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AUTHOR | SPEAKER | CONSULTANT

Dr. Anita Jack-Davies is a cross-cultural expert specializing in workplace inclusion and belonging. She is the author of the much anticipated title, Lawrencia’s Last Parang: A Memoir on Loss and Belonging as a Black Woman in Canada. A sought after consultant and speaker, she’s a seasoned leader with expertise in strategic planning, operations, employee engagement and the development of long range plans to achieve wide-scale culture change.

Dr. Jack-Davies led the strategic planning process for agencies in Canada and the United States. She developed the inclusion and belonging strategy for Global Affairs Canada using a 360 degree review of the federal agency. Duties included hosting employee engagement meetings, reviewing all policies and procedures, creating benchmarks and setting goals using an Inclusion Scorecard used to identify goals and track progress over a five year period. Presented findings and recommendations to Deputy Ministers and senior leaders for buy-in and implementation.

• 2024. R/GA New York: Make/Change – Portraits in Culture
• 2022. Corrections Canada: Inclusion & Belonging Environmental Scan & Climate Review
• 2020. Global Affairs Canada: Inclusion & Belonging Climate Review
• 2020. City of Kingston: Human Rights Policy Review
• 2019. Queen’s University: Inclusion & Belonging Vision Statement (2019-2024)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | YOUTH JUSTICE REFORM ADVOCATE

Elizabeth "Liz" Frederick: Nonprofit leader and youth justice reform advocate, Elizabeth (Liz) Frederick, became the Executive Director of Avenues for Justice (AFJ) in the summer of 2024, after 18 years of service to the historic organization. Starting her journey with AFJ in 2006 as a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Liz was initially curious about the gap between theory and lived experience. What began as a 30-minute meeting with Co-Founder Angel Rodriguez, quickly turned into a two-hour mission-defining moment, revealing not only a career path, but a purpose.

Nearly two decades later, Liz now leads the very movement that first inspired her.

Liz’s rise through AFJ, from operations staffer to Chief Operating Officer to unanimously appointed Executive Director in 2024, is not just a story of institutional knowledge or professional growth. It is a story of vision, of leadership shaped by experience, and of a woman who chose to define success in her own terms.

With unwavering commitment to advancing justice reform, especially within New York City, Liz has been a driving force and advocate for community-driven alternatives to incarceration. With a full grasp of the weight and responsibility of being a Black woman leading a justice-focused nonprofit, her leadership is rooted in clarity, empathy, and conviction. From Operations to Executive Leadership, Liz has touched nearly every part of the organization. From building operational infrastructure, to securing major grants and doubling the organization’s financial capacity, Liz has helped scale AFJ’s presence across all five boroughs of New York City while keeping its identity deeply local. Helping shape policy conversations, mentoring staff, or building cross-sector coalitions, Liz brings authenticity, courage, and a deep belief in the power of community to drive meaningful change.

Beyond her work at AFJ, Liz is a respected voice in the broader nonprofit and philanthropic landscape, recently joining the Board of IMPACT 100 NYC, a women-led collective supporting nonprofits through transformational grantmaking. She is also a Nation Swell Council Member – a community for leading senior thought leaders, change makers, and social impact amplifiers committed to scaling change through cross-sector collaboration, inspiration, and connection. In addition to being acknowledged as a 2024-2025Robin Hood Foundation New ED/CEO Peer Leadership Group, Liz is also an alumna of Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Program for Nonprofit Professionals, and a Cause Effective Fellow for advancing Leaders of Color in Fundraising. In Spring 2025, Liz was selected for the Greater NY Partnership—a two-year leadership initiative —where she is part of the class of 2027.

A frequent guest on justice reform and nonprofit leadership podcasts like You’re In Black Women’s Business, Unshackled Leadership: A Lantern for Black Women, Pursuing Justice, Breaking the Bias and more, Liz Frederick has been a powerful voice for young people navigating the justice system and a relentless advocate for policy and change that shifts the narrative from incarceration to empowerment.

For Liz, justice work is personal, it’s generational, and is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves the chance not only to live, but to thrive.