Author: internationaldayofhopeorg

Tom Dean spent twenty-six years associated as an officer or partner with investment banking firms including Kidder Peabody; L.F. Rothchild; and Cowen & Co. Known for his short sale recommendations, Mr. Dean developed and cultivated numerous contacts in corporate finance, research and sales at firms throughout “The Street”. In 1990, he joined Alaris Corp. as Senior Vice President, Investor Relations. In 1992 he, formed Innovative Research Associates, which is now a subsidiary of Murdock Capital Partners.

Maryn R. Soref is a regenerative community consultant and strategist specializing in impact investment, meaningful media and cultivating cross sector, solutions-oriented frameworks for aligned collaboration around the Sustainable Development Goals. Currently based in NY/LA/Miami consulting with global SMEs, large scale regenerative initiatives, family offices and SDG-focused communities to achieve highest purpose for their mission.

Maryn is honored to work with global leaders in impact investing focused on streamlining global resources and systems into supportive frameworks for transforming existential challenges and communities of need into ones of regenerative abundance. Ambassador of Logos Capital, ICV and YOUnify, galvanizing aligned stakeholders and strategic partnerships to cultivate high quality synergistic ecosystems for evolutionary investors, innovation and initiatives to grow together and thrive.

Passionate about elevating earthlings and co creating regenerative frameworks for healing, Maryn is co founder and CEO of L I G H T S P A C E, a female led consultancy group focused on cultivating holistic frameworks for land based projects to optimize economic, social and environmental impact and to implement regenerative planet solutions at scale. Consulting with family offices, private and institutional investors and regenerative land properties in the United States, Europe, Asia and LATAM.

Maryn is honored to align with profound nonprofit initiatives committed to transforming global systems into regenerative frameworks that support healing and thriving for people and planet. Champion of Inner Peace Corps, a profound organization transforming refugee camps into healing camps through mental health programs, meditation, yoga, art therapy and women “in-powerment” techniques; Men’s Story Project, a replicable storytelling and dialogue project that brings critical dialogue on social ideas about masculinity into public forums around the world – via men’s own stories; and The Civana Alliance, a cross-sector community of leaders, organizations and networks focused on transformative systems change, rising to the challenge of meeting the UN’s SDG’s by 2030. She is also an enthusiastic champion and delegate of NEXUS Global, Family Office Association and OPAL Group.

“Elevating Earthlings and Communities to Highest Purpose” and an avid enthusiast of scuba diving, cultural adventures, dancing, yoga, meditation, herbal remedies and all things rose.

Kelly Dennis, Esq. (Shinnecock and Hassanamisco Nipmuc) works as the Partnership Strategist with Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) to support private-public partnerships with Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and other NGOs in the realm of conservation and co-stewardship, economic development, climate resiliency and adaptation as well as education initiatives including those strengthening Native languages and cultural revitalization. Kelly is an attorney who previously served a full two-year term as Councilwoman Secretary for the Shinnecock Indian Nation Council of Trustees elected governing body. Kelly also served on the first-ever DOI Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC) and was appointed to be the Eastern Region Primary Representative during her term as an elected Tribal Leader. Kelly received her Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Law with an American Indian Law Certificate after participating in the Southwest Indian Law Clinic (SILC), Tribal Law Journal, and the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA). A cum laude graduate of Middlebury College, Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science and a minor in Japanese language studies. Kelly is admitted to the practice of law in New York State. Kelly also serves as a board member on the Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. located on Shinnecock Tribal Territory. 

Erwin Benedict Valencia is currently the Team Physical Therapist and Assistant Athletic Trainer of the New York Knicks. He also acts as the team’s Wellness Lead, initiating the team’s mindfulness program, including the first ever daily in-season breathwork program in the NBA, a passion he’s been personally practicing for more than 30 years. He brings a truly “whole-listic” approach to athlete wellness and performance, combining his knowledge in sports science and rehabilitation, manual and movement therapies, mindfulness, positive psychology, biohacking, and well-being coaching.

Raised and educated in the Philippines, Erwin is the first Filipino to be on the medical staff for both an NBA and Major League Baseball team. Prior to joining the Knicks, he was the Major League Rehabilitation Director of the Pittsburgh Pirates for eight seasons. In 2013, he founded the socially-responsible global education company KINETIQ, that changed the way sports medicine workshops were done by bringing an element of personal growth in each of the “Happenings” around the world and launched the first ever co-working space curated specifically for sports performance enthusiasts South Korea in 2016. His social initiative, #BeyondMedyo brings mental health awareness to the underserved youth of the Philippines about the changing landscape of possible successful industries they can get into beyond what culture dictates as “normal”, and his non-profit 501(c)3 mentorship program, Grasshopper Project, brings true mentorship possibilities to many in the health, wellness, and performance fields otherwise left without guidance to succeed in the industry. He continues to serve as the Director of Medical and Performance Services for Baseball New Zealand and is a Mindfulness/Mental Conditioning Consultant to Watford Football Club, and consults for the South African Baseball Union, Czech Republic National Baseball Team, LG Twins Professional Baseball Team, and is the Sports Physical Therapy Expert for the Philippine Physical Therapy Association.

He holds Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of the Philippines-Manila, a Masters of Education in Athletic Training & Sports Medicine from Plymouth State University, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with a concentration in Manual and Manipulative Therapies from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. He also completed post-graduate fellowships at Yale University and Regis University, and holds an Advanced Diploma in Coaching (Executive & Leadership) from New York University and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Erwin has also recently begun his journey to complete his PhD in GRATITUDE at the University of Granada’s Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Public Health in Spain. 

He begins everyday in GRATITUDE and has found it his duty and responsibility to truly live life zestfully– with the purpose of inspiring young Filipinos (and non-Filipinos) to pursue their dreams, be in service of others, and bring global impact, in whatever field they’re passionate about.

Edward M. Barksdale, Jr. MD is the Robert J. Izant, Jr. MD Professor and Surgeon-in-Chief at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital/University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve School of Medicine (CWRUSOM).  An All-American Athlete and honors graduate of Yale University (1980), Dr. Barksdale received his medical degree from Harvard University (1984).   He completed a residency in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital (1991) and fellowship training in Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati (1994).  He began his academic surgical career at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (1994-2007) and was recruited to Rainbow/UH in 2007.  Dr. Barksdale has been widely recognized and awarded by colleagues and communities for his service to his various missions.  A member of numerous national medical/surgical organizations, where he has also held leadership roles, Dr. Barksdale is the Immediate Past-President of the American Pediatric Surgery Association (APSA).  He currently works at the nexus of academia, clinical surgery, medical education, public health and social justice as a passionate advocate for child health and healthcare.  He endeavors to invest his academic, clinical and service efforts to inspire individuals and transform communities at the precipice of hope. In Cleveland, he has been devoted to build programs to address health disparities particularly in fragile populations of children.  He is the Co-Founder of the Antifragility Initiative, a novel holistic, person-centered, pediatric violence intervention funded by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and philanthropy at >S3.2 M.

MaCherie is an entrepreneur, public speaker, advocate, lobbyist, and artist whose purpose is to lead with compassion and integrity with the hopes of inspiring others to be courageous agents of change. She is a veteran of the Air Force Reserve, having served for 12 years to include two deployments as an operator with RED HORSE, the Air Force’s combat engineering squadron. MaCherie served the majority of her career during Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, a discriminatory policy that banned LGBT+ personnel from serving openly in the armed forces. In the almost 10 years since transitioning from the military, she has been a staunch and aggressive advocate and ally for all underserved communities, especially veterans and members of the LGTBQIA+ community. Her work has included serving as a board member for an LGBT center in Pennsylvania, executive director for political organizations, a lobbyist for the largest veteran organization in the country, and a subject matter expert for a Member of the US House of Representatives.”

Recently named Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 100 Women of Impact for her continued work in economic development, community engagement and women’s empowerment.

Zanade Mann is the Founder of the Black Women’s Business Collective, an organization dedicated to the health, wealth and happiness of Black women entrepreneurs. Zanade is also an innovative marketing and communications consultant with over 17 years experience in creating global impact and strategic multicultural campaigns that help companies become more inclusive and diverse. She also specializes in digital marketing for businesses and nonprofits. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education, is a Certified Personal Trainer and wellness coach, and has a deep love for building community.

Zanade has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, Cheddar TV, Great Day Washington, NBC, Fox News, and The Wendy Williams Show to name a few. She has been featured in numerous podcasts, Black Enterprise, Madame Noire, TNJ, and The Lily.

Alex reads music, plays piano, and sings. He’s very passionate about raising awareness for Climate Change. He works with the United Nations on some of their highest profile Global Climate Change Initiatives. In November 2022, Alex was one of the few performers allowed to attend COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. During the pandemic, while shooting on location in British Columbia, Canada, Alex graduated with honors from the Drama Studio of NYC’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (known as The Fame High School.) He speaks Japanese and loves to travel.

Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, and HuffPost and her first book, Demystifying Disability, was published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in September 2021. Emily has spoken before numerous audiences, from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. Central to all of Emily’s work is harnessing the power of storytelling to engage people in learning about disability.

Steve Shell has been working as a Vice President at Renown Health for 3 years. Renown Health is part of the Hospitals & Physicians Clinics industry, and located in Nevada, United States.