Michael Spencer, PhD (Kānaka Maoli) is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UW Presidential Term Professor in Social Work, and the director of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Oceania Affairs at the University of Washington Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. He also holds adjunct appointments in the School of Public Health in the departments of Global Health and Health Systems and Population Health and as a Faculty Research Affiliate with the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology (CSDE). His research examines health equity and wellness for populations of color, and more specifically Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) in recent years. He is focused on interventions that promote health among NHPI through Indigenous practices and values. He accomplishes this through community-based, participatory research (CBPR) methods. While conducting CBPR in Detroit, Spencer served as PI of the REACH Detroit Family Intervention, a project which aimed to promote healthy lifestyles among patients with type 2 diabetes using community health workers. Culturally tailored interventions were designed for African American and Latinx residents in two Detroit communities.

Anjanette Davenport Hatter is an innovative founder and CEO at Harambee Care, an equity based social work enterprise focused on professional and emotional wellness and Your goodVillage Collective, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve health outcomes. As Hatter has served as a clinical social worker, and a social justice and health equity leader. Through her advocacy efforts, Hatter provides opportunities for community members to become educated about family safety and first food initiatives. She serves as a Commissioner with her community's Commission on Diversity and Inclusion. Hatter earned professional certificates from Harvard and the University of South Florida in Strengthening Community Health Workers and Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace, respectively. She holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in Family and Child Ecology and a master's degree in Social Work from Wayne State University.

Amy Kuras is the Research and Policy Program Manager for the Detroit Food Policy Council. The Detroit Food Policy Council aims to influence policy which ensures the development and maintenance of a sustainable and equitable food system, resulting in a food-secure City of Detroit in which all of its residents are hunger-free, healthy, and benefiting from a robust food system. Kuras holds a masters of social work and a bachelor's in journalism from Wayne State.  

Julie Rice is the Hope Village Revitalization's Assistant Director and Market Manager. HOPE Village Revitalization is a community-led, community driven organization whose mission is to move the HOPE Village neighborhood forward in a way that mitigates disparities in wealth, privilege and educational resources.  A long time Hope Village resident, she has made a significant contribution to the Hope Village neighborhood and the Hope Village Farmers Market over the past years. 

Danielle Todd is the Executive Director of Make Food Not Waste. Make Food Not Waste is a Michigan based organization whose mission is to keep food out of landfills and slow climate change by creating lasting solutions to food waste through education, food upcycling and advocacy. Todd is a an alum of Wayne State having earned a degree from the Mike Ilitch School of Business.

Shakara Tyler, PhD is a returning-generation farmer, educator and organizer who engages in Black agrarianism, agroecology, food sovereignty and environmental justice as commitments of abolition and decolonization. She obtained her PhD at Michigan State University in Community Sustainability (CSUS) and works with Black farming communities in Michigan and the Mid-Atlantic. She has worked with the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems as the Underserved Farmer Development Specialist where she provided technical assistance to underserved farming groups such as BIPOC farmers, women farmers and beginning farmers. She explores participatory and decolonial research methodologies and community-centered pedagogies in the food justice, food sovereignty and environmental justice movements. She also serves as Board President at the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN), board member of the Detroit People's Food Co-op (DPFC) and co-founder of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF) and a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC). 

Doris DeMarco is a current WSU School of Social Work Master of Social Work student. DeMarco is a member of the Social Work Student Alliance (SWSA) and answered a call to action to assist those impacted by the June 2021 storms. The SWSA partnered with the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide short-term assistance to Metro Detroit residents impacted by the storms, flooding and tornadoes. 

Monica Lewis-Patrick, MALS (aka The Water Warrior) is an educator, entrepreneur, and human rights activist/advocate. She currently serves as the President, CEO, and Director of Community Outreach and Engagement of We the People of Detroit (WPD). As a community-based grassroots organization, WPD aims to inform, educate, and empower Detroit residents on imperative issues surrounding civil rights, land, water, education, and the democratic process. Lewis-Patrick is actively engaged in the struggle for access to safe, affordable water for all under-resourced communities. As a former Lead Legislative Policy Analyst for Detroit City Council, Lewis-Patrick has authored legislation, conducted research, and delivered constituency services to thousands of city residents. 

Briana Parker, Esq. is the Associate Director of Policy, Diversity and Inclusion at Elevate, a nonprofit organization designing and implementing programs that reduce costs, protect the environment, and ensure the benefits of clean energy and water reach those who need them most. Before joining Elevate, Parker studied law and worked as a social worker. Parker has been an organizer and member of Michigan Welfare Rights Organization for over a decade, an all-volunteer anti-poverty organization that represents low-income workers in the state. Parker is a WSU alum having earned a masters in community social work.

Erin Stanley is the Director of Climate Equity at the Eastside Community Network. For over 36 years the Eastside Community Network (formerly Warren Conner Development Coalition) has worked tirelessly to develop programs and resources that center the needs of east side residents and amplify their voices with respect to the development of their communities. The Eastside Community Network has built a reputation as a leader in the urban climate resilience space focusing our efforts on policy advocacy, infrastructure development, and community education that promotes climate resiliency and equitable climate change strategies in Detroit. Stanely is a current WSU PhD candidate in the School of Social Work.