Calvin T. Mann, National Encourager is facilitator, talk show host (Daddy Talk), mentor, visionary, coach, author, community activist and proud father of 4. He continues to build boys and men in ways that change their trajectory. He has coordinated recreation and mentorship programs, led intervention strategies in detention centers, communities, families, and schools. Since 2004, a champion for the silenced voices of children slain to suicide and violence; Mann placed t-shirts with positive messages of encouragement at the sight of slain children to raise awareness of our responsibility to our children and their future. Mann’s passion and unique perspective exemplifies diversity, self-belief and love for his fellow man. Often serving on panels, creating intervention opportunities in schools, or speaking directly to students of all ages offering his enlightening words while captivating audiences. Offering practical solutions and perspectives of fatherhood, realizing your potential, mentorship, family connections, community impact, or sportsmanship his topics empower people toward real change. He has earned the respect and admiration of many including the City of Detroit who bestowed its highest honor The Spirit of Detroit award along with Wayne County and the State of Michigan both presenting powerful Resolutions naming April 6th EMIY National Respect Day to acknowledge the achievement, investment and role of Calvin T. Mann locally and throughout the country. Calvin is a Man[n] on the front line; encouraging boys and supporting fathers; changing families and our community one encouraging word at a time.

Candace Robertson-James, DrPH is an assistant professor, director of the Master of Public Health Program and Chair of the Department of Urban Public Health and Nutrition at LaSalle University. Dr. Robertson-James’ research interests include health equity and the promotion of racial equity. She has led and evaluated community participatory research initiatives involving multiple sectors (health, community, school, faith, etc.) promoting health in diverse communities for over 10 years. Dr. Robertson-James has participated in research exploring the role of discrimination and gender differences in health risks as well as the role of faith institutions in sexual and relationship violence prevention. She has also served as the program evaluator for programs assessing the role of gender in health, programs integrating HIV risk reduction into domestic violence services, health education initiatives targeting women with a history of incarceration as well as other groups of women and heart health initiatives. In addition, she also teaches on a variety of public health, health promotion and research topics. She published her first children’s book, Reflections of Me, in July 2019 to honor the stories of the women who participated in her dissertation research exploring the role of racism and sexism in self-reported health status. Reflections of Me, integrates messages participants shared they wish they would’ve received as young girls and seeks to promote a positive self-concept. Her goal is to serve passionately, promote endearing change and to leave a lasting impression that will inspire action.

Carmen Kennedy-Rogers serves as the senior program officer of education for The Skillman Foundation. She leads the Foundation’s efforts to improve educational opportunities in Detroit. She embraces the strong belief that all young people have an undeniable right to receive a comprehensive and unbiased education coupled with diverse and robust life experiences. She is committed to ensuring that the rights of young people are recognized and respected rather than denied and neglected. She unapologetically vigorously pursues “educational social justice”. Prior to her role at The Skillman Foundation, Carmen served in five different Michigan school districts as a high school basketball coach, physical education teacher, athletic director, and high school principal and assistant superintendent. She currently serves as a board member for Wayne State University College of Education Board of Visitors and the Michigan Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Board of Directors. Carmen holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and three degrees from Wayne State University, including a Master of Arts in Sports Administration, School Counseling and an Education Specialist Degree. She recently completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Michigan-Flint. Carmen is married to Alex Rogers, Jr. and together they gratefully raise their son, Alexander Rogers, III. They reside in the Detroit Metro area with their rescue dog, Molly. Outside of work, she focuses on self-care by meditating, reflective journaling, living a healthy lifestyle, and spending quality meaningful time with family and friends.

Rev. Cornell Jones is a street pastor, activist, mentor, father and husband. He is currently the Group Violence Intervention Coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh and John Jay College where he brings outreach teams and law enforcement together to counteract and prevent violence in the Community. He is respected on a national level for his work that he does in the streets of Pittsburgh. Through his business Freedom Indeed LLC, he trains people all over the country on methods to stop violence in communities, school, and prisons. Rev. Jones served as the Protestant Chaplain at SCI Pittsburgh Prison (formerly known as Western Penitentiary) for over 10 years. While working in the prison, he was involved in many crisis deescalating and gang prevention teams such as: Security Threat Group Team, CISM, and the CERT team. He is a crisis chaplain and a trained member of the National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA) where he assists people who have been victims of large scale crimes. He truly has a heart for youth and adults who are incarcerated and the marginalized communities. He is the founder of WXCN Power Radio. This is the first radio station that is 100% ran by ex-offenders. The vision for WXCN is to Empower and Educate the community about community issues and mass incarceration.

There are people who see shortcomings in our society and feel overwhelmed or apathetic. Then there are people like Courtney Smith who roll up their sleeves and fill in the gap. With over a decade of experience in the social impact sector, she has dedicated her career to promoting equity and social justice. Recently dubbed a modern day history maker by Essence Magazine, Courtney is a servant leader, serving not only by choice, but by nature. Her undeniable tenacity birthed the Detroit Phoenix Center, a high-impact nonprofit organization meeting the wraparound needs of homeless and high risk youth & families. She is also the lead strategist at Humble Work & Co., a social impact firm mobilizing millennials to make a difference in the world. Her outstanding commitment to service has garnered national recognition, including Comcast Newsmakers and the Steve Harvey Show. Courtney prides herself on being transparent and progressive, two traits that have made her a sought-after speaker on topics related to youth and community development, advocacy, and servant leadership. Courtney has been named to Crain’s Detroit Business Twenty in Their 20s list of trailblazers to watch in the region. She is a Michigan Chronicle 40 under 40 honoree, Forbes Under 30 nominee and a double-time recipient of the Spirit of Detroit Award; along with many other notable achievements. Courtney sits on the Board of Directors for Hero Nation and is an Advisor for the Child Forward Initiative. Courtney graduated from Eastern Michigan University and is pursuing graduate coursework at Harvard University.