ANGEL BROWN, Co-Founder, Executive Director
Angel Brown is a life-long youth advocate and a social justice way-maker. She has been working in the social change arena for the past twenty-three years.
Angel believes in the value of developing people and systems that support healthy environments for individuals through capacity-building and strategic partnerships. Over the years, she has supported organizations and government agencies to strengthen their capacity to provide direct services to underserved, neglected, and forgotten communities.
In addition to her capacity building and advocacy work, Angel loves developing leadership within herself and among others. She can be regularly found seeking out personal growth opportunities, mentoring youth, and volunteering within her local community. Angel is an alumna of Americorps, having served twice with the National AIDS Fund and VISTA. She is an alumna the Rockwood Institute Art of Leadership Training and the Ascend Spiritual Flight Leadership Academy. She is also a graduate of The Black AIDS Institute’s African American HIV University.
CHRISTOPHER POWELL, Co-Founder, Board President
A certified Recovery Coach through CCAR since 2015, Chris has served as not only a coach to individuals in long term recovery, but also has been a manager of coaches providing individual and group services to those challenged by substance use disorders, homelessness and job creation. He has received training through the Department of Behavioral Health in the District of Columbia, served on the board of DC Recovery Community Alliance and Alliance for Recovery Education. Chris has built a solid network of individuals and organizations who meet at the intersectionality of behavioral health, mental health, homelessness and recidivism reduction.
Chris' passion is that of inspiring, teaching and leading himself and others into effective transformation and recovery, to bring us closer to our vision, purpose and dreams. He desires to work with service-minded individuals and groups in building sustainability around organizational and community development.
Knowing first-hand the dysfunction that substance use disorders have created in his own family and community, he is also a person of long-term recovery with four years of sobriety under his watch.
Father of 3 beautiful children, and confidant of a large extended family, CP also enjoys sharing, coaching and consulting with those in the arts and humanities as well as individuals and groups who champion personal development and lifestyle change. Chris' motto is that "We All get to Be Great on Purpose and Have a Joyous time doing it!"
SASTEH LENORA WALTERS, Co-Founder, Board Treasurer
Lenora Sasteh Walters is a teacher. She decided to be a teacher when she was in first grade. She has always loved going to school and learning. She started her career as a teenager with her first job working at a church as a counselor for children in a summer camp. She worked in various places throughout her teenage years, and she loved working with children.
She attended the High School of Fashion Industries, The City College of New York, for undergrad school, and Cambridge College for graduate school. She taught for 37 years within the private and public sectors of education. Sasteh retired from teaching on July 1, 2017. Over the years, She has taught mostly in elementary schools, specifically the third grade.
As a teacher, she has worn many hats. Character education means a lot to her. At one of her schools, she was a part of the Leader In Me project, as a part of the Lighthouse Team. In that role, she was able to attend the Leader In Me conferences yearly.
Sasteh is the founder and facilitator of the G.I.R.L.S. Group which empowered fourth and fifth grade girls to be the best leaders they could be using the 7 Habits of Leadership and the Bucket Philosophy as a base.
Sasteh says, “Teaching is absolutely a part of my soul. I believe that I was born to teach. And I am really good at it!” Presently, she volunteers at her grandson's school helping and inspiring a new generation of educators.
ZOHA HARPE (ARNITA WILSON), Co-Founder, Board Member
Zoha Harpe is a burgeoning writer, poet, and self taught artist native to Southeast Washington D.C. She discovered her love for art as a displaced teen navigating DC's juvenile justice system. During her 20 year career which began as a youth advocate in her teens, Zoha has served her community as a Health Education Specialist, Youth Advocate and Community Organizer, in her work she uses art and writing to support others in their healing processes. She has written and self published four poetry books and one self-help book, The Imposter’s Guide to Self Love and Healing.
SEED LOGIC (Nicole Henry), Co-Founder, Board Secretary
Seed Logic is a DC-area working professional. She received a B/A in English Literature with an emphasis in Cultural Studies from George Mason University.
Nicole's work in the community led her to found Round Edges, a creative-based youth enrichment program designed to build communities of creative, knowledgeable and inspired beings through providing artistic and life-skills workshops that empower youth through education, experience and expression.
Nicole is passionate about the arts, travel, music and fitness.
Monique Lovelace-Jones, Board Member
Surrounding herself around individuals and employers that provided unreachable opportunities that increased her knowledge in many fields within business development/acquisition, non -profit development/policies/public relations, and event planning for large groups and forums.
Married for 10 years with 2 two children and strengthened by the day. Knowing every child has the need to succeed she believes that opportunities, support and resources should be in place by others that will allow children/families to connect and share experiences alike. As a teenager she was afforded the opportunity to help grow and feed the minds of my peers by informing them of the perils of living life recklessly through acts of unprotected sex, intravenous drug use or the risk of not knowing.
Monique Lovelace-Jones is adaptable, passionate with an entrepreneurial spirit, and has always dreamed of earning a special place in the world in history since attending UMUC. During her tenure there, she was introduced to college-level courses in Architectural Engineer and Information Technology/Systems degree.
Through her love of individuality and spiritual connection, Monique Lovelace-Jones is disciplined in her work to help others to find their purpose in life and grow as successful leaders and achievers. Born in Washington, DC at the Columbia Hospital for Women on September 15, 1981 she learned to evolve and manage life growing up in southeast DC. After graduating from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Washington, DC in 1999 she attended the University of Maryland University College and UDC with a focus in Computer Information Technology and Information Systems.
Mrs. Lovelace-Jones has served as an agent for non-profits/for-profit development corporations that solely focuses on the cultural and financial landscape of the District of Columbia. After working as a consultant for clients including the H Street Community Development Corporation, and other non-profits in the District of Columbia she developed a professional relationship with many officials within the DC Government and within the neighboring area. Her work portfolio consists of knowing the operations of business and productivity management. Development within the city is transforming more than our neighbors; visually it is changing the lives of the people that dwell in the city.
Currently employed by Renaissance Development LLC, a Capitol Hill-based construction company that specializes in exterior masonry and historic preservation. Renaissance Development has provided knowledge of brick and mortar as well maintaining integrity of restorative historical buildings using traditional methods and materials.
She has passion to continue to focus on being an advocate for youth in underserved areas. The nurturer in her and advocate of family unity, empowerment of knowledge and fulfilling one’s purpose will be accomplished here in the TreeHouse.