Dr. Jas is an applied food systems research and policy-based specialist. She partners with academic research teams, anchor institutions, philanthropic foundations, and community-based organizations to identify root causes of and develop innovative solutions to food system challenges. Dr. Jas received her master’s degree in Community Planning from Auburn University and Ph.D. in Integrative Public Policy and Development from Tuskegee University. As a New Orleans native and farmer, she has developed a unique perspective when it comes to food and the effects that it has on communities. Dr. Jas believes that your zip code should not determine your life expectancy, and building relationships are essential to creating a sustainable and just food system.

Cicely is a creative strategist and social entrepreneur adept at providing thought leadership and consulting services in areas such as design thinking, racial equity, environmental justice, food sovereignty, and grants management. Cicely spearheaded the transition of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability to Office of Resilience under the 100 Resilient Cities program pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation to address challenges and opportunities arising in Metro cities as a result of urbanization, globalization, and climate change. Cicely served as a community builder, facilitator and program manager for 8.5 years at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Cicely holds a B.S.B.A. degree with a concentration in Finance and New & Small Business Management from Georgetown University and a Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from The George Washington University.

Kehinde “Kenni” Walker has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit, government program, and project management. She has spent her life dedicated to neighborhood revitalization, community and land development, affordable housing, financial literacy, and a variety of human service programs. Kenni has led and managed staff for midsize to large organizations, to include two local jurisdictions and four nonprofits, stewarding general operations, grant accounting, budgeting, and strategic planning. She has been directly responsible for allocating financial resources as well as implementing operation procedures and controls for budgets ranging from $500K to $20 million. In her last role, she was selected by Fairfax County, VA leadership to represent her agency in an elite group to consult with the County Executive on the 20-year strategic planning committee. She is passionate about building communities by increasing access to economic, mental health, and capital resources by way of education and empowerment.

She holds an MBA from Ohio Dominican University and a BS in Finance and Business Administration from Ohio University as well as an MS in Mental Health from Capella University. She is an avid health and wellness advocate and loves and raises three magical young people. “Ever Up and Onward”-Billy Strayhorn.

Kenya Crumel is the Director of the Black Land and Power (BLP) initiative at the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, a coalition of organizations working together to build institutions focused on food sovereignty & land justice. The primary BLP project is the establishment and growth of the Resource Commons, a combination of a non-extractive fund and a national network of Black land trusts that are being established exclusively for Black farmers. 

Prior to joining the Alliance in January 2021, Ms. Crumel spent twenty-five years working in the community development field implementing and managing programs that build the capacity of municipalities, nonprofits, community-based organizations, and Federal agencies. That experience included overseeing the completion of a mix of national and local projects focused on creating economic and workforce development opportunities, expanding the quality of life for residents of public housing, and improving the health outcomes of youth of color.

LeeAnn is an award-winning filmmaker, nationally published photographer and writer based in Atlanta, GA. She has written for the Cornucopia Institute, Good Food Jobs, Raw on Wheels, Blavity, & Black Girl In Om. Her most recent work, With These Hands presented by SAAFON is an intimate visual telling of the works and lives of 6 Black farmers from around the deep southeastern states showcasing how Black agrarianism is revitalizing our ecosystem, building community and reconnecting people of the Black diaspora with our history. She is committed to documenting & amplifying the stories of Black people reclaiming what it means to live well and free from the wounds of generational land-based trauma.

Renee Smith Nickelson is a dynamic professional specializing in policy, sustainable food systems, and social justice. Her work spans the non-profit sector, leading innovative programming and policy at member-based organizations. Most recently, she led pioneering program management and design in sustainable food ingredient sourcing, corporate governance, and school nutrition procurement for the plant-based foods industry.

For nearly a decade, Renee has played a key role in groundbreaking state and federal advocacy, shaping policies for improved access to healthy foods, growing market opportunities for small growers, and driving positive health outcomes for birthing people. Notably, her accomplishments were instrumental in shaping the inaugural Presidential Proclamation of Black Maternal Health Week in 2021 and spearheading successful initiatives that extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility in Georgia.

An advocate for equitable, sustainable food systems, Renee continues to champion initiatives addressing food access, land retention, and community cultivation for small farmers. Her journey, publications, and ongoing dedication underscore her commitment to effecting meaningful change for marginalized communities.

justin is an organizer from tidewater, virginia. he comes into the work through stories of organizing Black folks in the workplace and community. officially, justin began organizing in 2014 in new york. since then, he’s utilized his skills in his hometown, atlanta and oakland building relationships in the community that energize and activate Black folks to engage in the process of actualizing human rights, moving towards social and cultural transformation. 

justin thrives to motivate folks to move beyond re-envisioning blackness to actual transformation. communication must transform into actions that spawn personal and collective growth. justin’s goal is to build collective self-sustaining institutions through relationships and popular education.  

​”good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity” –Nate Turner

how can storytelling sow the seeds, weave the fabrics, and sing the heartsongs of our intergenerational potential for Black liberation and total transformation? as one of our earliest traditions, the power of stories to map and sustain our histories, present, and afrofutures is endless, and isis is tapping in. 

she is a budding multimedia storyteller born and raised in so-called Atlanta, GA who now lives in so-called Washington, D.C. she seeks to connect folks more deeply, uplift the spirit of Black organizing and agroecological traditions, and transform our movements one story at a time. liberation is a commitment, and storytelling is one of its many practices. for food and land, she knows stories grow roots just as crops do in the struggle. isis commits herself to creativity endlessly and is also a passionate dancer, gamer, DJ, daughter, queer lover, and human.