The Girl Be Heard Team

Our Team
Board of Directors
Active Performers
Fairy Godmothers
Special Advisors
Partners

Girl Be Heard Staff

Executive Team

Cynthia Renta Executive Director

Cynthia Renta
Executive Director
Trained in healing justice and BIPOC womanist praxis, Renta works to tap into the creative healing potential of individuals and communities through the creation, design and exploration of liberation and wellness spaces for transformation.
Notable projects include founding the theater group “Still Standing,” centering the stories of mothers whose children were killed by gun violence and leading the cultural arts classroom curriculum design and facilitation for Indigenous People’s Day, Latine Heritage, Black History and Pride months. In her art practice, she spearheaded the founding of various Afro-Indigenous Latine Caribbean folk arts projects from NYC to the San Francisco Bay Area including Bomberas de la Bahía and Project Cimarrona, movements that centered the contributions of women in the Caribbean arts. She was the founding artistic and community projects director for the Untold Stories Project, a site specific storytelling project amplifying the stories of the BIPOC community post-pandemic, centering spaces of geo-political importance and grounded in the framework of healing justice.
In her most recent role as Executive Director of the Educational Arts Team, Renta was the lead pedagogue, training designer and fundraiser. In her first year, she increased the operational budget by 40%, implemented performing art and art literacy programs and expanded donor portfolios. She also expanded the summer camp scholarship opportunities for BIPOC children and children with disabilities by 75%. With a focus on arts engagement, Renta led the charge to increase equity and access to art education. She pioneered early initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion in education and workplaces, grounded in restorative practices and social-emotional restorative circle-keeping. Previously, Renta held leadership roles at the YMCA, Untold Stories and the Center for Supportive Schools.
Renta holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the City University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Growth and Structure of Cities from Bryn Mawr College. Recognized for her leadership in public administration and the arts Renta received the National Urban Fellowship Award for Urban Leaders (2006) and the Diáspora Leaders Award from Paso Negro and the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (2012).

Staff

Mariann Allison Operations Coordinator

Mariann Allison
Operations Coordinator
Mariann Allison is our Operations Coordinator. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio with a BA in Psychology.
Mariann enjoys working in Operations and getting to know the staff and performers to ensure their experience runs smoothly. While this is Mariann’s first position with a Non-Profit organization she is hooked.
Jenifer Diaz Executive Assistant & Special Projects Coordinator

Jenifer Diaz
Executive Assistant & Special Projects Coordinator
Jenifer Diaz, an Executive Assistant, is an innovative strategist and forward-thinking with the ability to transform big-picture ideas into detailed action plans that increase employee engagement, mitigate costs, and drive the achievement of objectives.
An articulate motivator; serves as a leader to inspire employees to exceed customer/company expectations and generate both business growth and positive results through leading by example. Jenifer devotes her spare time to outreach programs such as coaching youth sports and as an assistant Den Leader to the Boy Scouts.
Jenifer earned her Bachelors’s in Marketing and her Masters’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She exhibits success by ascertaining in supervisory roles and simultaneously overseeing multiple processes/locations, and personnel, administering business management functions, and inaugurating policies and procedures.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, and animals, and being outdoors. Jenifer is raising 2 future leaders of America by being the epitome of a wonder-working woman.
Laura Ennis Education Director

Laura Ennis
Education Director
Laura Ennis is an avid theater-goer who has lived in NYC for 10 years. Although she moved to NY from Boston to attend graduate school, she decided to stay because of NYC's amazing theatre scene. She has participated in local improv with The Magnet Theater.
Laura received a Masters of Science in General Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education in 2015, and for the past eleven years, she has been committed to providing high-quality educational experiences for youth.
Between 2016 and 2021, Laura worked as Education Manager at St. Nicks Alliance. She managed logistics, liaised with after-school programs, and coordinated the Brooklyn Story Voyager, a mobile literacy bus that gives youth access to exciting and engaging books.
Laura is excited to work with Girl Be Heard in another area of education – theatre arts programming, one of her own childhood passions. Laura is ready to facilitate workshops, lead a training, write a curriculum guide, or pop into a session as a participant!
Because she hails from Massachusetts, she is ready to have a spirited discussion on the merits of the Boston Red Sox over the Yankees any day. In addition to being pro- Boston sports teams, Laura is a lover of fiction, and an adventurous traveler.
Ross Mudrick Grant Writer

Ross Mudrick
Grant Writer
Meet a writer driven by two core values: doing good and having fun. Specializing in non-profits, he collaborates with passionate individuals dedicated to positively impacting the world. He is inspired by those with bold visions, working tirelessly to create a better world one young person, transformative experience, and idea at a time.
Aisha Taveras Head of People and Culture

Aisha Taveras
Head of People and Culture
A seasoned HR professional with over 15 years of international experience across private and nonprofit sectors. Her expertise in career development, cultural competency, and employee engagement makes her an asset to Girl Be Heard. She is passionate about creating equitable and inclusive environments where staff feel empowered to grow and succeed.
At Girl Be Heard, Aisha is committed to building systems that align with the organization’s mission. Fluent in English and Spanish, their ability to navigate diverse environments enables them to foster meaningful connections and drive lasting organizational impact.
Aisha’s goals include continuing to enhance staff well-being, ensure legal compliance, and contribute to the organization’s long-term success, all while championing equity and inclusion within the arts sector. Her career is marked by her leadership through transitions, HR systems optimization, and driving impactful change with a people-first approach.

Trinidad and Tobago Office

Akai Webster GBHTT Program Manager

Akai Webster
GBHTT Program Manager
Akai Webster, Program Manager of Girl Be Heard Trinidad and Tobago is an educator with 15 years of teaching experience and 5 years as a school administrator.
She was a dedicated and hardworking Teacher/ Vice Principal at the Bishop’s Centenary College, a private all-girls Anglican secondary school in Trinidad while being staunchly devoted to her family.
She is one of the women of the modern era who says to the world that it is very possible to have both a successful family life and professional life. Akai is a firm believer in holistic education as she understands that academic pursuits are not the sum total of the complete educational experience. She devoted her time as an educator to the development and empowerment of young girls.
Akai was appointed program manager of GBHTT in 2019. She has successfully managed 7 cohorts totaling approximately 84 participants including 12 migrants. She is also a Director of BE Entertainment a performing arts organization that was founded in 2017 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2018. The mission of the organization is to enhance the entertainment industry, to provide opportunities, and to train young professionals by perfecting natural talents, with special emphasis on persons aged 11-18. Its areas of focus include poetry, stagecraft theatre, and music.
Akai’s passion for women’s rights and safety has offered her the position of Vice President of Hopefull Handbags Charity Trinidad and Tobago. Hopefull Handbags Charity Trinidad and Tobago is a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to raise awareness about Domestic Violence and to provide HOPE, help and support to survivors.
Finally, but at the top of her priority, Akai is a devoted wife of 30 years, mother of four and grandmother of two.
Veronique Francois Teaching Artist

Veronique Francois
Teaching Artist
Niques (Veronique) Francois is a writer, a director, and a teacher. She is passionate about youth work, activism, and writing. Niques began writing short stories and speeches at the age often and plays in 2014.
Her repertoire includes three Acts scripts, short plays, television scripts, poems, songs, fiction novels, non-fiction essays, website articles, musicals, and dramatic plays.
Throughout the years she has worked with various schools, churches, and drama groups to stage productions in Trinidad and Tobago and even in Grenada. In April 2017 she staged a well-received play entitled ‘Where Sarah Gone?’ and in 2022 she is due to publish her debut novel based on that said play.
Through her work she expresses the desire to portray the culture of the Caribbean to the global community. As a native of Trinidad and Tobago, she believes that the Caribbean culture is unique, entertaining, beautiful, and worthy of acknowledgment. Veronique has been a teaching artist with GBHTT since 2019.
Arielle John Teaching Artist

Arielle John
Teaching Artist
Determined to celebrate the West Indian now while designing our shared survival of the future, Arielle John approaches poetry, music and theatre as medicine for Atlantic peoples, their resilient cultures, and the land (and sea) they occupy.
Learning, living and sharing her work in global spaces including South Africa, New York and London, the Sangre Grande ‘Big Blood’ millennial moves beyond the possibilities of art into community-building, eco-theology and decolonization as a lifestyle.
After building another one woman show through a generous Artist Residency for black people fed up with capitalism (2022), the CATAPULT grant awardee (2022) continues her work as arts educator and spiritual consultant, re-indigenizing everything as she goes. Arielle became a teaching artist with GBHTT in 2017.

Teaching Artists

Malaika Pedzayi Ferguson Teaching Artist

Malaika Pedzayi Ferguson
Teaching Artist
Malaika is an actor, playwright, poet, and director who has been utilizing theatre and other creative expression to center the voices of those often left unheard. She recently graduated from Pace University’s BFA Acting program. Malaika's passions are rooted in creativity and humanity.
Along with acting, she has written several plays that tackle issues like racial dynamics, homophobia, misogyny, sexual harassment, and more. Seeing and experiencing racial injustices firsthand in and out of school has allowed Malaika to develop the skill set to lead and advocate for marginalized groups to encourage equity and liberation for all, especially Queer Black Women/Femmes. She is also the author of a poetry book entitled “My Words, My Rules” that covers many topics, but none more than the livelihood of Queer Black women/femmes in America.
Marsha Gildin Teaching Artist

Marsha Gildin
Teaching Artist
Marsha Gildin (she/her/her) is passionate about connecting individuals, communities, cultures, and generations through the art of personal story and performance. Through devised theatre making, puppetry, storytelling, sign language and song she has worked with students of all ages, different abilities and disabilities.
Marsha finds joy, power, and meaning in seeing people discover their best selves, give voice to what moves through them, and connect in the community. Her teaching artistry and performance were seeded and developed in Hawaii with Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Kids on the Block Puppet Troupe, Very Special Arts Hawaii, Starving Artists Productions, and the Alliance for Drama Education.
Returning home to the Bronx and Washington Heights, Marsha worked with multiple arts-in-ed organizations, including Marquis Studios (puppetry), Artsgenesis (special education), and most extensively with Elders Share the Arts (ESTA) where, both as a Teaching Artist and as Director of Programs and Training, she produced and directed intergenerational living history theatre projects throughout NYC’s diverse neighborhood communities.
In 2010, invited by Dreamcatchers Foundation (Mumbai) to serve as a program evaluator for their four-year-funded Wave of Life project in the tsunami-affected region of Tamil Nadu, India, Marsha witnessed the impact of a reflective, arts-infused, intergenerational community regeneration program where young girls, women, and elders found voice, value, and capacity for leadership in transforming and healing village life.
Marsha finds celebration in teaching and is thrilled to be part of Girl Be Heard’s cadre of incredible TAs. When Marsha isn’t working she enjoys being an auntie, being a fish (swimming), walking by the river, talking to birds and trees, singing Yiddish melodies, and remembering the kindness of Hawaii. Mni Wiconi. Water is Life. Live Aloha.
Marsha holds a Master of Science in Education from CUNY Queens College and served on its Graduate School of Education faculty with focus on arts-infused curriculum design. She has also served as Masters Thesis Reader for the Applied Theatre Program at CUNY School of Professional Studies. You can find some of her writings in the Harvard Educational Review (Spring 2013) and The Reflexive Teaching Artist: Collected Wisdom from the Drama/Theatre Field by Kathryn Dawson and Daniel A. Kelin (2014).
Sarah-Michele Guei Teaching Artist

Sarah-Michele Guei
Teaching Artist
Sarah-Michele Guei is a first-generation Ivorian/ Martinican-American dreamer originally from Carson, California. She is currently a 2nd Year MFA acting candidate at Columbia School of the Arts. As a multi-hyphenate artist, Guei explores her creative talents through acting, directing, solo performance, and dance. Her overall goal as a teaching artist is to give back to marginalized communities by facilitating theatre to the next generation of storytellers.
From her years of participating in art disciplines and social justice programs, Guei has curated a well developed and sought out framework on what young artists need to gain confidence, agency, and tools to better their creative endeavors as storytellers. Her mission is to curate a space where young artists are given the opportunity to explore, and investigate their creative power through the holistic healing of voice, breath, and dance.
Career-wise, after graduating Columbia Guei hopes to live out her dreams of becoming a successful actor, while continuing to teach young artists theatrical practices. By being at BGH, she hopes to contribute in providing a space where the youth can express their ultimate creative potential.
Enih Agwe Teaching Artist

Enih Agwe
Teaching Artist
Enih Agwe (she/her) is a first-generation Cameroonian American dynamo with a passion for creative storytelling.
As an actress, singer, voiceover artist, writer, and director, Enih’s boundless curiosity has led her to explore and practice within multiple artistic mediums.
Inspired by the vibrancy of her culture and due to the lack of accurate social and historical resources, much of Enih’s work has evolved to explore the intersections between anthropology, sociology, arts, and culture. She holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch with additional focuses in Africana Studies and Entertainment Business. In 2022, Enih founded a mentorship and college prep program for young creatives, aimed at helping them navigate the creative landscape in order to develop artistic voices that felt authentic to them.
As a GBH company member alum, Enih is excited to begin a new journey with GBH and help usher in a new class of change makers!
Sky Martins Teaching Artist

Sky Martins
Teaching Artist
Sky is a passionate and versatile sculptor and performing artist dedicated to inspiring young minds through the power of creativity.
Having recently graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass, Sky brings a unique perspective to her teaching with a background in multidisciplinary arts.
Sky strives to create inclusive and thought-provoking spaces where students can explore their identities and perspectives. By using art as a vehicle for connection and empathy, Sky hopes to inspire young people to become confident, empathetic, open-minded, and creative individuals.
Meagan Kimberly Smith Teaching Artist

Meagan Kimberly Smith
Teaching Artist
Meagan Kimberly Smith is a mixed-race actress, facilitator and entrepreneur based in NYC. She is the Co-founder of Mixed in America: a community organization which creates trauma informed support groups and workshops for multiracial adults, kids, businesses, schools and affinity groups.
Meagan has led workshops for Google, Northwestern, Public Highline schools and many more. Meagan received her BFA in drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Some of her credits include: Comedy Central’s Other Two, Blindspot on NBC, and American High’s Banana Split. Her teaching experience includes: Lincoln Center Education, The Stuttering Association for the Young, Bartol’s Advanced Trauma informed training, Girls First, Arts to Grow, NC Black Repertory Company, and UNCSA’s Summer session. Meagan hopes to bring diversity, depth and humor to every stage she has the privilege of stepping on, and deep listening and validation to every group she facilitates.
Rafael Victoria Smith Teaching Artist

Rafael Victoria Smith
Teaching Artist
Rafael Victoria Smith is a Jamaican-born writer and artist. She graduated cum laude from Hunter College with departmental honors, triple majoring in English Literature; Language & Criticism, Studio Arts, and Certificate in Business with a minor in Media Studies.
Inspired by Toni Morrison, Rafael has been writing since age 13 and she is currently working to complete her first few novels. When she is not painting or writing, she is a mentor for Bronx high and middle school students in writing, the arts, collegiate, career, and professional development.
She aspires to continue working across various non-profit organizations and cultural institutions to help make New York and the arts more accessible, diverse, inclusive, and equitable for all. Other non-profit organizations that Rafael has be a part of include but are not limited to DreamYard Project, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Forte Women In Business and Art Beyond Sight.
“If there is a book that you want to read but it hasn’t been written, then you must write it.”
– Toni Morrison

Board of Directors

Board Members are selected because of their deep commitment to our mission and social justice values, and because they exemplify these values in their professional and public lives. Members of the Board of Directors work in partnership with staff to expand Girl Be Heard’s reach, skills, perspectives, financial capability, and over-all resources, and maintain a Board that is diverse in age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and national origin. Learn more about each of our Board Members below.

Jessica Pfeiffenberger Bohn
Jessica Pfeiffenberger Bohn
- Email
Jessica Bohn has 20 years of financial services experience. She is currently a Senior Vice President and Director of Strategic Initiatives at AllianceBernstein, a global asset management firm. She serves as a thought partner to the CEO, COO, and management team supporting strategic vision and implementation around top business priorities. She oversees the firm’s program management office responsible for planning and execution of initiatives to expand into new growth areas, drive organizational efficiencies, and respond to changing industry and regulatory demands. Having been with AB since 2020, Bohn served as Chief of Staff to the President and CEO of AllianceBernstein for five years. She previously was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank where she spent 16 years working in a variety of roles across business management, multi-asset class portfolio management, and product management. Bohn is the Co-Chair of Synergy New York, AB’s women’s network. Jessica joined the Girl Be Heard Board of Directors in August 2018 and became Chair in January 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University and resides in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Jessica has nearly 20 years of financial services experience. She currently is Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President & CEO of AllianceBernstein, a global asset management firm. She previously was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank where she spent 16 years working in a variety of portfolio management, business management, and product management roles. Jessica was the Co-Chair of the Tri-State chapter of J.P. Morgan’s women’s network. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University. Jessica currently resides in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two children.
Aruna Cadambi
Aruna Cadambi
- LinkedIn
Aruna is a well-rounded social impact professional with over 12 years of experience working with domestic and global players across the public and private sectors.
Leveraging her roles as a trusted advisor to leaders within corporations, the U.S. government, foreign governments, multilateral institutions, nonprofits, and social enterprises, Aruna possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of different social impact actors and excels at aligning their incentives to foster large-scale collaboration. Aruna is skilled at working cross-functionally within organizations to develop and implement shared strategies, programs, and projects. Featuring both depth and breadth, her portfolio of social impact work features tackling challenges in gender equality, racial justice, economic empowerment, education, civic engagement, and health. Aruna’s strong management consulting toolkit allows her to bring clear strategy, metrics, process, tools, technologies, and rigor to the intersection of scaleable social impact and innovation.
Enriched by her global experiences across industries and sectors, Aruna is keen to foster diverse perspectives in all that she does. Her strong belief in the importance of holding space for others and of allowing diverse voices to be heard brought her to Girl Be Heard.
Aruna earned a Master of Science in Public Policy & Management from Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College. She also graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies with minors in Public Policy and South Asian Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is a lover of Carnatic music, nature, and traveling. Aruna lives in Brooklyn with her husband where they enjoy exploring NYC restaurant by restaurant.
Karen Fairbanks

Karen Fairbanks

Karen Fairbanks is a founding partner of Marble Fairbanks Architects where she has focused on the design and planning for both public and private educational and cultural clients. Marble Fairbanks Architects is a design-driven, research-based practice located in New York City and recognized for their work with cultural and institutional clients. Recent projects include the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Karen has been an active member of the AIA, most recently serving on the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter.
Throughout the development of her practice, Karen has simultaneously built the architecture department at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she is the Claire Tow Chair Professor of Professional Practice and Chair of the Architecture Department.
Karen received an M.Arch from Columbia University and a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Michigan where she was also honored as the 2013 Distinguished Alumna of Taubman College of Architecture. Karen was recognized with the Oculus Award by the Beverly Willis Foundation in 2018 and as the Educator of the Year by the AIA New York State in 2015.
Marble Fairbanks is the recipient of over 50 local, national, and international design awards and their work is regularly published in books, journals, and magazines. Their work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world including the Architectural Association in London, the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York where their drawings are part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Anna Figueroa

Anna Figueroa

Social responsibility and social impact are of great importance to Anna. After attending her first Girl Be Heard theater performance, she was compelled to be a part of the organization, and she's thrilled to have become a Board Member.
Anna has a wealth of experience leading digital content production and art direction for brands in the luxury space. Her career spans over 15 years with extensive experience providing vision and leadership that creates compelling visual content across various digital platforms. Anna is most in her element bridging business strategy and creative concepts.
She previously served as the Editorial Creative Director at saks.com where she effectively assembled and led a best-in-class editorial team, elevating and pioneering dynamic content through editorial campaigns that consistently achieved growth and profitability. Currently, Anna is freelancing, providing creative consulting services for brands and talent agencies. Anna is actively blending her skills as a curator, image-making visionary and talent manager to build a different career path that incorporates social responsibility and social action.
In 2017, she founded Rising4PR, a charitable grassroots movement with one mission: to help rebuild Puerto Rico after the disastrous effects of Hurricane Maria. Having deep roots in Puerto Rico, Anna felt inspired to help repair the spirits of the Puerto Rican youth after the catastrophic damage caused by the storm. With her ability to cultivate, curate, and connect with people, as well as her network of creatives, she commissioned designers, artists, and other talents to produce a curated shopping fundraising event. The event raised over $10,000, which was used to purchase learning tools and toys for SER De Puerto Rico, a nonprofit org that serves kids and young adults with learning disabilities. She traveled to Puerto Rico to make the delivery and meet with the school staff and kids. She counts this as one of her most rewarding memories.
Anna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Arts. She is inspired by art, which she sees in people, places, and things, but mostly in her two young nephews, Demi and Liam. They are her motivating factors for empowering youth!
Mimi Girma

Mimi Girma

Born in Ethiopia, raised in the Cote d'Ivoire, and educated in the UK + New York City, Hiywet Mimi Girma's origins and exposure to textile and craftsmanship in Africa ignited a passion for textile innovation, fashion design, and a strong sense of entrepreneurship.
Over a successful 25-year fashion design career in New York City, Mimi has led and been an integral part of successful brands at Armani, BCBG Max Azria, and Vivienne Tam.
Mimi saw first-hand the waste of resources that results from favoring the speed and never-ending cycle of fashion over the wellness of people and the planet.
As a designer and a mother, Mimi knew the only way to forward is to create responsibly and hence founded YESAET, marrying Artisanal luxury with local production, choosing to make a positive impact through ethical production and sustainability whilst empowering and supporting artisans in Africa and local businesses in New York.
In Amharic, YESAET means ‘a woman’s work’ and the brand’s sustainable practices and priorities are designed to capture and reflect women’s strength, focus, and resilience.
Yesaet is based in Dumbo, Brooklyn, where Mimi resides with her husband and son.
Ana Patel

Ana Patel

Ana Cutter Patel offers 25 years of experience in international peace building, development and human rights, most recently as the Executive Director of the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding (2010-June 2019). Her background spans from building a gravity water system as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic; to teaching international conflict issues at Columbia University; to training governments on human rights and the demobilization of ex-combatants in Colombia and West Africa
Ana is a Rotary International Peace Fellow, a 2016 Visionary of the Hearts on Fire Foundation, and a Global Peace Index Ambassador. She has published two co-edited volumes, Disarming the Past: Transitional Justice and Ex-combatants (January 2010), and Experiential Peacebuilding (September 2019). Ana currently serves as Board Member with Girl Be Heard, the Washington Office on Latin America (NYC Council) and International Medical Response. Ana graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and received a Master of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York. She holds a graduate Certificate in Peacebuilding from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
Jamilah Rosemond

Jamilah Rosemond

Jamilah Rosemond is a junior at New York University majoring in drama with a concentration in musical theater. She is also minoring in business in entertainment, media, and technology.
She is the co-president of Artists in Action and was a performer and writer in NYU’s main stage production, INTER//STELLAR, which was in collaboration with the National Black Theatre. Jamilah will be portraying Dorie Ladner in the upcoming Netflix film, Rustin, directed by George C. Wolfe and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Grounds. Jamilah has also appeared in Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Bel Air, and can be seen in the upcoming limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, where she plays Regina Hall’s daughter.
Jamilah is the founder of Girls with Beauty & Brains, which is a girl empowerment blog created to encourage young women and provide them with resources to empower and motivate them to reach their highest potential. Jamilah created Girls with Beauty & Brains because of her personal experiences in middle school. She noticed that girls were always competing with each other as opposed to building each other up, and noticed many girls including herself, lacked confidence because they were trying to fit into society’s standards of beauty.
Jamilah also has a series on her blog called, Fabulous Confabulation, which is a one-on-one chat with inspiring women and girls in different career fields to provide viewers with insight on how to reach their dreams.
Some women she has interviewed include the following: Grammy-award-winning Performance Coach, KJ Rose; Emmy-award-winning NBC reporter, Joelle Garguilo; Visual journalist/writer, Liza Donnelly; Be More Chill producer, Jennifer Tepper; casting director, Tracey Moore; and New Jersey Congresswoman Mrs. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
Some awards she has received in recognition of her blog are the following: “In Recognition and Appreciation of Your Ability to be an Inspiration and Visionary Leader” awarded by Rays of Hope and “Empowerment Through Self-Actualization” awarded by the Donald & Alease Hilliard-Chapman Foundation.
amilah is very active in her community and constantly speaks up about racial equality. She organized two Black Lives Matter rallies that were in collaboration with the Movement for Black Lives and Rays of Hope. Both rallies were to amplify Black voices and talents and provide educational resources to the community.
Jamilah also had the opportunity to give back through performances when she was cast in Girl Be Heard’s (GBH) MainStage Show, 2030: The Future Is Ours. She has now been in a number of their MainStage shows and has written pieces such as, “Don’t Leave Us a Loan” as well as “No Justice, No Peace,” a monologue about her experiences with racism, which was also featured in Downtown Magazine. In 2020, Jamilah had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing Viola Davis for GBH’s Gala.
Jamilah is currently a teaching artist with the Children’s Theatre Company. She works with children between the ages of 5-16 years old and has worked with the program in Flint, Mi Michigan; Brooklyn, and Manhattan, NY. Through CTC, Jamilah was also in the equity show, Henry Box Brown (HBB), which has recently been optioned for a Broadway production. They have performed in New York City, Savannah, GA, and Jackson, TN.
Jamilah was a production assistant at BET Networks, working with Connie Orlando, and a production assistant for the Black Girls Rock Award Show. Jamilah was also one of two girls selected from over 500 to host the American Girl’s web series, AG Life and she was a consultant for American Girl’s book, Love your Look. Jamilah also was the red carpet correspondent for the Celebrity Kids Fashion Show in Newark, NJ, where she interviewed influential people like Power actress, Donshea Hopkins and award-winning celebrity stylist, Pilar Scratch.
Jamilah also had the opportunity to organize a girl empowerment conference at Princeton University called The Celebration of Womanhood. Jamilah’s key role as one of the organizers was to market the event and manage the transportation to ensure that all of the over 200 registered girls were able to attend.
Sharon Washington

Sharon Washington

Sharon celebrates a career of over 30 years as an actor on stage and in film and television including featured roles in Joker, The Kitchen, On The Basis of Sex, Power Book III, For Life, Madam Secretary, Michael Clayton, Die Hard With A Vengeance, Law & Order and Law & Order:SVU among many others.
You may also recognize her voice as the narrator of several documentary series for Animal Planet, Discovery, NOVA, and TV One. On Broadway, Sharon appeared in The Scottsboro Boys and her Off-Broadway credits include performances at The Public/NYSF, The Vineyard, Roundabout, Lincoln Center/LCT3, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Primary Stages. She has also appeared at award-winning regional theaters around the country and workshopped numerous new plays at The O’Neill, Sundance, Powerhouse at Vassar, and New York Theater Workshop. Sharon made her debut as a playwright in 2016 performing in the world premiere of her solo play Feeding The Dragon which subsequently opened Off-Broadway at Primary Stages where she was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Lucille Lortel Award and won an Audelco Award. She was Primary Stages 2017-18 Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence.
Feeding the Dragon is now available as a best-selling Audible Original audio play, has been published by Oberon Books and the script is currently being adapted into a children’s picture book and in development as an animated series.
She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Yale School of Drama. Sharon is thrilled to bring her passion for the art of storytelling in its many forms and her belief in its ability to change lives to Girl Be Heard.
Cindra Maharaj

Cindra Maharaj

Cindra is a financial services consultant with extensive experience helping firms respond to changing market and regulatory requirements centred on financial and non-financial risks. She believes now more than ever, core finance, risk and control practices need to be at the forefront of business decisions to drive sustainable and growth driven business outcomes.
Cindra’s career in the US began at Morgan Stanley in treasury, followed by EY, both places she credits for developing a solid bedrock of skill and expertise in financial services. Today she draws on this to increase Baringa’s footprint in the US. Her experience in the industry provides her the ability to connect the dots and bring lateral and innovative thinking to her clients.
A strong advocate for DEI and female advancement, she stresses the importance of collaboration with teams and clients. She enlists an empathic approach to help everyone arrive at the best possible outcome which is instrumental in helping her win the confidence of clients and her team.
Outside of work, Cindra can often be found enjoying all things art and fashion with her husband Crispin. In a former life Cindra was a tennis player for Trinidad and Tobago, where she grew up, but these days you’re more likely to see her in the stands at the US Open than on the court.
Elizabeth Masucci

Elizabeth Masucci

Elizabeth Masucci is a NYC based actor, producer, writer and director.
She started her career as an actor working a number of TV productions (Most notably, she starred as a series regular alongside Edward Burns on the TV series PUBLIC MORALS (TNT) produced by Steven Spielberg.) and film productions (SHAME, THE BROOKLYN BANKER). She also starred in several theater productions; one being an Off Broadway production by Neil Labute, a Tony Nominated playwright, called UNLIKELY JAPAN.
Recently, Elizabeth co-produced a feature film, THE GOD COMMITTEE starring Kelsey Grammer and Julia Stiles, which got accepted to the Tribeca Film Festival 2020. She started her own production company with a colleague called In The Meantime Productions in which she produces her own TV & film projects, a few of which are in post production and in development.
Elizabeth got her B.A. from Fordham University. She’s on the associate boards of two non profits, Urban Arts Partnerships and Girl Be Heard. And most importantly, she is a mother to a daughter.
Ashley Itenberg

Ashley Itenberg

Ashley drives change through her belief in storytelling, creativity, and advocacy, fostering community building.
At the core of Ashley’s work is a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of storytelling and creative expression as tools for advocacy and social change. This philosophy has guided her collaborative efforts with brands, teams, and individuals alike, driving the development of innovative programs and services designed to unleash the unique creative genius within each person. Her approach is human-centered, focusing on building strong foundations that encourage self-leadership, perspective, and inspired action.

Ashley is a Creative Services Consultant and Coach, bringing her expertise in nurturing and amplifying creative talents and voices across the globe she has worked to lead both brand and agency creative teams to support global brands and non-profit initiatives with significant business and social impacts. She specializes in spearheading creative operations, from strategic planning to the execution of comprehensive creative marketing, ensuring a cohesive and impactful omni-channel presence and experience.
Her areas of expertise include: Leadership, Mentorship & Coaching, Strategic Brand Marketing & Advertising, Content Development & Execution, Creative Process Empowerment and Community Engagement & Development.
Beyond her professional endeavors, she is the founder of ‘Heart Ground Collective,’ a platform and newsletter designed to inspire women to lead with presence and creativity for meaningful change. This initiative reflects her passion for building communities where voices can be heard, stories shared, and her commitment to creating spaces where every voice can make a difference. In addition she brings well over a decade of experience in fundraising efforts for causes supporting progressive education, climate change, women’s justice, world hunger, and particularly the empowerment of young women’s voices.
Ashley lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Active Performers

Ava Bales Active Performer

Ava Bales
Active Performer
Ava Bales is 17 years old and is a junior drama major at the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) in New York City. She is so excited to be joining the Girl Be Heard cast for the 2022-2023 year.
As a second generation Holocaust survivor, Ava is committed to being an active and loud voice for those who are unable to have one, especially in the Jewish community. Ava’s last work was seen in the play ROE written by Lisa Loomer where she played Linda Coffee. She was also seen starring in the First Last, with the NYU Theatre Youth Ensemble. Ava is extremely grateful to be a part of this amazing community and movement and hope others feel inspired from watching this creative work. Ava hopes to pursue her passion of performing theater throughout college and the rest of her life.
Anastasia Calixte Active Performer

Anastasia Calixte
Active Performer
Fiona Grand Active Performer

Fiona Grand
Active Performer
Fiona Grand is currently a 16-year-old junior at the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS), majoring in Drama. She has been performing since the age of 6, and plans to pursue acting and directing in college.
Chinese American and based in NYC, she is deeply passionate about expressing social justice issues through performance, which prompted her to join Girl Be Heard. Some of her recent projects at PPAS include: ROE (Judy, TV news reporter, Assistant Stage Manager), The Love of the Nightingale (Philomele), Indecent (crew), Motel Andromeda (run crew), and The Lightning Thief (Lighting board operator). She is currently Assistant Stage Manager for PPAS’ Royal Blood, and will be the Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant Director for the upcoming PPAS production of Henry IV, Part 1.
Kai Diata Giovanni Active Performer

Kai Diata Giovanni
Active Performer
Kai Diata Giovanni is an 18 year old Brooklyn-based poet and performer writing on rage, racism, and radical justice.
They published “The Words That Need To Be Heard,” their first book of poetry, at 13 years old. Kai was recently awarded the title of NYC’s 2025 Youth Poet Laureate. They have organized and performed locally, nationally and internationally as an artivist (artist-activist) with organizations such as Urban Word NYC, A New Black Arts Movement, Art and Resistance Through Education (ARTE), Girl Be Heard, the Laundromat Project and Bridges: A Pan-Afrikan Arts Movement. Kai has been a featured performer at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Blue Note Jazz Club, and various other venues in NYC for the past 10 years.
Divinity Nix-Sow Active Performer

Divinity Nix-Sow
Active Performer
Felicity Munera Active Performer

Felicity Munera
Active Performer
Kristacia Scott Active Performer

Kristacia Scott
Active Performer
Lia Filipov Active Performer

Lia Filipov
Active Performer
Makayla Cuce Active Performer

Makayla Cuce
Active Performer
Alexie Safiya Ilaga Active Performer

Alexie Safiya Ilaga
Active Performer