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Merika Goolsby is a San Francisco, California native, former foster youth, and proud adoptee. With over 13 years of experience as a small pet care business owner, she combines her love for animals with her passion for psychology, holding a BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University. Merika has also served as a facilitator for an online support group for same-race Black adoptees, creating a safe space for connection and dialogue within the community. As a living example of not only surviving but thriving, Merika is committed to empowering others on their personal journeys. She currently facilitates the Get Fit Diamond Club, an online fitness community that provides a judgment-free, supportive environment for individuals to achieve their fitness goals. Through her work, she aims to inspire others to prioritize their well-being and embrace the importance of mental and physical health. What I Love: My hope is to be able to help people tell their stories, be they fiction or non-fiction. From proof-reading, line-editing. The craft itself and engaging with the hard work of writing are what I'm after. Administrative Work: I've worked as an administrative assistant and patient service coordinator. I've developed a passion for seeing a project to its end and finding solutions to all the little problems that pop up along the way. IDI Work: I am a Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory. I work with individuals and groups to help them develop skills to bridge gaps between members of different cultural backgrounds. Karlos Dillard is a published author and Social Media Foster Care Advocate. Karlos is a Transracial Adoptee who was adopted from the Michigan State foster care system at the age of 9. He has a social media platform that is focused on providing accessible, diverse, and ethical adoption and foster care education. Formerly, Karlos was a commercial actor working for companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Mercedes Benz, and many more. Karlos has led training for foster families and adoption agencies on transracial adoption, adoption trauma, and financial literacy for foster youth. He has partnered with organizations like TreeHouse for Kids in Seattle, Wa using his large social media platform to fundraise over $10,000 worth of toiletries, backpacks, and suitcases for foster youth. Karlos was also the Keynote Speaker for Treehouse for Kids' annual Champions Luncheon 2022. He is a frequent speaker in many different settings, including colleges, adoption agencies, and conferences, his latest being the Keynote Speaker for Deleware State DSCYF Destined for Greatness annual graduation ceremony. Karlos has used his story of being a foster youth and an adoptee growing up in a white world to curate deep conversations about race in America. With his unique insight on racial tensions between the white and Black communities, he has been able to curate impactful conversations online and off where everyone learns to value each other and their experience, while learning about systemic racism, privilege, and their role in it. Karlos wrote an engaging memoir, Wards of the State: A Memoir of Foster Care, which is about his lived experience in the Michigan State foster care system, surviving more than 30 placements. He is a phenomenal speaker and always shines a light on the dark truths of the foster care and adoption systems. Vanessa Rochelle Lewis (MFA) is a Queer, Fat, Black, Femme performer, facilitator, educator, writer, activist, healer, joyful weirdo, and Faerie Princess. She is the Founding Director of Reclaim UGLY, an intergenerational, multi-racial, LGBTQIA+ and Black led organization.

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