DeMilo Young

President, Chair of the Board of Directors, Founder

DeMilo (she/her/hers) is a mother of four, entrepreneur, blogger, and long time activist. She believes children are the key to a better world, and has worked in outreach and after school programs for underprivileged children. Her vision for BIPOC Support Foundation was inspired by the community of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Black Wall Street, once a thriving community that was destroyed by the KKK in 1921. Her hope is to see the racial wealth gap in America diminish. In offering financial and mentoring to BIPOC businesses nationwide, she believes we can achieve this. Are you with us?

Abby Reynolds

Executive Director

Abby Hidalgo Reynolds (she/her/hers), a Latina San Diego native, has been homeschooling her 3 children since 2004. She enjoys gardening, planning road trips, and watching her kids perform. Over the years, she has taken on many active roles in her community such as a board member of a non-profit youth theatre group, a Girl Scout leader, and a historical reenactor at Old Town State Park (to name just a few). She is thrilled to work with this amazingly passionate team helping support BIPOC businesses and families. 

Emily Hoolihan

Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, Co-Founder

Emily (she/her/hers) is a graduate student based in New York City, studying Jewish leadership and Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. As a leader of the progressive liberal movement of Judaism, Emily is constantly working to be a better ally to the BIPOC community, while actively engaging with anti-racism tactics in her daily life. Emily is endlessly grateful for the opportunity to join this amazing multicultural team of inspirational folx from around the United States.

Nicole Crosby

Secretary of the Board

Based in NYC, Nicole graduated from NYU in 2018 with a B.S. in Applied Psychology. Her career path has been quite nonlinear, having previously held positions as a youth advocate, psychology researcher, barista, and coffee educator. She is excited to bring this broad base of experience to the BIPOC Support Foundation as Board Secretary and to continue to learn from this talented team.

Julie Tedde

Treasurer, CFO

Julie Tedde (she/her/hers) is a single Mom, a white Jewish ally, and a corporate accountant. As an ally, Julie strongly believes that we need to take responsibility for what we have done to create and perpetuate the inequities that currently exist for our BIPOC brothers and sisters. Her anger at the injustice fueled her to help start BIPOC Business Support as a way to rebuild our communities and enable BIPOC-owned businesses to get the assistance that they deserve.

Starmeshia Jones 

Board Director, Media Marketing Director

Starmeshia (she/her/hers) is passionate about social justice, mental health, all things travel, and wellness in all forms. An old soul from the East Coast, She deeply affirms that all facets of Black Lives Matter and believes that BIPOC businesses are the lifeline of their communities. She is honored to stand beside those called to do this work.

Peter Ronchetti

Board Director

With 37 years of corporate management experience, Peter believes in balancing leadership, teamwork and partnership as essential ingredients, having delivered sustained growth for LEGOLAND California Resort over a ten year expansion phase. He continues to serve as an Executive In Residence at CSUSM, being a volunteer coach/mentor with the College of Business Administration. He lives in Carlsbad from where he loves hiking, photography and exploring local craft breweries with his wife Liz and sons.

Milena Phillips

Advisory Council

Milena (Sellers) Phillips - is the Co-founder and Executive Director of The Jonathan Sellers &  Charlie Keever Foundation, a nonprofit established in memory of her son, dedicated to the safety and well-being of children through education. She co-authored and published a children's book titled,  "Always Fly Away, A Children's Safety Book". Milena is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Artistic Associate at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad. 

Cassiopeia Guthrie

Advisory Council

Cassiopeia (she/her/hers) is a mother, educator and performer. Outside of her work with this organization, Cassiopeia serves as an Ed Tech TOSA and on the executive boards of Patio Playhouse, More Than Apples, and Theatre Alliance (SDPAL). Cassiopeia is actively engaged in equity work in education and the arts and is committed to being an advocate and ally for change.

Esther Baldwin

Advisory Council

Esther Baldwin (she/her/hers) is an attorney, activist, and artist based in Baltimore, Maryland, who is passionate about racial and economic justice. As an advisory board member of BIPOC Support Foundation, Esther focuses on strategic partnerships and community engagement. 

Emily Dragon

Board Director

Emily is a business owner and welder with an interest in economic research. For the past twelve years she has worked in several industries, as fight choreographer for theater, ghost writer and editor now for her publishing company (Reflective Publishing), underwater photographer (Water Dragon Photography), and fabrications welder. She is proud to be a part of a foundation that is well-organized, soundly structured, and has a clear goal for decisive change.