BlackDoctor.org Champions of Change 2015

The greatest advancements in healthcare don’t only happen in a lab or the doctor’s office. They also happen on the front lines in neighborhoods, classrooms and within organizations that bring health and wellness directly to the people who need the knowledge most.

As part of  the BlackDoctor.org 2nd Annual Top Blacks in Healthcare Awards Gala, BlackDoctor.org recognizes the accomplishments of the 13 individuals who are our 2015 “Champions of Change” honorees.

Read on to learn more about these selfless change agents and their organizations.

Congratulations, Champions!

Luvvie Ajayi is an award-winning writer, humorist and digital strategist who believes in using the power of technology for social change.

A ten-year blogging veteran, she is the voice behind Awesomely Luvvie, covering everything pop culture – from TV, movies and technology to social issues and life’s random adventures. She is also the Executive Director of The Red Pump Project, a national nonprofit that raises awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls using red shoes as a symbol of empowerment.

Anita Andrews-Hutchinson

Co-Founder, Village Leadership Academy

Anita Andrews-Hutchinson, along with her partners, has added a new word to the Webster dictionary, “edupeneur.”  As an educator she is the co-founder of Village Leadership Academy, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 independent elementary school located in the South Loop of Chicago, designed to provide all city youth the opportunity to experience a high quality private education that is usually only reserved for the affluent.

As an entrepreneur she has successfully envisioned, facilitated financing, and managed three existing businesses: It Takes A Village Child Care Services, Inc., It Takes A Village Early Learning Center, LLC, and It Takes A Village at River City.

Ninety-five percent of the students who matriculate through one of the early learning centers continues to their primary school education at Village Leadership Academy. Through these Family of Schools, she manages the care and education of over 700 children and employs over 160 staff members.

Anita is also a loving wife and proud parent of two children.

T. Morgan Dixon

Director & Co-Founder, GirlTrek

Morgan is the Co-Founder of GirlTrek is a groundbreaking three-year-old national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C that inspires and supports African American women and girls to live their healthiest, most fulfilled lives – simply by walking. Through grassroots organizing and award-winning social media campaigns, GirlTrek supports over 25,000 walkers, 400 volunteers and inspires an ever-growing network of 200,000 supporters. GirlTrek is quickly becoming a “go-to” organization in the public health space. They have built partnerships with such companies as Kaiser Permanente, National Park Service and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign.

Morgan is a relentless street-organizer who is deeply inspired by her family and the philosophies of women like Ella Baker and Septima Clark. Prior to co-founding GirlTrek, Morgan was on the front lines of education reform. She served as director of leadership development for one of the largest charter school networks in the country, Achievement First. Before Achievement First, Morgan directed the development and start-up of six public schools in NYC for St. Hope and the Urban Assembly – two organizations funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Morgan began her career with Teach For America as a high school history teacher in Atlanta, GA, and later as a school administrator in Newark, NJ.

Morgan was awarded Teach For America’s 2012 Social Innovation Award. Morgan was named among the top 1% of global social innovators by Echoing Green and named an Ashoka Fellow in 2014. She has been a featured on CNN, in the Washington Post and New York Times. Morgan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Southern California, a Master of Education Policy and Leadership at Seton Hall and currently serves on the Boards of Trustees for both the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Teach for Haiti.

Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000, Thomas A. Farrington describes himself as being completely uninformed about every aspect of the disease, especially his extremely high risk level as an African American, and having lost his father and both grandfathers to prostate cancer.

In 2001 he released “Battling The Killer Within” Based upon his experiences and those of men he encountered in treatment with him. The book provided an insightful look at the impact that the prostate care system has on Black men contributing to the high prostate cancer death rate disparity they experience.

In 2003, Mr. Farrington founded the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN), a Boston, MA based non-profit organization to focus on the urgent and unmet prostate education and awareness needs of Black men. Under his leadership PHEN is now recognized as one of the nation’s leading prostate cancer patient education and advocacy organization, and the leading such organization with a focus on Black men.

In 1969, Farrington founded Input Output Computer Services where he served as president and chairman. This company was a recognized pioneer in the evolution of IT professional services, and the first technology company listed on the Black Enterprise top 100 companies.

Thomas Farrington received his B.S. degree from North Carolina A&T State University in electrical engineering (he served on the board of trustees for his alma mater) and attended the Northeastern University Graduate School of Engineering. He is married to Juarez Farrington and they are the parents of three adult children and two grandchildren.

Vanessa Garrison is a passionate advocate of social justice issues and has focused her work on improving health outcomes and quality of life for Black women and girls. Vanessa currently serves as the COO of GirlTrek, a national health movement that she co-founded in 2011. Through grassroots organizing and award-winning social media campaigns, GirlTrek currently supports over 25,000 walkers and inspires an ever-growing network of 200,000 supporters.

Prior to co-founding GirlTrek, Vanessa worked as a Program Coordinator for Our Place DC, a nonprofit organization that provides services to currently and formerly incarcerated women. Vanessa began her career working in digital media with Turner Broadcasting System. Inc. in Atlanta, GA. where she managed digital media projects for some the world’s most recognizable news and entertainment brands, including, CNN, TNT and Sports Illustrated.

Vanessa was awarded Teach For America’s 2012 Social Innovation Award and was named among the top 1% of global social innovators by Echoing Green. She has been featured on NPR, CNN and the New York Times. In 2013 Vanessa was appointed to serve on the Washington D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council where she advises the Mayor and District agencies on bicycling issues.

Vanessa earned a Bachelor of Arts in World Arts and Culture from UCLA.

Nakisha Hobbs is the Principal and Co-Founder of Village Leadership Academy (VLA), an independent elementary school where the primary focus is to transform urban youth into global leaders.

A Chicago native and fourth generation educator, Nakisha began her journey in community activism as an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In response to the negative impact of high-stakes testing, Nakisha mobilized a group of peers to develop an African-centered tutoring program designed to empower marginalized youth.

Nakisha continued her passion to address inequities in education by co-founding It Takes A Village Early Learning Centers in 2004 and VLA in 2007.  This pipeline educational system, which is currently birth through eighth grade, serves over 700 students and redefines the purpose of urban education.

Innovative components of the school include a practical approach to leadership development; a spiraling world studies and social justice curriculum; and access to global travel through the World Scholars Program.

J. Ivy

Grammy Award Winning Performance Poet, Author & Motivational Speaker

When it comes to the art of Hip-Hop Poetry, J. Ivy is considered a visionary, a pioneer, and trendsetter who has crossed artistic lines to deliver the Art of Poetry and Spoken Word directly to the doors of mainstream music and television.  “Dreams Don’t Come True, They Are True” is a quote from his 2006 poem entitled “Dream Big” and serves as J’s motivational credo.  As a native Chicagoan, J. Ivy had Big Dreams for his future but never imagined that it would include a Grammy Award and the opportunity to collaborate with the likes of Deepak Chopra, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, Jay-Z, John Legend, Jill Scott and countless others.

J first discovered his affinity for the written art during a routine high school assignment.  Wrote a poem to his dad at age 5.  After discovering the talent in J’s writing, after he presented his poem “There Once Was A Cloud,” his English teacher demanded he share his gift on stage.  There, he received a standing ovation. Since that life changing moment, J has never stopped creating. He headed to Illinois State University, where he soon became known on campus as “The Poet,” which later led him to performing throughout Chicago.

In no time, J. Ivy became a staple on the Chicago arts scene. J pressed on, becoming the 1st African-American Poet to represent Chicago on Russell Simmons HBO Def Poetry performing his captivating poem “I Need To Write.” Again he received a standing ovation and was invited back for two encore appearances on the award winning show, which included his heartfelt poem “Dear Father.”

From his breath taking performances for people of all ages to his appearances on countless television networks, J. Ivy’s passionate delivery always leaves spectators transfixed in a state of inspiration, and because of that he is recognized worldwide.

As a seasoned performer, J Ivy’s artistry is versatile, which allows him to work in array of creative outlets. From voice openings for sporting events such as:  NFL’s Sunday Night Football on NBC and ESPN’s US Open, to sharing stages with the likes of Doug E. Fresh, to writing a rap for Martha Stewart, to collaborating with singers like John Stephens, who J. Ivy renamed John Legend (featured on Oprah’s Next Chapter, The Howard Stern Show, and in The Ebony/Jet & Vogue Magazine), to being awarded a Gold Clio Award for his National Ad Campaign with Verizon, to voice-over commercials for Benjamin Moore Paint and Nissan. J continues to motivate and inspire all walks of life. Not only is he a poet, writer, and voice-over artist, he also integrates song, music, and art with poetry. In addition, J is humbly a superb photographer.

After touring with his first book, “HERE I AM: Then & Now,” which is a follow up to his album “HERE I AM,” J. Ivy recently inked a book deal with Beyond Words Publishing, an imprint of Atria Books & Simon and Schuster, for the January 27, 2015 release of his new book “Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain.” With an undying fortitude to create, J. Ivy is also in the process of releasing Volume 1 of his music collective “Diggin’ In The Papes” and his next album “LIFE after Life.” Beyond music, television, and the touring circuit, J. continues to support community arts through his Write To Live Academy Workshop & The Dear Father Initiative, which encourages young people to explore the arts.

J. Ivy is a modern day Renaissance man magically merging art and leaving a beautiful mark for the world and the future to embrace.

Olujoke Jones, MD

President, Labors of Love Mission 

Dr Olujoke Jones was born in Lagos Nigeria to her proud parents, Chief and Chief Mrs Odunlami. An only girl among four brothers, they enjoyed playing outdoor sports especially soccer and ping pong. Unfortunately, she lost one of her brothers at the tender age of 9. He succumbed to Stevens Johnson’s syndrome, an illness she discovered was easily treatable after choosing a career in medicine. At the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, she made a determination to positively impact the health care system especially in the third world. After graduating medical school in 1988, she moved to the United Kingdom where she trained in Obstetrics and Gynecology for two years.

She met and married a fellow physician. Then she went on to North General Hospital at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City for an Internal Medicine residency. There she graduated with distinctions, winning the first prize in her final year research project. She subsequently moved to Mississippi where she managed a rural health clinic, catering to an underserved population. In addition she successfully set up a thriving Bariatric practice. This involved personalized counselling for overweight patients including optimizing dietary habits, exercise strategies, lifestyle modification, appetite suppressants and referral to surgery as indicated.

In 2005, she switched to hospital medicine. Her career as a hospitalist has been distinguished by several leadership roles including medical director of the Fairview Park Hospitalist Program in Dublin Georgia, and currently medical director of the Medical Center of South Arkansas Hospitalist Program.

Despite her busy lifestyle, she is the proud mother of two amazing boys. Umar is 19, and a sophomore at Baylor University in the business pre-med program. Bashir, 16, is a sophomore in high school. Widowed at the age of 37, she has single-handedly raised them for over twelve years. They are her pride and joy.

Losing her brother at such a young age remained with her through her career. She had plans to start a free clinic with her husband in Nigeria. When he passed away, she thought this dream would die with him. But God has been faithful. Training in Africa gave her first-hand exposure to health care disparities. This has fueled her passion for medical missions and strengthened her desire to give back, heralding the conception of Labors of Love Mission.

The inaugural medical mission which was to Lagos Nigeria was met with huge success. With a group of 12 health care professionals, they attended to 1200 people including 300 high school children. In addition to providing medical care, they focused on preventive health education. They say, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach him to fish and he will eat everyday”. Dr Jones believes that education is a seed that will continue to grow; and that is why her focus is on health education. Her goal is to grow Labors of Love into a global organization, providing health care and education to underserved populations all over the world.

Karyn Brianne Lee

Co-Founder/Vice-President of Marketing and Programs, The Red Pump Project

Karyn Brianne Lee is a spirited communications professional with ten years of managing and executing creative ideas for top-tier consumer and healthcare clients.

She is currently the Marketing Lead for HIV/AIDS at Walgreens, where she leads the development of communication strategies and tactics designed to raise the profile of the company’s award-winning 800+ HIV-specialized pharmacies.

She is also the Vice President of Marketing and Programs for The Red Pump Project, a national nonprofit that raises awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls using red shoes as a symbol of empowerment.

Charles S. Modlin, Jr., M.D., MBA

Executive Director of Minority Health, Cleveland Clinic

Charles S. Modlin, Jr., M.D., MBA, is a Kidney Transplant Surgeon, board-certified Urologist and Founder and Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Minority Men’s Health Center and is Executive Director of Minority Health at Cleveland Clinic, Medical Staff Officer and member of the Cleveland Clinic Board of Trustees.

He received his undergraduate and medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago.  He completed a six-year residency in General & Urological Surgery at New York University and a three-year fellowship in kidney transplantation surgery at Cleveland Clinic, following which he joined the staff at Cleveland Clinic in 1996.

Dr. Modlin developed the Cleveland Clinic Minority Men’s Health Center in 2003, (which includes the celebrated Annual Minority Men’s Health Fair), to address the specific healthcare needs and health disparities disproportionately afflicting minority and underserved males.  The center provides direct patient care and education, outreach and research on the elimination of health disparities, and provides mentorship to students in order to promote the health professions as career options.

Dr. Modlin is also an ardent national advocate, leader and public speaker for the elimination of health disparities and has received numerous local, state and national recognitions for his work, including the Cleveland Dr. MLK Jr. Individual Community Service Award in 2007, as well as gubernatorial appointment to the Board of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, Cleveland Mayoral and City Council Proclamations,  Cleveland Clinic’s highest Humanitarianism in Medicine Award, the Bruce Hubbard Stewart Award, selection by the Atlanta Journal as among the Top 21 Black Doctors in America in 2011, inclusion in Cleveland Magazine’s  list of Top Doctors, recognition in Who’s Who In Black Cleveland, among many other recognitions.

He has published several scientific publications and book chapters. Dr. Modlin is also a member of the ASTS Multicultural Committee and was instrumental in the inception of LifeBanc of Ohio’s Multicultural Committee. Dr. Modlin is Chairman of the 2015 National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk and was instrumental in helping secure the 2016 Transplant Games of America selecting Cleveland as its host city.

Phill Wilson

President & CEO, Black AIDS Institute

Phill Wilson is President and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. With a long history of advocacy work, Phill is a wellknown and respected national leader and HIV/AIDS expert.

Prior to founding the Institute, Mr. Wilson served for five years as Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Ryan White Planning Council, AIDS Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles (1990-1993), the Director of Policy and Planning at AIDS Project Los Angeles (1993-1996), co-chaired the Los Angeles County HIV Health Commission (1990-1995), Director of The Care Coalition (1996-1997) and was an appointee to the HRSA AIDS Advisory Committee (1995-1998).

In addition to being co-founder of the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention and founder of the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, Phill has served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) and currently sits on the Strategic Working Group for National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Dr. Adia McClellan Winfrey

Author & Founder, Healing Young People thru Empowerment (H.Y.P.E.)

Dr. Adia McClellan Winfrey, also known as Dr. Dia, is a published author, psychologist, curriculum developer, and mentor to youth around the country. Described as “brilliant” by best-selling author Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, she has advocated for Hip Hop culture’s utility within emotional wellness and activism since she was a teenager.

Dr. Dia earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Wilberforce University and Doctorate of Clinical Psychology degree from Wright State University School of Professional Psychology. For her doctoral dissertation, she created the group therapy curriculum Healing Young People thru Empowerment (H.Y.P.E.) which integrates Hip Hop culture and psychological theories.

Her dissertation was the foundation of the first published Hip Hop therapy book Healing Young People thru Empowerment (H.Y.P.E.): A Hip-Hop Therapy Program for Black Adolescent Boys (African-American Images, 2009). Described as “innovative and effective,” the H.Y.P.E. curriculum has been implemented with youth globally since 2010.

Dr. Dia has worked with a number of artists and organizations to promote Hip Hop-based emotional wellness through community and online platforms. Grammy Award winning artist Killer Mike stated, “Activists need to get active. Like Dr. Dia, find something that you’re passionate about within your field of Hip Hop.”

Dr. Dia has been featured on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, National Public Radio (NPR), in JET Magazine, and on a number of web-based radio and television shows. She launched her radio show, Sessions with Dr. Dia, in March 2014 on Atlanta’s WAEC LOVE 860AM.

Dr. Dia knows that Hip Hop culture is a vehicle to educate, heal, and empower, and her life’s mission is sharing this knowledge with the world.

 Cosette Nazon Yisrael

Executive Director, Love, Unity and Values Institute (The Luv Institute)

Cosette Nazon Yisrael is a humanitarian, teacher, author, marketing entrepreneur and Co-Founder of the Love, Unity and Values (LUV) Institute.

Her commitment to nurturing human capital began as a teenager working under the guidance of her parents in the nursing home they owned in Illinois. There, she noticed the unhealthy impact of loneliness on the long-term well-being of the elderly residents and devised a way to address it. Her response was the development of an Adopt a Grandparent program that helped seniors connect with families and build wholesome relationships that uplifted their spirits and brought quality to their lives.

Growing up, Yisrael spent holidays working with her family in soup kitchens lovingly dispensing sustenance for the body and spirit to those who came to partake in the meals. This strong foundation of caring for others lead to her ultimately creating The LUV Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization which actively works at reducing poverty among a target group of vulnerable children and young adults ages 11 to 24 at critical stages in their life.

Through its programs and workshops, LUV helps build self-esteem, college and workforce readiness and job placement in sustainable employment which reflects market demands. Yisrael’s book, Journey to My Better Self, is the foundation of all of her work and LUV’s flagship program, the Journey to My Better Self Career Academy. The innovative 12-week series provides career and life readiness skills to youths 17 to 24 who are wards of the state and on parole.

With the help of 15 full- and part-time team members, The LUV Institute facilitates five (5) programs and delivers services to over 500 youth and young adults annually. Under Yisrael’s leadership, The LUV Institute has raised nearly $1 million in little more than three years to launch and grow its programs. At ease with technology, Yisrael launched the 2012 Social Innovation Summit, a seven-day teleconference featuring 18 nonprofit founders and thought leaders.

Author of Manifesting Your Nonprofit Vision, Yisrael also is an experienced business coach to for-profit companies and individuals interested in creating nonprofit visions that “do well while doing good.” Her 12-week online coaching program takes organizations from vision to manifestation and delivers on reaching scalable income and impact goals within 6 to 12 months. One hundred percent of the income generated from the adult coaching practice goes towards funding new programs for at-risk youth.

Yisrael is recognized as having been one of the top leadership coaches for Landmark Education, an international training and development company which help people unlock their potential. Yisrael is an executive board member of the Sylvia Wellness Institute, a senior housing development organization. Her role there has been to lead rezoning and funding efforts for The Sylvia House, the non-profit’s planned seven-story apartment building in Chicago’s Bronzeville area scheduled for completion in 2016.

Prior to The LUV Institute, Yisrael founded the Harmoni Group, an integrated marketing and communications company specializing in digital/online/viral strategies, where she was chief creative officer. Over the years she has received five industry awards for marketing and communications excellence. Her portfolio of clients includes Aon Hewitt, JBC Global Diversity & Inclusion Institute, Wal-Mart Corporation, League of Black Women, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, CEDA, Nurses Plus, 14 Stations in the Clear Channel Radio cluster, Community Mental Health Council, Inc., NAAAHR, SalonSENSE Magazine, Dr. Earles LLC, Letke & Associates, The Smiley Group, Chicago State University and the Women of Purpose Global Summit.

Yisrael studied the sciences at Knox College and graduated with a degree in chemistry.