Illustration of a Black woman with a red headwrap and yellow top against a background of a sunrise or sunset. The text reads: 'Still I Rise: The Black Community Thriving and Rising in 2025 and Beyond,' written in bold black font on a yellow overlay.
On behalf of Black History Month, join us for a crucial conversation with panelists of Black leaders who are still finding ways to push forward diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within their communities and, more generally, offering a space to explore how to navigate life in 2025. The moderated discussion will feature panelists sharing their thoughts on handling national DEIB challenges, how organizations can better support Black staff, and practical steps for thriving despite obstacles. It’s a chance to connect, find inspiration, and build resilience together.
Panelists
Fiona Oliphant’s personal mission is to create a world that centers on those living on the margins of our society by valuing their lived experiences, amplifying their voices, and realigning current systems of power. She has been an intern, legal advocate, program manager, staff attorney, trainer, public speaker, and director. Each position has been a fundamental building block priming her for sustained social impact work.
Fiona is the current Board President of the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence and has been on the board for 8+ years. She is also on the Legal Resource Center’s Board and was a Board Member for the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She was the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement for the DC Coalition to End Sexual Violence in 2018. Prior to that, she was Acting Director of the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) for over two years. Before relocating to the DC metropolitan area, Fiona was the Director of a legal advocacy program for survivors in New York City, where she extensively engaged Caribbean, African, Asian, and Latinx communities and provided direct immigration representation.
Regardless of her role, Fiona was always mindful of how race, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, income, language, etc., formed formidable barriers to equitably accessing services. Consequently, she began to specialize in cultural humility, racial equity, anti-oppression, and culture change work. She supports main stream service providers to better engage marginalized communities. Fiona also works to empower culturally specific communities striving for equitable access to power and resources. Fiona’s approach to racial equity and culture change work is that it must be firmly rooted in honest, self-reflective, and challenging communications. Building on that foundation, Fiona encourages participants to develop their cultural humility skills, understand the dynamics of oppression (particularly racism), become more conscious of their biases, have a stronger understanding of how to work with marginalized communities and have the skills to deliver higher quality, equitable services.
Fiona firmly believes that our identities, ALL of our identities, are sources of strength, ingenuity, and connection. Some of her most valued identities are a mother, spouse, first-generation Jamaican-American, avid reader, and perpetual globe trotter. Fiona is also an unwavering optimist who believes that collectively, we can end violence and oppression.
Leilani Lewis is an award-winning arts leader whose career spans the creative sector and higher education. Based in Seattle, she is known for her commitment to service, fostering community engagement, and building innovative programs and partnerships. Leilani’s work centers on creating inclusive environments that elevate voices often overlooked, ensuring that institutions reflect the communities they serve.
As the Senior Director for the University of Washington Advancement, higher ed philanthropy, Leilani develops transformative frameworks adopted by organizations nationwide, solidifying her reputation as a thought leader in advancing organizational change. Her work emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and sustainability to drive long-lasting impact.
Leilani is also a sought-after speaker at national conferences and a dedicated arts advocate. She has served on various boards, produced innovative cultural programs, and consulted widely in Seattle. Her contributions to the arts include public art initiatives, museum partnerships, and supporting artists through her leadership and advocacy. In addition to her professional achievements, Leilani co-founded Black Women Write Seattle, a group dedicated to supporting Black women on their path to publication. She holds a postgraduate degree from Seattle University. Through her work, Leilani continues to inspire, connect, and create meaningful community and cultural growth opportunities.
Kad Smith has 14 years of relevant experience that led him to start Twelve26 Solutions. A native of West-Berkeley, CA, Kad describes himself as a lifelong “bay-destrian”. He is most passionate about changing the material conditions of BIPOC folks across the country. He spends a significant amount of his time focusing on civic engagement, political education, climate justice, and imagining the bridging of world-views across the globe. Kad focuses on providing practical solutions while keeping an eye out for profound possibilities. He specializes in training & facilitation, leading teams through significant changes, and working with leaders who are seeking thought-partnership in their leadership journey.
Before founding Twelve26 Solutions, Kad worked as a Project Director at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services. There, he designed & delivered leadership development programs such as the Next Generation Leaders of Color Inland Region and Organizational Equity Leadership Development Program.Kad currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ecology Center in Berkeley, California. He has previously served on the boards of the Berkeley Community Scholars and the Berkeley Democratic Club. His civic service record includes appointments to the City of Berkeley’s Police Review Commission and Community Health Commission.
Robin Chiles is the Sr. Program Director for Social Responsibility (Talent Development & Learning) with YMCA of Greater Seattle. She is also a core member of the national leadership team for the Y’s BOLD & GOLD Teen Outdoor Leadership Programs helping to support its programs sites across the nation.
She has pioneered new approaches to wilderness risk management by being one of the first to introduce the notion that social justice issues are risk management issues and emphasizing the need to integrate diversity and inclusion programming in outdoor risk management. Since 2006, she has been regularly sought out to develop and implement cultural competency and inclusion trainings for outdoor education and have traveled the country to facilitate D&I workshops and present at outdoor education conferences, including numerous engagements with the Y community.Robin is an advisor and co-founder of the Camp Regional Emerging Multicultural Leadership Experience (CREMLE) Symposium Series. The regional tour provides dynamic learning and professional development to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) interested in pursuing careers within the camp and outdoor space.
In fall 2019, she testified before the U.S. House of Representative’s Committee of Natural Resources, in support of the Recreation Not Red Tape Act; and the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act. Through her community engagement and volunteerism, she has been a visible pillar in the Seattle community since 1985. She has helped organizations strengthen community ties and build new partnerships with local government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations.
She served as an advisor for a chapter in the recently published book Risk Management in the Outdoors entitled “Inclusive Risk Management Practices.” Prior to coming to the Y, Robin served as the Director of Admissions & Outreach at Passages Northwest (PNW), a Seattle non-profit that provided experiential wilderness education for adolescent girls. She was an important part of the team that brought the PNW programming to the Y that is now known as GOLD.As part of her lifelong commitment to reconnecting people with the natural environment, Robin spends her free time as a beach naturalist and volunteer marine science interpreter at the Seattle Aquarium.