Dr. Carla Nikol Wilson (she/they) is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Women’s and Gender Studies program at Northern Arizona University. Her research interests include Gloria Anzaldúa's life and work; contemplative practices in social justice and anti-oppression classrooms and curricula; spiritual activism; feminist, womanist, and abolitionist theories and pedagogies; pedagogy of care; embodied and contemplative pedagogy; compassionate listening; transformative justice; intimate partner violence, link between loneliness and isolation and mental and physical health; and mutual aid. Carla loves learning and listens meaningfully to understand the perspective of others.
Dr. Olga Martinez Hickman is Executive Director of Bachman Lake Together, a non-profit organization designed to help prepare children for kindergarten. She has more than two decades of relevant education and experience, including supporting statewide leadership, literacy, and system-change initiatives. Her areas of expertise include equity and excellence, parent leadership, and second language acquisition for diverse learners. She advocates for inclusive policies and practices for marginalized individuals and communities, leads DEI trainings, and conducts equity audits. Her work is informed by Critical Race Theory and Latino Critical Theory. Dr. Martinez Hickman's strengths are in coaching leaders, relationship-building, and conflict resolution.
Adena Cytron-Walker is former vice-president of Multicultuural Alliance, an organization that aims to promote an inclusive community, eliminate bias, bigotry, and oppression and encourage understanding and equity of all diversity through shared experiences and educational programming. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Social Justice Education. She has extensive experience in intergroup dialogue and communication focusing on race, gender, sexuality, religion. She has developed and facilitated multiple diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, including Table Talks where people of various backgrounds connect over dinner by sharing personal stories related to prompts based on race, religion, and more. Adena's expertise is in creating conditions that allow for constructive intergroup dialogues, honoring multiple perspectives, designing interactive workshops, and listening and learning.