Kerry Whitacre, EdD
Kerry has almost 30 years of experience working across the education eco-system. She was a founding leader of Urban Teachers—one of the largest teacher residencies in the country, served on the leadership team working directly for three different CEO’s at Baltimore City Public Schools and was an education and higher education policy advisor for Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend for the State of Maryland. She currently lives outside of Richmond, VA where she volunteers as a “Champion” with Griptape helping high school students on a ten-week learning journey. She is on the Advisory Board of Greater Richmond SCAN, on the board of Podium RVA, a member of the 2022 Class of Leadership Metro Richmond, on the Virginia Advisory Board for Teacher Education and Licensure, and a leader at the Deep Run High School PTSO.
She is a member of the National College Attainment Network, a member of CatalystED, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the America's Service Commission Training and Technical Assistance Directory, Opener in Residence with the Open Systems Institute, and member of vChiefs. BloomED is a Certified Small, Women and Minority-Owned Business in the State of Virginia. Kerry earned her Ed.D. in Education Policy and Leadership from American University in Spring 2023. Her dissertation focused on how schools can use family feedback to create more equitable schools. She also has a M.P.P. from Georgetown University, a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College, and a certification in Project Management.
Amber Scott Woodruff
Amber is an education leader with over a decade of experience in the field. As a strong advocate for early childhood education, Amber has taught Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades in both public and charter schools in Washington, DC. Amber works among and across stakeholder groups to design adaptive solutions and assist organizations in reaching ambitious goals. Amber holds a bachelor of arts from Spelman College and master of education from George Mason University. When Amber isn’t working, she can be found reading cookbooks, planning vacations, or boarding a plane.
Sam Christian
Sam Christian is an Artist and Educator based in Richmond, VA. Earning a BA in Theatre and Sociology from Emory and Henry College in 2019, Christian has been blending performance with mixed media fiber and printmaking to work through topics of Afro-futurism, black joy and resilience. Sam is a teaching artist and one of the 2023/2024 annual residents of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Always focused on acquiring new skills in a variety of areas, Christian has experience with graphic design tools such as Adobe Photoshop and illustrator, Procreate Digital Drawing and Canva.
Working for justice, moving the needle of change and educating young folx are some of the pillars of Sam Christian’s practice and they plan to keep sharing those pillars through community art practices for as long as they’re able.
Dionne Leigh Baxter Kumpe
Dionne is Certified StoryBrand Guide. She has helped more than 60 brands across 18 industries with their branding and marketing. She has led cross-functional teams at 11 different advertising agencies and directed the marketing communications and training team for a top 25 independent advertising agency with 33 field offices.
Dionne has helped many clients navigate the challenges of branding initiatives—from research to organizational buy-in to market activation. She led agency teams in developing brand messaging, brand identities, graphic platforms, and websites. She also helped nonprofits like Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and Virginia Supportive Housing consider the commitment and timing for a successful rebrand.
Dionne earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Arkansas. She majored in advertising/public relations and minored in communications. She continues to prioritize education by investing in high performance executive coaching, training programs, and industry conferences. She guest lectures at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture.