Ex Officio

"Rad feminist director" (Jezebel), photographer, branding expert and social justice advocate, IndraniPal-Chaudhuri is known by a single name for creating cultural icons and moving millions of people to action across the film, TV, fashion, and music industries.

Her films have won over 25 awards, including two Gold Lions at Cannes Festival of Creativity, Best Picture and Best Director at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, and Best Film at the CNN Expose Awards 2018. Her work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, the Victor & Albert Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, Centre Pompidou Paris, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Lincoln Center, The Museum of the Fashion Institute, The Rubin Museum of Art, the Australian Center for the Moving Image, and been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, V, Vanity Fair and VICE.

Known for her collaborative approach, she has worked with artists such as Beyonce, Kate Winslet and David Bowie, and brands from L'Oreal and Nike to Pepsi. Indrani works consistently to develop projects that empower women, the underprivileged, and support environmental sustainability.

"Indrani is internationally recognized for her extensive work on social causes and her video and stills campaign, Digital Death, against AIDS in India and Africa raised over a $1M in under a week" (Huffington Post). Read more about Indrani here.

Board Member

Dr. Rosario Sanchez graduated from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey completing her dissertation on “The Elopement Process of Adult Survivors from Sex Trafficking during Adolescence.” Dr. Sanchez research centers on the sex trafficking of minors and other typologies of human trafficking. She is an expert, author, and lecturer on forensic nursing and human trafficking, and has earned honors for her work. Dr. Sanchez goal is to bring awareness, prevent, respond, and create policies to fight human trafficking globally alongside survivors and victims.

Shandra is the founder and CEO of Mentari Human Trafficking Survivor Empowerment Program, Inc. As a survivor leader, Shandra has testified before the United States Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations Ending Modern Slavery Senate. Testified as a witness and expert for the State of New Jersey. Testified at the City and borough in New York. She consulted with numerous governmental bodies in the United States, Indonesia, Mexico, UN- ICAT, UN-Women, UNODC, WHO, and the OSCE-ODIHR. In 2011, Shandra co- founded a survivor leadership program called “Voices of Hope” in New York. From 2013- 2017, she was The State of New Jersey Commissioner on Human Trafficking. In 2014, Shandra participated in the first Federal Survivor Forum Listening Session at the United States White House and she was appointed by former President Barack Obama to be a member of the first United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. Since 2017, Shandra became a survivor advisor to the ODHIR-OSCE based in Europe on the Human Trafficking National Referral Mechanism publication. Shandra has been honored by multiple government and non-government organizations and has been a motivational and inspirational speaker at events for institutions around the world. She was a 2017 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth National Honoree and she was one of the years of 2020, and 2021 Top 100 Most Influential Asian Americans in New York politics and policy. In 2022 Shandra received recognition as one of The 2022 Power of Diversity: Asian 100 New York’s Asian American trailblazers. As a member of the International Survivor Advisory Council to the ODHIR-OSCE, she was appointed became the chair in 2021. Shandra is a human trafficking expert witness, specifically on Illicit Massage Parlor and organized crime. Shandra the author of Taste of Freedom, recipes for resilience to benefit survivors of trafficking. Shandra is “WHY SLAVERY?” Ambassador to the United Nations and live in New York with her family.

“Our narrative must not merely be inspiring, but the lessons that lie within them must be turned into solutions.” Honorable Shandra Woworuntu, Chair of the OSCE International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council, CEO of Mentari Human Trafficking Survivor Empowerment Program – TIP Report 2022

As Atos' General Counsel, Trudy leads legal affairs as well as participating in Atos’ businesses and growth strategies. She is developing and empowering a cohesive, collaborative, diverse and agile organization embodying the highest standards of legal practice while contributing to the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. Trudy rejoined Atos five years ago as the Global Negotiations Leader after a four-year sabbatical to care for her father who was diagnosed with Dementia and her son who was diagnosed with Autism. She led and closed billions of dollars in strategic deals and helped create strategic global partnerships with some of the largest technology industry leaders. Trudy spent ten previous years with ACS/Xerox as SVP Deputy Global General Counsel/Head of Software and Business Management, where she led a 250+ person global department and was the primary corporate officer-in-charge of global commercial legal, software and contracts management.

Prior to ACS/Xerox, Trudy was the Lead Negotiator and Contracts Manager for Northrup Grumman Ship Systems, managing a 15+ person team. During her tenure at NGSS she led the negotiations of the largest multi-billion-dollar Navy contract at that time. That position followed a successful term as SVP of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Park Place Entertainment (currently named Caesars), managing 125+ attorneys, contract managers, paralegals, and regulatory officers.

Trudy’s philosophy is leading by example with empathy and empowerment with a focus on Integrity, Care and Respect. You will hear her speak in multiple forums and fireside chats about her diverse team as a vanilla cupcake with sprinkles, gummy worms, fruit and chocolate shavings. She is a prolific advocate for the neurodivergent population, including youth. Having seven of her nine children with a neurodiverse gift she has learned the challenges of fighting for the level playing field for the “neurogifted”. She learned to conquer and excel with neurodiversity herself having three (3), Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. She has learned to make those neurogifts her Super Powers and encourages others to follow her example.

She resides in Dallas with her husband, nine children and rescue dogs. When not working, she likes to run, does Lagree fitness, and is a Pilates instructor. She enjoys and supports the arts as a member of the National Arts Club in New York.

Jonathan Vazcones is the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Officer at Amalgamated Bank. Jonathan is

responsible for creating and executing Amalgamated Bank’s strategy for lending, investing and providing

banking services to low- and moderate-income communities within the Bank’s footprint. Jonathan has

spent the last decade working to provide equitable Banking access to low-income communities through

his professional work and volunteer Board service. He currently is the Chair of the Board of Futures

Ignite and serves on the Board of Directors of the Leviticus Fund. He resides in Forest Hills, New York

with his wife and daughter.

Jonathan has over 13 years of experience in Banking and Community Development. A recipient of

Crain’s New York, 40 under 40 in 2021; his career has always centered on supporting low and moderate

income (LMI) communities. Having learned how to bank and lend to undocumented communities

during his tenure at the Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union as a small business loan officer,

Jonathan spent over ten years at M&T Bank where he was the Regional CRA Officer. Tasked with

lending, investing, and providing Banking services to LMI communities in New York City, Long Island, the

Southern Hudson Valley and Connecticut; Jonathan developed relationships and partnerships that

allowed him to leverage cross sectoral and transboundary opportunities to benefit the most

underserved cities and towns in his purview. One such example was Jonathan’s work on the Amplify

Fund. The Amplify Fund was a new $25MM charitable commitment from M&T Bank, where Jonathan

crafted a program, a racially equitable decision-making process and disbursed close to half of the fund

within eight months of the Fund launching. This Fund had three foci- Community and Tenant

Organizing, Mission Driven Investments and Environmental Justice and Equity. All in, this Fund

supported over 110 organizations across the Northeast all benefiting LMI and underserved communities.

All this experience led Jonathan to Amalgamated Bank in 2022 where he became the Community

Reinvestment Act Officer. In his current role, Jonathan is responsible for defining, creating and

executing a comprehensive community development strategy to benefit LMI communities for this $8BN

Bank. With market share in New York, Washington D.C., California and Massachusetts; Jonathan is

taking his experience and skillset to enhance and finetune how Amalgamated Bank meets the needs of

its most vulnerable communities.

Jonathan’s passion for community development does not end with his profession. Over the years,

Jonathan has served on the Board of various non-for-profit organizations across the North East and in

leadership positions on the Board of the following organizations- Futures Ignite- Current (Current Board

Chair), Leviticus Fund- Current (Investment and Loan Chair), Hope Community, Inc- (Vice Chair), Queens

Community House (Treasurer), Local Initiatives Support Corporation- Connecticut (Investment and

Lending Chair), Housing Action Counsel (Treasurer).

Michele Silver attends the Urban Food Policy Institute at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, managing several evaluation and research projects examining healthy food initiatives in low-income neighborhoods in New York City. She has worked with a number of agencies and organizations including city government, non-profits, small business, and local economic development, community development, and affordable housing. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School.

Dr. Gerald Nebeker is a social enterprise entrepreneur. Considered an expert in nonprofit governance, he has served on many local and national nonprofit boards. Dr. Nebeker has helped many nonprofit organizations incorporate, establish relevant missions, and monetize them through relevant strategic plans. He founded RISE, Inc. in 1987, which has grown into a large multi-state nonprofit organization supporting children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities.

Mr. Bergstein spent 36 Years with Arrow Electronics (25 Billion Technology Distributor) in a myriad of Sales, Management and Executive Jobs in Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain and was responsible for 100 Million Dollar Sales Operation as well as managing major OEMS and Export/Brokers.

Prior to his work with Arrow, he was Director of North America Sales for Chicago Miniature Labs, a Major Lighting Mfg.

Currently, he is very involved in the Startup Technology Community in the 5 Boroughs of New York City as a Mentor and on the Advisory Board for Second Muse.

He mentors startups for several NY accelerators and serves on various advisory boards.

Mr. Bergstein holds an MBA in Marketing Management from Pace University.

Shevack, New Jersey’s 2020 BD Paterson Patriot Jefferson Award recipient, has an impressive roster of community improvements to his credit. The five buildings he renovated – four in Passaic and one in Paterson – provide 15 affordable housing units as well as space for two preschools and the Bella Chanel Mentoring Program for young women. Rental income from the properties create sustainability, helping to underwrite much-needed youth empowerment initiatives.

Through Shevack’s leadership, 11 human rights themed murals grace the Paterson-Passaic community as well. A 12th mural, “Girls Changing Our World,” is in the planning stages. It will feature Emma Gonzalez, Simone Biles, Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. In addition, Shevack secured grant funding to build a children’s playground at Kidz University Preschool in nearby Garfield.

Shevack is an Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Montclair State University and holds a BA Sociology from William Paterson College, 1976, a MA degree in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University, 2007, and a Doctor of Education, National American University, 2018