Michelle Felder (she/her) is a cisgender, queer, Jamaican-American woman raised by parents who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s; she grew up in the Bay Area of California and currently lives in Queens, New York with her husband and two children. Michelle is a psychotherapist, parenting coach, adjunct instructor, and public speaker who received her Masters in Social Work from New York University and Masters in Child Development from Sarah Lawrence College; she is currently a doctoral candidate in Clinical Social Work at New York University, expected to graduate in 2027. Michelle’s lived experience navigating institutional, interpersonal, and internalized oppression informs her commitment to scholarly practices that promote equity, inclusivity, and justice. She recognizes that her positionality provides unique insights but also limitations, as her perspective and experiences are not universal.

Mariam Rahyab (she/her) is a cisgender, Muslim, Afghan-American woman. Mariam’s family fled Afghanistan as refugees during the Soviet invasion in the late 70s-80s. She was raised in downtown Flushing, Queens, and continues to call Queens her home. Mariam received her Masters in social work from Hunter College and is currently a doctoral candidate in Clinical Social Work at New York University, expected to graduate in 2027 alongside her classmate Michelle. While Mariam’s experiences as a Muslim American woman have strengthened her commitment to providing anti-oppressive and socially just practice. Mariam recognizes her identities both provide valuable lived experiences of religious oppression, xenophobia and sexism while also having limitations. Mariam strives to remain mindful of her positionality while staying committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.