Free Virtual Training July 10th, 2025  11:00am-12:00pm EST 

Started by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996, the goal of Equal Pay Days is to raise awareness about the ongoing gender pay gap and how the pay gap varies significantly among different communities, particularly for women of color. Equal Pay Day Calendar – AAUW : Empowering Women Since 1881
 Black Women's Equal Pay Day serves as a crucial reminder of the ongoing struggle for economic justice and highlights the urgent need to address the economic impact of the wage gap on Black women and their families. 
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Our regional theme: Elevate Economic Equity
This professional development session will focus on advancing strategies for addressing the pay and economic disparities faced by Black women, empowering them to advocate for themselves and navigate the complexities of achieving financial equity in the workplace and along their career journey. We will explore the pay gap between Black women and their counterparts, the historical context and contributing factors to the disparities and inequities.

​Goals and Objectives

• Constructively confront systemic and structural issues that contribute to pay inequities and offer strategies to influence policy and practices

·        Amplify discussions and training related to Economic Equity

• Provide a forum for the exchange of conversations on building essential skills and the confidence to negotiate your worth along your career journey.
• Develop action steps to advance individual, community, and employer accountability.

 

About Our Speakers

LaTashia Martin is a keynote speaker, trusted advisor, and the visionary behind VonSwy Solutions—a business and life alignment consultancy helping high-capacity women lead with purpose, not pressure. She’s spent over two decades guiding growth in startups, global corporations, and nonprofit organizations through leadership development, technical training, and strategic transformation. In January 2024, LaTashia released her book, Ignite Your Great—a powerful message about living in alignment and redefining success from the inside out. What she didn’t know at the time was that she would soon be living that message in a way she never expected. Just months later, life shifted dramatically when she became the primary caregiver to her incredible mother, adding that sacred responsibility to her roles as a wife of 27 years, mother of three adult children, and business owner. That moment became a catalyst—not just for reflection, but for reinvention. Instead of pushing through the pain, LaTashia chose to turn her personal transition into purpose, launching what is now her legacy work: the VonSwy Recreation Station, a peer-to-peer network created for high-capacity women who lead publicly but often wrestle privately. The community offers a safe space to reset, refocus, and rise with the support of coaching, connection, and faith-based accountability. As an extension of that mission, she also hosts the Recreation Conversations podcast, built around the same powerful message: Reset. Refocus. Rise. Through real-time coaching and transparent interviews, LaTashia invites women to stop pretending and start healing through honest dialogue and aligned action. LaTashia holds a BS in Packaging Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Organizational Development and Communications. She is also a certified Career and Life Coach, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Change Management Advisor, and credentialed in leading tools like DiSC, MBTI, and other behavioral assessments that foster growth in leadership and team dynamics. Known for her mix of warmth, wisdom, and results-oriented strategy, LaTashia is passionate about helping women stop sacrificing themselves for success—and instead build lives and businesses that honor who they are now. In her spare time, she loves testing out the latest tech and productivity tools to help simplify life and create more room for joy.
 
Jennifer Williams is a graduate from Pennsylvania State University and is a native of Philadelphia. Williams is an accomplished, self-published author, project manager and mental health educator. Jennifer has a diverse background with both corporate and nonprofit experience and this year served as a project manager for the Women of Color Summit.

Stephanie Peete is the Sr. Director of Workforce Development at Say Yes Buffalo, where she leads programs and strategies to create equitable opportunities for Buffalo’s emerging talent. She also created the Employer Think Tank series, an initiative that invites WNY employers and leaders to deepen their understanding of racial equity to create more inclusive workplaces. To date, this initiative has brought more than 400 business leaders and employers together to address the systemic barriers in the Greater Buffalo region.  Stephanie earned a master’s in public administration from Hilbert College and graduated from Canisius College with a dual bachelor’s in urban studies and sociology. Stephanie is passionate about anti-racism, inclusion, and supporting young people in her community. She currently serves on the board of directors for TechBuffalo and Open Buffalo, on the advisory board for the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women, is a co-chair for the Women of Color Summit, and volunteers on the DEI committee for the SPCA Serving Erie County. In January 2025 she was accepted in into FSG’s Collective Leadership Advancing Racial Equity (CLARE) program, a national leadership accelerator designed to invest in the capacity and wellbeing of individuals leading collaborative work in their local communities (e.g., “backbone leaders”). Stephanie is also a 2025 Women’s History Month Awardee from the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women, 2025 Buffalo Fashion Runway Black Icon, 2023 ATHENA Young Professional finalist, 2022 Buffalo Business First IDEA Award recipient, and a 2021 recipient of the Bar Association of Erie County’s Liberty Bell Award. In 2023 she and her mother, Lisa Queener-Johnson, launched Second Chapter Bookstore, which is a Black-owned small business operated in Buffalo, NY. They don't just sell books! As a mother-daughter duo, they combine their mutual passion for Black culture and love for reading to create spaces and events that cultivate joy, community, and shared learning while centering the Black experience throughout the African diaspora. In May 2024 they hosted their largest event to date at Villa Maria College – a public discussion on the book, His Name is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice, featuring the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa of The Washington Post. In October 2024 they were honored with the Energizing Entrepreneur Award by Sadie’s Books & Beverages in Middletown, NY. Stephanie and Lisa aim to promote childhood literacy, renew and strengthen the interest in American history, and celebrate the beauty of Blackness with those in the WNY community and beyond who believe in the power of inclusion. Since launching, over 750 community members have attended their various events, including reading in the MLK, Jr. Park, book clubs, signature book experiences, and panel discussions.
 
Jayde A. Lucas is a Legislative Assistant for City Council focusing on community engagement. In her role with Council, she leads public outreach, organizes events and works to bridge the gaps between City Councilmembers and the Rochester community. Jayde is a lifelong resident of the City of Rochester, and has dedicated her life to equitably improving the lives of Rochester residents. She has previously worked with the Town of Irondequoit ICARE Initiative, as a Legislative Aide for the Monroe County Legislature and as a staffer for two State Senators. Jayde graduated from SUNY Buffalo State with a Masters in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Minor in African American Studies — completing her education at an accelerated four-year pace and among the top in her class. Jayde is a loving mother to her young puppy, Marble.

Jamila Smith is director of Workforce Innovation at Fingerlakes Performing Provider System (FLPPS).  Prior to returning to FLPPS, her most recent position was Assistant Director in HR, Learning & Development and currently oversees the Career Pathways program at the University of Rochester. Career Pathways is a new workforce development initiative aimed at creating talent pipelines and formal career pathways or targeted high-demand positions at the organization. Jamila has more than 25+ years professional experience working across several industry sectors to include Health Care, Community-Based Organization/Nonprofit, College and Career Counseling, Academia, Human Resource Management and Workforce Development. She has a passion for addressing the social determinants of health, specific to Economic Mobility, and is a life-long learner committed to using her knowledge and position to support her community’s most minoritized populations. Jamila appreciates the opportunities to advocate at the structural, and strategic levels, as a means to influence policies, practices, and procedures that are fair and equitable, and present opportunities and access to all individuals for achievement of their highest level of self-actualization.

Russell Weaver, PhD, is a quantitative geographer and Director of Research at the Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab. He was previously an Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Texas State University Department of Geography, where he taught courses in community geography, community development, urban planning, geographic thought, and quantitative data analysis. His research programs are aimed at understanding pathways for context-sensitive, sustainable, and equitable community economic development. He is the lead author of Shrinking Cities: Understanding Urban Decline in the United States, and his work appears in such journals as The Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Ecological Economics, Applied Geography, and Community Development. Weaver holds a master’s degree in Economics and a PhD in Geography from SUNY Buffalo.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Event Liaison

For more information, please contact Tonya at [email protected]