Our Board of Directors

Shakaboona Marshall

COMMUNITY LEADER & ORGANIZER

BOARD CHAIR

  • Shakaboona Marshall is a criminal justice reform activist and movement architect whose work sits at the intersection of grassroots organizing and electoral power. A native of West Philadelphia and a justice-impacted individual, he’s transformed personal experience into public leadership—founding the Human Rights Coalition and co-founding the Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration. His early organizing laid the groundwork for Pennsylvania’s modern anti-mass incarceration movement, launching citywide rallies, town halls, human rights parades, and The Movement magazine to center incarcerated voices in political discourse.

    He’s been tapped to run the Human Rights Coalition (HRC) as its executive director where leads various actions for formerly incarcerated individuals, notably his “Second Chance” annual banquet where exemplary returning citizens are honored and given awards for their work and impact.

    Shakaboona is not just rewriting the rules of engagement for justice-impacted communities, he’s building movements, shaping outcomes, securing power for progressive change.

Luis Suave Gonzales

JUSTICE REFORM ACTIVIST,

JOURNALISM PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, BOARD CHAIR

  • David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez is a Philadelphia-based artist, activist, and reentry advocate whose life story anchors Suave, the Futuro Studios/PRX podcast that won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. Sentenced to life without parole at age 17, he was released in 2017 after U.S. Supreme Court rulings limited mandatory life terms for juveniles; the podcast chronicles his three decades in prison and transition home.

    Beyond the podcast, Gonzalez creates public art and speaks nationally on mass incarceration and second chances. He earned a degree from Villanova University, served as Director at NuStop Resource Center, and was a Reimagining Reentry Fellow with Mural Arts Philadelphia. He’s been featured by outlets including WHYY and Democracy Now! discussing post-release education and community work.

Marie-Louise Mendy

STRATEGIC FINANCE & OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

BOARD CHAIR, INTERIM TREASURER

  • Marie-Louise Mendy is a finance and operations executive with 18+ years across the entertainment industry and corporate finance. She is the founder of Purple Stories, a media finance and consulting firm, and a partner at Passbook, a venture studio and VC firm.

    Previously, she served as Vice President & Relationship Manager in CIT Bank’s Entertainment Finance group, where she structured, arranged, and underwrote more than $750M in debt facilities. Earlier roles include Senior Corporate Finance Analyst at 21st Century Fox, supporting board-level reporting and strategic initiatives, and Director of Finance & Operations at IM Global, overseeing global distribution and film financing operations. She mentors at-risk youth and leads film-mentoring programs for justice-involved Philadelphia teens in diversion and parole programs.

    She received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth Business School and a Masters in Film Business from Paris La Sorbonne University.

Keir Bradford-Grey, Esq

CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY

BOARD DIRECTOR

  • Keir Bradford-Grey leads Marrone Law Firm’s Civil Rights Litigation Department, providing strategic legal counsel to executive leadership, HR teams, and in-house counsel. Drawing on her experience as Chief Defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, she specializes in civil rights, regulatory investigations, and sensitive internal inquiries, achieving fair and equitable outcomes for clients at the state and federal levels.

    Keir bridges public and private partnerships to mitigate risk while advancing transparency, fairness, and equity. She also serves as Chief Legal Officer for Second Justice, a nonprofit focused on exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals and integrating policy, training, and reentry support into its mission.

    Her work reflects a commitment to justice, collaboration, and advancing community needs through innovative legal strategies.

Eden Testafaye

POLICY DEVELOPMENT & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

EXECUTIVE, BOARD CHAIR

  • Eden Tesfaye is the Chief Strategy Officer at Red + Blue Strategies, where she leverages her extensive logistical and strategic expertise to help everyone around her thrive. With a knack for organizing people and ideas, she ensures that every campaign, project, and event she touches runs smoothly and successfully. Eden excels at driving initiatives forward and empowering those around her to thrive. She’s a powerhouse and can find solutions to any obstacle that comes her way.

    Eden has served key roles within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), leading engagement and strategy on top priorities from Medicaid redeterminations, behavioral and maternal health to suicide prevention. She’s also worked for the White House, on numerous presidential campaigns, and for New York City’s office of the mayor, demonstrating her mastery of developing and executing complex strategies, logistics, and communications for stakeholders at all levels. She is a strategic leader passionate about health policy, intergovernmental affairs, and public outreach.

    Eden earned her degree from Hobart & William Smith Colleges in English and Political Science. She completed a post-baccalaureate program focused on biomedical sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas & Richland College.

Upcoming Board Chair

BOARD CHAIR announced soon!

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Latonya T. Myers

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ACTIVIST

BOARD CHAIR

  • Latonya T. Myers is a Paralegal in the Employment Unit at Community Legal Services (CLS) in Philadelphia, where she helps clients overcome employment barriers through record-clearing, expungement, and Fair Chance Hiring advocacy. She is the founder of Above All Odds, a grassroots initiative empowering system-impacted individuals and families, and a lead organizer for the Still We Rise Freedom Coalition, advancing reentry, restorative justice, and civic engagement across Pennsylvania.

    Latonya has shared her expertise at Yale Law School, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania, and her advocacy has been recognized by national media and organizations for driving meaningful change in reentry, employment access, and criminal justice reform. She partners with groups such as the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition, ORP, ACLU-PA, and Drexel University Law School to design programs that blend education, art, and empowerment.

    A dynamic speaker and advocate, Latonya uses her voice and experience to transform systems, expand opportunity, and inspire justice for returning citizens.

Eric Riddick

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ACTIVIST

BOARD CHAIR

  • Eric Riddick is a Philadelphia criminal-justice reform advocate who spent nearly 30 years incarcerated for a 1991 murder before gaining release in 2021. After the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit concluded he had not received a fair trial due to evidence that wasn’t shared with the defense, a judge vacated his 1992 first-degree murder conviction. Riddick then entered a no-contest plea to third-degree murder and was re-sentenced to time served, securing his freedom after almost three decades behind bars; he continues to maintain his innocence.

    Riddick’s case drew national attention through Georgetown University’s Making an Exoneree program and public support from his friend Meek Mill. Since his release, he has spoken widely about wrongful convictions, reentry, and second-chance policy—including Georgetown’s John Carroll Weekend and national media appearances—while supporting others navigating the path home.

Upcoming Board Chair

BOARD CHAIR announced soon!

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