Shanequa Levin

Founder & CEO

Shanequa Levin is a motivational speaker and an uplifting social entrepreneur who has earned 6 awards for her work. She is also a registered ordained wedding officiant. Shanequa is the author of memoir titled, Poverty's Phoenix, which is about surviving childhood poverty; the Founder, CEO, and member of the board for the Women's Diversity Network, a social movement organization practicing transformative justice processes based on group leadership where marginalized lives are centered. The mission of the WDN is to connect and mobilize women of different backgrounds to create positive change through collective work and a unified sisterhood. She is the former director of Every Child Matters in NY, an advocacy and electoral engagement organization for kids; a member of The State of Black Long Island Equity Council through the Urban League of Long Island, member of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Community Advisory Board, and a Community Advisor for Hofstra University’s Healthcare Entrepreneurship Community Challenge. She is also the co-founder of the Long Island Black Alliance group which has convened LI United to Transform Policing & Community Safety, and the creator of culturally relevant Facebook groups. She has also been instrumental with advocacy for policy changes to: Early Care and Learning, Raise The Age, Paid Family Leave Insurance, Bail Reform, and more. As the survivor of childhood poverty, drug addicted parents, an incarcerated father, and a teen mom, she uses her voice to help others break negative generational cycles.

Erika Deans

Board Officer

Chair of the Board

Erika is a Licensed Social Worker, studying for her doctorate in Education at LIU. Erika has a strong commitment in servicing the needs of disadvantaged youth and their families.

Kathryn Abbatiello

Board Officer

Secretary of Board

Kathryn has dedicated her life’s work to championing the needs of children with disabilities and their families and has received her B.S. in Elementary Education N-6 with a minor in Sociology and her M.S. in Early Childhood Special Education, Summa Cum Laude, from Adelphi University.

Charlie Rogers

Board Officer

Treasurer of Board

Charlie is the Founder of "Partners in Possibility" an organization devoted to the personal development of girls and women. Charlie was an NYPD Police Officer prior to becoming an attorney, and along the journey spent many years as an educator on the college level.

Aisha Alexis

Board Member

Aisha has a Masters in social work and specializes in art therapy with a passion to teach and empower youth and families to move in the direction they truly desire. She is a driven leader with a focus on coaching, motivating, and mentoring youth towards a better future.

Donna Raphael

Board Member

Donna has a Masters in clinical psychology and 20+ years of managing high impact youth development and empowerment programs. She inspires positive social and community impact in the areas of private and public partnerships and relationships in support of youth and at-risk populations.

El Schneider

Board Member/ Appointed Leader Representative

El received their Masters of Social Work. They firmly embody the values of social justice, action, community, and service that guide both their profession and the WDN. Their breadth of experiences has prepared them to be an effective agent if change in their community.

Farrah Mozawalla

Board Member

Farrah has a proven track record of dedication to creating a more inclusive Nassau County. She is the Executive Director of The Office of Asian American Affairs of Nassau County, the first Muslim to be appointed as a department head in Nassau County.

Irma Solis

Board Member

Irma has more than 15 years of experience leading campaigns to address issues affecting communities in upstate New York, Brooklyn and Long Island.

Jazmyne Archer

Board Member

Jazmyne has a Bachelors in Communication & Behavior and a double minor in Consumer Psychology and Spanish. Jazmyne helps Black, LatinX, and Native American students secure internships with fortune companies, and corporate and banking partners.

Monique Powell

Board Member

Monique has a Master’s in Master’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Public Administration. She is a strong advocate for youth development in her community, economic equality, and quality education.

Pascale Jean-Noel

Board Member

Pascale holds a Clinical License in Social Work and has over twenty years’ experience in social-service settings. Her interests are to push through barriers by influencing cultural shifts within the organizations to hire and deliver services that are inclusive, equitable and reflect the diversity of the people that are being served!

Serena Liguori

Board Member

Serena is the executive director for New Hour for Women & Girls. She has 28 years of experience in the Social Welfare, Mental Health and Criminal Justice field, she has spent her career working with the most vulnerable of people in our communities.