Jade Griffin - Founder/President
Jade Griffin is a youth advocate, creative, and the visionary behind the mvmnt. Her work is rooted in a deep belief that every young person deserves to be seen, heard, and supported in spaces that affirm their worth. With a background in Criminal Justice and hands-on experience as a Youth Care Worker in residential care, Jade works closely with young people navigating complex circumstances, an experience that continually fuels her commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and building environments where youth can grow with confidence and purpose.
A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Jade carries a strong tradition of service and community empowerment into everything she does. Whether through programming, community events, or creative engagement, she is passionate about cultivating safe, affirming spaces where young people can explore their identity, build life skills, and realize their potential.
Outside of her work with youth, Jade enjoys expressing her creativity through painting, playing the electric guitar, and staying active through fitness.
Alexa Epps - Vice President
Lex Epps (she/her) is a Chicagoland native with a passion for working within her community. This has transcended in many ways, including having an activism background, as well as joining Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University, and now serves as the Associate Director for the Gates Center of Leadership at Lake Forest College.
In her spare time, she is a workout enthusiast and sports fan.
LaWanda Flennoy - Treasurer
LaWanda Flennoy is an experienced executive administrator, human resources leader, and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience supporting C-suite and senior executives across corporate, nonprofit, and financial services organizations. She currently serves as an Executive Administrator at The Obama Foundation, providing executive-level administrative and operational support while partnering closely with senior leadership. LaWanda also brings extensive HR leadership experience, having led the development and execution of people-centered policies, benefits, and performance management initiatives.
She serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Corvette Road Dogs Association, where she oversees governance records, meeting documentation, and organizational correspondence, and as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the mvmnt., providing financial oversight and supporting fiscal accountability and compliance.
In addition to her corporate and nonprofit leadership, LaWanda is the owner of a boutique travel advisory business, bringing precision, discretion, and client-focused service to her entrepreneurial work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Governors State University, graduating cum laude.
David Lane -
Board Member
David C. Lane is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State University. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Delaware. His monograph, The Other End of the Needle: Continuity and Change among Tattoo Workers was recently released on Rutgers University Press. His recent articles appear in Deviant Behavior and the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Broadly, David’s research focuses on tattoo work, labor and the changes to cultural production in capitalist systems, crime in relation to natural hazards, art theft, and constructionist approaches to social problems. At the Society for the Study of Social Problems he currently serves on the Nominations Committee and as a member of the Justice 21 Committee. He also serves as the Chair of the Body Art and Images area of the Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association.
In his free time, he enjoys getting tattooed, and hanging around people who are engaged in solving the problems that affect us.
Whitney Mittons -
Board Member
Whitney Mittons is an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion practitioner with seven years of experience in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Mittons holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology from Illinois State University and a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University. Whitney Mittons is passionate about building bridges with others to pursue an anti-racist and liberated future for all.