Monica O. Montgomery, MA is a lauded and renowned cultural thought leader, in museums, public history, creative economy and arts administration. She is a doctoral candidate at Point Park University, pursuing her Ph.D in Community Engagement exploring the intersection of festivals, storytelling and community power. Over the last 20 years she has consulted with a dozen organizations, municipalities and civic entities, leading public engagement and partnerships towards ecologies of promise.
As an independent curator, she has produced social change exhibits and participatory experiences with institutions such as the The Formerly Incarcerated Renaissance Museum, Smithsonian Institution Arts & Industries Building, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, South African Embassy, T Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, Weeksville Heritage Center and the Brooklyn Museum among others.
She is a sought-after keynote speaker and having rocked stages at TedX, SXSW, American Alliance of Museums, Association of Art Museum Curators, Themed Entertainment Association, Visitor Experience Conference, Museum Next and more, sharing her bold ideas and insights on topics such as diaspora storytelling, shared
DDSC Board of Directors
Monica O. Montgomery | Founder & President
authority and engagement strategies. Notably she has shared stages with FLOTUS Jill Biden and Artist Theaster Gates and has been featured in media appearances on major networks: CBS, NBC, Fox, C-Span, PBS Newshour, The Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, Humans of New York, Watch The Yard, Hyperallergic, and Radio One.
She stewards the Montgomery Collection, an archive of global majority diasporic, history, ephemera, photos, antiquarian books, family papers and art which she is transforming into - DiasporaDNA Story Center.
Dennis Maurice Dumpson (he/him) is the Founder and Principal Consultant of #InvestBLK, a boutique racial equity and strategic planning firm dedicated to empowering Black and Brown leaders through coaching, strategy, and trust-based funding. He is also the Chief External Affairs Officer at Let’s Get Ready, a national nonprofit serving over 25,000 students on their journey to and through college.
Dennis has led work across education, philanthropy, and public service, previously holding leadership roles at the Philadelphia International Airport, KIPP Philadelphia, and Opportunity Finance Network. Through #InvestBLK’s Black and Empty Fund and theQUITTING FUND, he has directed impactful investments toward the well-being and liberation of Black and Brown changemakers.
He is also an author and thought leader whose work on racial justice and equity has been featured in The Washington Post, CBS MoneyWatch, and Socialist Worker. He holds a BA from Lincoln University (PA), an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Justice Education at the University of San Diego.
Dennis Maurice Dumpson, MBA | Treasurer
Connie Grier (she/her) is a dedicated School Principal and the Founder of The RESPECT Alliance, a nonprofit committed to mentoring, parent engagement, and addressing social justice issues such as mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline.
As Principal, Connie centers equity by expanding access to culturally relevant instruction, restorative SEL supports, and real-world learning. She launched #TheTRADESAtWAGNER, a monthly Building Trades program, and is introducing Culinary Arts as a core elective for students in the 2024–2025 school year. Her work is rooted in strong community partnerships that broaden opportunities for her scholars.
Connie also leads JUSTShift®, a parent and family coaching firm focused on respectful, relationship-based parenting. As an Adjunct Professor and advocate, she teaches on the impact of incarceration on families and communities, and supports those directly affected by the justice system.
Her motto and mission are one and the same: #JusticeAlways.
Connie Grier | Member at Large
Malaika Aaron-Bishop (she/her) is a facilitator, strategist, and lifelong activist rooted in racial and social justice. As Director of Methodology & Learning at Co-Creating Inclusion, she leads the design and evolution of learning experiences that drive individual and organizational transformation.
Originally from Guyana and now based in Brooklyn, Malaika brings a deep commitment to equity shaped by her lived experiences and decades of work in broadcast media, academia, and community organizing. Her facilitation style blends adaptability, insight, and humor, centering a racial justice lens and power analysis to guide teams through meaningful, often challenging dialogue.
Malaika’s background includes roles at the City University of New York and the NYC Department of Education, as well as grassroots work in racial justice, energy justice, reproductive rights, and criminal justice. She is passionate about building partnerships between institutions and communities to co-create lasting change.
Malaika Aaron-Bishop | Member at Large
DDSC Team
Eva Solano is an emerging museum professional with a passion for community engagement, education, and collaborative program development. With a background in art history, arts administration, and museum leadership, she focuses on creating inclusive programs that connect people and inspire meaningful conversations. Solano believes in the power of art to transform communities and make culture accessible to everyone.
Eva Solano | Community Engagement Manager
I am a recent honors graduate in Tourism Management from Limkokwing University Of Creative Technology and also holding a certificate in Hospitality Management from Florida Atlantic University. Passionate about art, social justice, and the environment, I am inspired by the work of organizations like DiasporaDNA, which celebrate heritage, kinship, and legacy. I am eager to bring my knowledge of tourism and hospitality to projects that amplify cultural storytelling and preservation, bridging communities and creating meaningful experiences that honor collective history.
Mohamed Alpha Jalloh | Digital Project Manager
Varissa McMickens Blair (she/her) is a seasoned nonprofit leader & professional. She has led successful programming, volunteer, and fundraising efforts in urban, suburban and rural communities across the nation. She has been instrumental in growing organizations, hiring and training staff & contractors, designing workshops and training sessions, and developing and designing new programs wherever she has worked. McMickens Blair is Founder & Executive Consultant of NOWWellspring Consulting, a boutique firm providing organizational and business services, including grant writing, strategic planning, interim and surrogate executive leadership, social media content management, Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility & Belonging (IDEA/B) training and planning, board & executive leadership training, program & project management, and a host of other professional offerings. She also serves as Chief Strategies Officer for Olney Culture Lab of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, an organization that utilizes culture as a catalyst for community development and social change. She also joined the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) team at Case Western Reserve University in 2023 as a research Associate.
Variss McMickens Blair | Organizational Strategy Consultant
Rainey Tisdale is a museum consultant specializing in interpretive & strategic planning, content & collections curation, institutional capacity building, and igniting the creative process. Her holistic approach to museum work has been called slow food, divining, poetry, and a secret weapon. She leads for change on a number of field-wide museum issues, including place-based interpretation, creative practice, collections stewardship, and the impact of museums on lifelong well-being.
Rainey Tisdale | Interpretive Consultant
J.J. El-Far (she/her) is an Arab-American artist, entrepreneur, creative producer, and consultant in Philadelphia and New York. She specializes in creative entrepreneurship at the intersection of arts, activism, and social justice, bringing diverse people together for artistic events that transform spaces and build community. In 2025, J.J. launched FRANK Creative Solutions, offering bespoke arts management services for mission-driven organizations. J.J. founded and leads Rising Wing, a professional network for arts and culture makers. She is a proud board member of the Parent Artist Advocacy League and Kaimera Productions. Previously, she held leadership roles with Philadelphia Contemporary, Pig Iron Theater, RADIOKISMET, ArKtype, Sundance Institute, Musical Theatre Factory, Theater Mitu, and the British Council USA.
She co-founded and produced the Harlem Arts Festival, serving as Creative Director from 2010-2015 and Board Chair from 2015-2017. As a consultant and freelance producer, she has worked with organizations including Octopus Theatricals, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, The Play Company, and Spotify. J.J. is a member of Women of Color in the Arts, the Creative Independent Producer’s Alliance, and an alum of Theatre Communications Group’s Rising Leaders of Color. She holds an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a BA in Theater Arts and in International Global Studies from Brandeis University.
J.J. El-Far | Developmental Consultant
Nideen Froukh is a Palestinian-American historian and museum professional who specializes in public history, social justice, and decolonization. Nideen’s work aims to uplift both those in her position and those across all socio-political lines through education and radical empathy, the crux of all social change.
Passionate about collective memory and combating injustice, Nideen is personally and professionally invested in forging connections that respect and honor our distinct identities within the broader diaspora. Her mission has led Nideen to hold positions at numerous cultural and historic organizations including the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Historic Germantown, and the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection. Nideen holds a BA in History with a minor in Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and is currently pursuing a MA in Public History at Villanova under the Presidential Graduate Fellowship.
Nideen Froukh | Archives & Education Consultant
Jillian Glace is a Philadelphia area based Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT). She is the owner and founder of Belonging Counseling LLC, a mental health practice centering on movement, creative/emotional expression, and embodied liberation. Jillian’s Clinical experience includes working with diverse populations at the inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, community/recovery and residential levels. She is a passionate advocate for dance and movement as a clinical creative art therapy and therapeutic artistic medium that has the power to foster physical/mental health integration, as well as a more profound connection with self and others. Jillian’s current focus centers on systemic transformation, including developing a consultation arm of her private practice working with organizations to reimagine more person-centered missions, goals, and work environments. Offerings include a movement program based on polyvagal theory and social neuroscience to support employees in recognizing, responding to, and recovering from occupational burnout. This work is framed within the context of liberatory practices and the necessity of embodied diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations. In addition to clinical practice, Jillian is a former Adjunct Professor at the University of the Arts in the Creative Arts Therapy Minor, as well as a choreographer who is curious about the interplay between dance as an art form and dance as therapy. Choreographic credits include commissioned and self-produced originally created work presented locally as well as internationally.
Jillian Glace | Creative Art Therapy Consultant
I imagine the future of southern tourism as a space that promotes healing and creates opportunities and initiatives to center Black and Indigenous voices and experiences. I believe communities and institutions must propel the stories of marginalized individuals upward. As a graduate student and museum educator, my work revolves around understanding how the public interacts with history and how public history affects our collective memory and understanding of American history, specifically southern history and tourism.
Ashley Jirak is the Fall 2025 Communications and Marketing Intern. She is a junior at Penn State University, pursuing a double major in Advertising and Economics. In her role, Ashley supports content creation, social media management, and the development of marketing materials. She is passionate about community initiatives and dedicated to creating engaging multimedia content that tells meaningful stories. Through her creative work, she aims to bring people from all backgrounds together around shared interests.
Ashley Jirak | Communications and Marketing Intern
Aria Springfield | Education & Scholarship Volunteer
Founded in 2010 by BIPOC women artists and art enthusiasts, The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, Inc’s mission is to enhance financial support, creative workforce opportunities, and assistance for emerging artists, musicians, and performers facing financial challenges.
Since its inception, The WCE has cultivated numerous programs that promote self-sufficiency, artistic expression, and opportunities for personal and professional creative growth. The WCE is a multi-year recipient of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Preserving Diverse Cultures grant orchestrating a variety of multi-themed concerts, art project collaborations, and art-centered workshops, all aimed at enhancing creative engagement with the public.
UrbnSEEK is a minority-owned company that creates "Fun on Purpose". Our team designs and hosts scavenger hunts, group play events (trivia, bingo, etc.) and team building activities focused on diversity and inclusiveness.
Our content resonates with people of all backgrounds, ensuring that EVERYONE is going to have fun!
UrbnSEEK was founded and is led by Serita Lewis.
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