Born in New Orleans, Ryan has a deep loyalty to this city. Over the last sixteen years, Ryan's academic and professional efforts have been guided by the goal of helping transform our city’s neighborhoods into healthy communities by improving quality access to education, jobs, and housing for all.  After seeing the destruction from Hurricane Katrina firsthand, Ryan immediately knew he wanted to be part of the solution as the city recovered. During this time, he has worked closely with a wide range of New Orleans youth, employers and training providers, as a college and career readiness program manager, school transformation facilitator and as a classroom teacher. Most recently, Ryan led the workforce development functions of the City of New Orleans YouthWorks program. Prior to serving as the leader of the city's YouthWorks program, Ryan served as the Senior Manager for the Earn and Learn Career Pathways Program at Tulane University and as the Louisiana Field Manager of the Johns Hopkins Diplomas Now dropout prevention program. Ryan lives with his wife and two children, Lucinda and Wes, in the Fairgrounds neighborhood of New Orleans.

Born and raised in New Orleans and of Honduran descent, Maria Andrade holds more than a decade of experience in workforce development, implementing programs that train, award industry-based credentials, and secure employment for youth and adults in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, construction, and green infrastructure. Maria previously served as training manager for Delgado Community College’s Office of Workforce Development and Technical Education, leading and overseeing training and grant initiatives and strategically coordinating training programs with community-based organizations and business and industry partners. She obtained a B.A. in Public Administration from Southern University at New Orleans and is pursuing an M.A. in Public Administration at the University of New Orleans. Having raised three sons as a single mother, Maria understands the value of social programs that helped her achieve a better life for herself and her family. She now seeks ways to pay it forward through her career in public service, working to effect systemic change that will provide underserved and hardest-to-serve communities with equal access to educational and employment opportunities. 

Keva Martin, born and raised in New Orleans, has over a decade of experience providing support and client services to youth and families in the city. Keva brings a wide range of experience and expertise to serving Green Corps students, families, and partners. Throughout her career, Keva has consistently focused on bettering her community and serving others, as she worked in criminal justice, education, recreation, mental and physical, economic stability, parenting, and housing.

Over the last, the last 6 years Keva has been dedicated to working with system-involved youth in New Orleans as a youth advocate at the Orleans’ Juvenile Public Defenders Office and as a Case Manager at the Travis Hill School, where she helped students re-engage with school while detained and upon release. Keva obtained her Bachelors of Social Work and her Masters of Social Work from Southern University of New Orleans.  Her life’s work and academic pursuits have been motivated by her unwavering belief that through professional support, passion, and desire one can do anything they set their mind to.

Born and raised in New Orleans and graduated from Edna Karr High School, Donte Henry attended LA Green Corps in 2016.  He is now back as the new Training Manager. Donte has been interested in construction since he was a little kid when he spent much of his time playing in a construction safety vest.  It wasn’t until after Hurricane Katrina when he was 10 years old, that he was granted the opportunity to work with his dad and uncles to help rebuild their home and help others. Since graduating from LA Green Corps, Donte has worked for large construction companies doing major projects. Donte was able to make a career out of the knowledge and certifications that he earned from LA Green Corps and is now back to help other individuals get the same opportunities that he did.

A native New Orleanian, Shawn is a proud product of this community having received all of his formal education locally beginning at St. Augustine High School, then at Southern University at New Orleans for his B.A. in psychology, and then at Xavier University of Louisiana for his M.A. in Clinical Mental health Counseling. Having begun his professional career as a Recruiter/Admissions Counselor at his undergraduate alma mater, he became the Director of the Department of Recruitment, Admissions, and Retention shortly thereafter. Shawn’s initial introduction to Workforce Development came in the form of a position with the Network for Economic Opportunity, a special workforce initiative of the administration of then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

In 2016, Shawn’s work with unemployed and underemployed job seekers led him to work with individuals age 16 – 24 and disconnected from education and employment, functioning as a creator and facilitator of systems change and system re-design to be more focused on employment equity for Opportunity Youth. He has since remained in and been a servant of the Workforce Development arena focusing on Opportunity Youth. 

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Maggie came to New Orleans in 2011 to serve as an Americorps member with City Year New Orleans. She worked as a full-time tutor and mentor at an alternative high school, and then as a Team Leader, supervising mentors at a local elementary school, and partnering with community organizations on community-informed outreach. Maggie's work has always revolved around education and service to community, whether serving as a SELA Community Liaison for the Sewerage & Water Board, or as an adjunct instuctor in Sociology at Tulane University.

Most recently Maggie worked as a Data Consultant with The Children's Bureau of New Orleans, and as the Case Manager at Louisiana Green Corps. In addition to her data and operations role at LAGC, she is currently writing her dissertation at Tulane University's City, Culture, and Community PhD program on the social factors in the wrongful convictions of women.

Hakim Kashif, Life Coach, Positive Behavioral Interventionist and Inspirational Speaker serves as a guiding light in his community. Working tirelessly in his community to save the youth and aid others with finding their true purpose in life.  He is also the Founder of Supreme Intervention, a Behavioral Intervention Program for at-risk students and youth. 

Mr. Kashif graduated from Southern University at New Orleans, May 12, 2018 with a Bachelor Science Degree in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Psychology.  His professional accomplishments include: Certification in Moral Reconation Therapy as a Cognitive Behavioral Peer Support Group Facilitator. Mr. Kashif is an ex-offender, who served 17 years in Federal Prison.

Sydney Gray is an internationally recognized grant writer, social entrepreneur, and community organizer. Over the last 10 years, she has honed her expertise in business development, systems engineering, impact investing and advancement, design thinking, and lean data. She has raised over $11 million from governmental and institutional funders to support economic and workforce development and has facilitated 2.1 million USD in seed investments for social enterprises.

She specializes in data-driven storytelling and supporting the development of fundraising systems & strategies based on data. Sydney supports the revenue strategy of impact organizations as Principal of GRAY Ink.