Carmarion D. Anderson

Carmarion D. Anderson is a vibrant and visible Trans* person of color who has worked tirelessly to spread the Message of Inclusion to the world.  Carmarion is the Executive Director of Black Transwomen, Inc., a national non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with a mission to uplift the voice, heart, and soul of black transwomen.  As well, a Prevention Public Health Consultant with a focus on HIV/AIDS and other health disparities in marginalized communities.  Carmarion serves as the National Moderator for TransSaints of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, Inc. and an associate minister at Living Faith Covenant Church, Dallas, Texas.  Carmarion resides in Austin, Texas, and is the proud parent of one son and has one adorable grandson.

Derek Baugh

A native of Atlanta & recent graduate of Georgia State university, Derek is a staunch advocate for many disenfranchised communities, most notably the transgender community as well as those affected by HIV. He has founded a nonprofit organization by the name of Ubuntu Incorporated, whose mission it is to continually examine the ever-changing barriers of the trans community and strategize to create unique programs and practices to remove the many obstacles that severely impact trans people’s ability to unlock their full potential. In his spare time Derek works with another nonprofit as the community support specialist, He Is Valuable, A status inclusive organization that works to celebrate, reinforce, and uplift the value of black queer men & their communities. Over the last 2 years Derek has and continues to volunteer his time with many organizations. Derek works to increase knowledge and visibility for the trans community by conducting trainings, giving presentations, and having necessary conversations.

Keiva Lei Cadena

Keiva Lei Cadena is a Native Hawaiian Transwoman. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Keiva has called Honolulu, Hawaii home for the last 20 years. She is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Life Foundation, where she plans and facilitates programs, retreats, events, and groups, designed to empower, educate, support, and cultivate leadership and advocacy amongst the HIV+ community across the state of Hawaii. Keiva specializes in HIV testing counseling and linkage for newly diagnosed individuals. Nationally, sits on the Positively Trans National Advisory Board, she is a member of Positive Women’s Network and is also a 2017 graduate of NMAC’s Building Leader of Color-BLOC Program.

Tori Cooper

Ms. Tori Cooper holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services. Ms. Cooper works as a Prevention Specialist at Positive Impact Health Centers in metro Atlanta, Georgia. Tori is a staunch advocate for the Trans and HIV communities and travels across the country providing education to providers, clinicians, consumers, students and communities of every size and scope. She created the Hour of Power which is an empowerment group that meets twice monthly for the trans, gender nonconforming communities and allies. The HoP recently celebrated its second anniversary. She is a National Trainer, Subject Matter Expert (SME), facilitator and consultant with the CDC. She is a National Trainer for NMAC’s Building Leaders of Color (BLOC)  advocacy training program. She is Executive Director and Founder of Advocates for Better Care (ABC Atlanta, LLC) which seeks to further her mission of education, empowerment and opportunities for marginalized people. She is also an ordained Deacon at Tabernacle Baptist Church under the pastorate of Bishop Dennis A. Meredith. Tori has received numerous awards and honors for her work, but she measures true success when the people she serves achieve viral suppression, when they master new life skills and achieve health and financial equity.

Kymberly J. Gordon

Kymberly J. Gordon is a 64 year old Transgender Woman. Throughout life she has had many challenges to face; one of the greatest was a lack of education. In 2002 Kymberly Gordon returned to school and received a GED, ABA, BBA and Certification in Addiction Counseling.

She has worked in the fight against AIDS for more than 30 years. She has held many positions from a Home Health Aid assigned to some of the first victims of GRID in 1984 and is now the Non Medial Case Management Supervisor at Damien Ministries, Inc. She oversees the 340B Pharmaceutical Program of Damien Ministries, Inc., Program Manager of a growing agency ‘Shuggs Place’ and the Director of the Non-Medical Case Management Department.

Carson Graham

Carson Graham is the Co-founder and President of Transinclusive Group (TIG), a South Florida Trans led LGB non-profit organization whose mission is to advocate and work with community partners and stakeholders in efforts to build trust and relationships with all relevant associated entities.

Born and raised in Pembroke Pines, Florida, Carson is skilled in Computer Administration and Networking and currently works as an experienced IT professional in the banking industry.

He serves on the Board of Directors for the Dolphin Democrats and is a member of the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) Transgender Advisory Board, Healthcare Consultant for AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Community Advisory Board, National Library of Medicine Youth Advisory Board, Co-Chair of FLUX South Florida, and a Board Member of South Florida Ballroom Summit.

His advocacy is rooted in initiatives that address the challenges of the LGBT community, but with primary focus on Transmen and Transwomen.

His numerous honors and recognitions include the 2018 Florida Department of Health Transgender Equality Award, the 2018 Annual Bishop SF Makalani Mahee Transgender Equality Award, and 2019 South Florida Gay News Out50.

In addition to his activism and advocacy, Carson’s hobbies include Graphic Design, Website Development, and Marketing. His favorite quote is “Change is difficult but essential for survival” by Les Brown.

Aryah Lester

Aryah Lester, nationally awarded author, as well as a speaker and educator, is a black woman of transgender experience from New York living in Washington DC. Ms. Lester was the last-standing 2-term Chair for the State of Florida Health Department’s Transgender Work Group, former Chair-Elect of the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership, and is an Advisory Board member of Unity Coalition (UC|CU). Ms. Lester is a board member of Equality Florida’s TransAction Florida committee, and helped to create the TransArt series with the Betsy Hotel, the LGBT Visitors Center, and UC|CU. She also sat as a member on the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Transgender Networking Group.  Ms. Lester is also board member of STARR, the nation’s first transgender organization founded by Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, and Advisory Board Member for Gilead Sciences, The Well Project, and ViiV Healthcare.

Aryah Lester founded the organization Trans-Miami during her time as a expert consult member of the Miami Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and 12-Cities Project, as well as continued the work of her organization, the  National Alliance of Transgender Advocates and Leaders (NATAL). She contracts with universities as a guest lecturer, and is a consultant with government agencies such as the Department of Justice and Homeland Security. Ms. Lester has been recognized with many awards, featured in numerous national articles, and recently was inducted into the national Trans100 list. She currently works as Deputy Director of the Transgender Strategy Center.

Socorro Moreland

Born in 1985 to a revolutionary family committed to social justice liberation and the Black power movement,  Socorro has been advocating for transgender people of color for over a decade, assisting others with resources and linking them to others within the community.  Socorro has received many awards for his work with TPOC and also has been honored several times within the last five years for his work within the HIV prevention and care field as well.  Socorro currently is leading the Bay Area California chapter of BTMI and is the founder of brotherhood510.com a website designed to empower trans-masculine people of color to access community resources, and make lasting and supportive connections through social media, art and media.

Lucas Rojas

Lucas Rojas (he/they) is a Latinx transmasculine identified individual who works at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the Center for Transyouth Health and Development in Health Services and Behavioral Research, specifically with transgender/non-binary/gender non-conforming YYA as well as in data analysis. They have a background in Mathematics, Statistics, HIV&STI testing and is an advocate in the transgender community, presents workshops, develops protocols, writes grants and works on projects such as TMHealth LA, Angels of Change, FLUX, iTech, etc and has worked on several trans related training videos, panels and trainings for the hospital and outside communities.

Maria Louise Roman

Maria Louise Roman has been a leader in social services for the transgender community in Los Angeles for over 19 years. Maria is a 46 year old Puerto Rican Latina Woman who began her journey to self-discovery at age 19. Many doors would close in her path, but she was driven and determined to succeed. With this decision came empowerment and hardship. She has survived life on the streets and has overcome many of the issues her community continues to fight today. She has become an outspoken voice, an activist and a role model to the Transgender community.

Maria Roman was the first transgender to become Program Manager for Transgeneros Unidas prevention program at Bienestar Human Services, one of the largest HIV prevention programs in the nation with an all transgender staff.

Over the years Maria has been part of and volunteered for endless organizations and groups, including board member of the Liberty Hill Foundation, Los Angeles and West Hollywood Task Force, West Hollywood Transgender Advisory Committee, Los Angeles and West Hollywood Police Department Sensitivity Training Program. Among her many advocacy roles, Maria was a keynote speaker in front of the Los Angeles PPC asking for more funding for transgender specific programming, a presenter at the U.S. Conference on AIDS and a presenter at Creating Change 2015.

Maria has continued to have her feet on the ground, staying humble and not forgetting where she came from, taking any opportunity to influence change with her presence advocating for the women that continue to walk the streets with broken spirits and shattered dreams. She recently served 4 years as a Los Angeles County HIV Commissioner and is a California Certified Addiction specialist and works at APAIT as a Housing Specialist providing critical housing services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Bianka Tasaka

Native Hawaiian Mahu Wahine Transgender Lead Medical Assistant/ Prevention Specialist Supervisor presently at Malama Pono Health Services Kauai. Offering HIV, Hepatitis, and STI testing a treatment, Transgender & Woman wellness and Smoking Cencession services. Dedicated over 18 years in Preventive Health Care on Kauai. Co-Chair of Ka Aha Mahu Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Transgender Leaders of Hawaii Striving for Social Justice and change for Mahu Wahine, Mahu Kane, and Transgender community of Hawaii. Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander & Transgender, C.A.P member with NMAC 2018/2020.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria believes in leadership through service. As a consultant she provides strategy and capacity building to various organizations. She also serves as Queen of The Royal Court and she is President of FLUX, both international networks dedicated to raising the profile of trans and gender non-conforming communities. Queen Victoria Ortega leverages her intersectionality to guide organizations and systems toward transformational change that is both meaningful and effective.

SaVanna Wanzer

SaVanna Wanzer has been a community activist for over 20 years.  During that time she has founded two projects for the transgender community including Capital Trans Pride in 2007. This year will make the second part of her vision come to life with an event called May is? “All About Trans” featuring multiple days of celebrating, being, living & loving Transgender people.

During her years of serving in her community she has been the first transgender woman to serve on Whitman-Walker’s Health and Capital Pride’s Board.  She has been so honored to have received several awards for her hard work throughout the community. She is also a co-facilitator of an all transgender support group.  She is in the process of adding mentors and an employment youth training program for trans youth called DYME.  (TransDimensional Youth Mentor Educational Program). She looks forward to many more years helping the transgender community stand proudly.

Tyree “Ty” Williams

Tyree “TY” Williams, creator of the “T Will Not Be Silent” movement, is Trans* rights activist, motivational speaker, advocacy educator, organizer, chef, and violist. Now residing in Orlando, Florida. He is the Chairman of the California chapter of Black Trans Men International, Board member for Alpha Omega Kappa Fraternity Inc (All transmen fraternity), Senior Ambassador for National Trans March on DC, co-founder of Brotherhood 510 (a non-profit organization centering the amplification of transmasculine voices), and a valued volunteer at various youth-centered organizations across the nation, from San Diego all the way to Orlando, Florida. He is a son, a brother, friend, and a confidant. Through his activism and advocacy he tries to creates spaces of inclusion for Trans* individuals. “I believes in centering the voices of Trans* people through community activism combined with h education, fundraising, and community building. I believes in building equity and sustainability of LGBTQIA communities by centering the underrepresented identities within those communities.”