Melanie teaches at Borough Manhattan Community College as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Media Arts & Technology Department.

While at HBO Sports, Melanie earned an Emmy (Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel) and a Peabody (Dare to Compete: The Struggle of Women in Sports). Under the Bajan Brownstone Productions banner, she wrote and directed SHOOK a short film that aired on Showtime and won several festival awards.  Currently she is working on a documentary called Run like a G.U.R.L. (Galvanized Unapologetic Real Leader) female politicians who persist with the assistance of grassroots activists in the face of extraordinary barriers.

Melanie earned a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude from Harvard University and a MFA from Columbia University -School of the Arts -Filmmaking Division.

Melanie enjoys the mentoring she does with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and lives with her husband in Harlem.

At National Recreation and Parks Association, Candice L. Carnage has leveraged her love for numbers and problem solving into the Chief Operating and Financial Officer role for the leading non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of public parks, recreation, and conservation. She is a versatile, high-energy executive with over 25 years non-profit experience who leads organizations through change and challenge to support their mission, including The Bronx Defenders, The Innocence Project, Ms. Foundation for Women and Amnesty International, USA. Her additional background with Deloitte and Touché and Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment after graduating from Columbia Business School solidify her background as a music lover who is also an accountant.

Tanya Guzmán brings top notch experience as an entertainment industry vet. She is extraordinary at leading contract negotiations as VP of Business & Legal Affairs at Paramount Media Networks for MTV Entertainment Group’s tentpoles, specials, documentary feature films and series development. Tanya works closely with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Legal Development subcommittee to discover and preserve the best talent.  She holds a philanthropic track record and is commended for her humanitarian spirit. Tanya is a mom of 5, Girl Scouts Troop Leader, lover of basketball, and a native of the Bronx who currently resides in Westchester County with her family.

Charlene Gairey served as the first President of Violet Torch Foundation (d/b/a Westchester Deltas,Inc.) and has served as a Director for several years.

Charlene is the Benefits Lead at Samsung Electronics America where she manages all Health and Wellness and Retirement Plans. At Samsung she serves on the North America Regional Benefits Advisory Committee, the DE&I Advisory Committee and is a member of the Galaxy of Black Professionals ERG where she served on the National Executive Board.

Charlene is a Westchester County native and lends her skills and services to the community as Coordinator of the Annual Westchester County African American Heritage Festival; 2nd Vice President, White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP; Treasurer, Empire City MOLES; and Chair, Charitable Partnerships CommitteeforDelta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Westchester Alumnae Chapter.

In her free time, Charlene enjoys photography, piano, roller skating, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Tanya Levy-Odom is a Manager Director and Deputy Head of BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship (BIS) team in the Americas. She represents BIS Americas in all its activities as it engages with companies to promote effective governance and create value for clients. BIS evaluates the corporate governance of companies in which BlackRock invests, including the assessment of environmental and social factors material to a company’s business operation.

Prior to joining the BIS Americas team, Mrs. Levy-Odom served as the Executive Director of Investor Relations for Time Inc.; additionally, she served as the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility Officer. Prior to joining Time Inc., she was a Vice President and Domestic Equity Analyst for Alliance Growth Equities, a subsidiary of Alliance Bernstein, responsible for equity forecasting and stock recommendations in the Consumer sector. She earned her MBA in Finance from Fordham University and her undergraduate degree in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University.

In addition to serving as a member of Hofstra University’s Women in Leadership Advisory Board, Mrs. Levy-Odom currently serves as an active member and Past President of the East Kings County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., as well as an Associate Jewel and Life Member of the Brooklyn Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She also serves on the Brooklyn Children’s Museum board of trustees. Mrs. Levy-Odom has been married to Edward Odom for over 30 years; they have two children.

Kalifa Waugh is a rising marketing executive, responsible for an over $150 million dollar advertising and media portfolio supporting several brands at PepsiCo, a global beverage and snacks corporation. She has over 15 years of advertising and marketing experience supporting various sectors including consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and government entities.

Kalifa has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Villanova University and a Master of Arts degree in Corporate Communications from Baruch College. As a lifelong community and servant leader, she has served and continues to serve on alumni committees and councils for her alma mater Villanova University and The Lawrenceville School (preparatory school) , Urban League, PepsiCo’s Mosaic Black Employee Resource Group and an active member of the Westchester Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and The Greater Hudson Valley (NY) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. In her free time, Kalifa enjoys traveling, attending a Broadway show and connecting with family and friends.