Meet Our Team
Daniel Oppong
A little about me
I’m Daniel (He/Him), and I’m the Founder of The Courage Collective. My experience includes work in Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Tech, Consulting, Education, and the Nonprofit Sector. I care deeply about humanizing the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion conversation, bringing impactful ideas to life, and creating meaningful, memorable, and transformational experiences with & for others.
What courage means to me
Courage means showing up in moments big and small. It means understanding and embracing your own humanity and the humanity of others. It means taking the risks, doing the work, and becoming the better, more beautiful world we hope for and believe in. And perhaps most of all, for me — Courage means creating a life I love and building things I believe in with people I enjoy.
Nani Vishwanath
A little about me
I’m Nani (She/Her), and I’m a Facilitator & Consultant with The Courage Collective. I walk this Earth as a South Asian woman, a mother, an activist, a coach, a teacher, and a student. My professional background includes work in Human Resources, Technology and Higher Education. My mission in life is to empower the voices of those that are not often heard, and I strive to create spaces where those voices are celebrated, respected and understood.
What courage means to me
To me, courage means moving forward and into the unknown. A courageous person, organization or community embraces the unknown and sees it as an opportunity to grow, learn and evolve. Courage can show up in big moments and experiences, or can be demonstrated in small, every day acts. Both are important and both will make us better.
Sunday Helmerich
A little about me
I’m Sunday (They/Them), and I’m a Consultant & Facilitator with The Courage Collective. I am an advocate for fostering psychological safety in learning spaces to equip folks to absorb new concepts, acknowledge current biases, and feel intrinsically motivated to make the changes necessary to create equity in their workplace. As a gender queer person, showing up authentically - and feeling the safety to do so - is very important to me. The desire to create more safe spaces in businesses fueled my decision to leave the music industry, earn my Master’s in Org Psychology, and roll up my sleeves to help organizations transform into safer, more inclusive places for all.
What courage means to me
Courage means showing up authentically, meeting others where they are, and handling conflict with grace. Courage means having the resilience to continually stand up and advocate for equity for all. Courage is the willingness to admit when you're wrong and the humility to continue learning.
Michael Polite
A little about me
I'm Michael (He/Him), and I am a Researcher & Consultant with The Courage Collective. I am a global equity and inclusion advisor who believes in the inherent value and interconnectedness of all life. My professional experiences have afforded me the opportunity to lead research projects on six of seven continents, and I enjoy using the lessons I've absorbed to cultivate psychologically empowering cultures that yield inclusive communities. Compassion is my highest value; freedom is my highest aim.
What courage means to me
The word 'courage' comes from the Latin root "cor" which means 'seat of the heart.' Courage is a consistent decision to live bravely from our deep inner knowing. This isn't easy at all . . . as a matter of fact, it is probably the most terrifying commitment any of us can make; however, it is also one of the most exhilarating experiences we can have. Courage, then, is a paradox--for it asks us to intentionally face our deepest fear so we can discover our deepest joy.
Isaac Addae, PhD
A little about me
I’m Isaac (He/Him), and I’m a Consultant with The Courage Collective. As a first-generation Ghanaian American, I consider myself to be a change agent dedicated to shifting the trajectory of individuals, communities & organizations. My professional background includes work in military/defense, information technology, consulting, higher education and the nonprofit sector.
What courage means to me
I view courage as the ability to live and behave in a way that fully aligns with your morals and values. Being courageous may challenge societal norms and perspectives. Exemplifying courage in your daily life may even force you out of your comfort zone. However, I believe it is our duty to be an example of courageous living for the benefit of those around us and the world we live in.
Kelli Nowers
A little about me
I’m Kelli (She/Her), and I’m a Consultant at the Courage Collective. A life-long hunger to learn and commitment to transformational change has driven my professional experience and ongoing creative pursuits. My academic background centered on gender, antiracism, anti-militarization, and social movements which I now incorporate into my leadership at a grassroots nonprofit advocating for positive policy change for women and kids. Writing has always been a healing and creative outlet for me, so I am naturally drawn to stories and symbolism as a means to speak truth and make change.
What courage means to me
I view courage as intentional expansion outside of your perceived limitations: the worldview you grew up in, the societal norms you are told to fit into, your comfort zone. I think it is courageous to get curious and ask questions about systems and structures that you have taken for granted. Ultimately, I think it is courageous to change your mind and evolve.
Sitaara Jones
A little about me
I’m Sitaara (She/Her), and I’m a Marketer & Consultant with The Courage Collective. I am a cheerleader for balance, peace, and equal rights and visibility for all. With a background in education, I care deeply about improving the world that our children grow up in and fostering self-confidence, self-discovery, and self-love in our youth. I can be best described as a thoughtful listener, an avid-supporter, a lifelong learner, and an optimist. When I’m not dreaming up ways to improve the world, I love to dance, read, and spend time with my family.
What courage means to me
The word courage is a noun - a person, place, thing or an idea. In this form, courage can take on a variety of definitions but to me, courage is the idea of knowing that the path ahead is dangerous but still pushing forward, speaking up for yourself or others even when your voice shakes, and advocating for what you believe in even when the odds are against you.
The word courageous is also an adjective. It is a word that describes a person, place, thing, or an idea and cannot be used singularly, without a noun. In this form, I see being courageous as an act that you do- a choice that you make every single day and something that you continuously work towards. Key word being you.
Brynn Plummer
A little about me
I’m Brynn (She/Her), and I’m a Facilitator & Consultant with The Courage Collective. I am a career inclusion and equity professional with experiences in k-12 education, entrepreneurial ecosystems, research, and political organizing. My favorite areas of impact are multipartial facilitation, intersectional analysis, systems audits, communicating across power differentials, normalizing divergent cultural patterns in the workplace, and implementing DEIB practices in startup environments.
What courage means to me
Courage is a commitment to doing what is right even when it is costly - especially when it is costly. My courage comes from history and an appreciation for the generational work that is liberation. The many scholars, activists and everyday people of years past, many of them Black women, remind me that I am someone’s descendant and someone’s ancestor. The cape and crown I wear were already paid for by the people who came before me; I merely have to keep them on in this lifetime so that I might hand them to the people who will come after me.
Mari Hegyi
A little about me
I’m Mari (She/Her), and I’m a Facilitator with The Courage Collective. For the past 10 years I have worked to build company cultures where employees feel valued. My objective in life is for everyone to see and be seen, for everyone to get to enjoy the full range of the human experience, and to be able to cultivate a life of meaning. This is not possible unless we all turn inward and untangle our own stories and beliefs and create new ones that better serve ourselves and each other. I’m energized by beauty, connection, and love.
What courage means to me
To me, courage means standing in your values and power. It means, being scared, and doing it anyway. I believe that you can’t live a purpose-driven life without courage, which is exactly why we all need more of it.
Lauren Franklin
A little about me
I’m Lauren (She/Her), and I’m a Facilitator with The Courage Collective. My favorite titles include wife, daughter, sister, outdoor enthusiast, aspiring chef, and change agent. With a background in research, tech, higher education, and employee engagement, I find myself most inspired when I can use data to tell stories that transform teams, businesses, and organizations.
What courage means to me
Courage means activating your authentic self. In a culture that often rewards status, competition, and perfection, to show up as your flawed, vulnerable and human self every day takes true courage. And when that authentic self shows up and brings courage along with it, I believe that’s what truly sparks meaningful relationships, change, and connection.
Isis Avalos
A little about me
I’m Isis (e-sees) (She/Her), and I’m a Facilitator with The Courage Collective. I am a Mother, Mexican, Immigrant and Movement Artivist. My professional background is in the Non-profit Arts sector both administratively and in Performance. My lived experience as an undocumented person in the South Texas borderland has and continues to, inform my forever-journey of decolonizing. I truly believe the body stores ancestral memory to help guide us as we walk in this path of remembering how to be with one another
What courage means to me
Courage is swimming across that river without knowing how to swim with the deep belief that something better is on the other side. Courage, are the Native languages still being spoken today.
Stacy Taylor
A little about me
I’m Stacy (She/Her), and I’m a Consultant with The Courage Collective. I am Black, I am Queer, I am my mother’s daughter, and I am my ancestors’ wildest dream. I am passionate about liberation, abolition, living my truest life, and encouraging those around me to live theirs.
What courage means to me
So many of us are taught to simply survive the world that we live in. Letting it crash into us, as a bystander, only fighting for our lives if we are pushed past our breaking point. Courage is finding the strength to opt-in to life – deliberately, vibrantly, painfully, and vulnerably. Courage asks us to return to the fullness we were born with, to dismantle the parts of this world that do not serve us and to create a better future born out of that liberation.
Grace Twesigye
A little about me
I’m Grace (She/Her), and I’m a Consultant with The Courage Collective. I am a first generation Ugandan-American whose favorite titles include: mother, partner, sister, coach, friend, and bibliophile. My professional history includes work as a people strategist, employee advocate, and attorney. My background, beliefs, and temperament guided me into the liberatory work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and I am honored to continue the work in this space.
What courage means to me
Being scared and doing it anyway.
Acting in ways that will instill pride in your ancestors and descendants.
Getting knocked down, taking a deep breath, and mustering the will to stand up one more time.
Going through life with the following phrase as a commandment: “But still, like air, I’ll rise.”
Esther Oppong
A little about me
I’m Esther (She/Her), and I’m a Facilitator with The Courage Collective. As a Canadian-born, Texas-raised Ghanaian, my professional experiences are largely centered in counseling, higher education, and student affairs, where I currently work as a Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate, supporting student survivors of sexual or relational violence. In a delightfully unexpected turn of events, I’ve also been engaging in the journey of small business ownership for the past five years. My work with survivors has highlighted the resilience and tenacity present in the human spirit amidst devastating circumstances. I believe that people can be exceptional when invited to a higher standard, and I am grateful for and inspired by every opportunity to share that pursuit.
What courage means to me
As a woman who spent too many years doubting (and at its worst, undermining) my greatness and worthiness, to me, courage means being willing to take a chance on yourself. It means daring to believe that the best can happen rather than expecting mediocrity or inviting the worst. It means staring yourself in the face and deliberately choosing to embrace the entirety of your fabulous flaws. I’ve also discovered great courage in vulnerability, which creates space to be seen more fully, and encourages others to drop their tightly-held armor and find rest.
Sasha Rojas, PhD
A little about me
I’m Sasha (she/her/ella), and I’m a Consultant with the Courage Collective. My longstanding interest in serving underserved and marginalized populations has been heavily informed by my professional journey and lived experience as part of a first-generation Hispanic-American family. My doctoral training has provided me with a strong foundation in the scientific method and evidence-based practice, which I intentionally aim to take forward to empower underserved communities. As a clinical psychologist, I value the practice of evidence-based care from a culturally-humble perspective and innovative models of care delivery to most effectively reach those in need.
What courage means to me
Courage in my mind is a word that calls to action. I believe to have courage is to make the daily decision to engage in value-driven behaviors. It takes courage to follow one’s moral compass despite adversity and any uncomfortable emotions that may arise. Courage is powerful and I believe it’s our anchor as we strive toward a value-driven life.
Lindsay Lagreid
A little about me
I'm Lindsay (She/Her), and I'm a Facilitator with the The Courage Collective. I am a lifelong metaphorical onion-peeler - constantly learning and unlearning so I can share the truest and most beautiful version of myself with the world. I'm energized by the intersection of psychology, technology, and work. Within that space lies the opportunity to create life-enhancing experiences that generate energy people can carry with them and share with the world on their unique journey.
What courage means to me
Courage means allowing all emotions. It requires a willingness to sit...quietly...with discomfort, tension, and shame so we can be open to receive the lessons and wisdom they contain. It asks us to give voice to silent stories so truth can fuel transformation. On the other side is safety, connection, growth, and humanity. Worth it.
Lamar Morgan
A little about me
I’m Lamar (He/Him), and I’m an Associate with The Courage Collective. I’ve always been incredibly passionate about connecting with and helping people, especially those dealt a less-than hand and that being completely out of their control. My passions lie in marketing, DE&I, and creative solutions to challenging problems. Soon, I’ll be the cofounder of two non-profit initiatives aimed at advancing Black and Brown people in marketing and helping first-generation college students advocate for themselves. Also, I really love Jazz!
What courage means to me
Doing whatever it is that’s challenging for YOU to do. That is not determined by anyone else but you, so I believe courage to be honesty with your inner-self, especially when making those decisions you wouldn’t normally breeze right through.
Daniel Kang
A little about me
I’m Daniel (He/Him), and I’m an Associate with The Courage Collective. I am a first generation Korean American actively fighting to break the bamboo ceiling holding down Asian talent. I am best known as a practical problem solver, caring change agent and systems-oriented strategist. My chosen tools to combat inequity lie at the intersection of organizational psychology, social innovation and design thinking. Past impact areas that I’ve worked on include: refugee resettlement, prison rehabilitation, international K-12 education, responsible consumption and production and empowering grassroots organizations.
What courage means to me
Courage or 용기 (yong-gi) means trusting in your business, your community and your potential above all. Everyone has courage. What’s rare is the ability to follow your courage to the vast heights and dark places where it leads. Courage is the vulnerable acknowledgment that the journey may be difficult and disheartening yet choosing it again every time to achieve your greater purpose.
Havan Temesghen
A little about me
I’m Havan (She/Her), and I’m an Associate with The Courage Collective. I am a first generation Eritrean-American creating a life of abundance thanks to the sacrifices of my family. My professional work is focused on establishing innovative solutions to gaps in healthcare programming. This is through preventive action, proactive outreach, and creating tangible education with the intent to increase health equity in my community. I look for any opportunity to broaden my horizon in life and one secret that gets me by everytime is “Manifest and it’s Yours”.
What courage means to me
Simply put, courage is freedom.
Freedom from insecurities, doubt, and fear. It is an opportunity to break out of the confines our minds have built up so well and walk into the unknown not only with resilience, but self assurance. Courage tells us yes when the world says no.
Raymond Tate
A little about me
I’m Raymond, and I am an Associate with The Courage Collective. I use He / Him pronouns. I have a passion for promoting one’s ability to achieve their full health potential, perfect health, by addressing Social Determinants of Health. The desire to create brave, inclusive spaces for all people has been focal within my life and career, and I am grateful to have spent the last nine years serving communities in various capacities within nonprofits and the military. My background is in community development, capacity building, program development, youth development, nonprofit management, and leadership. My motto is simple, lead with love.
What courage means to me
For me, courage is being vulnerable enough to identify that there is a power imbalance and actively finding solutions for the unevenness, while being vocal during the process.
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