourth-generation leader of faith and social justice. As CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), an anti-poverty, policy and advocacy organization with 170 member agencies and faith partners, she has led and secured monumental changes in social policy to strengthen and empower the disenfranchised and marginalized. Jennifer brings to her work a profound understanding of the link between race, poverty, law and social policy in America, and the role religion plays. Jones Austin is the author of Consider It Pure Joy, which chronicles her year-long battle with a sudden, life threatening illness, and the power of faith and community to transform desperation into joy. She is the editor of God in The Ghetto: A Prophetic Word Revisited, the re-release of her father, William Augustus Jones Jr.’s seminal work deconstructing the “system” of racism, capitalism and militarism all working in concert to continually oppress people of color.

Carla Hall first won over audiences when she competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All-Stars” and shared her philosophy to always cook with love.  She believes food connects us all, and she strives to communicate this through her work, her cooking, and in her daily interactions with others.

Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC’s Emmy award-winning, popular lifestyle series “The Chew”, and she currently brightens the mornings of millions as a Culinary Contributor to “Good Morning America”.  Carla is featured on Food Network shows such as “BakeAway Camp” (judge) “Thanksgiving Baking Championship” (host), “Holiday Baking Championship” (judge), and “Worst Cooks in America”.  She was also a judge on “Crazy Delicious” (Netflix).  Carla hosts a Podcast on the Wondery Platform called “Say Yes with Carla Hall”, focused on interviews with successful people to explore how they overcame challenges and found ways to flourish.  Her latest cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration, was published in 2018, landing on annual "Best Cookbook" lists across the country and receiving an NAACP Image Awards nomination.

Uraeus is the founder of BLACK HEROES MATTER, represents a paradigm shift; a change in the prevailing philosophy that governs pop culture. He is also one of the creators of Knubia and Knarrative, an education platform that houses the largest Africana Studies class in the world.

Lindsey Suzanne Smith is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher based in Washington, DC. She began practicing yoga as a teenager and has since grown her practice through the study of integrative yoga therapy and holistic wellness. Smith received her formal training from CorePower Yoga in New York City. She enjoys teaching Power Vinyasa style yoga with an emphasis on building strength and increasing mobility. Lately, Smith’s practice has focused on balancing effort and ease. Her hope is to help others build intentional mind-body connections—creating an opportunity for self-study, self-acceptance, and self-love long denied to Black people and people of color.

Award-winning PR expert, storyteller, speaker, and media coach.

Karen Taylor Bass is the Founder and Media Strategist for TaylorMade Media, LLC. She has created strategic public relations, branding, and marketing campaigns for nonprofits, schools, corporations, luxury brands, celebrities, athletes, and entrepreneurs. Her talent is crafting engaging branding campaigns while simultaneously securing top-notch media placements. Karen’s placements range from the Associated Press, NY Daily News, New York Times, NPR, WBLS-FM (NY), Hot97-FM (NYC), ABC News, Washington Post, USA Today, Yahoo News, Oprah, AOL Parenting, Forbes to Entrepreneur magazine. Taylor Bass brings determination and courage to each campaign, project, client and mentee she works with. Bass has authored two best-selling books on public relations and branding.

Angela E. Matthews is a money-mindset investment coach who has been an investor for more than 10 years. Pulling from her experience in financial services, technology she has developed an online program, The Happy Investor Method, which provides her community of investors lessons in how to invest and what stocks to look for and why. She also has boot camps and one-on-one training to give you everything you need

Debra Fraser-Howze is the founder and president of Choose Healthy Life, an organization founded to address the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Black community.  Fraser-Howze is a former Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs at OraSure Technologies & Founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. She is widely recognized for more than three decades of global leadership to communities of color regarding teenage pregnancy, social welfare, and HIV and AIDS. She advised two U.S. Presidents while serving on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS from 1995-2001.

Agnes C. Davis is a renaissance woman with a mission to inspire, empower and inform. She is a unique individual who has lived through the seasons of life and weathered a few harsh winters along the way, both personally and professionally. Now in her mid-50's, Ms. Davis has reinvented herself and is reveling in the spring of her rebirth. She has successfully launched a swim company, now in its 9th year, and is enjoying her role as a health and wellness advocate. Davis is the CEO of swim swim swim I SAY, a successful sports and recreational business with several dedicated staffers, servicing over 100 clients. As a cardiovascular perfusionist at a top New York City hospital, she has worked alongside some of New York’s top surgeons including Dr. Mehmet Oz, managing the heart/lung machine during open heart surgery. “Having a full-time job on a cardiac surgical team, I know the importance of putting one's self as a priority. I have dedicated myself to total health and fitness by staying active, swimming, working out, eating healthy and getting my mind right. My gift is teaching wellness and courage. A great accomplishment is when I see a student who had a fear of water jump into the pool; or an adult, who once complained of achy joints, now in the pool getting fit and active. That’s good stuff,” says Agnes. Davis’ passion as an advocate for health, wellness and swimming, has been lauded and featured in national platforms, such as: Associated Press, USA Today, WBLS-FM Steve Harvey Morning Show, NBC Weekend Today, ABC News, Yahoo Parenting, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Jones.com, The Network Journal, Washington Post, as well as Black Enterprise, Crain's New York Stories, and Sirius XM Radio.

Dr. Greg Carr is Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Chair of the Department of Afro-American Studiesat Howard University and Adjunct Faculty at the Howard School of Law. He holds a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University and a JD from the Ohio State University College of Law. He is a co-founder of the Philadelphia Freedom Schools Movement, a community-based academic initiative that has involved over 13,000 elementary, high school and college students. His publications have appeared in, among other places, The African American Studies Reader, Socialism and Democracy, Africana Studies, Publications of the Modern Language Association of America,The National Urban League’s 2012 State of Black America and Malcolm X: A Historical Reader. He is the founding teacher of In Class with Carr and Knarrative.

MD, MBA is a former professional athlete, strength and conditioning coach, fitness professional and wellness director who has received training in general surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and diagnostic radiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. He practices yoga, pumps iron, meditates, eats organic, speaks three languages with his children and believes there’s a universal higher power guiding our existence. @DamasHerve

DR. NANA YAW ADU-SARKODIE is Deputy Director of Geriatrics and Extended Care in the VA Maryland Health Care System. Geriatrics and Extended Care Services (GEC) helps to optimize the health and well-being of Veterans with chronic conditions or life-limiting illness. GEC also serves Veterans of any age who are disabled or frail due to disease, aging or injury. He is also the author of several children books.