Team & Board
Our team
Cate Navarrete
Founder and Executive Director
Cate Navarrete is a second generation Cuban-American studying Business Administration at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Isabella Amador
Director of Programming
Isabella is a freshman at the University of Maryland-College Park studying general Biology on a pre-PA track.
Maryam Faisal
Director of Community Engagement
Maryam Faisal is a first generation Pakistani-American studying Biological Engineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Reesa Artz
Human Resources Officer
Reesa Artz, from Sacramento, CA, is a Duke University Nursing School completing her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing.
Jennifer Yu
Program Manager
Jennifer Yu is a high school junior living in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Sarah Cheng
Program Manager
Sarah Cheng is a 17-year-old high school senior at The Bronx High School of Science.
Esther Yeo
Program Associate
Esther Yeo is a 15-year-old high school sophomore at Walter Johnson High School in North Bethesda, Maryland.
Sasha Lederman
Social Media Manager
Sasha Lederman is a high school senior attending Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey.
Olivia Woitach
Blog Writer
Olivia Woitach is a 16-year-old high school junior residing in Bethesda, Maryland.
Meet the board
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Mary Fashik
she/her/hers
Mary Fashik is a Lebanese born, queer disability rights activist, author, public speaker, and workshop facilitator. She founded Upgrade Accessibility in 2019, a social justice movement designed to challenge today's accessibility standards. Since its inception, the movement has grown and broadened its lens to include disability rights and Disability Justice with a focus on intersectionality and equity. Through a variety of workshops and trainings, Mary helps companies understand how deeply rooted ableism is in their organizational structure and how to implement important changes. In 2021, she was named an honoree on the D-30 Disability Impact List by Diversability, where she now works as their Community Engagement Manager. She is also the creator and host of The Politics of Disability podcast which was chosen as Best Interview Podcast at the 2022 Astoria Film Festival.
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Genevieve P. Nowicki
she/her/hers
Genevieve is a PhD student in Counseling Psychology at Northeastern University, studying body image and eating disorders from an sociocultural and ecological perspective. Her research seeks to better understand the interconnectedness of factors within individuals, communities, and systems that influence one's relationship with their bodies and their eating behavior to aid the development of impactful interventions. She is passionate about dismantling diet culture and contributing towards efforts to build a more equitable society through intersectional advocacy and action. In her spare time, she enjoys baking cakes and exploring the Boston area with her dog and husband.
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Makahla Jackson
she/her/hers
Makahla Jackson is a young woman who lives with a non-apparent Disability. She is a Disability advocate and freelance writer with a large interest in equitable healthcare for BIPOC patients. She shares her personal experiences through art and connection via social media. She loves to read on rainy days, chat with friends, and listen to good music.