Meet The Team
Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations
Monica Samuel (She/Her)
Founder, Executive Director
Monica is an equity and anti-violence educator and consultant, project manager, community builder and social entrepreneur. Monica’s work as an educator over the last 12 years, has focused on anti-oppression, equity, mental health, gender-based violence, consent and community economic development. She has over 11 years of experience creating culturally centred spaces for learning, healing and self-expression.
Celebrated in Canada as 2019’s Top 100 Black Women to watch, Monica’s dedication and approach to social justice work has created healing, restorative and economic opportunities for Black youth across the GTA.
Email: monica@blackwomeninmotion.org
Osato Erebor (She/Her)
Manager, Digital Marketing and Strategic Communications
Osato Erebor (She/Her) is an award-winning, self-taught portrait & fashion photographer based in Toronto, ON.
As an entrepreneur and content producer, she prides herself on creating work that celebrates culture & lifestyle. Storytelling through visual design and generating opportunities have always been her driving force. She produces creative & intentional content at HAUSOFO.
Email: osato@blackwomeninmotion.org
Katie Roy (She/Her)
Manager, Education and Organizational Development
Katie is a dedicated community builder, educator, writer, and therapist-in-training. She has spent the better part of the last decade advocating for under-funded and overpoliced communities in T’karonto. She aims to be the white co-conspirator that does the collaborative and intersectional work on the ground in support of Black and Indigenous peoples. She hopes to open a clinic with subsidized opportunities to heal for women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people who have faced gender-based discrimination and violence.
Email katie@blackwomeninmotion.org
Kibra Tesfaye (She/Her)
Social Media and Marketing Coordinator
Kibra is a Toronto songwriter and artist, who uses her angelic R&B-Jazz vocals to speak on love, hope, resistance and social issues. Kibra has partnered and performed on many local and international stages including TIFF, Manifesto, Afrofest, AfroChic and South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival. As an educator and community builder, Kibra has used her platform to organize protests, cultural events and workshops that tackle Anti-Black racism and Social Justice issues.
Email: kibra@blackwomeninmotion.org
Programs & Services
Hewot Dawit (They/Them)
Program Coordinator, Love Offering Community Emergency Relief Fund
Hewot has a community engagement and outreach background and is the Program Coordinator of the Love Offering Community Emergency Relief Fund (LOCERF). They are currently in their final year in the Community Worker program and hope to work with and empower QTBIPOC communities in future.
Email: hewot@blackwomeninmotion.org
Shar Henry (They/Them)
Program Coordinator, Crystals & Sage Wellness Initiative
Shar is a resident of T’Karonto, currently working in the charitable sector. With a degree in Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo, Shar now focuses their energy on community work and education. In their spare time, Shar pole dances and does traditional hand-poked tattoos. They are an avid gardener, herbalist, and lover of literature.
Email: shar@blackwomeninmotion.org
Shulamit Sappire (She/Her)
Program Coordinator, Love Offering Community Emergency Relief Fund
Shulamit “Shully” Sappire is a personal fitness and wellness practitioner, community worker and writer. Previously she has worked with the Barbra Schlifer Clinic as legal intake/family court support worker and ASE Community Foundation as a community coordinator. Working as a wellness practitioner, Shully is working towards creating more equitable practices to reduce barriers marginalized folks face in accessing wellness pathways.
She was the co-owner of Unchained Athletics from 2018-2021. She is currently head coach of As You Are. She is curious about engaging with communities; creating spaces where worlds can overlap.
Email: shully@blackwomeninmotion.org
Paula Ajala-Alexis (They/Them)
Program Coordinator, Crystals & Sage Wellness Initiative
Paula has a passion for working to improve the lives of BIPOC people holistically by taking their intersecting identities into account. Obtained a degree in Political Science with a double minor in Philosophy and Gender studies at the University of Windsor. Paula works from a framework of anti-oppression, anti-colonialism, anti-racism, and intersectionality. Outside of work, Paula loves yoga, swimming, painting, and making clay art creations.
Email: paula@blackwomeninmotion.org
Shenikqwa Phillip (She/Her)
Program Manager, Black Peer Education Network
Shenikqwa is a gardener, avid thrifter, and educator whose passions are serving her community and creating constructive and accessible spaces for Black youth. Shenikqwa is the Program Manager for the Black Peer Education Network, a project dedicated to creating healthier, safer and accountable community spaces. Shenikqwa is also the Co-Founder of Reconandquest, a community-based, travel study initiative, aimed at connecting black students at York University to the African Diaspora.
Email: shenikqwa@blackwomeninmotion.org
Nadar Mahamud (She/Her)
Program Manager, Black Youth Employment Assistance Program
Nadar is a community advocate, partnership development lead, and the Program Manager of the Black Youth Employment Assistance Program. Her educational background contains a BA in Law and Society with a Minor in Human Rights and Equity Studies from York University. Nadar also has Masters in Criminology and Social Justice from Ryerson University. She is now currently working on a Graduate Certification in Human Resources Management at Humber College.
Email: Nadar@blackwomeninmotion.org
Kelsey Leroux (She/Her)
Program Coordinator, Black Peer Education Network
Kelsey is a Child & Youth Care Practitioner who has been working with survivors, families, and community to create pathways of healing and for community awareness about childhood sexual abuse. Kelsey has created games and activities that allow people to explore themes around consent, sex education, and solution focused community resource mapping in her effort to make engaging in these topics easier. In the future, Kelsey aims to finish her Bachelors of Community Development and complete a Masters in Family & Couples Therapy specializing in sexual trauma. Her goal is to be able to provide financially accessible and culturally relevant one on one and group support to survivors, and develop tools and resources such as games and workshops that continue to provide education, healing, and awareness of childhood sexual abuse.
Email: kelsey@blackwomeninmotion.org
Eleanor Henriquez (She/Her/Ella)
Program Coordinator, Black Youth Employment Assistance Program
Eleanor Henriquez (She/Her/Ella) is a community advocate and educator, with a natural ability for building community connections through different mediums. Passionate about working with diverse communities and building spaces where others can develop and grow to where they want to be. Her immigration journey in Turtle Island has helped her merge her Dominican activism and theatre upbringing to help facilitate spaces from a more compassionate and intersectional understanding.
Email: eleanor@blackwomeninmotion.org