Dr. LaWana Richmond, Board Vice President for Alliance San Diego. EV Program Manager, UC San Diego, CEO Firyali, Inc and Executive Director/Founder of Grioneers, Inc. holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from SDSU, a Masters in Information Systems from National University, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership from UC San Diego/CSU San Marcos. She is dedicated to ensuring our young people have every opportunity for equitable learning, opportunity to learn of our communal past and opportunity to embrace who they are as individuals. Her passion for futurism, in general and Afrofuturism in particular, is driven by the times we live in; Times when the adversity and the opportunities it presents beckon us to rise above ourselves.