Events

Gayla Wilson with Interfaith Ministries
Hair Love

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Gayla Wilson is the Interfaith Relations Community Engagement Program Manager at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. She is responsible for developing and implementing community programs and dialogues, including the iLead Youth Engagement Program, for middle school students, IMpulse Young Professionals, and Vital Conversations 2.0 to educate the Greater Houston community about the work of IMGH, as well as initiating, developing and maintaining partnerships and collaborative ventures across the Greater Houston area that promotes understanding and respect. Although originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Houston has been home for the last 26 years. She is a fierce advocate of all things related to equity and  social justice and is a lifelong volunteer, something she got from her momma. She’s a wife, “bonus mom”, sister, auntie, MiMi G to her grandson, Jackson, and friend to a close-knit group. She enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, Pilates, live music, and the smaller the venue the better.

Dr. Michelle Tova with BSNM
Change Sings

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Dr. Michelle Tovar is the Director of Education at the Center for African American Military History. In this role, she is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating museum education programs for diverse audiences and expanding the museum’s engagement with the public, educators, and students. Dr. Tovar aims to build authentic partnerships with local and national organizations dedicated to education, social justice, and history. She is an advocate for BIPOC representation in formal and informal learning environments. Previously, Dr. Tovar founded the Latino Initiatives at Holocaust Museum Houston in 2015 as the Associate Director of Education-Latino Initiatives and created inclusive programming as the Director of Public Engagement (’21-’22). She earned her MLA in History at the University of St. Thomas and her Ed.D. at the University of Houston in Curriculum and Instruction in K-12 Social Education, emphasizing Social Justice Education. She is a Smithsonian Latino Museum Studies alum, a Fulbright-Hays scholar, and serves as a Houston Coalition Against Hate board member. In 2020, Dr. Tovar was awarded the American Alliance of Museums Ed Com Award for Excellence in Practice.

Kristy Lozano with Brave Little Company
Drum Dream Girl

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Kristy Lozano grew up by the border to Mexico in Brownsville, Texas. She can proudly speak Spanish fluently. Kristy Lozano holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Sam Houston State University. She has been in three productions at Sam Houston State University, including Our Lady of 121st Street as Norca (directed by Patrick Person) and The Government Inspector as Grusha (directed by David A McTier). Kristy Lozano was also an ensemble member in the production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The Camille PlayHouse in Brownsville. She is Brave Little Company’s Social Media Manager and also plays the role of Robin Goodfellow in the touring production Wooden O: An Interactive Shakespeare Adventure. She is a Young Audiences of Houston teaching artist, teaching theater enrichment at Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet and other locations. She continues to share her passion for theater through arts education for Houston’s kids!

Tracie Jae with The Quiet Rebel
Sulwe

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In business and in life, Tracie Jae is The Quiet Rebel. Her  work in the world is creating incremental and  organic shifts to the status quo. She believes that grace filled and authentic conversations are essential to fostering  greater understanding, building trust and peaceful  coexistence. In her work, she centers humans, celebrates differences and honors lived experiences. The expertise of  her proprietary approach is based on evidence-based  practices in clinical and cognitive psychology,  communications research, and focusing on what makes us  fully human, at both our best and worst. Her current frameworks include 100 Voices Guided  Conversations and HUMAN Centered Equity™. 100  Voices Dialogue on Race and Culture is the central focus  for the PhD Thesis of Dr. Megan Ratcliffe, Saybrook  University. In her thesis, Dr. Ratcliffe shares the power of  100 Voices as an entry point for organizations seeking to  have difficult conversations. Tracie holds a BA in Business Management and MA in  Strategic Communication and Leadership. Her  commitment to service spans over two decades of  volunteerism and vocation in Houston’s non-profit sector. Now that her three daughters have matured to adulthood,  she delights in hot coffee, bubble meditation and any  opportunity to #feedthehappy.

Laura Cardiel with Lone Star College
The Day You Begin

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Laura Cardiel is the Executive Director of Equity Analytics and Reporting at Lone Star College. She is a first-generation college student passionate about helping people elevate their lives. Laura has worked at Lone Star College for almost nine years; prior to that, she worked at Sam Houston State University. She is currently finishing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at Sam Houston State University.