Participating Nonprofits & Directors

The Black Women’s Health Imperative is the first nonprofit organization created by Black women to help protect and advance the health and wellness of Black women and girls.

Linda Goler Blount, MPH, joined the Black Women’s Health Imperative as president and chief executive officer in 2014. Linda, an epidemiologist, has overseen more than $20 million invested in Black women’s health and research and is responsible for moving the organization forward in its mission to achieve health equity, as well as physical, emotional and financial wellness for Black women. With more than 25 years of experience in the public, for‐profit and nonprofit sectors, Linda has a distinguished career that includes successful tenures at the American Cancer Society as National VP, Health Disparities, the Coca-Cola Company in global development and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an expert scientist.

Director Lisa Cunningham is an Atlanta-based producer/director with work spanning hundreds of projects in film and television. Now with a strong footing in digital content, Lisa has produced projects for McDonalds, W Hotels, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, the City of Atlanta, the History Channel and many more. As an influencer, Lisa was selected by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to serve on the inaugural LGBTQ Advisory Board for the City of Atlanta. Her community involvement continues as a philanthropist who devotes her time to several local charities focused on disadvantaged youth and underserved minorities.

Urban League of Central Carolinas (ULCC)’s mission is to advocate for and equip African Americans and all underserved communities with the tools to achieve social and economic equality. Their vision is to be the premier change agent inspiring the community to attain socioeconomic and educational inclusion for a global economy.

Current ULCC President & CEO Teddy McDaniel, III also previously served as president and CEO of the Austin, Texas Urban League affiliate from 2012–2017 and served as chief operating officer of the Greater Phoenix Urban League starting in 2009 prior to serving in Charlotte. He was born in Atlanta, GA, and raised in Columbus, OH. Before entering the nonprofit sector, McDaniel spent over 15 years in the financial service industry. McDaniel is a third-generation graduate of Morehouse College, where he earned a BA in Finance. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Director Asa Kryst is a filmmaker whose storytelling journey began at the age of 10 while working on annual family Christmas video projects. With his burning passion for visual storytelling, he founded Blue Method Films. Since then his work has been featured on billboards, magazines and television ads across the country.

FirstHand, is an initiative from the University City Science Center that aims to spark an interest in STEM career pathways for middle and high school students. This program expands on the Science Center’s larger effort to advance healthcare innovation from idea to the marketplace through startup support services, allocating capital, gathering the innovation community, and building inclusive STEM pathways for Philadelphia youth.

Director David Clayton leads the development and implementation of youth outreach programs. David joined the Science Center in 2008 as the curator for the Esther Klein Gallery and initiated the arts, technology and science community outreach program that has since grown into the FirstHand STEM youth program. He has curated over 20 different interactive exhibitions showcasing data visualization, augmented reality, robotics, video game hacking and 3D printing.

Director André Robert Lee is a professor, producer and acclaimed documentary filmmaker who has led multiple civil rights tours of the American South over the past several years. He directed and produced “The Prep School Negro” and has visited over one thousand high schools, colleges, universities and conferences with his film-based workshop. His most recent work includes “Virtually Free,” a documentary about incarcerated youth who create art to fight recidivism in Richmond, VA. Much of André’s other work centers around anti-racist activism and creating change agents.