In Context: Women on the Rise Honorees

Meet our Women on the Rise Honorees. Each of these women has contributed to helping realize America’s enduring promises of freedom, independence, and opportunity. We are shining a light on their impact and celebrating their efforts.

We are honored to recognize Erricka Bridgeford as a Community Uplifter. 

As one of Baltimore’s leading anti-violence advocates, Erricka works tirelessly for the change she wants for her community. She speaks candidly about her own experiences, including the 2007 murder of her brother, David. Out of that pain, she adopted the motto: “Live out loud…. regardless, despite, and because…,” which guides her work, fostering honest dialogue in the community and connecting people on an emotional and spiritual level. 

Erricka began her career as a community mediator, eventually providing training and support to mediation centers, state agencies, organizations, and correctional facilities. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Baltimore Community Mediation Center, where she first completed her training. Following her brother’s murder, Erricka took on a more vocal role as an activist—working to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, advocating for programs to support the families of murder victims, and speaking about the power of forgiveness over revenge. In 2017, she co-organized the Baltimore Ceasefire movement, a citywide call for 72 hours of no murder that took place four times each year. The movement continued through 2022, when it evolved and rebranded as the Baltimore Peace Movement. 

Celebrating Erricka Bridgeford—a true Community Uplifter whose unwavering dedication inspires others to choose compassion over conflict and embrace the power of collective healing. 

Learn More and Support:  
Website: Erricka Bridgeford  
Website: Baltimore Peace Movement 
Website: Baltimore Community Mediation Center 
LinkedIn: Erricka Bridgeford 
Instagram: @Errickawondervoice 

Know a woman making an impact? Nominate someone for our Women on the Rise campaign.

  • Meet Amy Summers, our Community Uplifter honoree! 

    We are honored to recognize Amy Summers as a Community Uplifter. As Executive Director of Mentoring MUSE, Amy has dedicated herself to supporting underserved women in Ulster County through one-to-one mentorship, free virtual workshops, mentoring think tanks, events, and resources. 

    Mentoring MUSE empowers women to discover and pursue their purpose with passion. Amy leads a program that helps mentees craft unique roadmaps to success, build confidence, and achieve their educational, personal, and entrepreneurial goals —including both hard and soft skills development. 

    "I believe every individual has the potential to live a fulfilling and purposeful life. Mentoring MUSE provides a safe, non-judgmental space for women to explore their inner selves and work toward their desired outcomes." — Amy Summers 

    Amy brings over 26 years of program leadership, including roles as Mentoring Director at Raising HOPE Women Mentoring Women to Success and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western MA, as well as experience in higher education and global community programs. She holds a B.A. in Women’s Studies and is trained in trauma-informed care, cultural sensitivity, and leadership development. 

    Join us in celebrating Amy Summers, a Women on the Rise Community Uplifter, for her leadership and dedication to empowering underserved women.  

    Learn More and Support: 
    Mentoring MUSE: mentoringmuse.com 
    LinkedIn: Amy Summers 
    Instagram: @mentoring.muse

  • Meet Simone Marean, our Purpose-Driven Leader honoree! 

    When Simone Marean co-founded Girls Leadership, she set out to help every girl find the confidence and freedom to use her voice. Girls Leadership is a national non-profit partnering with the adults in girls' lives to create liberatory classrooms, communities, and sports teams where all young people are seen and supported as their most powerful selves. 

    As Co-CEO, Simone has expanded partnerships with schools and community groups to reach more than 150,000 girls each year. Together with Co-CEO Takai Tyler, she leads through a shared model that places equity and inclusion at the heart of the organization—ensuring that the leadership guiding girls reflects the diversity of those it serves. 

    Simone came to this work through her background in theatre and education, with a steadfast commitment to the power of play, mistakes, and community. She lives with her family in Berkeley, CA. 

    Join us in celebrating Simone Marean as a Purpose-Driven Leader whose unwavering commitment to nurturing girls’ voices and opportunities continues to make an impact nationwide. 

    Learn More and Support:
    GirlsLeadership.org
    LinkedIn: Simone Marean and Girls Leadership
    Instagram: @SMarean and @GirlsLeadership

  • Meet Roxanne Hack, our Barrier Breaker honoree!

    We proudly recognize Roxanne Hack, retired Captain of the Louisville Fire Department, as a Woman on the Rise in the Barrier Breaker category.

    In 1987, Roxanne became only the fifth woman to join the department’s ranks—a trailblazing step that opened doors for future generations of women in firefighting. Over her 20-year career, she not only broke barriers in her own department but also worked to create change across North America.

    For twelve years, she served in an elected position on the Human Relations Committee of the International Association of Firefighters, where she worked to foster a more peaceful and productive environment for her brothers and sisters across the U.S. and Canadian fire service.

    Join us in celebrating Roxanne as a true Barrier Breaker whose leadership pushed boundaries and built workplaces where everyone belongs.  

  • Meet Rebecca Stephens, our Community Uplifter honoree!

    Rebecca Stephens, Executive Director of PAGE Programs (Partnership for Appalachian Girls’ Education), is a true Community Uplifter who uses education, storytelling, and empowerment to inspire change. With nearly two decades of experience, she leads with the belief that every young person—especially girls in Appalachia—deserves a learning environment that honors their identity and encourages them to become changemakers. 

    Through her leadership, PAGE has expanded opportunities across Appalachia with STE(A)M labs, summer programs, and fellowships. Her work amplifies underrepresented voices, weaving together cultural heritage with academic growth, and empowering youth through human rights education. 

    Her commitment shines in times of community need. After Hurricane Helene, she and PAGE quickly mobilized to support the educational and emotional needs of girls in Western North Carolina, showing how education can be both a stabilizing force and a source of hope. 

    Rebecca’s philosophy of education reflects compassion and responsibility, inspired by the words of Jane Goodall in Reason for Hope: 

    "Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference… It is these undeniable qualities of human love and compassion and self-sacrifice that give me hope for the future.”

    Join us in celebrating Rebecca’s leadership and impact as a Women on the Rise Community Uplifter. 

    Learn More and Support:
    Website: PAGE Programs
    LinkedIn: Rebecca Stephens
    Instagram: @Page_Programs

  • Meet Dr. Asya Johnson, our Barrier Breaker honoree!

    Dr. Johnson founded HBCU Early College Prep, the first school of its kind in a major metropolitan area. Through her vision and leadership, she has created a program that blends rigorous early-college coursework with the cultural pride and legacy of HBCUs. Guided by her values of Ubuntu (I Am Because We Are), legacy, and ingenuity, Dr. Johnson prepares scholars to earn a tuition-free associate’s degree while cultivating leadership, academic confidence, and community impact.  

    Join us in celebrating Dr. Johnson, a true Barrier Breaker, for her groundbreaking work and dedication to empowering the next generation! 

    Learn More and Support:
    HBCU Early College Prep
    LinkedIn: Asya Johnson
    Instagram: @dr.j_hbcu_principal

  • Meet Trisha (T.M.) Blanchet, our Community Uplifterhonoree! 

    Trisha is the founder of Operation Delta Dog, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to rescue shelter dogs and train them as service dogs for veterans with PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and related conditions. Since 2013, Operation Delta Dog has placed more than 100 rescued dogs with veterans in New England—giving dogs the loving homes they need and veterans the help they deserve.  

    But that’s not all Trisha does to uplift her community. She is also the author of The Neath Trilogy: Herrick's End, Herrick's Lie, and Herrick's Key. She produces and hosts A Mighty Blaze Podcast, bringing weekly interviews with authors to listeners everywhere. Before all this, Trisha was a reporter, editor, and award-winning humor columnist, and she’s a proud graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 

    Learn More and Support:
    Operation Delta Dog: operationdeltadog.org

    Learn more about Trisha: TMBlanchet.com
    Instagram: @trishablanchet
    Threads: @t.m.blanchet
    TikTok: @tmblanchet
    Facebook: trisha.blanchet

  • Meet Nesrine Mbarek, our Rising Voice honoree!

    Originally from Gafsa, Tunisia, Nesrine is emerging as a Rising Voice in education, gender equality, and activism. In her work with IIEP-UNESCO, Nesrine supports Ministries of Education in countries including South Africa, Colombia, Jordan, Chad, Mauritania, Ghana, and Madagascar to advance financial reforms that create more equitable, gender-responsive education systems. For example, she developed a procedural manual to mainstream gender equality within Chad’s education system, demonstrating her commitment to shaping a more just and inclusive future. 

    A Stanford and Harvard graduate, Nesrine applies her expertise to expanding education and equity across the globe. 

    Join us in celebrating Nesrine as a rising voice for advancing educational equity around the world

    Learn More: 
    UNESCO IIEP: iiep.unesco.org
    LinkedIn: Nesrine Mberek

  • Meet Shawn Reilly Simmons, our Purpose-Driven Leader honoree!

    Shawn is the owner, publisher, and managing editor of Level Best Books, an independent crime fiction press based in Maryland with a roster of over 230 authors. Level Best Books publishes quality crime fiction, true crime, select nonfiction, fantasy & speculative fiction, YA, middle-grade, and short story anthologies and collections. 

    As a purpose-driven leader, Shawn is dedicated to advancing freedom and independence for marginalized voices in the publishing world. Through Level Best Books, she creates opportunities for women and underrepresented writers—including older women who are often overlooked by larger publishers—to share their stories, build their platforms, and find community in the crime fiction and broader literary world. 

    Shawn is helping to reshape the publishing landscape so that diverse stories are told, valued, and celebrated. 

    Join us in celebrating Shawn’s commitment to purpose-driven leadership in publishing. 

    Learn More and Support:
    Website: Level Best Books
    LinkedIn: ShawnReillySimmons
    Instagram: @levelbestbooks

Know a woman making an impact? Nominate someone for our Women on the Rise campaign.