Our Team
Aeran Baskin
- Director of Communications
- Village Storyteller
A lover of language and strategy, Aeran leads communications and storytelling at Village of Wisdom. Drawing on her experience as...
Amber Majors Ladipo, PhD
- Director of Research and Innovation
- Analytical Sage
Amber plans and manages our research projects. She trains and works side by side with our parents as they create...
Anthony Jones, PhD
- Associate Director of Finance and Operations
- Receipt Keeper
Anthony makes sure Village of Wisdom’s books and monies are tight! He makes sure folks get paid, and he does...
Arssante Malone
- Director of Instructional Liberation
- De Alkhemist
As an educator, instructional coach, and school leader with international experience, Arssante Malone successfully utilized culturally relevant pedagogy, critical frameworks,...
Aya Shabu
- Associate Director of Arts and Culture
- Guardian of Flow
Aya leads Village of Wisdom’s work to celebrate cultural strengths and beauty of our community. Her work focuses on preparing...
Beth Leigh
- Director of Development
- Village Miner
Beth leads Village of Wisdom’s fundraising and stewardship efforts. She enthusiastically develops and strengthens partnerships with Village of Wisdom staff,...
Carlton Johnson
- Senior Wellness Manager
- Village Nurturer
Carlton Johnson is a passionate social worker based in Durham, NC, where he is deeply committed to nurturing and strengthening...
Cornell Watson
- Director
Cornell is an award-winning Black photographer who is passionate about telling Black stories. Cultural affirmation comes through the authenticity of...
Jas Murphy
- Instructional Liberation Program Manager
- Village Advocate
Jas is a dedicated program manager and school liaison with a background in education. As a former educator, Jas brings...
Lashika Hester
- Associate Director of Operations
- Process Master
Lashika makes the operations magic happen at Village of Wisdom. She makes sure all our stuff, tech, data, and info...
Leah Adeniji
- Director
As a staunch advocate of education and supporting Black youth, Leah R. Adeniji started as a volunteer for Village of...
Malika Graham-Bailey
- Board Chair
Malika has spent over 20 years in organizations partnering with urban school districts to sustain equitable youth opportunity and community...
Omari Akil
- Digital Tools Product Manager
- Mechanization Maven
Omari manages Village of Wisdom’s digital tool design and development processes. He works to ensure the technological resources provided to...
Randi Towns
- Treasurer
Randi Jones, a driven professional with over 10 years of experience in healthcare strategy and operations, is a senior associate...
Rashida James
- Director
Rashida James-Saadiya began as a volunteer and is now a Village of Wisdom board member. She is a cultural organizer,...
Roxann Dixon
- Manager of Early Childhood Education Initiatives
- Village Gardener
Roxann helps educators and parents navigate the academic journey from a child’s perspective. As an advocate, she provides support and...
Valerie Anderson, PhD
- Director
Dr. Valerie Anderson has served in leadership roles in nonprofit, education and community-based organizations focused on holistic youth development, strengthening...
William P. Jackson, PhD
- Executive Director
- Chief Dreamer
William works hard listening and creating spaces for others to dream. Will leads Village of Wisdom’s efforts to attract funding...