Mini-Conference Agenda: Moving Women Forward

Born and raised in New York City, Leslie Abbey is a strategic organizational leader with a track record of driving impact and growth throughout her nearly 30 year career. Deeply committed to uplifting fellow New Yorkers since the beginning of her career, after graduating from NYU Law School, Leslie founded a nonprofit, Family Legal Care, to provide legal information, support, and representation to Family Court litigants. She was an attorney at Legal Aid Society, representing children and families in Bronx Family Court; an influential leader at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services under Mayor Bloomberg; led programming at Lantern Community Services; and was Deputy Executive Director at Covenant House NY, the City’s largest organization dedicated to serving youth experiencing homelessness. 

Leslie now serves as CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen, an organization that’s work lies at the intersection of the nonprofit, food, government, and small business industries, and empowers New Yorkers who face barriers to economic opportunities – such as women, gender-expansive people, immigrants, and people of color – through transformative careers in New York City’s food industry. She has helped launch enormous growth of the organization; under Leslie’s first three years of leadership, Hot Bread Kitchen tripled its memberbase to 1300 and will continue to reach new heights in the following three years. Leslie serves on the boards of NYU Law, Swarthmore College, NYCETC, JCCA, and Anthos|Home, an organization she co-founded in 2022. Kristine Borok, Chief Strategy and Advancement Officer at Hot Bread Kitchen, describes her colleague Leslie as “a leader in the city, a force in the nonprofit community, and a mentor, friend, and inspiration to her colleagues.”

Kiara Atkins is a passionate Gen Z advocate and aspiring nonprofit professional. A 2021 graduate of the Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts, she is a prospective Business Administration student at BMCC for fall 2025 and a proud member of Grace Institute’s Spring 2025 cohort. Kiara has performed in and written multiple theatrical works with Epic Theatre Ensemble, using storytelling to spotlight social and economic injustices. Her advocacy includes participating in Lobby Day 2019 and earning the CDF’s Beat the Odds Rising Star Award. With experience in hospitality, community recruitment, event coordination, and youth advocacy, Kiara is committed to creating a lasting impact through both grassroots and behind-the-scenes efforts. In her free time, she enjoys exploring eco-friendly construction ideas, writing, and expressing herself through music and art.

As Director of Community and Operations, Stephanie brings over a decade of operations and management experience in New York City’s arts and culture sector. Working as a direct support for NYCETC’s community, she aims to ensure quality experience and high satisfaction among a diverse and inclusive community.

Prior to joining NYCETC Stephanie was the Senior Membership Manager at the Whitney Museum of American Art. During her tenure the museum’s membership saw exponential growth, and she established operations central to the opening of the Whitney’s new building in 2015.

Stephanie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Florida State University and a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina.

Stephanie is a proud member of the 2022-2023 cohort of NYATEP’s Workforce Academy for Policy and Advocacy, and 2021-2022 cohort of Nonprofit New York and Measure of America’s Learning What Works program.

Josie is a journalist, author, broadcaster and public speaker. She’s worked on staff for Reuters, The Independent and The Wall Street Journal. As a freelancer, she’s written for Bloomberg, Business Insider, Salon, The Washington Post, The Spectator, Guardian, MSNBC, Fortune, Forbes and many other publications.

Josie has appeared on CNN, ABC, PBS, CNBC, public radio and a host of other networks. She regularly contributes to the BBC, both as a writer and broadcaster and is a founding editor of The Persistent, for which she writes weekly.

She was a 2020/2021 Knight-Bagehot Fellow at Columbia Journalism School in New York, and holds a BA from the University of Bath in the U.K. and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

She’s an Associate Instructor within the Strategic Communications program at Columbia’s School of Professional Studies.

Claire Cuno, LMSW, serves as the Senior Director of the Learner Support Team at Per Scholas. She has transformed a single position into a comprehensive national department of 15 full-time Licensed Clinical and Master’s level Social Workers and Financial Coaches who support Per Scholas participants across 24 campuses and remotely. 

A passionate advocate for integrating personal and financial wellness into workforce development and technical training, Claire leverages data-driven approaches to enhance team effectiveness and maximize impact. Her strategic leadership has led to remarkable growth in client engagement, nearly tripling from 7,760 interactions in 2023 to almost 20,000 in 2024.

Claire’s vision centers on developing holistic support systems that accompany learners throughout their career journey. Her innovative approach demonstrates that comprehensive support is not merely supplemental but essential to success in workforce development.

Keri Faulhaber is JobsFirstNYC’s Senior Vice President, bringing expertise in intermediary innovation that advances strategic objectives and systems-level transformation. In this role, she provides strategic leadership to deepen and expand the organization’s effectiveness and impact. Keri joined JobsFirstNYC in 2013, and most recently served as Vice President, leading work solutions and communications, identifying, designing and advancing practices and policies that achieve better outcomes for employers and workers and amplifying our work. Prior to that, Keri served as director of operations at Public/Private Ventures, where she oversaw several large-scale, complex workforce projects. Prior to her career in workforce development, Keri was an executive in film and television post- production. Keri holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University at Buffalo, and Certificates, Aspen Institute’s Sector Skills Academy Fellowship, and Executive Education, Senior Leaders Program, Columbia University Business School.

Ashia is an intentional bridge-builder and servant leader passionate about enabling sustainable growth and prosperity for vulnerable communities through scalable solutions and accessible resources. The impetus of this mission occurred through early exposure to service, instilled throughout her upbringing.

Ashia is currently an engagement and product leader for The Climate Pledge, Amazon’s net-zero by 2040 commitment. Previously, Ashia led social compliance for Amazon’s private label business, drove customer-facing marketing as a global lead at Amazon Web Services, and managed a multi-million dollar, downstream global services portfolio at ExxonMobil.

Ashia has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a dual-degree in Supply Chain Management and Marketing from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Ashia is currently based in Brooklyn, NY, but has enjoyed living across the country and considers Detroit home. She enjoys running (as well as eating) her way through the parks and streets of NYC and finds balance by escaping to the desert to hike and recharge. Ashia also sits on the Board of Opening Act, an NYC-based nonprofit focused on closing the arts equity gap across public schools.

You can connect with Ashia on LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/ashiajohnson) and learn more about her personal mission and work at ashiajohnson.com.

Sherazade Langlade “SL” (she/her) brings over two decades experience in workforce development, financial inclusion, change management, and consulting. She is dedicated to equity, innovation, and impact and is often sought out for strategic mindset, clarity of purpose and “figure-it-outness”. Having worked at Upwardly Global, Community Resource Exchange, and the NYC’s Mayor’s Office, she launched, grew, and sustained key strategic initiatives and partnered with clients to drive impact. A lifelong learner, she holds an MPA from Baruch College and certifications in Change Management, Human-Centered Design, AI, and Coaching, serves on GroundWork Hudson Valley Board, and is a National Urban Fellow. She is delighted by traveling, her nephew “Munchkin”, a steamy cortado, and time with family.

Danae McLeod is the Chief Executive Officer of Grace Institute of New York. She has a PhD in philosophy and has taught philosophy, literature, and women’s studies courses on SUNY and CUNY campuses. Her experience in higher education has enabled her to design innovative education and workforce programs for women. Examples of her work can be viewed in Inside Higher ED and New York Nonprofit Media.

Kalilah Moon is the Executive Director of Drive Change, bringing two decades of nonprofit and workforce development experience. A proud Oakland native, her upbringing instilled a deep belief in community, mutual aid, and the power of opportunity. She began her nonprofit work in New York at Madison Square Boys & Girls Club and later held leadership roles at The Door and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations. Moon holds a BA from Langston University, an MS in Nonprofit Management from The New School, and an Executive Leadership Certificate from Baruch College. A longtime Brooklyn resident, she champions equity for individuals impacted by the legal system.

Chymeka Olfonse has dedicated over 25 years of her career to nonprofit service, focusing on empowering individuals through education and economic opportunities. She is the Managing Director of Adults and Household Supports at Robin Hood, overseeing a $23 million portfolio to stabilize and boost income for working-age New Yorkers facing economic challenges. Previously, Chymeka served as the Founding Regional Executive Director of BUILD NYC, an entrepreneurship education nonprofit, setting strategic direction, launching programming, and establishing key stakeholder relationships. She also served as the Executive Director of Minds Matter National Inc., where she doubled the number of students served and launched new chapters. Chymeka has held various roles at nonprofits and government agencies, including the NYC Department of Education and ExpandEd Schools, leading initiatives to integrate private-sector philanthropy into public schools and advance the after-school workforce. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a Master of Public Administration from New York University, and an executive certificate from Harvard Business School. Chymeka recently served as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Nonprofit Practice.

Evelyn Ortiz recently assumed the role of Co-CEO at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), rejoining the organization where she began her impactful public service career. With 17 years in the government and nonprofit sectors, she has been a fervent advocate for economic empowerment and workforce development throughout New York State.

Before returning to OBT, Evelyn was appointed as the first Latina to hold the position of Senior Deputy Commissioner for the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing, and Consumer Affairs. In this capacity, she managed workforce training funds of $17 million annually, benefiting over 26,000 Suffolk County residents. Furthermore, Evelyn played a pivotal role as the Deputy Director at the New York Association of Training & Employment Professionals (NYATEP), a statewide association representing 200 organizations. In this capacity, she facilitated the achievement of quality jobs for over a million New Yorkers through job training, education, and workforce development. During her tenure at NYATEP, she spearheaded the establishment, implementation, and execution of the association’s policy, advocacy efforts, and equity initiatives across New York State.

During her initial term at OBT, Evelyn’s advocacy efforts led to a threefold increase in government funding for the organization, ensuring the continuation of OBT’s essential programs. Evelyn realized the power of advocacy while working for NYS Senator Kevin Parker as the Director of Constituent Affairs. In this role, she came face to face with constituents who were experiencing alarming unemployment rates and risked eviction due to the mortgage crisis and recession. To help strengthen the community she established workforce development initiatives that alleviated her constituent’s financial burdens and enhanced their access to economic success.

Evelyn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a Master’s degree in Social Work from SUNY Stony Brook University (SBU). While at SBU, she collaborated with eight Women of Color committed to community impact to found the Alpha Delta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority Incorporated. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Evelyn’s path is a testament to her profound dedication to social change and community development.

Mariam Osman, Managing Director, is COO of Global Investment Operations(GIO). She works on ensuring commitments to servicing clients, improving operating performance and overseeing the delivery of GIO’s scale, efficiency and control framework.

Previously, Ms. Osman led the Services group which is responsible for working with all investment teams and client business teams to ensure alignment of the business objective and strategic direction of the GIO platform. 

She joined BlackRock’s Trading Liquidity & Strategies group in 2013. Ms. Osman led BlackRock’s efforts to both influence and adapt to macro market structure changes across all major asset classes. She collaborated with BlackRock’s public policy team to author BlackRock Viewpoints on key market structure developments and define strategy for adapting to major regulatory changes such as Brexit.

Previously, Ms. Osman worked at UBS as the Global Head of Client Technology in Prime Brokerage. She was responsible for the integration of the bank’s platform within the prime brokerage, futures, and OTC products. Prior to UBS, she spent three months teaching English in Afghanistan and worked at Goldman Sachs in several departments including – Equity Capital Markets, Equities Trading, International Trading and Equity Finance.

Ms. Osman earned a BS in Computer Science from Saint John’s University and a MS in Information Systems from New York University.

Lesley Rennis is a tenured full professor and chair of the Health Studies Department at the City University of New York-Borough of Manhattan Community College. Professor Rennis’ expertise is in public health, public health history, health disparities, and social determinants of health. Previously, Professor Rennis was the Vice President of Health and Human Services at Abyssinian Development Corporation, a non-profit community development corporation in Harlem, NY. She completed her postdoctoral research at Columbia University New York State Psychiatric Institute and received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Disparities Scholar award and a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Women and Gender Junior Investigator award. Professor Rennis has an EdD from Teachers College, Columbia University Department of Health & Behavior Studies, an MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Population and Family Health, and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Michigan State University. Professor Rennis teaches courses in public health, community health, program planning and evaluation, complementary and alternative medicine, and comparative healthcare systems. She has extensive experience in online teaching. Her research interests include the use of contemplative pedagogy to enhance classroom teaching and learning, online pedagogy, the development of health professions career paths, and Black women’s health.

Sharon Sewell-Fairman is a nationally recognized leader in workforce and economic development with more than 25 years of experience driving systems-level change across local, state, and national landscapes. She currently serves as President and CEO of Women Creating Change (WCC), where she is leading a bold vision to position WCC as a catalyst for civic engagement and equity in New York City. Her work centers on dismantling systemic barriers and expanding opportunities for women and gender-expansive individuals, particularly those from underserved communities.

Before joining WCC, Sharon served as Chief Executive Officer of the Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI), where she led the organization through a decade of growth, innovation, and structural transformation – evolving the organization from a fiscally sponsored initiative into a thriving independent nonprofit. Under her leadership, WPTI scaled its budget, expanded staff, and launched WPTI’s signature Leadership Development program, building a pipeline of diverse emerging leaders across New York City’s workforce ecosystem. Her efforts impacted over 10,000 workforce practitioners and 740 organizations, advancing economic mobility for low- and moderate-income individuals citywide.

Sharon’s earlier roles include senior leadership positions at the National Association of Workforce Boards in Washington, DC—where she engaged with more than 600 workforce boards, and 15,000 business leaders and Congressional staff to shape federal workforce policy and investment strategies. She also held key positions at the New York City Employment & Training Coalition, Wadley-Donovan GrowthTech, and the New York Association of Training & Employment Professionals, where she advanced strategic partnerships, employer engagement, and regional workforce planning.

A connector, strategic thinker and tireless advocate, Sharon is known for her ability to bring people together and across sectors to drive meaningful change. She is deeply committed to advancing intersectional equity, building inclusive institutions, and creating systems that uplift voices, power and leadership of women and underrepresented communities.

Sharon holds a BA in English from State University at Albany, an MBA in International Business from the Univ. of Maryland Global Campus, a Certificate in International Business Studies from the Univ. of Antwerp in Belgium, and a Certificate of Business Excellence, Senior Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals from Columbia University. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Corporation of A Skilled Workforce Board of Directors, the Human Services Council’s Priority and Strategy Council and the Workforce Development Council for the Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Foundation.

Carolyn Susty is a Social Worker with Grace Institute, where she provides wraparound services to over 335 Grace Institute participants each year. Carolyn connects one-on-one with all Grace participants to ensure they have the resources and tools they need to successfully complete the training program – and that they are prepared for a thriving, upwardly-mobile career. 

Quick to build rapport and gain the trust of the women she serves, Carolyn believes every woman who attends Grace Institute’s training has the potential to build a successful career and gain economic self-sufficiency. A graduate from York College – CUNY and Adelphi University, respectively, Carolyn has personally witnessed how women can flourish and thrive in stable, steady, and safe environments, and aims to foster this sense of belonging at Grace Institute. 

Carolyn enjoys being creative, and writes and directs plays for a local community organization. 

Carolyn shares this advice with the women she serves, “Try not to compare yourself with others. Instead, strive to be the best version of yourself.”