Aitina Fareed-Cooke was told at a young age that she would be a "failure to thrive" as a result of her biological mother's addiction to drugs. As a result, she and her two older siblings were placed into the foster care system and due to substance abuse, their mother passed away. Despite being labeled emotionally
Kendra Brim is an experienced practitioner specializing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and racial equity, with nearly 15 years of expertise across various sectors including project management, healthcare, non-profit organizations, education, and technology. As the Principal Consultant of K. Savannah Consulting, she leads a DEI firm dedicated to implementing strategies that optimize organizational
Maya Reid was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She attended Sweet Home High School and graduated in 2016. Maya briefly worked for a local collection agency, but she also dreamed of starting her own business. In 2018 she decided to quit the collections job, and with limited funds, she launched a startup business at
Sandi imayeguahi is a software engineer at a Fortune 500 company. She obtained her bachelors degree from SUNY Geneseo in Chemistry. She is a STEM advocate for women of color and underrepresented groups. She is passionate about making the tech industry more diverse through mentoring college and high school students interested in a tech career
Jayla Collins-Faison is born and raised in Niagara Falls NY. She received her B.S in Fashion Textile Technology with a minor in Africana Studies from SUNY Buffalo State University and is currently working on her M.S in Public Relations at SUNY Buffalo State. Jayla has been working in customer service and communication positions for over
Kissena Frazier was born in Atlantic City, NJ, but has been living in WNY for much of her life with Buffalo having been home for the last 12 years. Always being active in her community and a helper of others, it was only fitting that Kissena decided to pursue a Masters in Social Work. “Service
On a journey to becoming the next Oprah, Jasmine Foster discovered an influencing side hustle as the owner of Jasmine’s Guide to Life and love for helping students design their lives as a Career Design Consultant at the University at Buffalo. It all started with little girl with a Barbie camcorder an obsession with talk shows
Madeline Little is a driven and accomplished young professional from the East Side of Buffalo, NY. She graduated from Hutch Tech High School in 2016, and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and minor in African American Studies from The State University of Fredonia in 2020. Last year, she completed her master’s
Collin Read is a Rochester, NY native and a 2013 graduate from the University at Buffalo. Following the completion of his bachelors degree, Collin began his career journey with the Buffalo City Court Treatment Courts where he supervised a team dedicated to improving public safety, court operations and the well-being of people with mental
Marilyn is the proud wife of Buffalos Best Baker, Joseph Young, and a loving mom to 5 Adult children and 3 Grandchildren. The government has employed Marilyn since the age of 18. She began her service when she joined the United States Army, serving as a purchasing agent of pharmaceutical supplies/equipment, spending five years on
