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As a young girl, Michelle Hubbs was closest to her father, Honorary Colonel Petty Officer First Class Gene Shearer. She loved spending time with him so much she would tag along to work with him whenever he would let her at the Charlotte Regional Medical Center. “As the Director of Patient Business, he was always…

Adelle Blackett’s passionate dedication to social justice and fostering equitable inclusion is evident through her extensive experiences and achievements in law, academia, and authorship. Her impressive body of work covers a range of topics, including labor rights, human rights, and trade law. Her commitment to upholding dignity and fairness in the world of work is…

MBBI has been a partner of the Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD), supporting women in Syria with training, and negotiation support which started in 2013. At MBBI, we begin with creating spaces and platforms for the voices of those at the heart of the conflict, the proximate peacebuilders.   Since the beginning of the…

Ben Pogue brings together his extensive experience in a variety of fields to passionately serve communities in South Carolina and beyond. As a trial and litigation attorney, professor of law, strategy consultant, skilled mediator, and former meteorologist, Ben reaches an exceptionally diverse audience, delivering compassion, humility, and hope to each individual he impacts. Early Influence…

Gabriel Mugaruka is a dedicated human rights defender with over 25 years of experience. Born and raised in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabriel has experienced the devastating impact of violence and conflict on vulnerable communities. Due to its natural wealth in resources, the eastern part of the DRC became…

From a young age, Naomi Gankino Maiguwa was surrounded by her extensive family. Constantly disarming conflicts between siblings and cousins, she felt destined for the judiciary. “At a tender age, I had the feeling that I’d like to be a Judge someday.” However, Naomi’s career aspirations evolved during law school as she sought a more…

Loretta Raider was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended both undergraduate and graduate school in the city, earning her degrees from Temple University. Her master’s degree is in organization development –– the studies of how organizations and systems work, as well as group dynamics. It was a transformative program that deeply influenced her…

Rochanne “Shellie” Honarvar (formerly Shellie Vincent) is a content expert in the neurobiology of trauma and trauma-informed care. She has dedicated her career to community building and conflict mediation through education, science, and history. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Shellie settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after completing her undergraduate degree at Duquesne University, where she studied Sociology…

Dr. Stephanie Myers, a distinguished leader and passionate advocate for change, has dedicated her life to community activism, nonviolence, and providing opportunities for young people. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Myers earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from California State University, Dominguez Hills and went on to earn her graduate degree through…

Culminating a 40 year legal career, Ana Luíza Panyagua Etchalus is not the same kind of labor and civil litigation lawyer she came up as. Rather, her commitment to her family and the communities that formed around her led Etchalus to go back to school, study legal psychology, and use her masterful knowledge of the…