Ms. Monife Knuth
Board Chair
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Real Estate Specialist
Ms. Knuth is a realtor with a special love for historic communities. She has had a life long passion for helping others. She has been able to marry that passion with real estate. Her goal at W.I.S.E. is to use her knowledge to educate and support our community. Knuth has published a myriad of articles on mortgage rates, moving, selling and buying homes. She serves on the Executive Committee for Jack and Jill Detroit, and many community boards whose focus and mission is to effect social change and equity for all in the United States. She is a member of the Agent Leadership Council in Detroit as well as the Social Equity Ambassador for the Michigan and Northern Ohio Region in Keller Williams.
Ms. Olwyn Shirley
Board Secretary/Treasurer
Research
Ms. Shirley is a semi-retired compensation analyst in Human Resources. She brings her business acumen and attention to detail to W.I.S.E. along with her strong sense of community and willingness to help others. Ms. Shirley’s dedication to uplift others is evident in the support groups she leads in the community.
Ms. Barbara Kellom
Executive Director
Ms. Kellom is a lifelong community and youth advocate with over 30 years experience in leadership in the nonprofit sector. In addition to W.I.S.E., she was the founder of several youth initiatives including Detroit Area Teen Investment Project, Onyx Cultural and Education Foundation, and most recently Teens in the D, a media initiative currently operating with Reel Roots Multimedia.
Ms. Kellom holds a Masters in Administration. Her memberships include the International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi Honor Society) and the Detroit Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. She is a fellow of the Detroit Equity Action Lab Cohort 6. Her goal as a Fellow was to gain greater knowledge and perspective on systemic and structural racism as it pertains to the community she serves. Kellom is also a published children’s author and self-taught visual artist.
Ms. Brittni Kellom
Director of Just Speak Inc.
Certified Trauma Practitioner
Brittni Kellom is the Founder and Executive Director of Just Speak and owner of her trauma-informed business. She is a Certified Trauma Practitioner and has been consulting in education since 2008. She is also a doula and certified in Thai massage yoga.
Having worked inside the classroom, within behavioral support, and residential as well as being the recipient of many awards, Ms. Kellom is truly an authority in her field. Whether the focus of your change is training, workshops, in a school or a story needing to be shared for social impact, Brittni is dedicated to healing centered education engagement practices for young people while meeting communities right where they are. Her dedication has been recognized by the City of Detroit several times, CBS Detroit Eye On Detroit, and she was most recently awarded the Power of One Dedicated Woman by Michigan Community Resources.
Ms. Lacetia Walker
Board Member
Ms. Walker is an Educator and Instructional Specialist. Her energy and willingness to engage are a welcomed addition to W.I.S.E.
Walker is invested in the community. She holds a Masters of Education in Urban Education and Leadership from Cambridge College and and Masters in Learning Disabilities & Mathematics. Her passion for elevating the community’s literacy rate will be witnessed in the W.I.S.E. Victory Village Center of Literacy & Learning. The social entrepreneur is the owner of several companies including, Elevate Up. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.