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2025 SPEAKER LINEUP
Allyx Schiavone
Allyx Schiavone is the force behind Friends Center for Children’s rapid growth and innovation. Under her leadership, Friends Center has grown to three – soon to be five – locations across New Haven. Allyx advocates for access and equity in early care and education, a concerted focus on educator well-being, and driving investment in creative strategies to increase educators’ compensation.
Allyx serves as chair of Child Care for CT, and, in 2025, was appointed to the Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board. The Fund was established through the leadership of Child Care for CT and Friends Center.
Under Allyx’s leadership, Friends Center for Children was recognized with the 2024 Yale University Seton Elm-Ivy Award. Allyx is a member of the Ideal Learning Roundtable, the mayoral-appointed New Haven Early Childhood Council, and the External Stakeholders Steering Committee for the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.
Allyx serves as chair of Child Care for CT, and, in 2025, was appointed to the Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board. The Fund was established through the leadership of Child Care for CT and Friends Center.
Under Allyx’s leadership, Friends Center for Children was recognized with the 2024 Yale University Seton Elm-Ivy Award. Allyx is a member of the Ideal Learning Roundtable, the mayoral-appointed New Haven Early Childhood Council, and the External Stakeholders Steering Committee for the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.
Dr. AZA Allsop
Dr. AZA Allsop is an artist, neuroscientist, and psychiatrist who researches social cognition, music mindfulness, and psychedelics. His artistic, research, and clinical work are guided by the belief that decoding these tools will provide insights about how social groups function and offer insights into treating mental suffering and enhancing the evolution of society at large. He studied Biology, Jazz, and Philosophy at North Carolina Central University, and received his graduate training from the Harvard-MIT MD PhD program, where he was also an Emerson scholar at Berklee College of Music. He completed clinical training in psychiatry at Yale with a certification in psychedelic assisted therapy and research. Dr. AZA combines art, science, spirituality, and community building to drive social change and facilitate the healing process.
Caty Poole
As the innovator behind Caty’s Creations, Caty brings three decades of life sciences experience and a communications degree to her career in food and farming. Her journey began with a passion for equitable food access, which led her to Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge, CT in 2012. During her 11-year tenure as executive director, she deepened her expertise—from backyard gardening to nutrition, beekeeping, and wild crafting—while establishing farm-based educational programs rooted in her family’s agricultural heritage. She has expanded her knowledge through courses in vegan cooking, herbalism, and wild foraging, earning a Master’s certificate from The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition. In 2024, she became a Master Beekeeper. She transitioned away from her full-time executive role to focus on healthy food access through communal gardening, cooking classes, beekeeping, and wildcrafting.
Fereshteh Ganjavi
Fereshteh Ganjavi is the Founder and Executive Director of Elena’s Light, a New Haven–based nonprofit empowering refugee and immigrant women through education, leadership, and advocacy. A former refugee from Afghanistan, she has transformed her journey of resilience into a model of community empowerment—building partnerships with over 120 universities nationwide to connect emerging leaders with programs that help hundreds of women gain independence through English learning, health education, and access to essential resources. Fereshteh serves as a Board Advisor for PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute), a TEDxNewHaven Organizer, and a Vital Voices Fellow and two-time Women’s Impact Award recipient. She has lectured at Yale University, Wesleyan University, and the University of New Haven, and was invited to the White House to discuss the Welcome Corps program. A public health advocate and community organizer, Fereshteh continues to champion equity and opportunity for refugees and immigrants through her Lighting the Future Speaker Series.
Dr. Kaydian Simone Reid
Dr. Kaydian Simone Reid is an Associate Professor and Director of Public Health Programs at the University of Saint Joseph, where her research, teaching, and practice focus on health equity. As a mixed-methods researcher, she explores how ethnic identity affects the health of English-speaking Afro- Caribbean immigrants, examining its role in shaping health practices and outcomes across generations. Her academic work is rooted in real-world public health experience and personal insight as an Afro- Caribbean immigrant woman. Being both an immigrant and a mother, Dr. Reid brings personal and professional dedication to her field. Her notable achievements include the 2022 Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2023 Reverend Stack Teaching Excellence Award—the university's highest teaching honor—as well as a 40 Under Forty community service award. Dr. Reid’s career is devoted to understanding and improving sustainable community and population health through research, teaching, mentorship, service, and practice.
Kristiann Vargas Perez
Chef Kristiann Vargas Perez is the creative force behind Distinctive Ideas, a West Hartford-based culinary company redefining farm-to-fork dining. As the Resident Chef at Auerfarm in Bloomfield, she curates immersive, community-centered experiences that celebrate local farms, ethical sourcing, and seasonal ingredients. A proud mother, wife, and daughter, Kristiann built her business to prove that hospitality can be nurturing, inclusive, and family-centered. Her style blends refined technique with heartfelt storytelling—each dish rooted in heritage, seasonality, and connection. Through curated events, private dining experiences, and hands-on culinary classes for both children and adults, she continues to share her passion for food and community. Guided by creativity, collaboration, and a deep respect for the land, Chef Kristiann Vargas Perez is dedicated to making the essence of fine dining recognizable, approachable, and meaningful to all who gather around the table.
Peter Fousek
Peter Fousek has served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Connecticut Tenants Union, a democratic, member-driven organization composed of affiliated chapters around the state, since his election to the role at the Union's founding membership convention in 2023.
Dr. Yusuf Ransome
Dr. Yusuf Ransome is a public health researcher and the Founder of the Society, Connectedness, and Health (SOCAH) Lab at Yale University. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, he was shaped by his grandmother’s example as a community connector and by the faith traditions that rooted his understanding of holistic well-being. Guided by spirit, rooted in experience, and supported by science, Dr. Ransome’s work integrates social connectedness, contemplative practices, and digital innovation to transform public health. Through the SOCAH Lab, he leads research that bridges data and humanity—creating sustainable pathways to health, wealth, and prosperity for historically underserved communities in the U.S. and globally. A graduate of Columbia, Michigan, and Harvard, Dr. Ransome is redefining what it means to heal systems by first reconnecting people. Outside the lab, he enjoys soccer, time at the beach, and the joyful rhythms of his Caribbean heritage.
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