Emlyn Lee, Founder

At a young age, she has always been cognizant of the injustices around her. This includes the time during her school years when she recognized that white students were always cast in the leading roles, while minority students like her were given supporting roles – regardless if they were more talented. This led her to persuade her fellow minority students to boycott the play. Her passion to make a difference and be the change she wishes to see in the world has continued ever since.

Before being acquired in 2012, in the wake of 9/11 Emlyn created Cultural Embrace an organization that helped provide Americans the opportunity to experience other countries and cultures in an immersive way.

In 2016, Emlyn founded BRAVE (which stands for Building, Relationships, Awareness, Voices, Engagement, in Communities) through empowering youth via a community engagement program. Since 2016, Emlyn and BRAVE have extended the programming to include BRAVE Community Conversations, BRAVE Fest, and more.

Max Ekeski

Max Ekesi has been a stalwart presence for Corporate America in IT for 20 years. He’s worked in robust roles such as People Manager, Program Manager, Product Development Lead, and more. Overall, he has enjoyed being in the center of Cultural Digital Transformations. He is presently an IT Manager at PayPal in Austin, TX.

After living in various places across three different continents, he now feels very connected to the community and culture in Austin. Max enjoys getting involved in community-focused activities via non-profit IT organizations, the PTA at his daughters’ elementary school, and BRAVE! In his spare time, Max likes to travel the world with his wife and two daughters, play/watch/coach soccer, and dabble in real estate as a licensed realtor in Texas.

Regina Walters

Regina Walters is a proven financial leader and analyst with demonstrated success in optimizing the financial and operational capacities of various entities in the last 25 years. Her extensive expertise in the healthcare industry, higher education, medical practices, non-profit and associations, property management, and both residential and commercial real estate allows her to offer sound financial strategy to her clients with diverse and well-informed financial solutions. Currently, Regina is a Consulting Chief Financial Officer at vcfo. Regina performs work plan analyses for clients, designs financial strategies, and then works to seamlessly implement an accounting/finance department restructure.

Regina possesses notable experience in treasury management, inventory management, fixed asset management, tax reporting and governance, audit preparation, process management, software implementation, strategic planning, and financial transactions. She is well-equipped to help her clients better manage their day-to-day financial strategies and drive organizational efficiency. She has worked to solidify her standing as a versatile CFO with a unique ability to bridge the industry gap and lead businesses across industries and market sectors.

Dr. Liz Garcia

Dr. Liz Garcia is the owner of Courageous Feats. As a highly sought coaching professional, she creates customized personal and professional development in the form of executive coaching, workshops, and speaking engagements. Liz also serves as a Lead Coach & Equity Specialist for The Holdsworth Center. No matter what role she occupies, Liz uses her abilities to create BRAVE spaces for leaders to engage in the community that are necessary for growth.

Dr. Garcia’s expertise lies in the areas of leadership, coaching, communication, trust, and vulnerability, along with understanding our stories. Liz is also a certified facilitator of Dr. Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead™. She has worked nationally with leaders across Texas, New York City, Memphis, Washington D.C., Kansas City, and New Orleans. Liz received her M.A. in Educational Administration & her Ph.D. from Texas State University where her research focused on understanding how our stories impact the way we contribute to our work and in our lives. Liz resides in Austin, TX with her two rescue dogs, Ferris & Hannah Blue.

David Johnson

David Johnson is the epitome of being a jack of all trades. He has served as an abolitionist, organizer, activist, advocate, policy analyst, consultant, trainer, facilitator, and public speaker throughout his multi-faceted career. David draws upon his personal experience with anti-blackness, incarceration, violence, trauma, mental illness, and substance misuse in his efforts to secure a collective divestment from oppressive and violent practices, policies, and systems. He also works to expand investments in transformative, health-centered responses to community needs.

David is a member at Grassroots Leadership and Texas Advocates for Justice, a member of the Community Strategy Team for Dell Medical School’s Department of Population Health, a member of the Reimagine Public Safety Task Force for the City of Austin, the Recovery Ambassador for Solstice Recovery Foundation, a co-founder of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery – Texas (CAST), and a former peer policy fellow with the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health Policy Academy.

Jackie Keating

Jackie Keating is a Global Brand and Social Impact Manager at Dell Technologies. She is a highly creative and enthusiastic professional with over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications. Jackie is experienced in developing marketing strategies, leading integrated campaigns, and persuading global teams to adopt and embrace new ideas and processes. That way, she is able to drive revenue and growth, no matter what tasks she is given or what role she occupies.

Her passion is making a difference in the community, and she really enjoys being involved with BRAVE! She is at her utmost happiness when she is outside enjoying nature, dancing to live music, and spending time with her family and friends.