Isabelle Barros is a multilingual driven leader who opens the line of communication between clients, customers, and businesses to get projects accomplished in both public and private sectors. For over 12 years, Isabelle has navigated the worlds of education, entertainment, public relations, strategic communication, and product management at Los Angeles City College, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Participant Media, Soaptopia, Clementine Paper and currently Charles Schwab, where she is a Product Marketing Manager for the client digital experience. Isabelle holds a Master of Arts in Communications Studies from Southern New Hampshire University. She is also a volunteer at Linda’s Voice, a non-profit organization developed by the Connecting For Change Coalition to offer resources to existing organizations in their endeavor to end domestic violence and promote gender equality.

Michele Bury is a designer and professor. Her recent work as a designer focuses on social justice and human rights in her interactive designs for the Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She has created a hands-on participatory experience of the articles, which invites a dynamic dialogue about civic and democratic engagement on human rights.

She is a co-founder of the Participate Collective with Dr. Price and Associate Professor Zenhari, which umbrellas creative projects around the themes of social justice. She co-presented her research at The Humanities in the Community: 2017 Convening of the Western Humanities Alliance at UC Santa Barbara. She co-wrote the published article Visual Narratives and Political Awareness. WESTERN HUMANITIES REVIEW, 72(3), 76-98. Bury, M., Price, V., & Zenhari, E. (2018).

She has worked internationally as a graphic designer since 1992, designing for Roundel Design Group, one of London's top 10 design firms, and in Paris for clients including the Château de Versailles Museum. She has also worked as a digital animator for children's television in Los Angeles. Bury earned an MFA in Animation from the UCLA School of Film.

Committed to social justice-based learning, Bury’s graphic design courses focus on understanding the influence and relevance of graphic design as a tool for social change. Her students have engaged in a number of awareness campaigns on social issues including homelessness, racial discrimination and sexual assault.

Lynna Do has a BA in Politics, a minor in Business and a Master's in Public Administration from University of San Francisco. She has her Master of Philosophy in Research and is working on finishing her Ph.D. in Psychology from Walden University. Currently, she is serving on the State of California Board of Occupational Therapy Board, where she chairs the Fieldworks Communications Committee. She is also a member of the Advocacy and Legislative and the Practice Committee. She used to be a member of the Alameda County Mental Health Board, City of Dublin Planning Commission, City of Fremont Community Block Grant Commission, and City of Pinole Youth Commission. As a member of the National Society on Leadership and Success, she has earned certificates in Advanced and Executive Leadership. As a member of the International Governing Board of Delta Phi Epsilon (DPhiE), she chairs Committee on Trans and Non-Binary Women Inclusion, and the Legislative Advocacy Committee.

Active in her community all her life, Ms. Do has been a delegate to the California State Democratic Convention in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2013 and is a member of the Women’s Caucus, LGBT Caucus, and the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus. Ms. Do has worked for several elected officials, including Senator Dianne Feinstein, Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., City and County of San Francisco Supervisor Leland Yee, and Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss.

Ms. Do's writing can be found in “She’s Out There: 35 Women under 35 Who Want to Be President of the United States,” and she has written several papers revolving around Asian-Americans and Politics, LGBT and Politics, and political staffing. Ms. Do is serving as an At-Large Director for the Association of Junior Leagues International Board of Directors. She serves on the Issues Committee; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEI&B) AJLI Board Workgroup; Standards Committee; and the Fund Development Committee.

Dr. Chuck Flores has been an educator for over forty years. He has served as a Teacher, Bilingual Coordinator, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Coordinator of Operations for the Los Angeles Unified School District; and was the Director of High Schools, Principal Leadership and Support, with the San Francisco Unified School District. A graduate of the Rossier School of Education, Dr. Flores earned his Ed.D. in K-12 Leadership in Urban School Settings. Dr. Flores also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Chicano Studies from California State University, Northridge; a Master’s Degree in American Studies from Pepperdine University; and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge.

Dr. Flores began his tenure in Higher Education with UCLA’s Principal Leadership Institute in 2007 as a guest Lecturer before joining the faculty as an Instructor in School Management and Operations and The Principal as Researcher. He has also taught at San Francisco State University; the University of San Francisco; and served as a Lecturer, Leadership Coach, and Research Advisor for Masters’ candidates with the Principal Leadership Institute at the University of California Berkeley from 2014 to 2018.

In Spring 2018, Dr. Flores was appointed to a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor of Educational Administration with the Charter College of Education/Applied and Advanced Studies in Education at California State University Los Angeles where he works with Masters and Administrative Services Credential candidates. He is also the Program Coordinator for the Educational Leadership Program, and most recently began teaching in the ED.D. program.

Dr. Jessica Morales-Chicas earned her Ph.D in Education, with an emphasis in Human Development and Psychology, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As an educator for over 10 years, she has taught courses to students in pre-school, middle, high school, and at the university level. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.

As an educator, she teaches how to effectively work with and advocate for children and youth. Her research uses a developmental lens to examine the role of ethnic diversity and educational equity issues especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Aligned with her research interests, she also spearheads two STEM-related projects serving low-income middle school youth from East Los Angeles. Both projects teach youth how to code, use innovative technologies, develop entrepreneurial skills, and prepare for careers in STEM.

She has also served as senior-researcher for the embRACE LA initiative, which is a racial equity campaign in Los Angeles.  Lastly, Dr. Morales-Chicas is also excited to serve as a new board member for Universal Human Rights Initiative (UHRI). To learn more about Dr. Morales-Chicas please see a recent interview feature on Women to Watch via Digit Keeper (a bookkeeping and business blog for Entrepreneurs): http://bit.ly/2vfrTIV.

Tatia Oshidari is an attorney and restaurant professional and currently is Of Counsel for Prather Law Offices, focusing on business law and civil litigation. She has substantial experience in corporate and commercial litigation and has served in various legal and business capacities for restaurants. She is a founding member of the Santa Monica Education Foundation's Wine Advisory Board which organizes the largest annual fundraising event for the Santa Monica Malibu School District. In addition, she has served as an Executive Board member of the Scholarship Committee for the Okinawa Association of America, funding college scholarships for recent high school graduates. She obtained her B.A. in Political Science from UCLA and her law degree from Pepperdine School of Law.

Annie Tsai is an international transformational leader with a big heart, and great passion about humanity.  After working with Corporate America for more than 30 years, she left her CFO post and devotes most of her time to helping individuals and families with personal financial education and planning. Wealth inequality and human rights are equally important to her. As an advisory board member for International Leadership Foundation (ILF), Annie helps promote civic awareness, public service, and economic effectiveness of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community with the mission to develop young leaders in the United States, Asia, and other Pacific Rim countries in the fields of public service, entrepreneurship, international business and politics through a network of business and community leaders. 

Annie is dedicated to using her experience in both the public and private sectors to broaden access to high quality education by supporting innovation, reducing barriers to entry, and building strong communities by focusing on humanity. Annie holds a Certificate of Corporate Board of Directors from Harvard Business School and a MS in Business from the Mississippi University for Women. She is also a member of Women Executives on Boards, and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2013 from President Barack Obama for her commitment to strengthening the nation and making a difference through volunteer service.

Dr. Noah Bardach (CTO and co-founder, pronouns he/him) is a software executive, UI/UX expert and human rights advocate. He holds a PhD in Art History, with a focus on political art and propaganda theory. Noah has worked in diverse fields, from leading an organic agriculture project in Southern Mexico to serving as an expert in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Together with Hope Farley, Noah co-founded UHRI in 2016.

Rebecca Cannara (Executive Director, pronouns she/her) has worked in social work and education for over 25 years. She has served youth and families experiencing homelessness, developed a cooperative preschool, and produced social justice, STEM and professional development curriculum with a focus on equity-based design. She received her master’s in Education from UCLA, where she trained in the University of Michigan model of intergroup dialogue and conducted research on providing dialogue as part of the professional training of educators. Rebecca is a board member of the Global Dialogue Collective and thrives on bridging divides.

Manpreet (pronouns: she/her) is the Director of Intergroup Dialogue at UHRI. She holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA and has over 10 years of experience as a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) consultant and social justice educator. With extensive research expertise in prejudice reduction, inclusion, and intergroup relations, Dr. Dhillon Brar is passionate about achieving measurable DEIB outcomes through education.

Abigayel, LMSW (she/they) is the Operations and Content Administrator for UHRI. She is a certified facilitator, trained in the University of Michigan’s intergroup dialogue model and has been facilitating on a variety of justice and human rights topics since 2020. She recently earned her MSW. Through systems work, her focus is on equipping her community with tools of creativity to promote care and liberated social imaginations.

Dr. ODessa-Elise Downing (pronouns: she/her/sis) is a researcher, Student Affairs Practitioner, and a Servant Leader who values Intergroup Dialogue as a means of social justice, public awareness, and personal growth. She continues her own personal growth and professional development through co-curricular programs, sharing individual narratives by storytelling, serving on executive boards, and research projects. Her postdoctoral research centers Intersectionality, Women in Leadership, Career Journeys, as well as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

A first-generation college graduate, ODessa-Elise earned a B.S. in Business Administration (Accounting) from Cal State Los Angeles where she minored in Latin American Economics. She holds a M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University and earned her doctorate in 2019 from Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Education & Integrative Studies. Her dissertation focused on Advancing African American Women into Leadership Positions within Student Affairs.

Jouslynn Griffin is a passionate racial equity advocate. She holds a master's degree in Business Administration, is a certified DEI in the workplace facilitator and is a Human Resources professional with 15 years of public and private H.R. experience. Through her H.R. consulting firm, she conducts workshops that seamlessly blend popular culture, scholarly sources, and personal experiences to have safe and brave conversations about race, impactful, educational, and humorous. Her straightforward approach is honest, raw, and suitable in this time of racial equity and social justice awareness. Jouslynn believes in the dynamic work of racial reconciliation and the anti-racist movement. She believes sharing authentic stories and talking about real issues is the key to healing from the trauma that is racism. She is active in her community as a Victory Bible Church member and a Girl Scout Troop Leader. Jouslynn serves as a board member to The Convalescent Aid Society, The Pasadena Branch of the NAACP, and is the Chairwoman of Women in the NAACP (WIN) committee. Jouslynn is a mother of three and lives in Altadena, C.A.

As a passionate advocate for disability rights and inclusion, Mishon Johnson has dedicated her life to making a positive impact in the lives of children and families with disabilities. She is the proud founder of a non-profit organization that focuses on providing assistance and support to children and families dealing with disabilities. Through this initiative, I strive to create inclusive environments, raise awareness, and empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives irrespective of their abilities. Mishon is actively involved in research pertaining to intersectionality and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) frameworks. She focuses on finding innovative ways to support students of color with disabilities in their journey toward higher education success at CSU (California State University). By integrating intersectional perspectives and UDL principles, she aims to create a more equitable and accessible learning environment for these students.

Mishon is a proud mother to children with disabilities. Through her experiences as a parent, she has gained firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by families in navigating educational and social systems. This has further fueled her commitment to advocating for inclusivity, diversity, and equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Ira McAliley is a seasoned Prop Master in the Film and Television industry, proud member of the Property Craftsman union, IATSE local 44, for over 20 years, and founding member of the Prop Masters’ Guild. Outside of his demanding role in the industry, McAliley has been deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of artists. As a board member, instructor, and Artistic Director, he has lent his expertise to several youth arts organizations, including Living Literature/Colors United, Venice Arts, Pico Youth and Family Center, and Communities in Schools. Currently serving as a board member of the Seeds of Joy Village, a Waldorf-based Preschool, McAliley continues to use his influence to enrich communities and the next generation. Ira’s most recent passion is working with community organizations that support and provide resources for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Through his Peace, Love, and Positivity platform, Ira is committed to building environments where human beings come together to create Peace, spread Love, and generate Positivity in order to heal humanity.

Alisa Orduña is a practitioner, policy analyst, collaborator and thought leader in the urban community development field, working in policy formation and change management in neighborhood development and homelessness services. She has worked in both the public and nonprofit sectors for the past 25 years. Alisa runs the Florence Aliese Advancement Network LLC (FAAN), to support women of color leaders in the community development field and to provide technical assistance to nonprofit and governmental organizations in the areas of homelessness policy, community building/engagement, and racial healing and reconciliation. It is her life mission to re-imagine neighborhoods as beloved communities where residents of all diversity have a sense of belonging and resources to thrive.

Alisa holds degrees from Xavier University of Louisiana, the University of Pittsburgh, And Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she is completing a doctorate degree in Depth-Psychology, with a specialization in Community, Liberation, Eco-Psychology.

Francine Ortega, LCSW, (Dialogue Team, pronouns she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker with a passion for social justice. She is a bilingual Latina raised in Southern California who is committed to serving the Latinx community. For the past twenty years, Francine has worked in a variety of mental health settings with children, youth and families, including therapeutic nursery school, school-based counseling, outpatient community mental health, and early childhood mental health consultation. She sees her mental health work with clients and communities as avenues for both healing and empowerment. For Francine, facilitating intergroup dialogue is an exciting extension of her clinical work, as it seeks to promote individual and system growth and change using the powerful tools of communication and reflection.

Janice Oyama (pronouns: she/her) has worked in the nonprofit/social services field for over a decade where she supported vulnerable populations through program development, behavioral therapy, crisis intervention, and case management. Janice is trained in trauma-informed care and as a domestic violence counselor. She also earned her certification in diversity & inclusion, change management, and as a professional leadership coach. These deepened Janice’s passion for developing herself and others, strengthening collaborative partnerships, as well as advocating for positive change in underserved communities. She’s committed to fighting for social equity and values intergroup dialogue as an effective method to understanding other people’s experiences and broadening our perspectives.

Malcolm Wright (pronouns: he/him) is a writer, director, and visual effects artist who grew up in the UK and France. After a successful visual effects career working on movie productions such as The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Charlotte’s Web, The Water Horse, and Avatar, Malcolm felt an urgency to direct his energies towards stories that can help unlock solutions to social, ethical, and environmental challenges. He founded Quiet Heart Film and produced and directed feature documentary Whale Like Me, which is in post production.  

Malcolm is the grandson of African American activist and author Richard Wright (Black Boy, Native Son, The Man Who Lived Underground).  Malcolm wrote Afterwords for Black Boy and The Man Who Lived Underground.  He seeks to bring an international, historical, and political perspective to his projects, to inspire creative, collaborative solutions.  Intercultural dialogue has been integral to his documentary work, and he is honoured to be doing Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation and Content Production with UHRI.

Hope Rieser Farley

(Co-Founder)

Santa Rahim

(Founding Board Member)