Dr. Nicholas Griffin is a Transition Facilitator for the Troup County School System in Georgia. Dr. Griffin obtained his PhD in Special Education from Liberty University where his dissertation was also published. Dr. Griffin has been the impetus behind the transformation of many of the kids he serves, and he, his children, and his students have published poetry, stories, and artwork in several of the books published by a national nonprofit that serves the children and other loved ones of the incarcerated.

Dr. Griffin was recently awarded the 2023 ASPIRE Varsity Coach of the Year Award For his work as an adaptive sports coach of the West Georgia Wolverines. In 2022, he won the ASPIRE Gail Hendricks Volunteerism Award for his volunteering and community service efforts. He is extensively involved in his community where he coaches middle school football, a state champion high school adaptive sports team (Wolverines), and youth track and field for Troup County Parks and Recreation. He also tutors students, counsels with incarcerated adolescents, and serves as a church volunteer. He is a board member for the LaGrange- Troup County Chamber of Commerce, the Stanley Garden Church and the community organization, CIRCLES, whose mission is to “identify and eliminate the causes of poverty and support those wishing to lift themselves out of poverty.”

Mickey Haywood is currently a Civil Litigator at Hawkins Parnell & Young, LLP in Atlanta, and is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center. As a law student, she was a Student Ambassador and was involved with several school organizations including the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), the ACLU, and the First-Generation Student Union. Additionally, Mickey graduated summa cum laude from Georgia State University where she majored in Public Policy with a concentration in Public Management and Governance.

Mickey has worked with several local, state, and federal legislators tackling issues such as cityhood, low-incoming housing, education, human trafficking, and mental health.

Dr. Hill is a Clinical Associate Professor at Georgia State University. She has thirty years of professional experience in government and human services in Georgia, Texas and Illinois. Positions have included Director of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budgeting, Director and Deputy Director of Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), Director of Federal Regulations and Data for DFCS which includes the Office of Quality Assurance, SHINES (Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System) and Data Analysis and Reporting.

She holds a BA in Psychology from Delta State University (Cleveland, MS), an MPA from the University of Illinois (Chicago), an MA in Guidance and Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago) and a Ph.D. in Public and Urban Administration from the University of Texas (Arlington).

Josh Lee is VP of the Trilith Institute at Trillith Studios and co-founder of Talent Content South, a management agency for writers based in Georgia. He is an award winning educator with experience leading professional development, exposure, and educational opportunities for learners of all ages. Josh also has over twelve years of experience in the production industry, working previously at CNN, CNBC and running his own production business. He has led numerous initiatives for the GFA, including the launch of several state-wide secondary programs, providing relevant industry exposure for high school teachers and students. He holds master’s degrees in Business Administration and Instructional Design.

Tare Chirewa is a visual artist and cultural practitioner, and is the Director of the Zimbabwe German Society/ Goethe Zentrum Harare (ZGS/ GZH), a cultural and language centre that focuses on language development, cultural exchange and support of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in Zimbabwe. She has dedicated her career to facilitating development opportunities for the Zimbabwean CCIs. Her work here has enabled her to accomplish the initiation of a masterclass series for creatives in Zimbabwe that has turned passions into viable businesses. She is also passionate about mental wellness and the role of women in the creative sector

Tare has a Fine Arts degree from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and was awarded a 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Mike Angstadt has served in both the public and private sectors in leadership positions for the past 35 years. These include Director of Child and Adolescent Services for the Personal Growth Center and Executive Director of the F.D. Roosevelt Outdoor Therapy Program. Both of these agencies were components of the State organization that now bears the name of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. He leads Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services, Inc., a private-not-for-profit, as their Executive Director.

Mike founded Angstadt Consulting and Teambuilding Services, Inc. in February of 2017 and serves as the LLC’s President. He previously served as adjunct faculty member of LaGrange College, and currently on the Economic Development Team at West Georgia Technical College.

Dr. Angela Hoskins is an Employee Wellness Consultant with Wellstar Health System. She was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio as the youngest of five children. Dr. Hoskin’s attained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology from Alabama State University. Master’s Degree in Health Science (w/ A Concentration in Chiropractic Sports Science) & Doctorate of Chiropractic Degree from Life University in Marietta Ga. "My belief is that I am here to serve in any capacities to carry out a bigger purpose. I don’t see what I do as a job, but as a lifestyle. Being in a role to help our Healthcare Workers and ensure they have a Healthy Work-Life Balance and Mental Health resources allows me the platform to carry out my purpose." Dr Hoskins' overall goal is to be truly authentic and pure in everything she sets out to accomplish as she gives back to her community. Dr Hoskins’ hobbies include: spending quality time with family and attending live sporting & musical performances. Dr Hoskins’ is also a Certified Health Coach specializing in positive changes in behavior and enhancing trust through relationship building.

Kevin Human is a dynamic educator, writer and producer, Kevin Human has extensive experience in the film and television industry and a passion for inspiring young people through the cinematic arts. Kevin is the Chair of the Film Department at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities in Greenville, SC where he is developing a brand new Film program to serve the artistically talented high school filmmakers of South Carolina while acting as a resource for all teachers and students in the state.

As VP of Development at Bee Holder Productions, Kevin has produced notable projects like the Netflix limited series Untamed and The Carolyn Warmus Project for the Oxygen Network. Other work spans from co-producing films such as Chief of Station, Marinus, and Raider, to developing material for Sony Pictures Television and others. He currently has an original feature screenplay under option with Escape Artists Entertainment, and he has received multiple screenwriting awards including the Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award. Kevin holds MFAs in Screenwriting and VFX from UCLA and Clemson University, respectively, and has shared his expertise at schools, conferences, and TEDx. His work has been seen on major platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Kevin served as Director of Grants and Sponsored Projects for Western Piedmont Community College, in Morganton, NC, where he managed a large portfolio of federal, state, and local awards. He led a proposal team that received a U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions award of over $2M to focus on student-centered, wraparound coaching and advising for first-generation and underserved students. He was a part of a consortium led by The Industrial Commons which received one of the first ever NSF Engine awards, a historic initiative for up to $160M over ten years to support the development of diverse regional coalitions of researchers, institutions, companies, and civil society to conduct research and development that engages people in the process of creating solutions with economic and societal impacts.

Reed Coss has over two decades of experience in the advertising and marketing field, and has worked for agencies like Publicis, DDB Los Angeles, DDB Seattle, Hal Riney & Partners, and McCann Erickson. He has been recognized with numerous awards, most notably the United Nations Award for Public Service.

 Before all that, while a high school senior, Reed was involved in an auto accident that left him with a permanent spinal cord injury. Thanks to the support of family, friends, teachers, mentors, and occasionally even strangers, he was motivated to overcome this adversity. His life experiences have helped shape him into a person who believes in the power of positivity, and the resilience that comes with it. 

 Reed has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Augusta University and a Master of Science degree in Public Safety from Mercer University. He is currently working on his ADA Coordinator certification (ACTCP), and volunteers as a Peer Support Counselor at Shepherd Rehabilitation Center for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury in Atlanta. He is also an affiliate member of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force.cription goes here

Njideka Okeke is a finance professional with over a decade experience working in Africa, United Kingdom and the United States, her career spans multiple industries including energy, biotech and tech industries. She possesses strong financial acumen and thorough knowledge of accounting standards, due diligence and financial reporting analysis that measures business health and provides insights that helps senior management reach data-driven decisions that promote value retention and mission critical growth at an organizational level. A 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow, she holds an MBA in Finance from Washington University in the United States and she’s a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. She has previously worked at KPMG Nigeria and PwC United Kingdom; she is currently a Senior Finance manager at Microsoft.