Command Sergeant Major (CSM) retired Bart Womack, served the United States Army with distinction for over 29 years. His expertise and dedication to excellence contributed immeasurably to the security of our nation. Highlights of his distinguished career include Drill Sergeant, Ranger Instructor, Sergeant of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and dual roles as Commandant, and the 101st Airborne Division CSM. He’s a Combat War Veteran, with 2 Bronze Stars, one for valor, the Legion of Merit, and the Army Ranger Tab to name a few. Since retiring, Bart has become a resident of Pittsburgh, he holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Park University, and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Waynesburg University. He fulfills his passion for Veterans to succeed in civilian life through his role as the Program Manager of Onward to Opportunity-Pittsburgh, a program from the IVMF at Syracuse University. His selfless service continues as the Co-Founder, COO and Vice Chairman of the Armed Forces Equestrian Center (AFEC). AFEC is a nonprofit that provides Equine therapy for Veterans, military families and people with disabilities. Proudly adding the titles, published author and screenplay writer of ‘Embedded Enemy’ to his resume, Bart has appeared in TV spots, radio shows and interviews about his 5 Star Amazon book. To share lessons learned from the tragic incident, he speaks publicly on the topic of Situational Awareness Security. His dream is to bring his book to the big screen.http://www.embeddedenemy.com/index.html

Ben Johnson, Jr. is the Assistant Director of Recreation for Louisville Parks and Recreation. He oversees thirteen different recreation facilities offering diverse programming for participants of all ages and abilities. This is Ben’s second stint with Louisville Metro having previously served as the Assistant Director of Youth Development. Continuing his commitment to bettering the lives of young people and Black Males in particular, Ben created several unique programs in Louisville; Youth Chats with LMPD where local police officers come to community centers to dialogue with young people and an agreement with Youth Detention where his staff provides recreational programming to their youth. He also convinced the school system to open a satellite office in one of his community centers giving families easier access to educational resources. Ben has served as a mentor to numerous young Black Males in group and individual settings. He participates regularly in different activities, reading programs, workshops, panel discussions, tie tying events, etc. Any opportunity to be around and work with / for young Black Males, Ben tries to be there. Recently named a BMe Genius Fellow, Ben is also an American Express Leadership Fellow at The Campaign for Black Male Achievement. He just joined the board of the L.E.E. Initiative, which has a multi-faceted approach to addressing food insecurity and similar challenges. Originally from Philadelphia, married, a father and graduate of Florida A&M, Ben spends a lot of time traveling with his family, supporting his alma mater and promoting other HBCUs.

Raised in Rankin, PA, Blair is a U.S. Army Combat Veteran (Operation Enduring Freedom), having served from 2004 to 2015. A Certified Life Coach and advocate for those in need, she obtained her undergraduate degree in Social Science (concentration in Criminal Justice and Government) with a minor in Psychology from the University of Maryland University College. She is currently pursuing a more in-depth education in Social Work through the Master’s program in addition to Master’s in Public and International Affairs with a concentration in Human Security at the University of Pittsburgh. She looks forward to being more strategic and impactful while making positive changes in both her community and abroad. Blair has taken on community organizing roles by serving as a co-organizer of the Women’s March on Washington-Pittsburgh. She actively works to address a variety of social justice issues to include community violence, sexual violence, food security, immigrant and refugee rights and college access among underprivileged students. As an advocate for mental health, she is also certified in Mental Health First Aid and Psychological First Aid and has served as a volunteer trauma responder addressing the needs of survivors of gun violence. She still finds time to be a volunteer firefighter in Rankin, since 2002, while also fulfilling an internship at the Community Engagement Center in Homewood. She can also be found volunteering with the immigrant and refugee students as well as various veteran organizations in the area and across the country.

Brandon Frame is a visionary leader, social innovator and educator. He is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of TheBlackManCan, Inc. an award-winning nonprofit that amplifies the stories of what Black Men and Boys can do. Guided by his vision TheBlackManCan, Inc. has impacted over 10,000 Black Men and Boys across the world, established a MENtor network of over 500 Black Men and built a socially conscious online community that has over 500,000 followers and generates 7 million impressions weekly. Accomplishments and accolades are no stranger to Brandon Frame, but what makes him extraordinary is the humility and servant-leadership that marks his life. Brandon Frame is the Deputy Director of Social Emotional Learning at The Urban Assembly where he leads a portfolio of schools to build the capacity of the staff in implementing and sustaining Social Emotional Learning. Under his tenure as a leader of the UA’s Resilient Scholars Program, participating schools saw dramatic reductions in suspensions and improvements in school culture, and the program expanded nationally to states like Texas, Virginia, and California. Brandon is also Co-Founder of the award-winning twitter chat #hiphoped and the Author of Define Yourself, Redefine the World: A Guided Journal for Boys and Men of color and the children’s book My First Tie. Brandon is currently an Ed.D. student at Boston University. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and resides in Bronx, NY.

Bryan Lewis is a Detroit-based environmental justice and youth development advocate who is passionate about growing the next generation of green leaders. As the former Director of EcoWorks’ Youth Energy Squad (YES), he and his team supported thousands of Detroit k-12 students in developing environmental solutions that helped to make their homes, schools, and communities more sustainable for everyone. Mr. Lewis, in his time with YES, worked to highlight youth voice as a mechanism for social and environmental change. He founded a leadership initiative within the program that works with a small group of 10 youth leaders – exposing them to environmental justice activism, community leadership, and national politics (through a discovery trip to Washington, DC). Now, as a consultant, Mr. Lewis works with organizations like E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) to organize business leaders to advocate for clean water policies in Michigan. He is also a member of Michigan Governor Whitmer’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council.