Tricia Hersey is a multidisciplinary artist, activist, writer  and theologian. She is the founder of The Nap Ministry, an organization that examines rest as a form of resistance and reparations by curating spaces for the community to rest via rest activations, immersive workshops, and performance art installations.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her research interests include Black liberation theology, womanism, somatics, and cultural trauma.  She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto and The Nap Ministry’s Rest Deck: 50 Practices to Resist Grind Culture will be published on April 25, 2023. 

Michael A. Walrond Jr. is the Senior Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church (FCBC) in Harlem, New York. Walrond—affectionately known as Pastor Mike—is quickly rising as one of the most prolific and sought-after teachers and preachers in the country. Considered a visionary, cultural architect, and game-changer by his peers, Pastor Mike has not only catalytically changed the traditional perspective of the black church, but he is also shifting the paradigm of Christian understanding and culture. Within two years of his leadership at FCBC, the church experienced exponential growth, tripling its membership. Over the past thirteen years, membership at FCBC has grown from 300 to over 10,000 members.

Pastor Mike’s community and social justice initiatives include the Micah Clergy Roundtable of NYC, A.C.T. Social Justice Ministry, anti-“stop and frisk” campaign and helping to get the “New York City Living Wage” legislation passed by the City Council. He is a board member of the National Action Network (NAN) and was appointed the first National Director of the Ministers Division. He serves as a Trustee and adjunct faculty member of Chicago Theological Seminary and currently serves as the Chair of The Board of Visitors at Duke University Divinity School. For over two years served as a weekly columnist for the New York Amsterdam News. Pastor Mike’s work has been recognized by The Harlem Torch, Positive Community Magazine, The Amsterdam News, and he was named “One of the Lord’s Foot Soldiers” by Newsweek Magazine. Pastor Mike has received numerous honors, accolades, and recognitions include induction into Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers as a “Distinguished Preacher.” In 2014 Pastor Mike was a recipient of The Root 100 Award, a list of the top 100 most influential African Americans under the age of 45. In July of 2015 New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, named Pastor Mike as the first chair of the NYC Clergy Advisory Council.

In 2012, Pastor Mike’s foresight and passion for the Harlem community shaped the vision for the FCBC community development corporation (CDC). The most ambitious project to date of the FCBC CDC is The Dream Center: a transformative space designed to awaken dreams of the community. Focused on creative arts, leadership development, and economic empowerment, The Dream Center offers over twenty-five completely free programs to the Harlem community for all ages, races, and backgrounds. With a desire to deeply engage the issues of the community, in December of 2016 Pastor Mike opened the H.O.P.E. (Healing On Purpose and Evolving) Center; the first faith-based mental health facility in Harlem. The H.O.P.E. Center is a manifestation of Pastor Mike’s vision to effectively support the vast mental health needs of the community. The center seeks to minimize the stigma that exists in many communities of color when seeking mental health services.

Pastor Mike is a graduate of Morehouse College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. He continued his studies at Duke University School of Divinity as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar and earned a Master of Divinity degree with a focus in Theology. He served Duke University as the University Minister and Director of the African American Campus Ministry for eight years. Pastor Mike served as the Senior Pastor of Zion Temple United Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina for eight years. He is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the Morehouse College Alumni Association.

Pastor Mike is a native of Roosevelt, New York. He is married to the Rev. Dr. LaKeesha N. Walrond, who serves as the Executive Pastor of FCBC. They are the proud parents of two beautiful children, Michael III and Jasmyn Dominique.

Dr. Ann Marie Sullivan is currently the Commissioner of the New York State Office of MentalHealth.

As Commissioner, she has guided the transformation of the state hospital system in its emphasis on recovery and expansion of community based treatment, reinvesting over 100 million dollars in community services; implemented the incorporation of critical recovery services for the seriously mentally ill in the Medicaid benefit plan and expanded services for the mentally ill in the criminal justice system and in community reentry. Working closely with all mental health providers and health plans, she has been guiding the integration of physical, mental health and substance use in care and treatment, the integration of early prevention, wellness and the social determinants of health in service delivery, and the statewide implementation of critical programs such as Zero Suicide, First Episode Psychosis Teams, crisis intervention services and school- based mental health clinics.

Previously, she was the Senior Vice President for the Queens Health Network of the New York City Health and Hospitals, responsible for Elmhurst and Queens Hospital Centers, two public hospitals which serve a community of over 2 million New York City residents. She has also served as Associate Director of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Ambulatory Care at the Gouverneur Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Manhattan, NYC.

Dr. Sullivan grew up in Queens, New York City. She graduated from NYU and its School of Medicine and completed her Psychiatric Residency at New York University/Bellevue Hospital in 1978. Dr. Sullivan is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and has served as the Speaker of the American Psychiatric Association’s Assembly. She is a Clinical Professor at the Mt Sinai School of Medicine, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a member of the American College of Psychiatrists.

Dr. Sullivan is an active advocate for her patients and her profession, and has published and lectured on best practices in community psychiatry.

Dr. Green currently serves as the executive director of the HOPE Center, a community based mental health clinic connected to the historic First Corinthian Baptist Church. Prior to her role at the HOPE Center, Dr. Green held several positions in NYC government including the Deputy Director of the Office of Substance Use, Policy, Planning and Monitoring at NYC’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). In her more than 20 years of direct practice and management experience as a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, fatherhood practitioner, professor and administrator, Dr. Green has had a tremendous impact on countless New Yorkers. She is skilled in various areas of mental health, program planning, development, clinical supervision and building strategic partnerships. 

A licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Green’s research interests include mental health, trauma informed clinical practices, fatherhood, maternal health, pregnant and parenting families, child-parent attachment and perinatal mood disorders. Dr. Green has a deep commitment to community, working with underserved and marginalized populations. Her work explores the experiences of young fathers and the impact on paternal involvement on family dynamics. She is devoted to promoting open dialogue around the de-stigmitazation of father absence, men’s mental health, and ensuring that all children have access to both parents in a safe co-parenting environment.  

Dr. Green, a native of Harlem, NYC, holds both a doctorate and master’s degree in social work from New York University (NYU) and received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Dr. Green completed post-master’s certificates in Advance Clinical Practice from Hunter College, and the Treatment of Alcohol and Drug Addicted Clients from NYU. Dr. Green serves on several boards throughout the northeast and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 

Dr. Hankerson is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Community Engagement in the Department of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also Director of Mental Health Equity Research in the Institute for Health Equity Research at Mount Sinai.  His research focuses on reducing racial/ethnic disparities in mental health treatment. He is a nationally recognized expert at engaging faith-based organizations in mental health services research.

The National Academy of Medicine selected Dr. Hankerson as one of 10 physicians in the U.S. for its Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program in 2021.  New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio recently appointed Dr. Hankerson as Chair of the Community Services Board of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  Dr. Hankerson has presented his study results at the White House, United Nations, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Gracie Mansion (NYC Mayor’s Office), and numerous national academic conferences. He was an inaugural member of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Council of Faith and Community Partnerships and served on the APA Council of Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities.

Dr. Hankerson completed a dual MD/MBA program from Emory University, where he was Medical School Class President for two years. He completed his psychiatry residency at Emory and was named Chief Resident of Psychiatry at Grady Memorial Hospital. He then completed a NIMH T32 post-doctoral research fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center and was on faculty at Columbia for 12 years before transitioning to his current leadership roles at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Shilpa Taufique is Director of the Division of Psychology, Co-Chair of the Psychiatry DEI Steering Committee for the Mount Sinai Health system, and Chief Psychologist for Mount Sinai Morningside and West Hospitals. In addition, Dr. Taufique is the Director of the Alliance between the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai and Partnership to End Addiction, as well as the Comprehensive Adolescent Rehabilitation and Education Service (CARES) at Mount Sinai Morningside. She also works with Mount Sinai Health Partners to design and develop behavioral health services as part of integrated health care packages for various organizations. Dr. Taufique earned her doctorate in Clinical/Child/School Psychology from New York University. She has received numerous awards for her supervision and teaching, including the Faculty Award for Humanism in Psychiatry, and the President’s Award for Excellence from St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals. In addition to her work of over 19 years at Mount Sinai, she serves as consultant to other organizations, facilitating team building, culture change and providing leadership development.

Her clinical specialties include program design and development, group and systems dynamics, diversity, equity, and inclusion, mental health and school consultation, co-occurring disorders (mental health and substance use disorders), and trauma. Dr. Taufique has also served as the Board Chair for Creative Alternatives of NY, and currently serves on The Art Therapy Project (TAP) and the NYC DOE District 79 Advisory Boards.

Shawn Dove’s leadership mission mantra is “there is no cavalry coming to save the day in our communities. We are the iconic leaders that we have been waiting for; curators of the change we are seeking to see.” He has almost four decades of cross-sector leadership in the fields of youth development, community-building, philanthropy, arts education, leadership development and media literacy. He is the founder of the Corporation for Black Male Achievement, a consulting and publishing firm that produces community-building engagements and leadership development engagements that elevate stories of loving, learning and leading by and for Black men and boys.

Dove also currently serves as Managing Partner for New Profit, a venture philanthropy firm that invests in and supports breakthrough social entrepreneurs advancing strategies that addresses systemic injustice across the nation. He is responsible for managing investments, advising social entrepreneurs and co-curating New Profit’s efforts to bring together a multiracial, multicultural, multigenerational coalition pursuing a new era of justice, opportunity, trust and collaboration in America. Founded in 1998 as one of the first venture philanthropy organizations, New Profit has invested over $325 million in 165 social entrepreneur-led organizations, as well as unlocked over $1.7B in government funding for social innovation.

Most recently, Dove served as the CEO of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA), a national intermediary membership organization committed to ensuring thegrowth, impact and sustainability of leaders and organizations committed to improvingthe life outcomes for Black men and boys. Launched in 2008 at the Open SocietyFoundations (OSF) and spinning off into an independent entity in 2015, under Dove’sleadership CBMA leveraged more than $212 million in national and local funds, whileconnecting thousands of leaders and organizations on behalf of an emerging field ofBlack Male Achievement.

Among Dove’s key accomplishments during his tenure with CBMA were supporting thelaunch of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative; brokering a pioneeringpartnership between OSF, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the City of New York tolaunch the NYC Young Men’s Initiative; serving as a lead organizer of the launch of theExecutives’ Alliance to Expand Opportunities for Boys & Young Men of Color,leveraging seed investments for BMA organizations and initiatives including CitiesUnited, Echoing Green’s BMA Fellowship, Oakland Unified School District’s Office forAfrican American Male Achievement, to name a few.

During his career journey, Dove served for a decade as Program Director of theHarlem Children Zone’s Countee Cullen Community Center, one of NYC’s first 10Beacon Schools, where he helped spearhead the launch of HCZ’s Fitness & NutritionCenter. Dove also served as Executive Director of The DOME Project; Director of Youth Ministries for First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ; CreativeCommunities Director for the National Guild for Community Schools of the Arts; andVice President of MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership.

Dove has a long-time commitment to multi-media and narrative change efforts thatamplify the voices and stories of Black people and their communities, includinglaunching Harlem Overheard, an award-winning youth-produced newspaper at HCZ,serving as the founding publisher of Proud Poppa, a newsmagazine devoted toelevating asset-based stories about Black fathers; investing in people of color-ledmedia companies and productions, as well as funding and publishing numerousresearch reports to advance the BMA field.

Dove is the co-author of I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys(June 2021), equal parts memoir, historical account of CBMA and a curated manifestoof various voices in the Black Male Achievement movement.
As a result of his catalytic leadership, Dove has been recognized with numerousawards, including the key to the City of Louisville, Black Enterprise’s inaugural 2017“BE Modern Man of the Year,” and Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 in 2016. Dove is alsoa recipient of the Charles H. Revson Fellowship at Columbia University and wasawarded a 2014 Prime Movers Fellowship for social impact leaders.

Dove earned a BA in English from Wesleyan University and is a graduate of Columbia University Business School’s Institute for Not-for-Profit Management. He currently livesin New Jersey with his wonderful wife and four amazing children.

After graduating from Howard University with a BA in History, Dr. Glover worked at Essence Magazine and as an Account Executive for Verizon. She followed her curiosity about medicine and ultimately attended SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and obtained an MPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Currently, Dr. Glover is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Glover teaches psychopharmacology and psychotherapy to Psychiatry and Family Medicine residents. Her career as a consultant and educator have informed her expertise in the fields of health equity, workplace mental health, and organizational success.

Representative Ritchie Torres is a fighter from the Bronx who has spent his entire life working for the community he calls home. Like many people in the Bronx, poverty and struggle have never been abstractions to him, and he governs from a place of lived experience.

Ritchie’s mother single-handedly raised him, his twin brother, and his sister in a public-housing project. She paid the bills working minimum-wage jobs, which in the 1990s paid $4.25 an hour.  While Ritchie grew up with mold, lead, leaks, and no reliable heat or hot water in the winter, he watched the government spend over $100 million dollars to build a golf course across the street for Donald Trump. In 2013, at the age of 25, Ritchie became New York City’s youngest elected official and the first openly L.G.B.T.Q. person elected to office in the Bronx.

At the City Council, Ritchie stood out, and during his seven-year tenure he tenaciously tackled problems big and small for the Bronx and New York City. He passed over forty pieces of legislation, including legislation protecting the City’s affordable housing stock and tackling the city’s opioid epidemic. As the Chairman overseeing NYCHA, he held the first committee hearing ever in public housing, which led to a $3 billion-dollar FEMA investment, the largest in NYC history. As Chair of the Oversight & Investigations Committee, Ritchie has led investigations into the heating outages and lead poisoning at NYCHA, the Taxi Medallion scandal, the City’s controversial Third-Party Transfer program, and Kushner Companies.

Ritchie currently lives in the Bronx and represents NY-15 in Congress. He is a member of the Committee on Financial Services and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Dr. Naomi Dambreville (She/Her/Hers) is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She currently provides integrated evidence-based and psychodynamic treatment to academic medicine students and house staff at the Student and Trainee Mental Health Program as well as to families as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and Child Psychology Externship Director at the Child, Adolescent and Family Services clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. She has experience working with adults, children, adolescents, and families across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings and has a strong commitment to supporting resilience in underserved, under-resourced, and/or minoritized individuals.

Dr. Dambreville serves as Core Faculty at the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience, which strives to advance the science and treatment of child traumatic stress and psychological resilience. She also serves as a member of the Psychiatry Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee at Mount Sinai Health System.

Dr. Dambreville research interests explore the impact of psychological distress and risky behaviors on interpersonal functioning and well-being, specifically social exclusion and rejection sensitivity. She has published in the areas of trauma and PTSD, racial disparities in nicotine and cannabis users, and co-occurring substance use and ADHD. Dr. Dambreville was named a TRACC Pre-doctoral Scholar (Translational Research Training in Addictions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities at City College of New York and Columbia University Medical Center), funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Dr. Dambreville received her doctorate from the Clinical Psychology at City College PhD Subprogram at The Graduate School, CUNY. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College, CUNY and Master’s from New York University.