Deeply committed to equity and justice, Connie holds race, identity, and healing at the center of her work, engaging trust-building, humility, and humor as a practitioner and facilitator. Moving between Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and New York City, Connie has worked at the intersection of social justice and education for over a decade, including the implementation of the NYC Close to Home Initiative that realigned the youth justice and educational systems, as well as launching DEI strategic plans, programs, and vision as the founding Director of Inclusivity and Equity in a Los Angeles area school. As a lifelong learner, she graduated with a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley to the soundtrack of Critical Race Theory and Ethnic Studies, which (as all good music does) shaped the rest of her personal and professional life). She also holds an M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University on policy work. Connie is a lover of stories and storytelling, and her hobbies include second-hand bookstores, creative writing, public transportation, music that moves, nourishing people through food, and courageous conversations. 

Dena Scott is a licensed clinical psychologist driven to listen, serve, and connect. She was called to the mental health field as a young child and considers her career her heart’s work. From a very young age, she observed that wellness could not be tackled without a sociocultural lens. She also held that success as a mental health professional was defined by the quality of connection far more than prestige of degrees. Her career has taken her on a path that looks at the intersectionality of race, socioeconomic status, and mental health for addressing disparities within the health, justice, and educational systems in the Bay Area, New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Dena’s passion for working with others, leadership, and program development has continued to push her into professional spaces that work towards advancing systems. In addition to establishing a private practice, Dena works as a mental health professional at an Atlanta area school, and is an associate facilitator for The Institute for Social Emotional Learning. When she is not engaging in her heart’s work, she can be found listening to anything neosoul, connecting with loved ones, reading an intriguing article, or painting another colorful canvas for her walls.