Jeremiah O. Ojo | Senior Fellow

Jeremiah O. Ojo is a cultural entrepreneur, artist, and educator dedicated to uniting and empowering African diasporic communities through his work in visual arts, community development, and business education.  He is the founder of Creative Milieu, a business advisory firm offering technical assistance to minority-owned businesses within the Creative Economy. Using a values-centered approach, Jeremiah has worked with various companies to build their capacity through operations, talent development, and management. Driven by his passion for African diaspora visual literacy, Jeremiah founded Ilèkùn Wa (Our Doors), a community-centered artist advisory, facilitating and cultivating opportunities for visual artists of African descent to create, sustain, and thrive in their art businesses.  

With over 15 years of experience across banking, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and higher education, Jeremiah is known for his strategic and business management expertise, providing valuable insights into cultural entrepreneurship, business development, talent management, operations, business strategy, and arts education. He has lectured at Columbia University, Rhode Island School of Design, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Spelman College, and the Royal College of Art, London, on various topics, including arts administration, cultural entrepreneurship, values-based decision-making, and talent management.  

Jeremiah holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy - Nonprofit Management from the Andrew Young School of Policy at Georgia State University and a Master's in Art Business and Management from Sotheby's Institute of Art and Claremont Graduate University's Center for Business & Management. Jeremiah is a 2023 NEW INC. Cultural Entrepreneurship Incubator Mentor at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and serves on the Advisory Board of Inversion Art and Brooklyn Level Up Community Development Organization. Jeremiah's work is committed to building equitable systems that protect and grow creative communities. 

Asmaa Amadou

Asmaa Amadou, a Togolese-born, New York-based artist, making artwork in textile art, fashion, and costume design. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and French, she applies an anthropological perspective to her art, exploring the theme of migration. Through fiber art, she delves into the formation and transformation of identities and cultures over time, emphasizing the dynamic movement of migration. Her work embodies a multicultural narrative, investigating migration, African diaspora history, and storytelling. Notable contributions include a residency at Thread Caravan in Oaxaca City, Mexico, and exhibitions with Thread Caravan, Ideal Glass Studio, and Casa Mosca. Asmaa is the creative force behind asmaa, a sustainable fashion brand aiming to empower artisans. She showcased her talent as the costume designer in "BEAST," premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2022, and contributed to projects like "NORTHUP" by Black Gotham Experience and "Buffalo Sonnet" a digital graphic novel on the historic neighborhood of San Juan Hill in collaboration with Lincoln Center and Kamau Studio. She is also a published author, contributing an essay to the book "Humanizing Education for Immigrant and Refugee Youth. Currently Asmaa is collaborating with Brown University Watson Institute through their 'Policy In Action' program in establishing Siddi Chittaraa NGO in India, utilizing art and theatre education for community empowerment and social change in the Siddi community where she is a founding member. Amadou is a board member in Siddi Chittaraa NGO and has lead the collaboration with Harvard University, curating  the ‘Coding De Future’ centerpiece textile exhibition made by the Kawandi women collective in Siddi Chittaraa for the Global Empowerment Meeting 2024: Breaking Barries for Women and Girls. 

Michael Aryee & Ragnhild “Ragz” Bruland | flex dance program

Michael (Mic) is Executive Director and one of the Founding Members of the Flex Dance Program. An Educator and former Chess Tutor at Bayridge PS 264K - Michael has been fortunate to have studied in Paris and lived in Texas. Prior to Flex - Michael worked as a Consultant at the United Nations and as an intern at the Council of Foreign Relations. Education and community service are a lifelong passion of Mics.

Ragnhild (Ragz) grew up in Norway where she studied psychology at the University of Oslo. She has a background in musical theater, dance and music and has worked as a teaching artist for many years. Ragz earned her MA in psychology from the New School for Social Research in 2014. During her studies, she decided to co-found the Flex Dance Program for youth in secure detention after being inspired by the art-form of flexing (flexn) and the work that was beingdone by artists in local communities. She strongly believes in the value of artistic expression and its positive effects on mental health. Her research interests include dance and music on resilience and coping mechanisms. Ragnhild is pursuing a PhD in Research Psychology at The New School for Social Research. Her dissertation aims to explore the efficacy and benefits of dance and mentoring programs.

Danielle Brown, Ph.D.

Danielle Brown, Ph.D. is a multi-disciplinary artist (musician, writer, dancer), scholar, and CEO of My People Tell Stories, LLC. Her work uniquely weaves research, the creative arts, and travel to promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding. Brown earned a doctorate in Music from New York University with a concentration in ethnomusicology and specialization in the music of Latin America and the Caribbean. She is a former Assistant Professor of Music History and Cultures at Syracuse University, and has lectured at various colleges and universities. She has worked with elementary, middle, and high school students, and is certified in the Kodály method. Brown has been recognized for her 2020 open letter on racism in music studies, which led to substantial changes in the field of ethnomusicology. In 2021, she was invited to serve as a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Musicology at Stanford University to teach her signature “Canon, People, Pedagogies” (CPP) framework to support social justice in music studies. In addition, she has been invited to give keynotes at several colleges and institutions, including the 2022 David Buchan Lecture, sponsored by the Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. 

Brown is the author of the music-centered ethnographic memoir, East of Flatbush,North of Love: An Ethnography of Home, and the East of Flatbush, North of Love: Teacher Guidebook. In addition, she is a vocalist, cuatro player, and composer, and a 2018 NYSCA/NYFA Fellow in Folk/Traditional Arts. Brown often works with the local community, presenting research and giving workshops in music and dance. She is a three-time recipient of the SU-CASA artist-in-residence grant, teaching Cuban rueda de casino to seniors at Older Adults Centers in Brooklyn, New York. She is a 2024 Creative Equations Fund grant recipient and Social Innovation Fellow. Brown also curates and hosts travel tours, including trips to Cuba (2020) and Panama (2023). For more information about Dr. Brown and her work, visit: www.mypeopletellstories.com. 

Chief Baba Neil Clarke

Chief Baba Neil Clarke is a highly respected, award-winning, and internationally-noted, culturally-grounded percussionist, bandleader, producer, scholar, spiritualist, and educator. His involvement in African-centered percussive arts and his prolific professional music career span sixty years. Born, raised, and trained in Brooklyn NY, Clarke has studied with percussion masters throughout the African diaspora. Rooted in traditional spiritual practices as a creative artist, his overarching work tends to be centered around exploring possibilities. He seeks to create opportunities for cultivating an understanding and appreciation of global African heritage through the embedded aesthetics of the drum as a musical instrument on its own merit. He approaches exploring varied applications, incorporations, and inclusions in as many artistic and creative contexts as possible, purposefully intent on dispelling stifling stereotypical misconceptions and unproductive biases.

Chief Clarke’s relationship with BAC goes back to his teenage years being encouraged in his artistry by the Council’s founder Charlene Victor. He continues to pursue this adventure of the creative communicative process in his ongoing artistic explorations.

Tilly J. Lapidos | Vers :: Clothing for People

Tilly J Lapidos is a creator of transformable clothing and community fashion space. They founded and hold the center of Vers:: Clothing for People, a boutique in Bushwick of over 30 queer designers with a studio, and capacity to transform into an intimate performance venue. Their transformable, gender expansive, and inventive clothing designs evolved from TILLYandWILLIAM to Cilium, and are now called Tillium, which they have shown on the runway and in unique retail experiences. For more than a decade, they have been part of the fabric of Brooklyn’s independent fashion scene, popping up and hosting markets where many of the Vers designers have built strong roots as a community. They teach educational workshops and organize in the community for mutual aid and solidarity. They see a way to help heal the Earth and restore balance: communities should be able to clothe themselves with their own creativity and materials without relying on unaccountable supply chains rife with labor inequities and pollution. Vers exists as a place to work toward social interdependence and economic independence, and a space for Tilly and the Vers cohort to realize their artistic visions.

Harvey Leon | Byas & Leon

A former electrical engineering student and field technician, Harvey has since grown as an entrepreneur, public speaker, writer, and most notably, co-owner and creative director to Byas & Leon—an impact-focused boutique, "third space" and creative enterprise, physically headquartered in Brooklyn. Harvey's work lies in the synthesis of those experiences and learned abilities in such a way as to help people expand their perceptions, empathy, and critical thinking capacity. He is currently based in NYC.

Sirlenda Williams | SO GROUNDED™

Sirlenda Williams, the visionary behind SO GROUNDED™, a homeschool rooted in knowledge of self and an African-centered curriculum, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Committed to the belief that balance is essential to personal growth and community empowerment, Sirlenda is married and a proud mother of two children. Her decision to homeschool them was a pivotal moment in her life. This choice has enriched her children's lives, which inspired her to offer other families a balanced and holistic learning experience.

Sirlenda's creative spirit flourished as she explored new avenues, such as bespoke frame design and event planning, further expressing her artistic talents. SO GROUNDED™ is a true reflection of who she is and who she is becoming—an evolving individual reclaiming her power and embracing self-love. Sirlenda embodies the essence of the SO GROUNDED™ process through teaching, creating, and sharing her journey. Her inner child finds joy in simple things like rollerskating, dancing, camping, traveling, eating, and laughing. Even as she grows into her higher self, Sirlenda acknowledges the role of a future ancestor. Guided by the divinity within her, she lives with purpose and intention, understanding that she is creating a legacy.

Sirlenda holds a master's degree in education and has spent 15 years working as a certified teacher and reading coach at the DOE. Her extensive experience in teaching and her creative endeavors make her a dynamic force in both the educational and creative communities, allowing her to offer her students a well-rounded and enriching experience.

Shaun Neblett | Bed-Stuy Art House

Shaun Neblett is a Brooklyn-based playwright, theater producer, and 3rd space curator whose work reflects his values of cultural authenticity, mindfulness, and freshness.

Shaun’s creative journey began with productions at the Public Theater, the Kennedy Center, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This foundation led him to establish Changing Perceptions Theater, a company dedicated to producing independent theater artists and creating dynamic, media arts-based programs that empower young people to reflect, learn, and pivot in life.

Building on his experiences with Changing Perceptions Theater, Shaun has expanded his artistic journey to include his role as a 3rd space curator. In 2021, he founded Bed-Stuy Art House, a “3rd space” where creatives can gather, collaborate, and thrive outside traditional institutional settings. As Shaun evolves Bed-Stuy Art House into a prominent curator of 3rd spaces, he is also advancing his acclaimed series, 7 Homages for 7 MCs. This series of plays, inspired by classic hip-hop albums, has garnered praise from scholars and musicians, including Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, who described Homage 3: Illmatic as “a great play that evokes a sense of history and intimacy.” The next play in the series, Homage 5: Life After Death, is set to continue this legacy.

Learn more about his journey at shaunneblett.net or follow his journey as a 3rd space curator on Instagram @bedstuyarthouse.