BOARD

Elisha Maria Miranda

Board Chair/Co-Founder

Elisha is a Puerto Rican that was born and raised in the working-class "Mission" district of San Francisco, California and has been residing in New York City since 1998. In 1992, Elisha graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a dual BA in Ethnic Studies and English, as well as her single subject teaching credential. After years of working on issues of multi-cultural education, youth empowerment, police brutality, anti-isms, the prison industrial complex, immigrant rights, and HIV/AIDS, Elisha received the prestigious Community Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of City Planning and a BRICK DO SOMETHING AWARD.

In 2003, Elisha earned her MFA in directing and screenwriting from Columbia University. Her short films CORPORATE DAWGZ and BLIND DATE have screened and garnered awards nationally and internationally. Currently, she is in development with her feature script OUTSIDE THE WALL about a Puerto Rican graffiti artist struggling to be the next Frida Kahlo. OUTSIDE THE WALL garnered many awards, including the 2005 Tribeca-All-Access Award, The Astraea Foundation Award, National Association of Latino Independent Producers Lab 2004 & 2005 participant, a 2006 NALIP Writers and a Sundance Screenwriting Lab Finalist. Elisha was featured in 2005 as one of HISPANIC MAGAZINE'S, "Emerging Latina Voices in Filmmaking."

Elisha's essay, "Vieques, Puerto Rico: A Baptism By Fire" was featured in the anthology THE FIRE THIS TIME, edited by Viven Labeton and Dawn Martin, Anchor Press, 2004. Her novella a KISS FOR LARES appeared in the JUICY MANGOS anthology (featured in Latina Magazine), edited by Michelle Herrera Mulligan in July of 2007 by Atria Books. Under her pen name, E-Fierce she wrote her debut novel, THE SISTA HOOD: ON THE MIC (the first book in a four part young adult series) now on its second printing, about a multi-racial, all female hip-hop crew, published in July of 2006 by Atria Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster. THE SISTA HOOD: ON THE MIC was recently been optioned and Elisha is currently writing the screenplay and will direct the movie in 2009.

In 2006, she launched Sister/Outsider Entertainment along with her creative partner, Sofia Quintero where they're currently in development with an original television series called SANGRIA STREET which will premiere in 2008, as well as a series of feature films based on award-winning novels. She is the creative director of the multi-media theater lab— JOTARIA which will premiere at P.S. 122 in June of 2008.  Throughout her career, Elisha has also been a part of the producing team of many award-winning short films.

Her professional memberships include the New York Women in Film and Television, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and the Writer's Guild of America East (WGAE). Elisha is a member of the Lavin Agency, a highly selective speakers bureau for artists, activists, academics and celebrities. Elisha is represented by Jennifer Cayea of Avenue 'A' Literary.

Sofia Quintero

Board Chair/Co-Founder

Ivy-league homegirl, Sofia Quintero was born to a Dominican-Puerto Rican family and raised in the Bronx where she still resides. Sofia earned a BA in history-sociology from Columbia University in 1990 and her MPA from the university's School of International and Public Affairs in 1992. An unapologetic generalist who has worked on a variety of issues from fighting police brutality to defending multicultural education, Sofia was named by City Limits Magazine as one of the "New School of Activists Most Likely to Change New York."

Her first feature-length screenplay Interstates won the 2001 San Francisco Black Film Festival screenplay competition as well as the 1998 Montage Entertainment Diversity in Screenwriting contest and was twice a finalist for the screenwriting lab at Sundance. Her second screenplay- the baseball comedy M.L.B.- was a finalist for the ABC New Talent Development Award in 2003.

Under the pen name Black Artemis, Sofia wrote EXPLICIT CONTENT - the first novel about hip hop with female protagonists - which was published by New American Library/Penguin in August 2004. Her second Black Artemis novel PICTURE ME ROLLIN' was published in June 2005, and her third Black Artemis novel BURN was released in August of 2006. Sofia is the co-author of the anthology FRIDAY NIGHT CHICAS published by St. Martin's Press April 2005. She also has a two-book deal with One World/Random House, the first being a novelization of INTERSTATES called DIVAS DON'T YIELD, which was released in April 2006 and OSHUN'S ARRANGEMENT which is forthcoming in September of 2007. She freelances regularly for such outlets as the New York Post, MiGente.com and Fuego, and has had several essays published in various non-fiction and fiction anthologies such as FRIDAY NIGHT CHICAS, JUICY MANGOS and NAMES I CALL MY SISTER.

In 2006, she launched Sister/Outsider Entertainment along with her creative partner, Elisha Miranda where they're currently in development with an original television series called SANGRIA STREET which will premiere in 2008, as well as a series of feature films based on award-winning novels. She is the dramaturg for the multi-media theater lab called JOTARIA which will premiere at P.S. 122 in June of 2008.

Her professional memberships include the New York Women in Film and Television, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture and the Writer's Guild of America East (WGAE). Sofia is a member of the SpeakOut collective, the nations only progressive, non-profit speakers bureau of political activists and socially conscious artists. Sofia is represented by Jennifer Cayea of Avenue 'A' Literary.

Sonia Gonzalez

Vice-Chair/Co-Founder

Sonia has been an editor for over ten years. She learned her craft as an assistant editor for such esteemed directors as Spike Lee, Milos Forman, Alan J. Pakula, Ted Demme and Robert Redford. As an editor, Sonia has cut numerous shorts, the independent features DESTINATION UNKNOWN, EL CIRCULO VICIOSO and AFRODITE SUPERSTAR and NUYORICANS, a documentary for PBS that was aired in August 2003. Sonia has also edited numerous DVD special features, among them: LADY SINGS THE BLUES, FOUR BROTHERS, THE GHOST WHISPERER (Season One), THE FACTS OF LIFE (Season One & Two). Sonia’s directing credits include the short comedy, DEBUTANTE and the documentary BRAGGING RIGHTS, which chronicles the history and players of the New York City game of stickball. BRAGGING RIGHTS aired on PBS/WNET in September 2006. Sonia is currently a co-editor on the feature documentary, ANTONIA PANTOJA: ¡PRESENTE! about the life and work of Puerto Rican educator Antonia Pantoja.

Sonia is also a field producer for DVD and web content. Her producing credits include RESCUE ME, DAMAGES, CANTERBURY’S LAW, NEW AMSTERDAM and CASHMERE MAFIA.  In 1992, she received her BFA from New York University in Film.

Kwesi SimmsParris, CPA

Treasurer

Kwesi SimmsParris is the President and founder of Kaspian Financial Advisory Group, a comprehensive financial planning and Certified Public Accounting firm. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a licensed Investment Advisory Representative and licensed Life and Health Insurance agent. Trained in accounting and business administration, he has over 12 years of experience as a manager, administrator and advisor in the financial services industry for a variety of public, private and not-for-profit companies.

Kwesi SimmsParris graduated from Pace University with a BBA degree in 1994. He is a member in good standing of the New York State Board of Accountancy and New York State Society of Certified Public Accountant.

Sherilyn Casiano

In 1999 Sherilyn Casiano established S.I. Williams Wealth Management, LLC (“SIWWM”) as an independent multi-family office firm.  She is the firm’s Chief Executive Officer.  SIWWM provides professional CFO Service to investment bankers and other high net worth individuals.  The firm handles all the details and activities of its clients’ personal finances.

Prior to establishing SIWWM, Ms. Casiano was manager of the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company’s internal personal accounting group.  This group was responsible for managing firm’s partners’ personal financial life.  During her tenure, she worked closely with the NY general partners of the firm.  She was the manager in charge of operations and external relationship management.

Ms. Casiano received her Masters in Business Administration from Columbia University’s School of Business in 1999.  She is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Rafael Angel Zapata

Rafael Angel Zapata is a Puerto Rican who was born and raised in the Chelsea Public Housing Projects in New York City.  Also known as Papo by friends and colleagues, Rafael has served as Assistant Dean and Director of the Intercultural Center (IC) at Swarthmore College since July 2002. As Director of the IC, he works closely with students of color, queer students, Muslim students, and working class/first-generation college students and their allies around issues of culture, identity, leadership development and social justice education.  Among the various programs he has developed or the broader campus community is the Intercultural Center Series on Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality - guest lectures and film screenings which explore the roots, reproduction and resistance of power, privilege and inequality.

Since 2000, Rafael has served as a reader and trainer for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.  For the past four years, Rafael has served on the board of Taller Puertorriqueño, a cultural arts organization in Philadelphia's barrio, and in June 2006 was elected Board Chair.  Rafael has also served as a peer reviewer for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, which annually disburses over 2 million dollars to local arts and cultural organizations. Throughout his career, Rafael has worked extensively with Black, Latino and Chicano youth in various communities in New York City, Phoenix, AZ, and Philadelphia.

Rafael received a BA in sociology from Iona College and an MA in sociology from Arizona State University.  He is currently continuing his doctoral studies in sociology and urban studies at the University of Pennsylvania.  His research examines the impact of racial and ethnic inequality on Puerto Ricans in the US, and how such experiences affect perceptions of racial and cultural identity, life chances and attitudes toward assimilation.  He is also interested in comparative race relations, particularly the devastating impact of deindustrialization on Puerto Rican and African American communities.