Our Team

Founder & Honorary Board Member

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Mike Johnston represented Senate District 33 in Northeast Denver in the Colorado State Senate, and was a candidate for Governor of Colorado in 2018. Mike serves as a policy advisor to New Leaders for New Schools. Mike first entered education as a high school English teacher in Greenville, Mississippi, an experience that led him to write his acclaimed book,"In the Deep Heart's Core." After leaving the Mississippi Delta Mike co-founded New Leaders for New Schools, a national non-profit that recruits and trains urban principals. Mike started his own career as a principal leading two alternative high schools serving Colorado students held in state custody or living in group homes and detention centers. Most recently, Mike was the co-founder and principal of MESA (Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts), a redesigned urban high school in the Mapleton Public Schools that made Colorado history by becoming the first public high school in which 100 percent of seniors were admitted to four-year colleges. He has been an adjunct professor of education law at the University of Denver and has served as an advisor to state and federal political campaigns around the country, most recently as a top education advisor to Barack Obama's presidential campaign and transition. Recently named to Time Magazine's "40 Under 40" and Forbes Magazine's list of the "7 Most Powerful Educators," Mike holds degrees from Yale College, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Yale Law School. He sits on the board of many local and national organizations including the "I Have a Dream" Foundation and the Urban League.

Founder & Honorary Board Member

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A Denver native, Damion LeeNatali taught as a high school English teacher in Denver Public Schools as a corps member. Prior to joining TFA staff, Damion served as chief of staff to Colorado Sen. Mike Johnston (Greater Delta ’97), where he helped to author and secure the passage of major school finance reform, co-founded two education-oriented startups, and recruited and led a legislative team recognized by Westword as the “Best Political Staff in Denver.”

Damion attended the University of Arizona on a National Merit scholarship and the University of Colorado Law School. Damion is married to a fellow TFA alum, with whom he shared a classroom as a first-year corps member.

Board Member

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Kaycee is Executive Director at CCS Fundraising and a Nonprofit Management Consultant. She was the Finance Director for Mike Johnston For Colorado (Gubernatorial campaign) and the Policy Director at the Office of Senator Mike Johnston.

Prior to that, she worked at Teach For America – Colorado, where she developed financial strategy for the region. Her work informed the team’s expansion efforts, resource allocation decisions, and fundraising operations across three sub-regions and six school districts. Prior to that role, Kaycee taught math at a Denver Public Schools high school as a Teach For America corps member. During her time in the classroom, she executed the school’s first full-spectrum intervention program and earned Stand For Children’s Award for Outstanding Teachers. Kaycee currently serves on the education advisory of In This Together Media and as the Finance chair on the board at Wyatt Academy. Originally from San Diego, she graduated with honors from San Diego State University in 2009 with a B.S. in Finance.

Board Member

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Danielle Ongart serves as the Assistant Commissioner of the Student Pathways & Engagement Unit at the Colorado Department of Education, which focuses on whole child, whole family and whole community supports that are critical to student success. Prior to CDE, Danielle was an Obama Administration political appointee at the US Department of Education where she developed Every Student Succeeds Act guidance and regulations, created a student diversity grant program and oversaw the distribution of $1 billion in federal funds. Danielle began her work in education as a middle school teacher in New York City, and then developed the Denver Public Schools’ LEAP teacher evaluation system. She holds a B.A. in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and an M.S. in Teaching from Pace University. Danielle is an alumna of the Urban Leaders Fellowship (Denver 2011).

Board Member

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Jabar Shumate serves as the Vice President for Community Convening and Social Justice at the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City. Jabar has been affiliated with the Urban League for more than 20 years and he has served on the National Urban League Board of Directors in New York. Jabar has a career that has spanned for more than 22 years in non-profit development, public policy, higher education, and common education. As a former member of the Oklahoma legislature serving in both the state house and senate for more than 11 years, he worked extensively on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a diversity practitioner, Jabar founded the University of Oklahoma’s office of University Community and served as the University’s first chief diversity officer. He also developed the University’s first diversity course for incoming students.

Board Member

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Molly Weiner currently serves as the Director of Nonprofit Engagement at the United Ways of Texas, where she leads policy/advocacy and programmatic work that strengthens and supports the work and impact of a diverse network of local United Ways across the state, with a focus on amplifying the voice impact of the nonprofit sector statewide. She has spent the last eight years in and around policy and advocacy work in Texas and Tennessee, most notably as the former Director of Policy and Advocacy at a statewide education group, where she led legislative policy and advocacy efforts to improve the educational outcomes for Texas students. She is an alumna of the Urban Leaders Fellowship (Denver 2015) and served as the ULF Nashville Regional Director in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Molly began her career teaching high school math for several years, serving as a PLC and grade-level leader and mentor teacher. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, a statewide association that strengthens and advances information and referral services in Texas. A long-time Texan, Molly currently resides in Austin.

Molly is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, with degrees in Psychology (BA) and Business Administration (BBA), and of Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, with a Master's in Public Policy.

Board Member

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A native of Selma, Alabama, Krystal Allen is the Founder & CEO of K. Allen Consulting™ , an education advocate, and a philanthropist . A well-respected former school principal and teacher, Krystal began her career teaching elementary school, serving as an instructional coach, then asst. principal, and finally leading as a school principal. She went on to found K. Allen Consulting in 2017, and over time, it has grown significantly to become an international education & management consulting firm that provides impactful, customized workshops, strategic planning, and coaching for brands like Amazon and Google Most recently featured within Time Magazine, she is a 2019 Gambit 40 Under 40 recipient, a 2019 Aspen Institute Ideas Festival Scholar, the 2016 Urban League of Louisiana Activist Award recipient, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Kid Smart; Success at Thurgood Marshall; and the Selma Center for Nonviolence. A first-generation college graduate, Krystal earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, M.Ed. from NLU-Chicago, and is currently completing her Ed.D in K-12 Urban Educational Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Krystal's work and passion for DEI, social justice, adult learning, and organizational development are the driving forces of her work and commitment to equity.

Board Member

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Maryruth Belsey Priebe is the Co-Founder of aXXelerate and the Director for Women, Peace & Security Programs and a Senior Fellow at Pacific Forum International. She holds a Harvard International Relations graduate degree, is a member of the Research Network on Women, Peace & Security in Canada, and a Teaching Fellow at Harvard Extension School. Using social science, feminist foreign policy, and data analysis, her research focuses on the nexus of gender, climate change, and peace and security. Maryruth has held several research and fellowship positions focused on women’s leadership, and mentors young women looking to enter the security sector.

Co-Executive Director

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Tamira Samuel is a problem solver and creator. Currently, she's the Co-Executive Director for ULF and was a Director of Policy & Advocacy with TNTP. She has expertise in strategy, school intervention & design, talent development, and policy implementation that facilitates impact across sectors. She has co-founded schools targeted in intervention; developed over 30,000 leaders, teachers, and coaches; and increased funding for nonprofit organizations through internal giving campaigns and diverse revenue sources. Tamira has done extensive work in education, policy, social impact in 20+ states, territories, and countries ranging from school accountability and choice, teacher compensation, reconstitution, racial equity, regulation, collegiate housing, domestic violence response, employment waivers, sustainability, with school boards, city councils, state representatives, senators, organizations, and unions.

She has served on the What's Next Washington Employment Advisory Council and was appointed by Mayor Annise Parker to the Commission of People with Disabilities in Houston. Her notable experience includes being a Circular San Antonio U.S. Copenhagen, Denmark Sustainability Professionals Delegate; IDEX Global Accelerator and Fellowship Program Consultant Advisor to Resident CEO Mentors in India and Africa; City of Houston Commission of People With Disabilities K-12 Issues in Public Education Committee Chair; Founding Campus Leadership at YES Prep; BES Founding School Board Vice Chair; Houston ISD New Teacher Support and School Support Manager; Houston ISD DAC Parent Rep; HFT Policy Fellow; Associate for Nashville Metro Government under Mayor Karl Dean and the Beacon Center of Tennessee; Congressional Visit Lobbyist; and Peace Child International World Youth Congress U.S. Delegate with the General Governor of Canada, Michaelle Jean.

A dedicated volunteer: she is a Harris County Child Advocate, Leadership Houston Class XXXV alum, and a member of Texas Executive Women, and National Alumni Association Board of Directors for APSU.

Tamira is an author, National Major League Baseball, PEOPLE Magazine, and Target Teacher All-Star Finalist, and the 2009 Miss Black Kentucky USA. She has been recognized by World Leaders Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Women We Admire, Tennessee Titans; Chi Omega National J.H. Outstanding Panhellenic Alumna Award Recipient; Houston Business Journal 40 Under 40, Bizwomen Mentor, and Women Who Mean Business Outstanding Leader in Education for her leadership and impact.

Co-Executive Director

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Kristopher Frye is excited to serve ULF as the Co-Executive Director. His career in public service began as a classroom teacher in St. Louis, MO, after which he moved to Honduras to teach at a local bilingual school. Following his time in the classroom, Kris attended law school to explore the intersection between policy and practice. Kris has worked as a policy advisor to school board members of the Indianapolis Public Schools, in the Office of the Indiana Governor, and the law firm Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim. In his most recent role, Kris served as the Chief of Staff at Teach For America-Indianapolis, supporting the regional staff as well as over 500 alumni and corps members in the city. He is a graduate of St. Ambrose University, with a degree in Journalism and Public Relations, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with a Masters in Education, and the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Kris recently moved to Colorado with his wife, Carole, and daughter Nora.

Kris is a 2014 alumnus of the Urban Leaders Fellowship. He can be reached at kristopher@urbanleadersfellowship.org.

Atlanta Regional Director

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Kristi Sprowl is a Los Angeles native, health enthusiast, and Public Health Practitioner through rigorous academic and professional training. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Community Health and her Master in Public Health degree at the University of Arizona where she received numerous awards for her research efforts related to public health issues affecting women in underserved communities. Kristi moved to Atlanta to pursue her public health career on a larger scale and joined Emory University where she performed public health clinical research and worked as a Senior Health Educator at the Fulton County Board of Health. Through this work she planned and implemented community public health education programs, community outreach campaigns and public awareness initiatives with clinics, schools, and other stakeholders across Georgia’s largest county. Kristi now works as a Community Impact Director at the American Heart Association, leading and directing health initiatives in the Metro Atlanta region to drive local policy change. Kristi was recently accepted into the Doctor of Public Health program at the University of Georgia's 2021 cohort for working executives. She was awarded as a 2021 Health Equity Fellow at the University of Georgia, represented as a 2022 Urban Leaders Fellow for Dekalb County in Atlanta’s metro region, and was recently promoted to serve as a Regional Director for the Urban Leaders Fellowship in Atlanta. Her future goals include teaching at the collegiate level, conducting research around leadership training and assessment for BIPOC professionals, and advancing programmatic efforts around social determinants of health and racial inequities.

Dallas Regional Director

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As a first generation college student, Channler Hill graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston in 2014 with a bachelor of arts in print journalism. As an undergraduate she re-chartered the association for women in communication and became its president. She was also the University's 2013 homecoming queen and 2013-2014 editor in chief of The Daily Cougar. Off campus, Channler interned for Houston Magazine and the Houston Texans and also worked for Radio Disney Houston. Upon graduating, Channler accepted a prestigious minority journalism internship with the Chips Quinn Scholars and was placed with the St. Cloud Times. She then went on to intern for the National Press Foundation in Washington, D.C.
After welcoming my son in January 2015, Channler was inspired to pursue a career in education. She is a proud 2015 Teach For America alumna and has taught at the elementary level for four Title I schools, three in Texas and one in Maryland. She’s Texas certified to teach EC-6 and obtained a master of science in education from Johns Hopkins University in 2018. Having been a childcare director for two Montessori schools in Texas, she also hold a non-expiring Texas Child-Care Center Director's Certificate.
Channler is passionate about writing and education and have completed two fellowships, one with the Urban Leaders Fellowship in 2018 and the other with Teach For America in 2020. She currently serves as the Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Dallas.

Denver Regional Director

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Mariah hails originally from Canton, Ohio, renowned as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Following her graduation from high school, she pursued her higher education at Miami University of Ohio, where she majored in Social Justice Studies and minored in Rhetoric and Political Science.

During her time at Miami, Mariah was deeply involved in tutoring students in Cincinnati, Ohio, an experience that fueled her commitment to uplifting individuals from low-income and historically marginalized backgrounds within the education sector. In 2014, Mariah embarked on her journey as a Teach for America (TFA) Corps Member, where she was assigned to teach high school English in Metro Atlanta.

Following her first year of teaching, Mariah participated in the inaugural cohort Urban Leaders Fellowship (ULF) in Nashville, TN, during the summer of 2015. It was during the transformative ULF experience that she decided to relocate to Nashville, TN, to impart her knowledge as a Writing teacher for 5th and 6th graders at a local charter school. Her tenure as an educator sparked her curiosity about the policies and practices influencing educational outcomes for students.

In 2019, Mariah earned her Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree with a concentration in K-12 Education Policy from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. This pivotal academic pursuit equipped her with the research design and data analysis skill necessary to create systemic changes within educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Currently, Mariah serves as the first full-time College and Career Counselor at a recovery high school started by a ULF alum in Denver, Colorado. Over the last year, Mariah has been able to build a post-secondary program to help high school students struggling with mental health and substance abuse disorders pursue their life and career goals.

Mariah is excited to bring her versatile skill set to the table as she steps into the position of Regional Director for ULF in Denver this year. Her approach involves leading with authenticity, empathy, and a touch of humor to empower individuals in discovering their purpose. She intends to collaborate closely with fellows to build capacity for community organizations and policymakers alike.

Indianapolis Regional Director

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Danielle Drake, a community advocate in Indianapolis, focuses on economic and community development through coalitions, policy, and governmental affairs. Danielle focuses her passions to enhance health equity, education access, and neighborhood development.

Danielle holds a Masters in Public Affairs in Social Change and Innovation, which she use to create a more equitable and welcoming Indianapolis. Utilizing project management and process improvement, Danielle provides capacity building skills towards health equity, education access, and opportunity and achievement goals for Indy neighborhoods and its residents.

In her current role, Danielle manages strategic initiatives aligned with [Indy Chamber policy priorities](https://indychamber.com/advocacy/) and the [Business Equity for Indy](https://businessequityindy.com/) programs.

In 2022, Danielle completed her Six Sigma Green Belt Certification with the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute. With this certificate, Danielle works on community initiatives with clear objectives, maximized impact, and strategic development.

Additionally, Danielle serves a Regional Director for the [Urban Leaders Fellowship](https://www.urbanleadersfellowship.org/), an intensive policy development program for emerging leaders in Indianapolis.

Danielle serves on the Board of Directors for [Women4Change Indiana](https://www.women4changeindiana.org/), a state-wide bipartisan advocacy organization aimed at economic equality, civic engagement, and health equity for Hoosiers. She also serves as the Vice President of [Equality Indiana](https://equalityindiana.org/home), a grassroots organization that empowers and educates the state on LGBTQ+ issues and advocacy efforts.

When not working, Danielle enjoys spending time with their family - wife, daughter, and pup - who reside on the Far-east Side of Indianapolis. She enjoys attending the city's vast cultural events, exploring parks and trails, casual gaming, roller skating, and discovering new local restaurants.

Through her work and personal pursuits, Danielle is dedicated to creating a better future for the residents of Indianapolis and fostering a more inclusive and vibrant community.

Kansas City, Missouri Regional

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Lauren Jenkins is honored to join the ULF team as the Kansas City regional director. Originally from St. Louis, Lauren has worked in education for 12 years, with the last 7 years being spent as an ELA classroom teacher. Ensuring that Black and Brown students receive the quality education they are owed has been her mission. Lauren is passionate about educational policy, and it was that passion that led her to join ULF in 2022 through the Kansas City region. Lauren has a Bachelor's degree in Spanish from UMKC, and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Park University. In addition to teaching, she is heavily involved with parent advocacy through the Parent Leadership Training Institute, a 2022 Teach for America Green Fellow, and a mother of 1.

Nashville Regional Director

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Jennifer K. Ellis is a professional educator and published author with expertise in leading change, people, and results-driven initiatives. She has a strong background in curriculum development, online course creation, staff training, equity compliance, and public policy writing. Her recent roles include being the Executive Managing Consulting Partner at Innovative Plans for Change (since October 2022), where she implemented academic models to enhance student performance and foster social-emotional learning. She has also served as the Executive Administrator and Dean of Students at Individualized Intellect Institute, focusing on strategy planning and staff management.

A native Memphian, Jennifer graduated from Germantown High School and later received her Bachelor of Science in English; and her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Austin Peay State University. She has worked in a variety of capacities in K-12 education, policy, and equity including both Memphis and Nashville public school systems, KIPP: Memphis, and now KIPP: Delta.

New Orleans Regional Director

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Jeremy Davis is a nonprofit leader with a background in education and community relations.

In 2014, he began his career in social justice with Teach for America GNO. Working with youth and families inspired Jeremy to expand his impact beyond the classroom. He is a 2017 Urban Leaders for Equity and Diversity Fellow, a 2018 Alliance for Diversity and Excellence Senior Leadership Institute Fellow, a 2019 Charter Board Leadership Academy Fellow, and a 2023 Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum Fellow. Jeremy has served as an advisory board member for the Orleans Parish Citywide Teacher Advisory Council and The Collective, Teach For America-GNO’s alumni of color association, where he was awarded 2019 Board Member of the Year.

Jeremy has experience as a communication professional with the Leon County government and The Moore Agency, where he worked on award-winning public affairs campaigns. Later, he joined K. Allen Consulting where he leaned into creating transformative learning spaces for organizations and professionals. Jeremy also led teams as program director at Son of a Saint and College Track, two nonprofits that support underserved youth.

Jeremy currently serves on the board of directors for the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute and the Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy.

Respectfully,

Oakland Regional Director

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Stephisha Ycoy-Walton is a multifaceted leader at the intersection of education, finance, and community advocacy. With over a decade of experience as a licensed investment advisor, she holds six state and federal licenses, including those from the Department of Insurance, FINRA, and NMLS, and she has helped hundreds of families establish solid financial habits. Stephisha is the Director of Recruitment for Education Justice Academy (EJA) and a Financial Literacy Educator at The Freedom School in Deep East Oakland, where she teaches 10th graders. As a testament to Stephisha's commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders, she recently received the Rachel Willis-Henry award for Parent of the Year.

As the newest member of Oakland's Budget Advisory Commission, Stephisha is committed to being a catalyst for growth and stability for the city of Oakland. Stephisha, openly LGBTQ and married for over a decade, draws from her diverse background as a retired professional basketball player and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate from California Polytechnic University at Pomona, where she attended on a full-ride basketball scholarship. Born and raised in Vallejo, she now lives in Oakland, CA.

Stephisha's professional expertise is matched by her unwavering commitment to education and equity. As a parent volunteer organizer with Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA) and a board director for Education for Change Public Schools (EFC), she champions initiatives to ensure every child has access to quality education and resources. In her role as a financial literacy educator, she hosts workshops empowering individuals aged 13 to 65 to achieve financial independence. Stephisha's advocacy extends beyond education to broader social issues, confronting the reading and math crises, advocating for gun violence prevention, and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, embodying hope and empowerment for underserved communities.

Tulsa Regional Director

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Diamond Marshall is an Afro-latina policy advocate, community and electoral organizer, and researcher who is currently serving as a Field Organizer at Terence Crutcher Foundation. Diamond is passionate about social justice and education and is committed to making a difference in the Greater Tulsa area. Diamond co-founded a grassroots movement for young Tulsans called The Nourished Rootz due to her interest in fighting for policy change and promoting community engagement within youth populations. Her passion for community engagement transcends her organizing work and expands into public education. She has curated her own exhibit educating the public on the history and impact of the Ku Klux Klan and served as a middle school teacher in Tulsa at the height of the pandemic. She fell in love with the on-the-ground work required to build a movement ecosystem as a fellow through the Urban Leaders Fellowship, for which she now serves as the Regional Director. Since her time at the foundation she has met with over 300 Tulsans, traveled to the nation's capital, and participated in the creation of a policy toolkit that captures the foundation's policy focal points such as dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, the importance of mental health and investing in transformative justice initiatives. She is eager to serve as the Regional Director for the Tulsa region to continue to engage the community around these areas of interest.

Washington, D.C. Regional Director

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Shreya Mohan is an exceptional leader with the ability to drive positive outcomes in the education policy ecosystem by leveraging a strong educational background and a belief in social purpose. In her current role at Communities in Schools, she provides wraparound services, ranging from basic needs to academic assistance and social-emotional development. Shreya graduated from Emory University in 2018 with a Bachelors in Business Administration and was the first in her college to graduate the Public Policy Analysis major, earning a Bachelors of Science. She has a master's degree in Education, focusing on Administration and Policy. She spends her free time singing karaoke, painting, dancing, and exploring new things around the DMV. While her primary passion is education, she also spends her time advocating for equality and equity in social policy.