dr. Yaba Blay is an “Independent People’s Worker” who works in service of Black liberation every day. A maroon academic, cultural worker, occasional writer, and Sagittarius, she is widely respected as a thought leader on such issues as colorism and global beauty politics. Lauded for social media engagement, she has launched several viral campaigns including ‘Locs of Love,’ #PrettyPeriod, and ‘Professional Black Girl.’ dr. Blay is the author of the bestselling, award-winning book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race.

Maame Adjei is a multi-hyphenate creative entrepreneur with a passion for telling visual stories that connect, expose and explore the Continent and its diaspora. Her producing work, under her company Sweet Roots Media, includes TV programming like hit series ‘An African City’, documentaries like “Beneath The Fabric” and visual arts installations for various festivals on the Continent. She’s been featured in Elle, Marie Claire and CNN’s African Voices and has written for The Huffington Post and Blavity.