Falcon, Petra

Petra Falcon

Petra Falcon, the Executive Director of Promise Arizona, is a veteran organizer, activist and community leader with a long record of developing powerful grassroots strategies. Falcon grew up in the Grand Canyon State as a fourth-generation Arizonan. She first began working in Arizona in a sweatshop in Glendale as a young girl of 13. From her earliest experience she learned the value of access to education and opportunity, and the social inequities and violence that result from the systemic denial of such opportunities. Falcon has devoted her life to ensuring and expanding access to opportunities for the underserved, having achieved significant victories over her 25 years organizing within faith, Latino, and immigrant communities in Arizona and the Southwest. Her work has included traditional grassroots organizing, institutional capacity building, faith community engagement and electoral organizing.

Pete, Rulon

Rulon Pete

Rulon Pete is a member of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah: Cedar Band of Paiutes and Diné. Pete is the Executive Director of the Las Vegas Indian Center and has been with the center for 13 years. He is passionate about the work at the Las Vegas Indian Center and takes much pleasure in its continued growth. Prior to joining the Las Vegas Indian Center, Pete worked as a Case Manager for youth in foster care and has over 18 years of Social Service experience in the Las Vegas area. He is the Chairman of Board of Directors for United Natives Organization, a Board of Director Member of the Emergency Food Shelter Program and has volunteered his service at the Reservation Economic Summit Conference in Las Vegas for the past 11 years. Pete is a graduate of University of Nevada Las Vegas where he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Myers, Eric

Eric Myers

Eric Myers is a partner at McCracken, Stemerman & Holsberry, LLP. Myers represents UNITE HERE and other unions in matters related to organizing, contract enforcement, negotiation, and other issues. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked as an organizer for the United Steelworkers of America and prior to that as Communications Director for the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras, where he helped build binational support for worker organizing in northern Mexico.

Neumann-Ortiz, Christine

Christine Neumann-Ortiz

Christine Neumann-Ortiz is the founding Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, a low-wage and immigrant workers center with chapters in Milwaukee and Racine, Wisconsin. Neumann-Ortiz is recognized as a national leader in immigration reform, serving on the board of a national coalition of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and featured in national interviews on National Public Radio and CNN. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Legalization Coalition (representing 44 allied organizations in the State), Wisconsin Citizen Action board and Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice board. Neumann-Ortiz has received community award recognitions from Labor Council for Latin American Advancement chapters in Milwaukee and Janesville, the 2006 “Do What is Just” Award from MICAH, the 2006 Public Service Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the 2006 “Education: A Family Affair Award of Excellence," presented by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, the State Department of Public Instruction and the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Neumann-Ortiz also writes a regular column in the local Spanish Journal.

Prior to directing Voces de la Frontera, Ms. Neumann-Ortiz served as the Coordinator of the High School Equivalency Program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, advancing migrant education in Wisconsin. Neumann-Ortiz also previously worked as Director of the Wisconsin Committee on Occupational Safety and Health and as Coordinator of an Economic Development Project in the Printing Industry, supported by the Center for Community Change. Neumann–Ortiz earned her Masters Degree in US/ Chicano History at the University of Texas at Austin and her Bachelor of Art degree in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Pacheco, Raul

Raul Pacheco

Raul Pacheco is a Boyle Heights/Los Angeles native, songwriter and original founding member of Ozomatli. His original compositions have appeared innumerous media outlets including award winning recordings, commercials and films. The three time Grammy winner continues to support social and political causes that make the world a better place for all.

Bella, Ulises

Ulises Bella

Ulises Bella is a founding member of Ozomatli and he has contributed in songwriting and adding multi-instrumental flavor. Born in Hollywood and raised in the south east, Bella's first generation immigrant family focused on music and culture. He started on classical piano in 4h grade while adding clarinet and saxophone shortly after. His musical experience was eclectic and varied from being first chair in the LA Youth Philharmonic to playing punk guitar in garage bands. Since the beginning, the band ethos fit like a glove to Bella's various musical influences and political activism.

Choi, Inhe

Inhe Choi

Inhe Choi is the Executive Director of the HANA Center. Prior to joining Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (Now the HANA Center)'s staff in 2014, Choi worked as an independent consultant for nine years assisting community-based organizations and foundations with capacity building and strategic planning.

Triandafyllidou, Anna

Anna Triandafyllidou

Anna Triandafyllidou is a Sociology Professor at Ryerson University and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, a $10-million seven-year program. Triandafyllidou pursued the opportunity with Ryerson because she sees Toronto as a hub of migrant integration, diversity and inclusion and because of the university’s commitment to those attributes. Triandafyllidou received her PhD from the European University Institute in 1995 and held teaching and research positions at the University of Surrey, the London School of Economics, the CNR in Rome, the EUI and the Democritus University of Thrace. She was a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at New York University in 2001, and a Colston Fellow at the University of Bristol. She serves as national expert in the OECD Network of International Migration Experts (formerly SOPEMI) and acts as an evaluator of research projects for the European Research Council (Advanced, Starting and Consolidator Grants), the Research Framework Programmes of the European Commission (FP5, FP6, FP7, Horizon), the European Science Foundation, and several national ministries, research agencies and Universities in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK. Triandafyllidou has also worked as an evaluator for DG Home policies on migrant integration (2016-2018) and has been consulted by the European Parliament on high skill migration policy reform (2016). Her main areas of research and teaching are the governance of cultural diversity, migration, and nationalism from a European and international perspective. Over the past 15 years, she has raised approximately 12 million Euro in research funds from European, international and national sources, and co-ordinated 30 international research projects in these research fields.

Murrieta, Leo

Leo Murrieta

Leo Murrieta is the Director of Make The Road Nevada. Arriving in the United States when he was seven-days old, Murrieta grew up in Naked City, the community next to the Stratosphere. He has dedicated much of his professional career to efforts that make our community a better place. Having been involved with youth, Latino, LGBTQ, and education equity public policy and advocacy for over 12yrs, Murrieta brings his experience to Make The Road Nevada.

Molinar, Laura

Laura Molinar

Laura Molinar is the Founder and Executive Director of Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas. A third-generation Mexican-American and Tejana from San Antonio, Texas, Molinar holds a BS in Molecular Biology with honors from the University of the Incarnate Word and attended graduate school at Northwestern University where she studied Global Health. She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree from Columbia University. Molinar has gained experience in child and maternal health from the UT School of Public Health and the University of Chicago’s Urban Poverty Lab. She also gained experience as a Hospital Advocate at the Rape Crisis Center of San Antonio and volunteer at Mujeres Latinas en Acción in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Her collective, Sueños Sin Fronteras, focuses on the intersections of immigrant justice and reproductive health and justice in South Texas. Since March 2020, Sueños’ Empowerment Mutual Aid Fund has provided over $58,000 in mutual aid support to immigrant womxn and their families across the United States. Molinar's vision and work are rooted in abolishing systems that perpetuate the carceral state, reproductive justice, health equity, and liberation for Black and Brown communities in Texas. 

Kamasaki, Charles

Charles Kamasaki

Charles Kamasaki is Senior Cabinet Adviser for UnidosUS. In this capacity he serves as a senior member of the management team of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil-rights and advocacy organization, representing nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations that serve millions of Hispanic Americans annually. He is also a Nonresident Fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, where he conducted research for a book, Immigration Reform: The Corpse That Will Not Die (Mandel Vilar Press, 2019) about the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Kamasaki previously managed UnidosUS’s research, policy analysis, and advocacy activity on civil rights, education, economic mobility, housing and community development, immigration, health, and other issues.He has authored, co-authored, and supervised the preparation of dozens of policy and research reports, journal articles, and editorials, testified frequently at congressional and administrative hearings, coordinated pro bono litigation and legal analysis, and represented UnidosUS at research and policy conferences and symposia. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards of directors, advisory committees, and task forces. Kamasaki was educated at Baylor University and Pan American University.

Jozef, Guerline M.

Guerline M. Jozef

Guerline M. Jozef serves as the president of Haitian Bridge Alliance alongside a small group of dynamic members to assist thousands of Haitian refugees who spent a dangerous journey from Brazil to California crossing 10 countries and 11 borders in search of a better life. Jozef also serves as the chairwoman of Word and Action a non-profit organization nonprofit organization that aims to prevent and decrease the occurrence of child sexual abuse in our community. She also serves as an advisor to Voices against Violence in their efforts to prevent Domestic Violence in California and around the world. Jozef uses her platform FYI Radio Ministry with correspondents in Africa and South Korea to give a voice to the voiceless coast to coast and around the world. She is also part of her local church MVCC’s missions’ board with over 20 missionaries around the world including Haiti, Cuba, Peru, Mexico, U.S.A, Asia and Africa. Jozef represented Haiti at the “We Are The World” Women Empowering Women in California and at the international “World Peace Summit” in South Korea, and is the co-creator of “Faith in Action and Immigration justice movement” in Southern California a 4 part immigration program for both impacted communities and allies. In her previous life, Jozef worked with Mad systems and their work can be found in Museums such as The Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood, CA and many other world renowned museums and visitor centers.

George, Dr. Usha

Dr. Usha George

Dr. Usha George, a Professor in the School of Social Work at Ryerson University and the current Academic Director of the Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement, is recognized for her expertise in newcomer settlement and integration. George is the former Interim Vice President of Research and Innovation and the Dean of the Faculty of Community Services. In 2015, she was awarded the Errol Aspevig Award for Outstanding Academic Leadership. George came to Ryerson in 2006 from the Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, where she had previously been the Associate Dean. She is the past director of the Ontario Metropolis Centre of Excellence for Immigration and Settlement. Her main areas of teaching, research, and professional activity are social work with diverse communities, and newcomer settlement and integration, with an emphasis on examining policies and programs to ensure newcomers have the supports they need to settle and become contributing members to Canadian society. Her scholarly work has attracted over $14 million CAD in research grants and contracts. She is well published and is often sought by the media for her views on immigration. George immigrated to Canada in 1990 and worked as the Executive Director of the then-South Asian Family Support Services in Scarborough and as the Senior Program Director of Social Planning Council, Toronto. George has a PhD in Sociology from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria; a MA in Sociology from Loyola University of Chicago; and a MA in Sociology and Social Welfare from the University of Kerala. 

François, Krystina

Krystina François

Krystina François, the Executive Director of the Office of New Americans of Miami-Dade, spearheads an innovative initiative to bring legal and financial resources for immigrants out of the office and into the community. François is a first generation Haitian-American who is driven by the desire to create opportunities for immigrants and BIPOC femmes to have a voice. François holds a bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and History from CUNY-Hunter College. In her previous roles she served as Florida New Americans Program Director at the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Co-Director of Law for Black Lives, and founder of KMD Consultant Group. She has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Miami Herald, Bustle, and NPR. François also serves as Board Secretary of The Black Collective.

Egmont, Dr. Westy A.

Dr. Westy A. Egmont

Dr. Westy A. Egmont is the founder of the Immigrant Integration Lab at Boston College where he has been a Professor of Global Practice for a decade. Egmont has also been the President of the International Institute of New England, a broadcaster with WBZ-TV4 and a leader in foodbanking and religious institutions including Rift Valley Academy in Kenya. His recent work on immigrant integration for Oxford University Press will be released in the coming months. Egmont also served as a co-chair of NIIC when in Boston.

Belanger, Maurice

Maurice Belanger

Maurice Belanger is an expert in the field of U.S. immigration policy. For 25 years, he served with the National Immigration Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based non-governmental organization that advocates for more generous immigration and immigrant integration policies. As an analyst and writer in various capacities, Belanger was responsible for communicating with the Forum’s network of national and local organizations advocating for immigrants and refugees, explaining immigration policy developments and putting them into legal, political, and procedural context, so that they might be more easily understood by non-policy experts. He is now a freelance analyst and writer for a number of non-government organizations that advocate for more generous immigration policies. 

Baird-Chrisohon, Emily

Emily Baird-Chrisohon

Emily Baird-Chrisohon, as the Welcoming Tennessee Coordinator with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, leads a proactive campaign which seeks to create spaces for constructive dialogue on immigration in the hopes of moving Tennessee residents towards more pro-immigrant sentiments and active engagement. Baird-Chrisohon leads TIRRC’s deep canvassing work as well as other narrative change efforts. Prior to joining the TIRRC staff in April 2018, Baird-Chrisohon was the Regional Organizer with Religions for Peace USA and the Director of A Seat At The Table Knoxville. Baird-Chrisohon was born and raised in Florence, Alabama. After graduating with a B.A. from Berry College, she became the Managing Director of a teambuilding company in Nairobi, Kenya. She moved to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt Divinity School where she earned a Master of Divinity.

Akbar, Marshia

Marshia Akbar

Marshia Akbar is Senior Research Associate at the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration program at Ryerson University. Her research broadly encompasses economic and social integration of migrants in Canada, with a particular focus on analyzing how migration and settlement policies shape the labour market integration of migrants across Canadian cities. Akbar completed her PhD at York University with a focus on how identities (such as gender and race) influence the social and economic opportunities and challenges facing migrants. Through her PhD research, she has developed an expertise in qualitative data analysis using NVivo and large quantitative data sets using SPSS and STATA. As a post-doctoral research fellow at York University, she contributed to the SSHRC partnership titled ‘Building Migrant resilience in Cities in Canada (BMRC)’, which included analysis of settlement policies and integration challenges in Ontario and Quebec, collaborative research, knowledge mobilization and project management. Akbar's doctoral and postdoctoral research findings have been published as journal articles and web-based reports. Working with settlement agencies in major urban areas, she aims to assess the policies about eligibility for permanent residency and settlement services and their impacts on the employment outcomes of different categories of temporary residents, such as international students, foreign workers and refugee claimants. The research will advance knowledge of location-specific labour market challenges for temporary residents and help identify required policy interventions. 

Varghese, Sunil

Sunil Varghese

Sunil Varghese is the Policy Director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, supervising IRAP’s policy team. In this role, he facilitates the advancement of IRAP’s systemic advocacy positions to ensure and improve pathways to safety, with dignity and due process, for refugees and highly vulnerable individuals. Varghese previously served as Counsel to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein where he focused on immigration matters for the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also spent over seven years in various management, training, policy, and adjudication positions with the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including as the Deputy Director of the Newark Asylum Office. He was also the Asylum Program Attorney at the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas and an Associate at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. Varghese received his J.D. and Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown University and undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Verghese is a member of the New York bar.

Rendón, Eréndira

Eréndira Rendón

Eréndira Rendón is the Vice President of Immigration Advocacy and Defense Project at The Resurrection Project. Rendón has served as the organization’s lead strategist and manager on local and state-wide campaigns impacting the lives of immigrants, playing a leading role in the successful passage of many pro-immigrant legislations in Illinois including Driver’s Licenses for the undocumented and the renewal of Illinois’ All Kids healthcare program. Rendón is an undocumented immigrant with DACA protection from Oaxaca, Mexico. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago.