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MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jania Witherspoon, Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director (she/her)
Jania is a 22 -year-old Brooklyn native currently pursuing her masters degree in social work at Hunter College. She has a bachelor's degree in Social Work from Marist College. Jania dedicates her time to restorative justice advocacy, a passion she discovered during her high school years at Harvest Collegiate, where she co-founded The Circle Keepers as a social justice after school club. She aspires to specialize in mental health care for young individuals. Jania's journey exemplifies her dedication to empowering and supporting the next generation, ensuring they have access to the resources and care they need to thrive.
As Director of Youth Voice & Vision, Jania advises the organization on youth culture, community relationships and youth organizing. She co-chairs the fundraising subcommittee.
Tanesha Grant, Board Member (she/her)
Tanesha Grant, a mother of three and a community leader, serves as Executive Director of Parent Support of Parents New York and Moms United for Black Lives New York City. For the past five years, she has dedicated herself to family support and social justice advocacy. As a former child welfare system-involved individual and lived experience expert, Ms. Grant leverages her expertise to secure resources for New York State communities. She and her team have developed numerous programs offering direct services and addressing digital equity.
Ms. Grant's mission is to enhance the quality of life for all families and ensure that families have every opportunity to remain together. Furthermore, as one of five members of the Youth and Family Forward grant writing committee—a group comprised of lived experience experts—she has helped allocate $1.4 million in funding to 14 community-based organizations. Ms. Grant champions empowering directly impacted individuals. Ms, Grant participates in the people and community subcommittee.
Ryan Clayton , Youth Board Member (she/her)
Ryan Clayton is a Freshman college student at Howard University studying Business Management with a minor in Sociology. As a Humanities and Social Science Scholar, her goal is to leave undergrad and pursue a PhD in Human Resource Management to research strategic approaches to effective and efficient hiring and firing practices with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Ms. Clayton co-chairs the executive & governance subcommittee.
Carson Chodos , Board Member (she/her)
Carson Chodos is an educator, disability advocate, and organizational leader committed to building more accessible, inclusive, and just systems for young people and their communities. Her work spans special education, disability culture, youth advocacy, educator development, accessibility, and organizational change.
Carson spent more than a decade working within New York City public education, serving as a special education teacher, teacher training manager, and Director of Disability Culture & Communications for NYC Public Schools. Across these roles, she worked to strengthen inclusive educational practices, elevate disability culture, support educators, and expand opportunities for students with disabilities. She has also worked in youth advocacy and currently serves as an adjunct professor at New York University.
Her writing and advocacy explore the intersections of disability, education, identity, access, and systemic inequity. Her published work has addressed disability services in public education as well as the limitations of LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion within augmentative and alternative communication systems.
Carson holds a Master of Science in Teaching in Special Education from Pace University and a master’s degree in Trauma Studies from New York University.
As a member of The Circle Keepers Board of Directors, Carson brings deep experience in education, accessibility, disability advocacy, and systems-level change to support the organization’s work alongside young people and communities.
Amber Colón, Co-Executive Director (she/her)
Amber is a 19 year old culinary student, bartender, and a passionate social justice advocate. She is passionate about promoting the importance of youth voice, accountability, healing, and the power of community.
Mbathio Mbaye , Youth Board Member (she/her)
Mbathio Mbaye is a sophomore student at Tulane University pursuing a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in both psychology and social work! She is trained in tier 1, 2 and 3 restorative justice and has taught RJ practices in over 50 schools across NYC, and hundreds of students and staff how to implement this practice into their own schools. She is excited to keep on learning about transformative justice through a socio-psychological level through higher education!
Ms. Mbaye co-chairs the fundraising subcommittee.
Orla Flynn , Youth Board Member (she/her)
Orla Flynn is a recent high-school graduate and soon-to-be Hunter College freshman, starting this fall. Her interest in advocacy and public policy began late in high school, as she started researching career paths while observing the world around her, which led her to stay politically engaged and informed in her future, regardless of the career I chose. Throughout her involvement in The Circle Keepers, she realized the value of youth civic engagement in shaping educational policy, and more importantly, it helped her to build out her interests into something she could pursue.
Ms, Flynn co-chairs the people and culture subcommittee.