Team & Board

Our team

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Cate Navarrete

Founder and Executive Director

Cate Navarrete is a second generation Cuban-American studying Business Administration at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Isabella Amador

Director of Programming

Isabella is a freshman at the University of Maryland-College Park studying general Biology on a pre-PA track.

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Maryam Faisal

Director of Community Engagement

Maryam Faisal is a first generation Pakistani-American studying Biological Engineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

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Lea Yeo

Director of Development

Lea Yeo is a Korean-American studying Psychology and Government with a minor in Justice and Peace Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

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Reesa Artz

Human Resources Officer

Reesa Artz, from Sacramento, CA, is a Duke University Nursing School completing her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing.

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Jennifer Yu

Program Manager

Jennifer Yu is a high school junior living in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

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Sarah Cheng

Program Manager

Sarah Cheng is a 17-year-old high school senior at The Bronx High School of Science.

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Esther Yeo

Program Associate

Esther Yeo is a 15-year-old high school sophomore at Walter Johnson High School in North Bethesda, Maryland.

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Sasha Lederman

Social Media Manager

Sasha Lederman is a high school senior attending Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey.

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Olivia Woitach

Blog Writer

Olivia Woitach is a 16-year-old high school junior residing in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Meet the board

  • Photo of Mary, a Lebanese woman with short, dark, curly hair and glasses. She is smiling at the camera and wearing a sleeveless navy blue top.

    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.

  • A young white woman with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes smiles into the camera with her head tilted to the left. She is wearing a blue collared shirt and small pendant necklace.

    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.

  • A Black woman with brown skin stands in front of a white wall. She has medium length locs and is wearing a black beret. She is wearing brown glasses and a blue jean shirt. She is holding the camera and smiling.

    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.