CEO & CO-FOUNDER

Aaron Fender, CEO & Co-founder at Portrait Coffee, began his coffee journey as a barista in 2012 and later founded his venture, Portrait Coffee, in 2019. Since then, he’s dived into different facets of the coffee supply chain, broadening his expertise and refining his skills. Aaron views coffee as more than a commodity, but a catalyst for a flourishing community both locally and globally.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Leroy Barber has dedicated 30 years living and working towards what Dr. King called “the beloved community.” Leroy also helped found DOOR Atlanta, Community Life Church, South Atlanta Marketplace, and Community Grounds Coffee shop in Atlanta, as well as Green My Hood and The Voices Project. Leroy is an innovator, entrepreneur and lover of the arts. Leroy has a Masters Degree in Divinity and D. Min.

OWNER & REALTOR

Erika Brown is a born and raised Texan that fell in love with Atlanta! After purchasing her first home in the Historic West End in 2010, Erika left her successful bank management position to serve the community that she’d grown to love. Through her own personal experience being a homeowner and investor, Erika has worked every aspect of the business representing sellers, buyers, investors, and financing

FOUNDER

Jeff Shinabarger is a social entrepreneur, author, podcaster and Founder of Plywood People as well as the host of the Social Impact Leader podcast. For more than a decade, Jeff has personally trained and advised over 1200 social impact leaders, Jeff is an expert in vision casting, leading, and sustaining social enterprises and nonprofits. Jeff uses the tensions he faces as a leader to engage and empathize with others. He builds bridges across industries and challenges the way leaders think and act for the better. His work has been featured in CNN, Forbes, The Today Show, Huffington Post, and more

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Doug Shipman was elected president of the Atlanta City Council in November 2021. Council President Shipman comes to public office after a long history of demonstrated leadership in Atlanta for Atlantans. He believes that a prosperous Atlanta is a place that invests in relationships before a crisis happens and that Atlanta can be a national model for the expansive growth in diversity that America is experiencing.

Founder and CEO of CWC Coaching & Therapy, where she and her team of therapists and coaches provide mental health services with a business coaching lens. Chantel herself is on a mission to empower entrepreneurs of color, women business owners, and founding duos. Known for her open communication and unwavering transparency, she has worked with corporate partners like Google, Coca-Cola, and Lenovo, advocating for the vital link between mental health and professional success. Central to her approach is the Become One Again™ Method, a strategic framework designed to address mental health challenges unique to entrepreneurs.

Monica DiCristina is a therapist with over fifteen years of experience in mental health. She runs a private practice serving individuals and couples in therapy. She became a therapist after one changed her life in her early twenties. Monica partners with clients as they seek healing in their relationship with themselves and others. The intersection of her training, years of therapy experience, personal journey, and creative style inform her perspective. In addition to her work in the therapy office, Monica shares therapeutic content through her Still Becoming podcast, writing, speaking, and her new book out May 2025.