The Sessions

Tracie Q. Gilbert, PhD (she/her) is an educator, writer, and researcher who uses her work to pursue sexual wellness for Black people, and racial justice in sex ed spaces. Using lectures, interactive workshops, conversation series, and other projects, Dr. Gilbert works to help all of us unpack the mental, historical, and cultural barriers that keep us from having productive conversations about sex and sexuality.

As of 2022, Dr. Gilbert has officially reached her 25^th year of experience serving urban youth, young adults, and their advocates. During that same time period, she received her Master of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and her doctorate from the Center for Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University, where she now teaches as an Assistant Professor. In November of last year, Dr. Gilbert released her first book entitled Black & Sexy: A Framework of Racialized Sexuality. This inaugural work is a deep dive into the intersections of race and sexuality as experienced among African Americans in the 21^st Century.

Dr. Gilbert has consulted with nearly a dozen different organizations over her career including Fact Forward, Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Christiana Healthcare Systems, Evoluer House, the Innovative Learning Institute, and the Center for Sex Education. Her voice and perspectives can be found most often on her podcast, The Sex Ed of Blackfolk w./ Dr. G., airing on all major platforms.

Gary Barker, PhD, is a leading global voice in engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality and positive masculinities. He is the CEO and founder of Equimundo (formerly Promundo-US), which has worked for 20 years in more than 40 countries.

Beginning in low–income areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Promundo’s approaches have been incorporated into ministries of health and education around the world. Gary created and leads the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), the largest ever survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality.

In 2017, he was named by Apolitical as one of the 20 most influential people in gender policy around the world. He is an Ashoka Fellow and received the Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices for his work to engage men for gender equality. Gary holds a PhD. in Developmental Psychology. 

Elissa Barr is a Professor of Public Health. Her research addresses improving access to evidence-based sexual health programs and reproductive health services through advocacy and policy change.  

Dr. Barr works with the Florida Department of Education on various projects including research to advance reproductive health services and sexuality education and advocacy to improve policy at the county and state levels.  She has served as lead developer of several online professional development courses, delivered over 50 onsite professional development trainings across the country, and led multiple task forces to improve adolescent health.  

She currently works on a CDC-funded project with Duval County schools as a research coordinator. This work has resulted in eight Teen Health Clinics at local high schools offering STD/HIV testing & treatment, pregnancy testing, and health education, the implementation of evidence-based programs in all Duval County middle and high schools, and the collection and dissemination of county-level YRBS data.   

Tanya Bass, PhD, MS, MEd, CHES®, CSE (she/her/hers) is the “Foundress” of the North Carolina Sexual Health Conference (NCSEXCON). NCSEXCON a conference that provides opportunities for agencies and individuals to share information, strategies, and best practices around sexual health across the lifespan. Dr. Bass is an award-winning sexuality educator and subject matter expert in reproductive health and health equity. Dr. Bass is an alumna of North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Department of Public Health Education, where she has served as an adjunct instructor for several years and is currently the lead instructor for Human Sexuality. She completed her PhD in Education at Widener University in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies.

Dr. Bass remains committed to seeking professional development and is a member of the NC Society for Public Health Educators, the Women of Color Sexual Health Network (WoCSHN), the Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians (ABSC), and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator (CSE). Tanya is a current member of the editorial board for the American Journal of Sexuality Education.

Dr. Karen Rayne has worked in education for the past two decades with a specialty in comprehensive sexuality education across the lifespan. She is the Founder and Executive Director of UN|HUSHED, where she writes and edits books and lifespan comprehensive sexuality curricula, trains sexuality educators, and builds collaborative coalitions. She is also an Assistant Professor of Instruction at The University of Texas. Karen has worked with local, national, and international organizations. Her recent books and curricula include TRANS+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You, An Introduction to Sexuality Education: A Handbook for Child Welfare Providers, and UN|HUSHED: The Elementary School Curriculum.

Cristina Leos, PhD, MSPH, is a behavioral scientist leveraging technology innovation to improve adolescent health. With degrees from Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she has spent a decade investigating behavioral and technological interventions to improve health. Her academic research focuses on adolescent development and identifying structural and interpersonal drivers of health inequities. She also applies her design thinking skills to train and inspire students, researchers, educators, activists, and public health professionals to design more effective and inclusive tools to support health and well-being. Cristina’s work has been generously recognized by organizations including Forbes, Smithsonian Magazine, and the American Public Health Association. Cristina is Co-Founder and CEO of the Real Talk mobile app.

Marisa V. Cervantes, MA, (she/her/ella) is a trained qualitative sociologist whose research interests center Latinx youth and young adult development and well-being. Her degrees from Loyola Marymount University and Washington State University have prepared her with a social justice orientation to approaching research. She brings her academic training and scholarly expertise to the field of mobile app intervention, where she works as the project manager for the rigorous evaluation of the Real Talk app.

Preston Mitchum (he/him) is the Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs with The Trevor Project. He is a Black queer attorney, advocate, and activist with a focus on the power of Black people, young people, and queer, trans, and nonbinary people. With a decade of legal and policy experience, he is excited to join The Trevor Project’s lifesaving advocacy and government affairs team.

Prior to Trevor, Preston served as the Director of Policy at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. While there, he shaped state and federal strategies on reproductive health, rights, and justice in the South and Midwest. He led reports on young people and voting and inclusive sexuality education for young people. Previously, he has worked at Advocates for Youth, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, Center for American Progress, and the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health. In addition, Preston has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center teaching LGBTQ Health Law & Policy and at American University Washington College of Law teaching Sexuality, Gender Identity, & the Law.

Preston deeply believes in policy and community organizing. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for SPARK Reproductive Justice Now! and the National Women’s Health Network’s Policy Advisory Council. He is also the President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter. Most recently, Preston served as the Co-Chair of Collective Action for Safe Spaces’ Board of Directors and the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s Social Justice Committee. In the summer of 2021, Preston helped lead a 10-week protest against Nellie’s Sports Bar, a popular bar in the nation’s capital, after a video revealed a security guard dragging a Black woman down the stairs by her hair.

Preston has been featured in The Washington Post, BET, MTV, The Root, The Grio, The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, The Guardian, and others. He has earned many accolades including being named a Rockwood Fellow for Leaders in Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice, and was voted DC LGBTQ’s “Most Committed Activist” by the Washington Blade in 2021. He was named one of the 2020 Best LGBTQ Lawyers Under 40 by the LGBTQ Bar Association. Preston was the first openly LGBTQ Chair of the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

He holds a LLM in Law and Government from American University Washington College of Law, a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Political Science from Kent State University. Preston resides in Washington, DC, where he actively pushes for safe spaces for Black LGBTQ residents.

Jennifer Driver is a reproductive health, rights, and justice policy and advocacy leader with nearly 15 years in the field. Jennifer leads the Reproductive Rights team at the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), which houses the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council, the nation’s only cohort of nearly 500 state legislators advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice.

Prior to joining SiX, Jennifer served as the Vice President of Policy and Strategic Partnerships with SIECUS, where she provided leadership to drive the organization’s federal and state policy and advocacy efforts. Additionally, Jennifer worked for Welcoming America where she focused on immigration, racism, education, health, and policy. Her previous experience also includes working for Power to Decide and GCAPP.

A trainer and spokesperson, Jennifer has been featured and quoted in national media, including The Washington Post, Vogue, The New York Times, Rewire, The Hill, CNN, The Harvard Political Review, MSNBC, and Politico. She was also recognized in 2019 as one of 50 impactful creators, artists, and activists by B*TCH Media.

Rachel Fey is the Vice President of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, where she is responsible for Power to Decide’s non-partisan federal and state public policy program, as well as forging strategic partnerships with a range of public and private sector organizations. Rachel leads the Public Policy team and manages the organization’s engagement with Congress, the Administration, and state and local partners to advance policies that ensure all people have the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child.

Prior to Power to Decide, Rachel worked on family planning provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the Title X Family Planning Program, and Medicaid while at The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA). Her additional experience includes time at NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP), and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs.

Recognized in 2013 as an Up and Coming Practitioner by the Professional Women in Advocacy Excellence in Advocacy Awards, Rachel is regularly cited in the media including AP, The Hill, Axios, Roll Call, The Lily, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and more.

She holds a BA in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University.