Speaker Bios
8:45 am - The Daily Conundrum: Navigating Conversations With Polarized Perspectives
LaShante Keys, Moderator, Inclusivity
LaShante Keys' career can be described as the gentleman who has facilitated uncomfortable but necessary discussions around racism, bigotry, bias, and end-of-life care. The hardest topics for individuals are courageous conversations centered around discrimination and death.
He has developed and delivered hundreds of training throughout the United States centered on diversity, team building, organizational development, and cultural competency. Clients have included corporations, non-profits, service organizations, government officials, municipalities, and universities.
In 2021, LaShante became a full-time entrepreneur and co-founder of White Keys Real Estate Development. The primary mission is to create safe, sustainable housing opportunities that are inclusive and affordable for all income levels. In addition, he works as a consultant with organizations to create innovative programs to impact underserved populations.
LaShante is involved with numerous organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. University of South Florida (USF) African American Advisory Board, Florida A&M University Alumni Association, The Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) South County Council, and The 2020 Class of Leadership St. Pete. He is a native Floridian, born and raised in St. Petersburg. LaShante holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a B.A. in Communications from the University of South Florida (USF), and an M.S. in Human Services with a concentration in Organizational Management and Leadership from Springfield College.
Andrew Brower, Panelist, Program Officer, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Andrew Brower is a program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In this role, he supports foundation efforts to promote thriving children, working families, and equitable communities. Brower is part of the Racial Equity team at the foundation. He is responsible for developing and coordinating strategic investment activities that address systemic barriers that create vulnerable conditions for historically marginalized communities and children. His work includes implementing programmatic and investment activities to increase social change impact; ongoing analysis of solutions and trends; developing relationships within the field; fostering alliances with community, corporate and philanthropic partners; and supporting the overall direction and implementation of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s strategic framework. Before this role, Brower was the program-related investments officer for the foundation’s Mission Investment team, co-led the Grand Rapids place-based team, and served as national program lead for the New Options Project; an effort focused on prototype development toward market-based pathways to employment for disconnected young people ages 16 to 24. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
Before joining the foundation in 2010, Brower served as the founding executive director of The SOURCE and held previous positions and experiences serving as a consultant and project manager for the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; director of human resources for Butterball Farms, Inc.; and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. Brower holds a Master's in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business of the University of Michigan, a Master of Science in Forestry from Michigan Technological University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Albion College.
James Peterson, Ph.D., Panelist, Writer, Educator, and Consultant
James Peterson, Ph.D., is a writer, educator, and consultant. He is the author of several books, including The Hip Hop Underground and African American Culture, Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners, and Hip-Hop Headphones: A Scholar’s Critical Playlist. He is a columnist for The Philadelphia Citizen and has written for Fortune.com, Newsweek.com, The Guardian, The LA Times, Reuters, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Grio. Dr. Peterson is also a professional wordsmith who has ghostwritten and edited projects for various individuals and corporate entities across various professions.
Dr. Peterson has been consulting in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space since 2004. Over the course of his career, he has worked with clients from a variety of organizations, including consumer product corporations, non-profit entities, educational institutions, and municipal organizations. His work is researched based, and consultations are always curated for the specific needs of individual clients. Peterson has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
Lynda Gonzales-Chavez, Panelist, Senior Vice President/Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Global Officer, YMCA of the USA (Y-USA)
Lynda Gonzales-Chavez leads the YMCA Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion portfolio. She is responsible for leading the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) strategic priority to ensure that all segments of society have access to and feel welcome at the Y. A key priority of this work is promoting an inclusive, anti-racist organizational culture that values equity, embraces multiculturalism and fosters community and global bridge-building.
Lynda has more than 30 years of national and international experience with the Y Movement as a staff member and volunteer, and has held positions on the YMCA of the USA National Board and the World Alliance of YMCAs Executive Committee. Lynda joined the Y-USA International Group in 1999 and served as Senior Associate Director specializing in global and local-based strategies to engage immigrant, diverse and marginalized communities at all levels of the YMCA. In this role she provided capacity-building support to YMCAs and communities focusing on cultural competence, inclusion practices, immigration, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention, outreach to high-risk and incarcerated populations, gang intervention, conflict resolution and life skills. She led cultural immersion trips to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America and has represented Y-USA in more than 30 countries.
Lynda has a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Science in Public Service Management from DePaul University. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.
