Meet the 2023 Champions of Change People's Choice Award Nominees
Join us for DivInc’s 5th Annual Champions of Change Awards presented by Notley!
This special event recognizes and celebrates local individuals who champion diversity, equity and inclusion in the Austin ecosystem.
Champions of Change takes place on March 2, 2023 at Distribution Hall.
Space is limited - be sure to get your tickets early.
People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award recognizes individuals that have demonstrated community engagement and DEI work in a meaningful way. Nominees were selected by a Selection Committee comprised of diverse and distinguished leaders and advocates in Austin. The public will vote on their top pick January 13-February 9, and the winner will be announced at the event on March 2nd 2023.
Meet the 2023 People’s Choice Nominees
Lily Trieu, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Asian Texans for Justice
Lily Trieu is a Houston native and cross-sector professional with more than 14 years of experience in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Currently she serves as the Executive Director of Asian Texans for Justice, a statewide nonprofit with a mission to connect Asian and Pacific Islander Texans to meaningful civic action to build personal and political power. Asian American and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial ground in Central Texas, Texas, and nationally - and as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, serving this community is personally meaningful for Lily. Prior to her policy and advocacy work, Lily spent over ten years in the private sector with a focus on strategy, relationship management, and project management. She has a BBA in Marketing and BA in Asian Studies from The University of Texas Austin as well as an MBA with a concentration in Public and Governmental Affairs from the McCombs School of Business. Currently based in Austin, TX, Lily sits on the City of Austin Asian American Quality of Life Advisory Commission and is an Advisory Board Member of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life.
Javier Wallace, Owner & Guide, Black Austin Tours
Javier Wallace, Ph.D., is the "Master Storyteller." He is the founder, owner, and principal guide of Black Austin Tours (BAT). Javier started BAT in 2019 as a continuation of AfroLatinx Travel, which he co-founded in 2015. In all endeavors through curation and narrative storytelling, Javier seeks to amplify the themes explored in his lived experiences and academic research. In 2021, Javier received a Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin from the College of Education. Javier is the inaugural Race and Sport Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University in the African and African American Studies Department. Javier's first book project(under contract with Duke University Press), Sueños del Norte: Black Panamanian Hoop Dreams & the Realities of Basketball Trafficking, which explores basketball trafficking in U.S. High School Basketball, was selected as a top topic on Afro-Latin studies part of the Afro-Latin American Research Institute (ALARI) at the Hutchins Center, Harvard University. Javier's work centering on the histories, experiences, and contributions of Black people has led him to be featured on the Travel Channel, ESPN Longhorn Network, and The Discovery Channel documentary on self-emancipating Africans. Various articles have been written on Javier's work in publications such as Conde Nast Travel and Travel & Leisure. He was awarded the "Top Travel Influencer" in 2021 by The Texas Travel Awards. Javier earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Florida A&M University, an HBCU, where he also played offensive lineman for the Rattler Football Team. He is of U.S. and Panamanian heritage and has served as athletic director and physical educator in the Republic of Panama.
Kai Morley, Trans Advocate & Youth Worker
Kai Morley (they/he) is an educator, youth worker, and trans advocate. Growing up in the state of Maine, Kai had little to no representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Through their personal journey, they learned the impact that visibility has on individuals and communities who are underrepresented in the general public and in media. Kai has committed their online presence to be the trans representation they needed when they were younger; shedding light on the trans experience and showing others the power of trans joy.
Paulina Artieda, Executive Director, The New Philanthropists
With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Paulina is a driven and self-directed Creative Strategist that has focused her career on developing solutions for multicultural communities, as well as helping clients connect with audiences in relevant and meaningful ways. Paulina's leadership skills have stemmed from various roles, including: Creative Director, Bilingual Marketing Consultant, Digital Strategist and Design Thinking Coach. As Executive Director for The New Philanthropists, she leads all efforts in making Austin nonprofit boards more diverse and inclusive. She is passionate about elevating the discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion among leadership circles and in helping add more seats at tables where representation is crucial.
Nicole K. Bell, Founder and Principal Consultant at Full Humanity Consulting & Interim Manager of Staff Professional Development and Evaluations at Austin Community College
Nicole K. Bell (she/her/hers) is a strategic learning and development professional. She creates spaces for learning and liberation. She focuses on communication, leadership, equity, and creating inclusive and authentic learning connections. She is one of the founders and principal consultants of the equity education and strategy team at Full Humanity Consulting. She is also the staff professional development and evaluations manager (interim) in Human Resources at Austin Community College (ACC). She has over 15 years of experience in creating diverse employee leadership and development training programs. She is a certified mediator, success coach, and graduate of both Leadership Women-Leadership Pipeline, 2016, and the Essential Class of Leadership Austin, 2018. Nicole is a Courageous Conversations about Race Affiliate Practitioner trained by the Pacific Education Group. As an Anti-Racist educator, Nicole's passion is the uplifting and support of women and families of color. Nicole’s mission in equity work is to create spaces for everyone to be free to show up in their full humanity. She does this work to leave a better world for her two brilliant daughters (12&24) and their future families.
Carl Settles, Founder/Executive Director at E4 Youth
Carl Settles is the visionary Founder and Executive Director of E4 Youth. E4 Youth partners with local schools, creative media and technology industry leaders to provide innovative curriculum and support, career exposure, job shadowing and internship opportunities to youth ages 16 – 24. His latest venture, What Once Was (WOW), is a location-based mixed reality storytelling engine that explores the impacts of gentrification by facilitating in person and remote tours of historic sites. College-aged students participating in E4 Youth's Creative Leadership Academy earn employment opportunities as they work side by side with industry professionals to create content and lead community workshops and tours for people of all ages.