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Born in Mexico, José Rico immigrated as a child to the United States, where his father was a railroad worker and his mother was a homemaker. He earned bachelor’s and master's degrees at Northeastern Illinois University in Community Organizing and Development, and a second master's degree in Educational Leadership and K-12 Administration at National Louis University. He has worked for social justice nonprofits in Chicago and at the University of Illinois, has served as a high school principal, and was appointed by President Obama to be Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

Educated at James Madison University, Randolph University, and George Washington University, Dr. Tia Brown McNair oversees both funded projects and continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success at the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.  She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016).   

After her 25-year career in law enforcement, Stacey Ledbetter founded her own consulting firm, Black & Blue Networking & Consulting LLC, to teach cadets about urban communities of color and best practices for honest conversations. She is currently the Law Design Team Lead and Racial Healing Leader and Practitioner/Trainer for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Kalamazoo (MI).  Her expertise is in Community Policing and Cultural Awareness Training. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and master’s degree in Public Administration from Western Michigan University.