Team Bios

 TINA 'MS. JAZZI' NIXON

Highlights

• 25 years of experience with working with youth and young adults encouraging them to celebrate life, capture their dreams and goals, gain self-love and most importantly self-respect.
• Poet, actress, spoken word artist and mentor.  
• Produced and wrote several cds.  
• Active Member of Campaign Against Violence
• Awarded Arts at large Residency 2019
• Awarded Arts at large Residency 2020
• Awarded Neighborhood Creative in Residence Project 2019
• Named “ Shero” By Milwaukee Rep 2020
• Author of MY Sistas KeepHer “ A Journey to Heal Self & Heal her”
• 2022 Recipient of the YWCASEW IMPACT AWARD

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Professional Experience

2000-present

Artistic Director For My Sista's KeepHer

Role: Directs organization activity,events, and growth in accordance with artistic and community mission with assistance from all staff.

Workshops  Co-facilitator: The Workshop focuses on recovering from the effects of trauma, learning healthy ways of expressing feelings, self-confidence building, Team Building, learning the importance of family and community in healing, and discovering your own uniqueness.  Most importantly this project will promote relationship-building between girls and create a safe environment where they can practice treating others with kindness and respect!

Youth Justice Milwaukee ( Part-time) Outreach Coordinator 2019- 2020

• Develop outreach to target family members of youth in the justice system. This can range from helping small sets of individuals to organizing large-scale community-wide building projects.

Violence Free Zone Youth Advisor (Full-time, Sept 2008- May 2009)

• Empowered youth to increase their self-esteem and life skills through support groups and one-on-one interaction.
• Provided mentoring, assisting with homework and case management services to a caseload of 25-30 high school youth (male and female) ages 14-21 years of age.
• Assisted MPS school staff with assuring the overall safety of the school environment.

9/08 - 9/15

Human Development Center, Milwaukee, WI

Prenatal Care Coordinator

• To provide guidance and support to expected mothers
• To encourage expectant mothers to take active role in the health of their baby
• To improve the outcome of every pregnancy
• To give every baby a healthy start in life
• Assisting with obtaining employment, day care service and education.

2008

Self-Esteem Poetry Workshops and Dream Big Spa Day 

Milwaukee, WI

Host/Facilitator

• Created for young women who attend the Milwaukee Transition High School. The young women that were chosen for this spa treatment have faced many challenges due to incarceration, expulsion, and/or truancy.  
• The Self-Esteem Spa Day is an inspirational guide for young women of all ages. It provides inspiring activities that physically take the women through a journey of self-discovery.  The ultimate goal is to enable each participant to celebrate life, capture their dreams and goals, gain self-love and most importantly self-respect. 
• The spa day includes: poetry, motivational speaker, round table discussion, spa treatments, lunch and Bracelet (New Beginnings) ceremony. The Spa services are rendered by licensed professionals including: facials, massages, pedicures, manicures, personal hygiene and hair care. 

2007-2008 

Sister Pride Poetry Workshops, Milwaukee, WI

Facilitator

• Conducted poetry workshops for 20 high school freshmen, reaching over 100 girls using poetry as a tool for expressing themselves and using real life issues to inspire.

2002 through 2008

Flood the Hood With Dreams Poetry Workshops

Milwaukee, WI

• Facilitated poetry workshops urban underground 50 teenage teaching spoken word, deliver, stage present, and storytelling

2004-2006

My Window Production Poetry workshops 

Milwaukee, WI

Facilitator

• Taught poetry to UWM upper bond program/ free verse writing

2000-2001

"Spirit of My Sister " Support Group at the Kuji Center

Milwaukee, WI

Facilitator

• Facilitated (groups of 30 women each week) workshops on self-esteem, and domestic violence

Keynote Speaker

• Running Rebels (Dream Keepers camp) 7/17 
• Transition High School Graduation commencement 6/17
• Malakai Learning Center (Muffins for Moms) 2015, 2016, and 2017
• Women B Whole Women’s Conference 2016 ( Houston TX)
• Western University (Beyond Beauty Conference) Illinois

Education/ Professional Training 

Paul Roberson High School, Chicago, IL 1983

Gately/Poole Conservatory “The Acting Intensive” acting technique-script analysis- scene study- film acting- comedy technique- improvisation-voice/speech, movement/physical technique-character work-audition skills (on-going) 2017

Certified Wraparound Milwaukee 2014

The Human Development Center, Inc

Mentoring Youth of Incarcerated Parents/ Documentation and Best Practice 8/2015

Mentoring Job Description, Mentoring Code of Ethics, Provider Do”s and Don'ts 8/2015

Gender Specific Mentoring Approaches, Mentoring LGBTQ youth, Mentoring Program Design & Documentation 8/2014

Utilizing Cultural Diverse Methods for Mentoring 8/2014

Certified Political Organizer

Midwest Academy 2019

Certified Intersectionality of Trauma & Substance Abuse in Youth 2019

Suicide prevention Certification 2022

References Provided Upon Request

SHELLY CONLEY

• 24 years of experience managing, training and developing leaders in a retail sales environment.
• Poet, spoken word artist with 15 years of performance, writing, collaborating with poets, singers, rappers, etc.
• 2002-2008 and 2010 member of the Milwaukee National Poetry Slam Team (NPS), 
• 2004-2005, 2007 Grand Slam Champion of the Milwaukee NPS Team
• 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam (IWPS) representative for Milwaukee 
• Kentucky Women’s Writing Conference Slam Winner
• Authored and self published two CDs and a chapbook
• Featured in Emmy Award Winner, Brad Pruitt's, documentary Mark My Words 
• Author of A JOURNEY TO HEAL SELF HEAL HER 2020
• 2021 Recipient of MKE TREASURE AWARD

Professional Experience

2014-present

Program Director for My Sista's KeepHer

Role:This organizer (Executor) directs program activity in accordance with artistic and community mission in coordination with Artistic Director and Program Coordinator.

Workshops facilitated: The Workshop focuses on recovering from the effects of trauma, learning healthy ways of expressing feelings, self-confidence building, team building, learning the importance of family and community in healing, and discovering your own uniqueness.  Most importantly this project will promote relationship-building between girls and create a safe environment where they can practice treating others with kindness and respect!

2009 Creator & Coordinator of My Sister’s Keeper Event to celebrate women & poetry for Women’s History month 

2010 Creator of Renewing Her Spirit Mother’s Day Brunch to pamper and celebrate mothers and, most importantly, to start the healing between my own mother & I.

2011 Stage Manager for Hansberry Sands (Debrah K. Neal) 

2012 Stage Manager for Playhouse Village (Ruben Whitmore) 

2021 Stage Manager for Press Play Productions (Maniele Fowlkes-Banks)

2002 through 2013

2006

My Window Production Poetry workshops 

• Facilitated poetry/free verse writing workshop to UWM upward bound students

Volunteer 

2005-2006 New Concept Self Development mentor

Education/ Professional Training 

Messmer HS graduate 

Victoria's Secret trainings in Leadership, Franklin Covey, John Maxwell

Intersectionality of Trauma & Substance Abuse in Youth Certification 2019

Suicide prevention Certification 2022

Kashunda Brown

Highlights

• 10 years of experience in supervising and  mentoring youth
• Creator and Facilitator of The Good, Bad and Ugly Social Media Workshop
• Owner of Oh So Kay Sweets
• Contributor for My Sista's KeepHer workbook A JOURNEY TO HEAL SELF HEAL HER 2020

Professional Experience

2010 - Present

Student Coordinator for My SIsta's KeepHer

Workshops  Co-facilitator: The Workshop focuses on recovering from the effects of trauma, learning healthy ways of expressing feelings, self-confidence building, Team Building, learning the importance of family and community in healing, and discovering your own uniqueness.  Most importantly this project will promote relationship-building between girls and create a safe environment where they can practice treating others with kindness and respect.

• Chief Operating Officer of Dream Keepers
• Supervisor of Violence Free Zone/ Running Rebels
• Youth Advisor- Violence Free Zone/ Running Rebels
• Data Entry/ Mentor - Boys Girls Club
• Mentor- House of Love

Education/ Professional Training 

• Custer HS graduate 2006
• Milwaukee Area Technical College- Human Services
• Youth Mental Health First Aide Certificate
• First Aid/ CPR
• Community Building Workshop/ Training
• Trauma Informed Training