The GGE Community
Our Founder - HerStory
Joanne N. Smith, Founder and Executive Director, moves Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) closer to its mission through strategic advocacy, development, and leadership cultivation. Ms. Smith is a Haitian-American social worker born in NY. A staunch human rights advocate, Joanne co-chaired the nation’s first Young Women’s Initiative for girls of color in NYC, is a steering committee member of Black Girl Movement, and a Movement Maker with Move to End Violence-a 10-year initiative designed to strengthen the collective capacity to end gender based violence in the United States. Joanne is an alumna of Hunter Graduate School of Social Work and Columbia Institute for Nonprofit Management. She has co-authored Hey Shorty: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Public Schools and on the Streets. Girls for Gender Equity’s work to combat sexual harassment in schools is featured in the 2014 documentary Anita: Speak Truth to Power. Joanne has received many awards including the Ms. Foundation 2018 Gloria Award as a Woman of Vision, a Commendation from NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer and Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies - Local Women Leading Change award. Joanne resides in Brooklyn, NY.
“We must cause strategic disruption that changes society’s moral compass around trafficking, sexual assault, violence against girls, women and gender nonconforming people of color. This commitment to ending gender based violence and the devaluing of human rights is life long and I’m honored to fight with survivors, allies, and friends as we say NO MORE.”
Our Board
Dr. Pei Desrosiers and Rovika Rajkishun,
Board Co-Chairs
Naomi Abraham, Board Secretary
Resonance
Mary Ferry, Board Treasurer
Fund Manager of Benefits Fund of Wardrobe 764
Afua Addo, MHC
Center for Court Innovation
Monica Dennis
Epifani Enterprises, Inc
Dr. Pei Desrosiers
NYC Administration for Children’s Services/
Division of Financial Service, NY
Rovika Rajkishun
Senior Nonprofit Strategist
Cynthia Steele
EMpower
Joanne N. Smith
Girls for Gender Equity (GGE)
Our staff
Executive Team
Joanne N. Smith, President & Chief Executive Officer | JSmith@ggenyc.org | 718-857-1393 ext. 106
Sabrina Philson, Chief of Staff | SPhilson@ggenyc.org
Doreen Odom, Chief Operating Officer | DOdom@ggenyc.org
Dani Murphy, Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives | DMurphy@ggenyc.org
Luciana Lozada, Executive Liaison | LLozada@ggenyc.org
Development
Peggy Hupcey, Director of Development | PHupcey@ggenyc.org | 718-857-1393 ext. 103
Ayanna DaCosta, Grant Writer | ADacosta@ggenyc.org
Jasmine Lewin-Holmes | Development & Evaluation Liaison | JLewinholmes@ggenyc.org
Marketing & Storytelling
Toni Wilson, Director of Culture and Narrative Shift | TWilson@ggenyc.org
Naomi Lilly, Director of Marketing & Storytelling | NLilly@ggenyc.org
Diana Walker, Director of Brand Strategy, Communications | DWalker@ggenyc.org
Tess Weiner, Manager of Storytelling and Youth Engagement | TWeiner@ggenyc.org
Impact
Elizabeth Bishop, Ph.D., Senior Director of Evaluation | EBishop@ggenyc.org
Ayanna De’Vante Maddox, PhD, Senior Director of Impact | AMaddox@ggenyc.org
Dominique Waters, Director of Curriculum | DWaters@ggenyc.org
Programs and Social Work
Krystal Folk-Nagua, Senior Director of Programs | KFolk@ggenyc.org
Shaé Smith, Director of Healing Justice | Ssmith@ggenyc.org
Hollisha Liverpool-Brown, Director of Programs & Impact | HLiverpoolBrown@ggenyc.org
Maya Guttman-Slater, Deputy Director of Programs Operations | MGuttman-slater@ggenyc.org
Erika Chambers, Deputy Director of Healing Justice | EChambers@ggenyc.org
Aaliyah Thomas, Healing Justice Program Manager | AThomas@ggenyc.org
Baylor Andrews, SIS Program Manager | BAndrews@ggenyc.org
Kretel Krah, YWAC Program Manager | KKrah@ggenyc.org
Nia Oden-McCann, Social Work Manager | NOdenmccann@ggenyc.org
Damala Denny, Youth & Alumni Organizing Manager | DDenny@ggenyc.org
Sue Suilla Daley, GGE Youth Fellow | SDaley@ggenyc.org
Isabelle Chow, SIS Intern | IChow@ggenyc.org
Adela Jansen, YWAC Intern | AJansen@ggenyc.org
Neillah Petitfrere, SIS Youth Fellow | NPetitfrere@ggenyc.org
Heaven Peoples, Community Engagement Youth Fellow | HPeoples@ggenyc.org
Khianna Deseide, Community Engagement Youth Fellow | KDeseide@ggenyc.org
Shakeema Koonce, M&S Youth Fellow | SKoonce@ggenyc.org
Policy & Advocacy
Kimberly Blair, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy | KBlair@ggenyc.org | 718-857-1393 ext.153
Quadira Coles, Director of Policy | QColes@ggenyc.org | 718-857-1393 ext.119
Monaye Johnson, Deputy Director of Organizing | BJohnson@ggenyc.org
Ella Grace Downs, Policy & Government Affairs Manager | EGdowns@ggenyc.org
Eman Gad, Policy Liaison | EGad@ggenyc.org
Operations & Finance, People
Onika Williams, Director of Operations | OWilliams@ggenyc.org | (718) 857-1393, ext. 118
Danielle Richardson, Deputy Director of Operations | DRichardson@ggenyc.org
Gaelle Win Robin, Director of People Operations | GRobin@ggenyc.org | (718) 857-1393, ext. 123
Tiffany Mathias, People Operations Manager | TMathias@ggenyc.org
Anisha Jessop, Accountant | AJessop@ggenyc.org
Katie Healy, Finance and Development Manager | KHealy@ggenyc.org
Our Partners, Fundraisers, And Donors
