Creating a nation unified through sports committed to racial equity and social justice.

Diahann Billings-Burford, who has spent her career working in and lifting up diverse communities, is CEO of RISE. During the past decade, Billings-Burford has held senior positions in New York City government and subsequently at Time Warner, serving some five years in each post and handling a challenging mix of responsibilities.

At Time Warner, she served as executive director, cultural investments and vice president of the Time Warner Foundation. She led the company-wide college internship, employee community engagement and community investments programs in New York City. She also managed the grant making and operations of the foundation.

As the city's chief service officer, she headed NYC Service, a division of the mayor's office, engaging more than 1.3 million New Yorkers in a range of volunteer activities. NYC Service worked to help New Yorkers connect to service opportunities more easily, target volunteers to address the city's greatest needs and promote service as a core part of being a New Yorker.

At various stages of her career, Billings-Burford's experiences have been in deeply diverse communities and in executive offices; with government agencies and education initiatives; with youth, elderly and the disadvantaged; in innovative startups; and in both publicly funded nonprofits and privately sponsored for-profits.

Billings-Burford's experience also includes serving as deputy executive director of external affairs for City Year New York, a nonprofit service organization; director of external relations for Achievement First, a charter school management organization; director of leadership development for Prep for Prep, a leadership development organization; and an associate with the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

She serves on the National Board of Directors for buildOn, an international organization working to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service learning programs in America's under-served high schools and by building classrooms in some of the world's economically poorest countries. She also serves as Vice Chair of the board of Philanthropy New York and serves on the boards for the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Strava and Success Academy. In 2021, she was recognized on Crain's Notable Nonprofits and Philanthropy list and in 2019 was named one of Crain's Notable Women in Sports.

Billings-Burford earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Yale University and a law degree from Columbia University School of Law and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Prior to RISE, Ed was an accomplished athletics administrator on the collegiate level. At the collegiate level he strategically enhanced the program culture and the everyday lives of football student-athletes. Over his career he has helped over 500+ student-athletes with their personal development. In his role Ed has focused on the personal wellness, community impact and career development of the student-athletes under his influence.

Ed also spent time as a high school coach. His most significant impact during his coaching career was helping 50+ athletes at his alma mater realize their dream of playing college football.

A proud Houstonian, Ed graduated from the University of Houston. Ed is passionate about people, relationships and creating generational impact in the lives of others. Ed loves spending time with his family. When he is not with his family you can catch him writing, reading, podcasting or watching sports.

As Chief of Staff, Lauren works closely with the CEO, Board of Directors and members of the senior leadership team on decision making and alignment of RISE's goals and strategies.

Before joining RISE, Lauren was a Senior Associate at Impact for Education, a philanthropic advising firm. In this position, Lauren worked with high net-worth individuals advising them on strategic projects and grant making in the Education space as well as supporting internal processes and protocols.

Prior to joining Impact for Education, she was Chief of Staff at America Achieves and Education Prospects where she played a key role in developing strategy and process for internal systems and relations. Previously, Lauren spent eight years working in the New York City Mayor's Office for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, most recently as the Chief of Staff at NYC Service reporting to the nation's first Chief Service Officer. Lauren helped NYC Service facilitate the launch of 40 mayoral initiatives during its inaugural year in 2009, and led a team of 16 full-time staff. Lauren also assisted in managing corporate partnerships that supported NYC Service education initiatives. Prior to this, Lauren served as a Special Assistant and Project Manager for the Chief of Staff to the First Deputy Mayor, coordinating special projects and events for NYC Mayor's Office, City Hall, and Gracie Mansion.

As Chief Program Officer, Dr. Andrew Mac Intosh leads the translation of RISE's mission to educate and empower the sports community into programs for varying audiences and contexts.

He has worked in the business sector for over 10 years leading the implementation of organizational development initiatives and developing performance management along with training and development strategies. More recently, due to his keen interest in sport and youth development, Andrew has worked both within the United States as well as internationally helping various organizations to design and implement sport initiatives that build life skills and character. Before RISE, he worked at Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sport as a Research and Teaching Assistant. Andrew has also spent time working in Detroit assisting with the development of evaluation systems for youth sport programs and with the design and facilitation of training programs for coaches and mentors.

One of Andrew's passions is understanding and enhancing the role that coaches can play as mentors for the youth with whom they engage. Another is the sport of soccer, which he cherishes for the friendships, life lessons, skills and opportunities that it has provided.

As Senior Director, Programs, Scott works to plan, execute and expand RISE programming, including oversight of flagship programs such as Building Bridges Through Basketball and the RISE Super Bowl Leadership Program. He contributes to the development of program content, collaborating with partners to identify training needs and strategies. Additionally, Scott leads the management of the RISE Internship Program and is responsible for translation of RISE content from English to Spanish.

Previously, Scott served as assistant director of career enhancement and employer relations with NU for Life at Northwestern University, overseeing student-facing elements of a program dedicated to the professional and leadership development of Northwestern's more than 500 NCAA Division I athletes. Prior to Northwestern, Scott was a postgraduate intern of leadership development at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and worked at a Boston-based nonprofit organization, Bottom Line, and with the Schuler Scholar Program in the Chicago area.

Originally from Oberlin, Ohio, Scott attended Grinnell College, where he completed Mentored Advanced Project research focused on Argentine immigration policy as part of the Race, Immigration and Citizenship in America project and played football while completing bachelor's degrees in Spanish and sociology. He holds a master of science in learning & organizational change from Northwestern University.

Jerrell Price joined RISE in August 2020 as the Director of Partnerships. As a contributor within the Partnerships team, Jerrell is responsible for supporting RISE's strategic partnership development and engagement with external stakeholders including athletes, teams and conferences at the high school, collegiate and professional levels.

Before arriving at RISE, Jerrell served as the Director of Partnership and Operations within the Executive Office at UNICEF USA. In this role, he supported the President and CEO and managed the operations and strategic management of the Executive Office, Senior Management Team, Board of Directors and other key constituents in order to raise vital financial and public support in which enables UNICEF to provide life-saving programs to children in 190 countries. Working in sports has always been a passion for Jerrell and can be shown through his experience at George Mason University, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big Ten Conference, where he oversaw key components of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship and Final Four, Big Ten Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments, Big Ten Football Championship Game and Big Ten Softball Tournament.

As a native of Kansas City, Jerrell graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, earning a bachelor's in Physical Education and master's in Sports Management. While at Missouri State, Jerrell assisted the Lady Bears women's basketball program as a student-manager. In his free time, Jerrell mentor's LGBTQ+ student-athletes and sport professionals and serves as a Board of Director for the We Cancerve Movement, which is a non-profit led by children that brings happiness to some of society's most vulnerable youth: children experiencing homeless, illness and who are in foster care.

Corey Posey is a skilled educator, leader, and facilitator. In a career spanning more than two decades, he has driven efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion, student success, educational policy and college admissions.

Driven by his passion for serving underserved populations, Corey takes pride in advancing conversations that ultimately lead to environments that are more inclusive. As the Senior Director of Curriculum and Programs at RISE, he has oversight of DEI program development for RISE's corporate and community partners. Additionally, he is a leading voice in the expansion of collegiate programming to support college athletes.

As an honor student and McNair Scholar, Corey obtained a dual bachelor's degree in Sociology and Social Work from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University, and a Master of Arts in Higher Education & Student Affairs from The Ohio State University.

Corey holds active members in the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, National Diversity Council, in addition to being an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Prince Hall Free & Accepted Masons and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.

As Director of Data, Will drives strategy and organizes team efforts through the management, analysis, and communication of data. Through identification and tracking of key metrics, he helps to systematize and make meaning of our work.

Prior to joining RISE, Will spent six years in Atlanta as a high school math teacher where he leveraged his passions for education, advocacy, and math on behalf of his students and their stakeholders. During that time, he also trained new and incoming teachers on excellent math instruction and culturally responsive pedagogy. He then was a Recruitment Manager with Teach For America, recruiting the next generation of leaders to fight educational inequity and leveraging data to drive strategy and identify diverse, high-fit, and competitive candidates.

Will is currently based in Brooklyn, NY and holds a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University. He is ecstatic to combine his affinities for sports, data, and equity work to provide insight into our work and further RISE's mission.

As programs coordinator, Mickhael is responsible for the daily coordination, administration, operations, and logistics of RISE’s Programs. He also assists with data management for the Programs team and communicates across the organization to ensure all departments have the programmatic information they need.

Prior to working at RISE, Mickhael served as the Program Specialist and District Associate at the Boy Scouts of America, Northern New Jersey Council. In this role, he created and presented after-school programs that focused on Scouting and STEM programs in the underserved communities in Paterson, Newark, Jersey City, Union City, and Hackensack. His goal was to provide new experiences to the youth in these communities.

Originally from Rockland County, N.Y., Mickhael earned a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University at Buffalo. On campus, he spent most of his time volunteering and fundraising with his fraternity and set up an annual basketball tournament fundraiser to raise funds for the homeless community in Buffalo. After college, he started in the finance industry and realized that his passion was community service and working with youth. In his free time, Mickhael is a youth basketball coach, where he teaches and mentors his players not just on the court but off the court. His future goal is to build basketball courts and programs in his home country, the Philippines. He wants to showcase the hidden talents in the Philippines by giving them a better opportunity to hone their skills. Mickhael is excited to be working at RISE and believes this is the perfect home to bring his passions for sports and helping the community.

As Executive Assistant and Operations Manager, Lexi is responsible for providing support to the CEO & Chief of Staff as well as maintaining the day-to-day operations of the office for the RISE team.

Lexi brings along a wide array of professional skills, ranging from administrative support to operations and project management. During the NFL regular season, she works as a Game Day Statistics Assistant & has previously worked for the Golf Channel in studio production while living in Orlando, FL.

Raised in Wellington, FL, Lexi attended the University of Central Florida and graduated with a Bachelor's of Science. While on campus, Lexi volunteered with the men's basketball team in the communications department and was active in intramural sports, along with being a member of the National Honor Society for the Nicholson School of Communication, Lambda Pi Eta, where she served as Vice President. She currently serves as Co-Chair for the New York Alumni Chapter for UCF along with volunteering with the ACLU. She is incredibly passionate about human rights and social justice and is excited to combine that with her passion for sports to help create a better community for all.

Before working at RISE, Malcolm was the Regional Promotions Manager for Audacy responsible for Wichita, Kansas City, and St.Louis markets. In this role, he helped execute promotional activities, events, and campaigns for a multitude of radio stations. Malcolm was also a disc jockey for the #1 evening drive show in the Wichita Market, on Power 93.5. He then was a Community Facilitator, working alongside the FactsNotFearsICT and University of Kansas School of Medicine teams in search of best practices to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Wichita's minority communities.

Originally from Detroit, MI, Malcolm earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Hampton University. While there, Malcolm was the project director of the athletic marketing team, responsible for planning and developing projects supporting “Respect The H,” a TV show featuring university sports.

His future goal is to found and be a project administrator of his own non-profit organization and later open a school for high-achieving students in Detroit, MI.

Malcolm is excited to work at RISE and be back in his hometown to showcase his passion for community development and building relationships through sports.

As Manager of Reporting and Communication, Sydni oversees external reporting and communication efforts to showcase RISE's impact and establish connections with partners, stakeholders, and advocates.

Sydni's journey involves leading across numerous diverse realms. Beginning as a gymnastics coach, she strived to cultivate diversity and inclusivity among young athletes, nurturing their growth as athletes and individuals. Following this, she contributed to the Women's Sports Foundation's mission for gender equity in sports through research and advocacy. Her journey progressed as she assumed the role of an NCAA Fellow for Leadership Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Amherst College. In this role, she dedicated herself to furthering DEI initiatives for student-athletes, notably by establishing a weekly newsletter focused on DEI within athletics, managing DEI-oriented social media platforms, and assisting in delivering DEI education.

Raised in Plainville, CT, Sydni pursued her undergraduate education at the University of Connecticut, obtaining a BS in Sport Management. She is furthering her studies by pursuing an MS in Strategic Communication from Central Connecticut State University. A former member of UConn's cheerleading team, Sydni recognizes the opportunities sports have afforded her and values the chance to inspire athletes of all ages. She feels privileged to be part of RISE's ongoing mission and sees the organization perfectly aligning her passions for diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports.

Julianna Collazo joined RISE in May 2024 as a Senior Manager of Programs. As a vital member of the Programs team, Julianna is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of our collegiate strategic initiatives and programs.

Before arriving at RISE, Julianna served as a Community Manager for NJ/NY Gotham FC. In this role, she designed and implemented comprehensive community strategies, significantly increasing fan engagement and brand awareness. She managed game day staff, created community outreach programs, and established strong partnerships with local organizations and businesses.

Julianna's passion for sports and youth development is evident from her extensive experience in the field. At Corporate Community Connections, she has been a Mentor and Urban Specialist since November 2020, guiding at-risk high school students and fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment.

As a native of New Jersey, Julianna graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology in May 2019. While at the university, she was actively involved as a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and participated in various volunteer organizations.

In her free time, Julianna coaches High School sports and mentor's student-athletes. Her passion for youth development and mentoring has led her to one day open her non-profit focused on providing mentoring and access to sports for underserved communities.