Meet Your Consultants

Ms. Diana Lopez is a youth mentor and prevention counselor who specializes in sustaining healthy relationships with students, families, and communities, particularly within K-12 schooling contexts. She was an assistant director, supervisor, and mentor for children and adolescents who were experiencing urban homelessness at Queens College’s Big Buddy Program. She has also worked as a drug prevention counselor at Elmcor, Inc. Youth and Adult Activities in Queens, NY where she provided education services and positive development intervention including individual/group counseling, life skills workshops, and parenting / family-strengthening classes. She holds a B.A. in Mental Health, Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies.

Ms. Kiana is an educator, instructional literacy coach, and professional development trainer on the topics of curriculum development, literacy training, and equity-based initiatives. Kiana obtained her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in Reading and Literacy from Lewis University. She has been in the field of education for over 15 years. Currently, she is with Chicago Public Schools as a Reading Teacher & Instructional Literacy Coach, a lead teacher reviewer on the Curriculum Equity Initiative team, and the Chair of the Instructional Leadership Team. She has also mentored and coached several student teachers for The University of Chicago.

I am Kenihak Tavarez and I am currently studying for my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education for grades 1-6 at Queens College in New York City. I aspire to inspire children to not only become leaders in their generation but also for them to share their inspiration to the generation coming after them. I also have a minor is Media Studies and I am a Graphic Designer on the side as a hobby. I believe that graphic design is a way I can help others communicate their information in a creative way. There is a famous quote that was said by Henry David Thoreau that I love and it says, “This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”. While creating visuals for my clients, I allow my imagination and creativity flow in the way I view life in order to communicate the concepts successfully.

Dr. Reginald Davenport (Reggie) is an educator with more than 2 decades of experience as a teacher and administrator in public and independent schools.  Presently, he serves as the Director of Equity and Community Engagement for the Stevens Cooperative School. Dr. Davenport serves as a NJ state certified mentor for the NJ Leader 2 Leader program. This is the state mandated certification program for new k-12 administrators. Dr. Davenport has more than 10 years’ experience facilitating professional learning for educators in urban and suburban schools, deepening his understanding of the ongoing fight for educational equity for all students. Reggie has developed and facilitated learning experiences at many national and state conferences on Cultural Competence, Culturally Responsive Leadership, and Equity in Senior Equity Consultant & Professional Learning Trainer
Education. As an adjunct professor, Dr. Davenport has facilitated courses on Organizational Behavior and Educational Leadership for Excelsior University and Georgian Court University respectively. He is well versed on adult learning theory and capacity building of educators. Reggie holds a BA in History from New Jersey City University , a MA in Educational Leadership from Seton Hall University, and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Kris DeFilippis is an educator and scholar whose work centers improvement science to advance equity and anti-racism, shift organizational culture, and confront systemic whiteness. Currently, Kris serves as a Clinical Faculty member and Program Director for Educational Leadership in New York University’s (NYU) Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. As an executive director/assistant superintendent in the New York City Department of Education, DeFilippis worked directly with the School’s Chancellor, coaching leadership and faculty to apply context-specific improvement science to reduce disproportionality, complete root cause analyses, strategically plan, and align multi-tiered systems of support to district goals.
Email: kris@equityleadershipgroup.com

Dr. Nakia M. Gray-Nicolas is a scholar-educator and life-long learner with over 15 years of combined experience in youth services, nonprofit management, higher education administration, secondary teaching (7-12), college and graduate-level teaching, research, editing and consulting. She is currently an assistant professor of educational leadership. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in English from Cornell University, two Masters of Education degrees (English Education and Inclusive Special Education) from Syracuse University, and an EdD in Educational Leadership at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education, Culture and Human Development.
Email: nakia@equityleadershipgroup.com

“Mental wellness is the linchpin of IDEAS work. Without it, there can be no individual growth, organizational change, or true systemic evolution.”
Ymani Hawkins (she/her) is a trained diversity and mental wellness coach who marries mental health techniques, psychological principles, and evidenced-based modalities with DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) best practices.
As founder of DEEP-ish, Hawkins addresses implicit bias, microaggressions, racial trauma, racial battle fatigue, and psychological unsafety via self-care awareness, emotional intelligence strategies, and mindfulness techniques.
Hawkins delivers talks, training, and coaching to business, arts, and media sectors as well as religious institutions, nonprofits, educational systems, and environmental agencies. Prior to that, she worked as a psychotherapist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy. In that role, she treated patients of all ages with anxiety disorders, depression, and other cognitive and behavioral diagnoses. She also delivered outpatient treatment services to adults experiencing severe mental illness such as dissociative disorders, psychosis, schizoaffective disorders, and schizophrenia.
Hawkins holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the Silver School of Social Work at New York University (NYU); a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Interpersonal Communication Studies from Kean University; has performed ethnographic research in Siargao, Philippines, and studied Communications in Athens, Greece. She possesses certifications in cultural awareness, suicide prevention, crisis response, applied suicide intervention, mental health first aid, and PsychoHairapy.
Linkedin Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ymanihawkins/
DEEP-ish Website: www.Deep-ish.com

Myron Russell opens the lines of communication between stakeholders, IT, and the Business to successfully deliver projects. With over 20 years of experience working in Healthcare and Payroll industries, Myron does not fold under pressure. He uses his smooth negotiating techniques to create methods for reducing risks and project delays. Myron is an IT Project Manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, where he manages large Cyber Security and software development projects, that are used to support and improve business processes. Myron is also founder and CEO of Blueprint Consultant Group, focused on project management and website development. Along with his MBA, Myron holds an array of IT Certifications that include the PMP, ACP, and Scrum Master.

Dr. Omega W. Wilson is a respected leadership expert, speaker, trainer, coach and author whose philosophy is simple: “Lead By Example”. As a premier keynote speaker and motivational speaker, Dr. Omega Wilson is a dynamic personality and sought-after resource in the field of education and in business and professional circles for Fortune 500 companies, small business owners, non-profit and community leaders from all sectors of society. Dr. Omega W. Wilson is the Founder & CEO of Innovative Strategies Consulting, LLC where she serves as the Senior Leadership Development Coach. As a former teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of High School Education and Vice President of Operations for a dropout recovery program, Dr. Wilson’s proven track record of success speaks for itself. As a John Maxwell certified coach, trainer and speaker, Dr. Wilson’s company provides coaching to school divisions, teachers, administrators, 1:1 life coaching and courses for aspiring administrators and existing administrators. She and her team inspire positive life transformation Professional Learning Trainer & Leadership Coach and help others achieve their highest vision and goals, both personally and professionally. Dr. Wilson has authored 3 books: “Spiritual Nutrition: From Alpha to Omega”, “Tips for Aspiring Administrators” and “Lead By Example: A 90 Day Journal for Leaders”. Wilson’s company helps people, worldwide, create a leadership legacy within their own spheres of influence. She has appeared on CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS and has been featured in articles in The Richmond Times Dispatch, The Free Press and The Progress Index.