The mission of the Black Researchers Collective is to train and equip communities with research tools to be more civically engaged and policy informed.

CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Glenance is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Researchers Collective. She is a researcher, writer, community organizer, and filmmaker who uses various art forms as tools of healing and liberation for systemic change. Glenance is the Co-Host of Research in the Streets, the official podcast of the Black Researchers Collective, and the former Co-Host of IL Informed, a podcast about Illinois politics, government, and how the heck it all works (or doesn’t) in Springfield. With over 15 years of research and non-profit experience — and a strong track record of leading successful research, evaluation, and technical assistance efforts — Glenance has been keenly focused on institutionalizing racial equity at the state and local levels. Focused on strengthening her practice, Glenance was a 2019 Racial Equity Fellow for Chicago United for Equity and a 2020 Fellow for New Leaders Council. She serves on the Advisory Council on Equity for the City of Chicago, the Board of Directors for Kuumba Lynx, and is the Chair of the Economic Development Committee for the Grand Boulevard Advisory Council and the President of a Block Club in the Chicago community of Bronzeville. Glenance holds both a BA and MA in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University, respectively, and a PhD in Policy Studies in Urban Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

CO-FOUNDER & DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Shari is the Co-Founder and Deputy Director of the Black Researchers Collective. She is a native Chicagoan whose national reputation has been cemented because of her insistence on elevating topics of inclusion, race, and equity. Her professional acumen includes leading the strategic planning, development, programming and community outreach for the Chicago Urban League, one of the largest of the 68 affiliates of the National Urban League. During her tenure at the League, Runner relaunched the Research and Policy Center. Under her leadership, the Center was heavily involved in statewide efforts to reform the school funding formula, called for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate policing practice in Chicago, joined a ground-breaking lawsuit with other community organization plaintiffs to develop a Police Consent Decree with the City of Chicago, and developed its innovative Race and Equity Initiative. Shari has more than 25 years of experience in operations and financial management. She has also worked as an entrepreneur, management consultant, and community advocate. Shari holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

FOUNDING MEMBER

Melissa is a founding Board member of the Black Researchers Collective as well as the Co-Founder of the #BlackTechFuture Research Institute, LLC. She has 17 years of experience conducting research nationally and managing projects and budgets of $2 million. As an experienced researcher, Melissa has spent time conducting in-depth research and co-authoring reports focused on understanding the racial inequity within Chicago’s and Philadelphia's Kindergarten to Grade 12, higher education, corporate, and entrepreneur Black Tech Ecosystems. She currently works on building the capacity of and breaking down the silos between local black tech innovators, community organizations, educators, and other institutions across multiple cities to help them collect data themselves while also developing policy recommendations that can ultimately be used to directly help and positively impact cities and communities. Melissa has in-depth experience and familiarity with designing and overseeing the execution, collection, and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data and is able to provide comprehensive, client focus, attention, and satisfaction through the role of thought partner. She also has extensive experience triangulating data and rendering findings in easy-to-understand language to clients, partners, and external audiences. Melissa holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and an MA in Social Science from the University of Chicago. 

FOUNDING MEMBER

Tiffany is a founding Board member of the Black Researchers Collective, community psychologist, and thought leader committed to identifying and eliminating systems that push people to the margins of society. She understands the multiple ways that our current structures create barriers to wellness. Tiffany serves as Director of the Equity Institute at the YWCA Evanston/North Shore, and is co-founder of the Chicagoland Equity Network, where she convened a diverse membership to advance a common equity agenda across Cook County. Tiffany’s passion for social justice and equity drives her approach to ensure that all voices are valued. Much of her work is focused on building the capacity of organizations, community residents, and other stakeholders to develop strategies and action plans toward equity and inclusion. She holds a PhD from The Ohio State University in Human Development and Family Science, specializing in couple and family therapy. She received an MS in Child and Family Studies from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and a BS in Psychology from Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

FOUNDING MEMBER

Helen is a founding Board member of the Black Researchers Collective with more than 17 years of experience in data analysis and reporting, focusing on postsecondary outcomes and indicators of college and career readiness. She is an experienced project director and task lead. Her work is mostly qualitative, focused on protocol development, data collection, research synthesis, report writing, and providing technical assistance to clients to increase their capacity to conduct their own research. Helen holds an MS in Urban Planning and Policy with a specialization in Community Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BS in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

MEMBER

Christerralyn (aka Chrissy) is a Board member of the Black Researchers Collective. She is a technical assistance consultant whose expertise lies in special education and providing intensive intervention supports. Chrissy provides professional development and coaching to educators implementing a culturally sustainable integrated MTSS framework and intensive interventions for students of color to produce effective positive outcomes. Chrissy has honed her skills of engaging with stakeholders and building relationships to garner expected outcomes to impact student growth and currently serves as the project manager and lead content developer for multiple state projects focusing on developing training modules for developing high-quality Individualized Education Programs. Chrissy holds a PhD in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a MA in Multi-Categorical Special Education from Governors State University, and a BS in Communication Disorders from St. Xavier University.