Ashe Helm-Hernández (they/them)

Funders for LGBTQ Issues

Ashe is the Philanthropic Organizing Project Director at Funders for LGBTQ Issues. Ashe is a southern non-binary Black butch artist and cultural worker based in Louisville, KY. They have a Bachelor of Arts from the Hite Art Institute at the University of Louisville and over two decades of experience in advocacy and youth organizing. They co-founded Tiger’s Eye Collective to address anti-queer violence, served as National Program Manager at GSA Network, and are part of Alpha Psi Kappa, Fraternity Incorporated. They are currently on the advisory board of Third Wave Fund. Ashe enjoys WNBA basketball, creating art, and cooking.

Barbie Hurtado (they/them/elle/elli)

Barbie is a trans-non-binary, fat, queer immigrant from Monterrey, Mexico, raised in San Antonio, Texas. They are an activist, community organizer, and passionate advocate for cultural change. Barbie is deeply committed to cultural organizing and artivism within an inclusive LGBTQ+ framework, believing that art plays a vital role in grassroots activism. In 2017, Barbie co-founded Son Queers, a collective of queer, trans, and non-binary musicians who teach, share, and perform traditional son jarocho music in a welcoming, inclusive space. The collective’s mission is to heal through art and music, while resisting the heteronormative and patriarchal norms that have historically shaped the son jarocho tradition. Additionally, Barbie is a founding member of Los MENtirosos, San Antonio’s premier all-Latinx drag king troupe. Barbie is also a proud board member of the Transgender Education Network of Texas, an organization dedicated to advancing gender-diverse equality throughout the state.

Justine Ingram (she/her)

LeadersTrust

Justine, Program Director at the LeadersTrust, is a native of Warner Robins, GA who describes herself as a community changemaker with strong ties to grassroots organizing and nonprofit program management. In her former role, Justine was the first-ever Transgender Coordinator for the Fulton County Board of Health located in Atlanta, Georgia. Justine received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology & Human Services from Clayton State University and a Master of Management in Nonprofit Human Services from Shorter University. Along with her professional responsibilities, Justine is very passionate about advocating for equal and accessible housing, healthcare, and social services for underserved communities across the South, specifically those who are struggling with quality-of-life issues such as mental health, homelessness, and substance abuse. Justine plans on continuing to utilize her various platforms to diminish the stereotypes associated with Trans Women of Color and influence all communities across the South to invest in increasing the health outcomes of our most vulnerable populations.

Mickaela Bradford (they/she)

Emergent Fund

Mickaela is an award-winning cultural organizer based in Atlanta, GA. Known for decades of leadership & trust in national & southern US movements for justice, she uses everything but the kitchen sink to create films, performances, and organizations that educate and agitate audiences to organize. Previously, she served 8 years trailblazing as the 1st Black trans femme Southerner at Transgender Law Center, leaving as “Co-Director of Policy & Programs.” Currently, she leads resource organizing strategies to uplift BIPOC frontline activist groups as “Co-Director of Movement Building” at Emergent Fund, a Black queer-led rapid response fund of Amalgamated Charitable Foundation.

Ngaire Philip (she/they)

Transgender Strategy Center

Ngaire is a Black transfeminine writer based in Baltimore, MD. She started her philanthropy career working in an administrative capacity at a grant writing firm and quickly began writing grants for local trans-led grassroots nonprofit organizations. They possess a BA in Gender and Women’s Studies and an MFA in Screenwriting, contributing to her critical lens and ability to craft succinct, compelling narratives. Currently, she sits on the board of Maryland Safe Haven, a direct service nonprofit that she has also worked for in several different capacities.

Randy Truong (he/she/they)

Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

Randy is a Memphis native and a gender-fluid Asian-American advocate committed to fostering inclusivity, equity, and community empowerment. As Community Impact Program Associate at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, they work to advance equitable grantmaking and nonprofit capacity-building initiatives, ensuring resources reach organizations that create meaningful change in the Mid-South. Beyond philanthropy, Randy is building momentum for greater API representation in Memphis. They co-organize monthly API meetups, creating intentional spaces for connection, collaboration, and resource-sharing among API professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs. Their long-term vision is establishing an API Memphis Hub—a dedicated networking, cultural exchange, and advocacy space. Whether through philanthropy, grassroots organizing, or capacity-building, Randy is committed to breaking cycles of exclusion and creating a more inclusive, connected, and empowered Memphis.

Solace Mensah-Narh (they/them)

Grantmakers for Girls of Color

Solace is a data enthusiast, facilitator, advocate, and music lover. Born into a Ghanaian immigrant family of care workers and raised by organizers and researchers, Solace deeply admires the strength of leading with care. A born disruptor, Solace organizes with communities advocating for bodily autonomy, racial justice, economic opportunity, and queer freedoms. Their research seeks to analyze how economic systems affect the psyches of Black queer femmes and their capacity to usurp capitalism to create structures that support themselves and their communities. As Data Analyst at G4GC, Solace stewards the grantmaking database and creates intersectional reports to analyze the intermediary’s giving trends. Solace’s philosophy is that transformation is possible if we respect young people’s expertise to design the future forward.