Student Council
Harmonie
President
Uriel
Vice President
Christian
Secretary
Aleena
Secretary (Sub)
Zion
Treasurer
Donovan
Historian
Messiah
Historian
Chris
Elementary Homeroom Representative
Steven
Elementary Homeroom Representative
Nickaya
Middle School Homeroom Representative
Jordyn
High School Homeroom Representative
Eric
High School Homeroom Representative
Parent Committee
Karen Tanton
President
Evelyn Goodwyn
Vice President
Krystal Flemmings
Treasurer
Dorethea Robinson
Treasurer
Michelle Murphy
Corresponding Secretary
Alexis Smith
Support Specialist
Kenya Swann
Communication Specialist
Nikoa Dean
Support Specialist
Javon McCoy
Support Specialist
Torrie Nobles
Communication Specialist
DBG Staff
Khali Sweeney
Founder and CEO
Khali had the passion, determination and bold vision to open DBG in 2007 and as our founder and CEO, he continues to mentor, inspire, innovate, and shape our program to this day. His life’s purpose is helping young people succeed. Khali’s unwavering commitment to our students, our mission, and making the world a better place, helps drive every decision we make. Khali’s own challenging academic and life experiences inspired him to start our program. Among his many honors, Khali is a CNN Hero Top 10 Finalist and a recipient of Michigan’s Governor’s Service Award for Mentor of the Year.
As he often says, “We don’t see bad kids. We see kids who haven’t been heard yet.”
Jessica Hauser
Executive Director
Katie Solomon
Programs Director / COO
Peter Fezzey
Chief Advancement Officer
deanna miller
Foundation Advancement Manager
DeAnna serves as our Foundation Advancement Manager, helping to secure the grants and funding DBG needs to operate and grow. She is a graduate of Howard University and the University of North Dakota. and currently attends Wayne State University where she is working toward a Ph.D. in English. DeAnna has taught English composition, community writing, African American Literature and Culture, and gender studies courses at the college level. She is most inspired by the warm family atmosphere at DBG and the close relationships with students and staff.
meredith potter
Chief of Staff for Fund Development
nick mancuso
DONOR EXPERIENCE MANAGER
Nick is responsible for the strategic engagement and stewardship of DBG’s existing individual donors. He also cultivates new donors while managing facility rentals, events, and donation data. In addition, Nick assists with marketing and external communications to key constituents. Prior to joining DBG, Nick served as a financial advisor at Plante Moran and assistant director at the University of Michigan Athletic Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Wayne State University. “I’m most inspired by students who overcome challenging circumstances to graduate from high school and thrive,” he says.
nisha patel
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Robin Schwartz
Communications & PR Consultant
Robin serves as DBG’s chief storyteller, overseeing all aspects of communications, including PR/media relations, social media, writing, blogs and web content, video production and more. Robin is an Emmy award–winning former TV news anchor/reporter with Fox 2 News in Detroit. She also previously served as a corporate PR executive. Robin has a passion for Detroit, seeing Detroit students succeed, DBG, and the ongoing story of our efforts to change lives and help young people thrive. She owns her own PR and video production firm, Robin Schwartz PR. Members of the media can send inquiries to [email protected].
asiya el
Student Operations Manager
asiyah williamson
Associate Director of Enrichment
As a DBG alum and proud graduate, Asiyah has personally experienced the benefits of DBG’s mission. She oversees all aspects of our athletic department and aims to expose our students to sport sampling and various different forms of physical activity. As an apprentice to our founder and CEO Khali Sweeney, she is learning the ins and outs of what it takes to run a successful nonprofit, grow the program, and keep our mission alive for generations to come. Before joining DBG, Asiyah renovated properties in Detroit through the Detroit Landbank and worked in the mortgage industry.
NICOLLE HALL JOHNSON
Director of Culture
calvin hobbs
Academic Support Specialist - Elementary
Laura Amtower
Director of Academics
Laura Amtower directs all programs for DBG high school students including our high school homeroom, college and career readiness, and alumni efforts. She is a graduate of West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in Art Education and Visual Art & Design, and the University of Michigan where she earned a master’s degree in Engaged Pedagogy, Social Work, and Community Art & Design. Laura has worked in out-of-school-time programming and higher education for more than 20 years. She loves being able to nurture and witness a simple interest grow into a fulfilling career.
DIANE McKINNEY-EL BEY
driver
Lamont Love
driver
JERRI BIVINS
driver
ken cain
ACADEMIC SUPPORT ASSISTANT
A talented artist and a proud DBG graduate who started with us in elementary school, Ken Cain serves as an academic support specialist and a mentor to our students. Ken is also a current student at Wayne State University majoring in marketing with a minor in business. As a DBG alum, she knows firsthand the impact of positive mentorship. Ken tailors her academic strategies to meet each student where they are in their learning journey and to help them achieve their goals.
Taiwo Halls
driver
Arthur Lathan
driver
morgan parr
Elementary School Coordinator
Morgan Parr serves as our elementary school academic coordinator and provides academic intervention, socio-emotional support, and enrichment assistance to DBG’s youngest learners. Morgan has made it her life’s work to provide young people the tools to build themselves a brighter and more empowered future. She studied psychology at Wayne State University and has more than a decade of experience working with young people.
Jo Siwik
driver
Linda Kinney
driver
tone perry
Strength & Conditioning Coach
SKYLAR BURKHARDT
Data & Literacy Manager
Ensuring students have the support they need to read at or above grade level is one of the hallmarks of DBG’s academic program. Skylar helps facilitate our partnership with Center for Success to provide literacy programming for DBG’s 3rd through 6th graders. She also supports data collection and applications. Skylar is a graduate of the University of Michigan and worked for years coaching and teaching writing. “Working at DBG is inspiring when I see students deepen their connection to reading and writing, and in return, learn more about themselves and the world we live in,” she says.
Clay Dubose
Head Boxing Coach
Clay is dedicated to seeing our students flourish inside and outside the ring. As DBG’s head boxing coach, he runs our students through daily strength and conditioning drills and also prepares competitions and practices for youth boxers. For students who don’t box (which is the majority of the student population at DBG) he introduces a variety of sports, workouts and fitness routines to encourage healthy lifestyles. Clay has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wayne State University and is inspired by “being a guiding light in our students’ lives.”
Tia Talton
Apprentice to the CEO
JULIE WAINWRIGHT
Director of Systems
Chay Buckner
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
As communications and marketing coordinator, Chay helps to craft clear, concise and timely messages that empower our team and students and help make an impact. She is a graduate of Grand Valley State University where she majored in advertising and public relations with a double minor in African American studies and women, gender, sexuality studies. Chay previously worked in PR with nonprofit organizations, mortgage and finance companies, and is inspired by creating safe environments for our students to thrive.
Emily Barnes
Grant Writer
Em Barnes works behind the scenes at DBG as a grant writer, helping us secure the critical funding needed to operate and grow. A graduate of Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in English, she uses her skills to help capture all the work we do at DBG in writing, and to communicate our goals and approach to help pursue new funding opportunities.
LEXUS LEGARDY
Sports Sampling Coach
Lexus is an energetic and enthusiastic coach dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles. Through sports sampling, teaching a variety of sports from soccer to flag football and basketball to boxing, she helps ignite our students’ passion for physical activity and teaches teamwork through mentorship. Lexus is a graduate of Wayne State University with a degree in Sports Management. Her coaching style helps boost confidence and foster a sense of belonging, enabling our students to build essential life skills.
NAOMI CASTRO
Media & Music Lab Coordinator
Encouraging students to learn new skills and exposing them to media creation is Naomi Castro’s passion. As DBG’s Media Lab Coordinator, Naomi helps amplify our students’ voices through podcasting, digital music production, photography, videography, and music. Naomi earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Northern Michigan University and comes to DBG with experience in musical theater camp, freelance Illustration, and IT support for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Apple.
Remi Napier
STEAM Lab Coordinator
Remi is DBG’s high-energy STEAM Lab coordinator where she teaches our students engaging and interactive lessons about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. She earned the nickname “the chicken lady” for her work with our DBG chickens. Remi attended Columbia College of Arts Chicago where she received a degree in public relations. She previously worked as a kindergarten teacher. Her work and our students’ participation in the STEAM Lab is part of a groundbreaking 5-year study by the National Science Foundation in partnership with Purdue University’s College of Education.
Amy Wright
Literacy Coordinator
NICOLE Kornijenko
Events Manager
Victoria Bradley
Middle School Academic Support Specialist
Keisa Davis
College & Career Readiness Coordinator
Chaynce Jackson
High School Academic Support Specialist
Malcolm Harris
Middle School Academic Support Specialist
Dorian Hogan
Assistant Boxing Coach
Board of Directors
Officers
Rakesh Aneja
Board Chair
Joe Schmidt
Treasurer
Joe Schmidt is a Deals Director at PwC. With a background in both transaction services and external audit, Joe has provided a variety of services for both public and private companies. As a member of the Deals team, he has worked on a variety of projects across industry sectors, company size and geographies. Joe is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan and received his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management with an emphasis in accounting from Albion College. As an individual with a passion for athletics and continued learning, Joe strongly believes in the mission and community built at DBG. Joe has been actively involved with the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program since 2017
Gary Wilson
Secretary
Gary Wilson is a Senior Vice President of JPMorgan Chase & Co. In this role, he oversees all volunteerism for the firm in the state of Michigan. Gary is based in Birmingham and also serves as an ambassador for the firm locally, engaging the business and nonprofit community to showcase JPMorgan Chase’s civic engagement. Gary also serves on an advisory panel for the mayor’s office with the City of Detroit. Gary resides in Commerce Township, MI with his son Logan. Gary holds a degree from the University of Detroit Mercy.
Board Members
Jeff Addison
Dennis Blender
Clifford Brown
Julie Lodge-Jarrett
David Moss
Shawn Riley
Shawn has 20 years of experience in wealth management. As an investment advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors, he works with high-net-worth individuals and families to help manage and grow their wealth. Through utilizing resources in the firm’s trust and tax departments, Shawn provides comprehensive strategies to manage a family’s full balance sheet. Many of his clients have significant charitable goals where Shawn assists with structuring gifts in a tax-efficient manner.
Shawn was introduced to the Detroit Boxing Gym (DBG) through a stand-up paddleboard race on Belle Isle where he taught some students how to paddleboard. He immediately recognized the impact DBG had on students’ lives and has supported the program since 2017.
Todd Sachse
Brian Vieaux
Matt Rossetti
Matt Rossetti refers to himself as a “Chief Architect of Serious Fun.” He is a third-generation architect and president of ROSSETTI, a globally-recognized architecture and design firm headquartered in Detroit. Matt holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan and a sculpture degree from the University of Florence, Italy. He worked at firms in New York and Los Angeles before returning to Detroit to join his father’s firm in 1989.
ROSSETTI’s architectural portfolio of award-winning projects consists of a broad range of unique and inspiring spaces including sports and entertainment venues, training and recreation facilities as well as hospitality, residential, workplace and retail. Notable projects include: reimagining One Campus Martius and Ford Field, the Henry Ford Health System Detroit Pistons Performance Center, The Corner Apartments, Michigan State University Munn Ice Arena, and many more.
But most notable to us at DBG, ROSSETTI donated full design services to create our current 27,500 square foot facility on Detroit’s east side. The team repurposed a former bookbinding factory into the safe, functional and inspiring space where our students learn, grow, and thrive every day.
Robert Young
Advisory Board
John C. Carter
John C. Carter has worked for 35+ years in commercial banking for JPMorgan Chase and predecessor organizations, serving as a manager or executive in charge of various lending and corporate banking groups which provide operating and capital raising services/products to corporate clients. He serves on various internal bank committees and has involvement in several outside organizations, as either member or director: YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit (Director and Past Chairman of Board), YMCA Foundation (Director), Forgotten Harvest (Board and Executive Committee Member), Judson Center (Past Chairman of the Board and Trustee), Judson Center Foundation (Director), Business Leaders of Michigan (Director), Detroit Chamber of Commerce (Director), Detroit Historical Society (Director), Downtown Detroit Partnership (Director), Detroit Riverfront Conservancy (Director), Detroit Economic Club (Director), and Detroit Workforce Development Board.
Dr. Farshad FOTOUHI
Dr. Farshad Fotouhi is currently Dean of the College of Engineering at Wayne State University. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Michigan State University, College of Engineering in 1988 and joined the faculty of computer science at Wayne State University in August 1988. He served as the department chair from January 2004-February 2011. Before joining WSU in 1988, he was a faculty member of the Lyman Briggs School, Michigan State University, while earning his Ph.D.
Dr. Fotouhi’s current research interests include biomedical informatics, semantic web and multimedia systems. He has published over 180 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings. His research has been supported by NSF, NIH, National Institute of Drug Abuse, Michigan Life Sciences Corridor, Ford Motor Company and many other industries.
Ron Fournier
Jennifer Hammond
Jennifer Hammond is a beloved television sports anchor/reporter at Fox 2 News in Detroit. For more than two decades she has covered the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons along with Michigan and Michigan State sports.
Among the many things she does to support the Downtown Boxing Gym, Jennifer hosts an annual fundraiser called “Hammer’s Bar Stars.” This high-energy event includes local athletes and celebrities serving as bartenders, helping to raise dollars and awareness about our Books Before Boxing program.
Jody Kohner
Jody Kohner is the Executive Vice President of Global Enablement at Salesforce. In this role, Jody inspires a culture of learning at every level of the company. She and her team build world-class learning experiences that are relevant, actionable, measurable and predictable; enabling all employees to pursue their own growth and ultimately fuel the growth of the company.
Jody started with Salesforce in 2011 and is proud of the diverse and eclectic journey that she’s taken with the company, which includes leadership across Product Marketing, Human Resources and Sales.
Jody has established a track record of developing innovative new programs and building high-performing teams. Prior to Salesforce, she spent 10 years at Robert Half International, where she worked in brand marketing. She also oversaw the development, implementation and management of the company’s first marketing automation system.
Bruce Nyberg
Bruce Nyberg joined Flagstar Bank’s board in March 2015, after serving as interim director of Community Banking. As a board member, he serves on the company’s risk committee.
Prior to Flagstar, he was regional president-East Michigan for Huntington Bancshares Incorporated for six years. He had a 28-year career at NBD Bancorp (now Chase Bank), where he led Michigan Commercial Banking, Retail Banking Operations, Marketing, Information Technology, and Electronic Banking. Among his board memberships are the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees, Forgotten Harvest, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion
Jennifer Miller Oertel
Jennifer Miller Oertel is a member of the law firm Bodman, PLC, where she co-chairs the firm’s Tax-exempt Organizations and Impact Investing practice group. Jennifer chairs the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the State Bar of Michigan (Business Law Section) and is certified in nonprofit governance by Georgetown University. Jennifer utilizes her corporate & securities law and governance skills to serve tax-exempt clients, impact investors and social entrepreneurs in all aspects of their activities. She is the first-ever Impact Investing Expert in Residence for the Council of MI Foundations, working on developing and furthering the impact investing ecosystem in Michigan and beyond.
John Owens
John Owens held Senior Management positions in Marketing and Communications with major Midwest financial institutions. He was privileged to complement his career experience with an “encore” stint as a Director of Communications at Forgotten Harvest, a metro Detroit human services organization.
He is involved in his local community as a Precinct Delegate in Bloomfield Township.
Stephen Luigi Piazza
Matthew Roling
Matthew Roling is a professor and chair of Wayne State University’s Accounting Department. Prior to joining Wayne State, Matthew worked in a variety of management consulting and entrepreneurial roles – most recently serving as the CEO of a venture-backed financial technology start-up. A CPA and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Matthew loves to cook, travel and read in his free time.
Jim Ryan
Hubert Sawyers, III
