Young, Gifted and Black

Young, Gifted and Black: Cultivating Black Talent in Charlottesville and Albemarle

In celebration of Black History Month, this event will showcase thought-provoking short talks on Black entrepreneurship and workforce/talent development.

Speakers:
Jesse Brookins, Director of Equity & Inclusion, Albemarle County
Tamara Dias, EdD, CEO, TWD Coaching and Consulting LLC
Freddy Jackson, Speaker & Mentor, Founder and Executive Director, Love No Ego Foundation, Inc.
Ayanna Mitchell, Director of Equity Education, Albemarle County Public Schools
Dom Morse, Clubhouse Coordinator, C4K
Ajoni Wynn-Floyd, Minority Business Development Coordinator, City of Charlottesville



Jesse Brookins has extensive experience building relationships and promoting inclusivity through the development, implementation and facilitation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He is currently the Director for Albemarle County’s Office of Equity & Inclusion, where he works in the County Executive’s office and serves on the County’s organizational leadership team, which provides strategic leadership for the county.
His prior notable roles and education include Assistant Director for Student Development at the University of Richmond and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Trainer/Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center.  He also holds a master’s degree in Applied Sociology with an emphasis in Race and Ethnic Relations from Northern Arizona University. Brookins believes, “Diversity, equity and inclusion, are integral to creating and sustaining unity for all with the intention of building a better future.”

As a nonprofit Executive Director rooted in closing the racial disparity amongst K-12 teachers, Dr. Tamara Wilkerson Dias has spent nearly a decade in supporting equity in K-12 education. Her passion for supporting and developing others led her to create TWD Coaching and Consulting. TWD Coaching and Consulting is an equity-focused consulting firm committed to strategic leadership development through actionable and individualized practices in the corporate and nonprofit sectors.
Dr. Dias has been recognized nationally for her work, being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Education in 2017, and then named as part of the Forbes’ All Star Alumni list  in 2021 . She was also named to Charlottesville's 10 under 40 in 2019 for her work in equity throughout the Central Virginia area. She has facilitated workshops and seminars around: leadership development, sustainability for women in leadership roles, employee engagement for nonprofit and corporate organizations, and inclusive-based development. Dr. Dias believes that once you know your gifts and how to use them, you can walk boldly in your purpose.

Freddy Jackson is an inspirational and transformational speaker, mentor, personal trainer, educator, author, and founder of The Love No Ego Foundation, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Freddy's Love...No Ego philosophy serves as the foundation for pushing the human spirit into greatness. He helps clients to remove biases, fear, and judgement, while simultaneously igniting their intuition to produce monumental results!
Freddy delivers powerful, engaging, and relevant presentations, mentors, consults, and conducts workshops for individuals, teams, and organizations around the world. He utilizes and demonstrates his pillars and  principles to enable participants to grow and perform better than their everyday pressures, and gain optimal performance! His approach improves their overall awareness and sustainability, promotes self and team development, helps them to notice the ego and where the limitations are, and gets them truly excited about living life!

Ayanna Mitchell has been an educator and educational leader for 28 years. She has worked in various Title 1 K-12 school environments to meet the diverse needs of her students and families. Currently, she manages the ACPS Culturally Responsive Teaching Program and provides leadership and consultation for the Anti Racism and Gender Expansive policies.

Dom Morse is an award-winning technology educator with over ten years of experience working in our local public schools. Dom’s mission is to use his “relentless pursuit of knowledge in engineering, entrepreneurship, and education to bring forth positive disruption for the advancement of my communities.” Dom’s passion for equity in education and his mentoring and technical skills allow C4K youth to engage with STEAM disciplines and envision new opportunities for their futures.

Ajoni Wynn-Floyd is the Minority Business Development Coordinator for the Charlottesville Office of Economic Development. She specializes in minority business development, project, and social media management. Ajoni is passionate about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of economic development.
Her previous work history includes working in the Office of Admission and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion with Radford University. Ajoni holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Radford University. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.