Our Leadership Team
Dr. Alix Desulme
President/CEO
Public Servant Leader, Educator, Marketing Expert, and Entrepreneur
Dr. Alix Desulme is the Mayor of the great City of North Miami. As a lifelong public servant, Dr. Desulme will continue championing initiatives to move the city forward. He has always been and will continue to advocate for the people.
Dr. Desulme is a lifelong educator, small business owner, and public servant.
Dr. Desulme was first elected to office in 2009 in a city-wide election, making history as the first Black City Clerk of the City of North Miami. He was the youngest, and the first Haitian American elected City Clerk in the United States of America.
Dr. Desulme is an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University and is the President/CEO of Lead To Excel, USA, an educational consulting firm. Dr. Desulme also holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of New England.
Ty Grady
Vice President of Education Services
Ty is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, consultant, and speaker. Ty has over 20 years of experience in the Banking, Mortgage, and Finance industries. He has helped individuals, business owners and their teams with financial empowerment, leadership effectiveness, strategic management development, entrepreneurship and innovation, industry change and workforce development, and organizational culture change. Ty guides his clients, with their success in mind, to feel a renewed sense of purpose and take real steps towards securing a better future.
Ty received a M.S. in Sports Management from Florida International University and a B.S. in Business Management from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Over the years, he has worked as a college professor for three Universities, developing his passion for building programs and curriculum for career professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. Ty is the author of “Wealth Principles” – 6 Fundamental Strategies to Create Wealth. In addition, he developed a self-paced online course titled “Master Your Money, Master Your Life”, which focuses on simple financial concepts that will change the way people look at money forever. Ty serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for the Library Foundation of Jacksonville.
He also serves on the Leadership Council of the National Small Business Association in Washington, D.C. When he is not busy working, Ty enjoys traveling and exploring different cultures with his wife, Kameka.
Dr. Katsia Marie Cadeau
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Community Leader, Educational Researcher, and Motivational Speaker
Dr. Katsia Cadeau is an award-winning educator, community leader, author, researcher, and motivational speaker. She is passionate about the topic of educational policy and leadership.
Dr. Cadeau is currently a Professor and the Director of the Education Department at St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. Katsia is not only known for her instructional expertise in the classroom, but she also enjoys writing. She has presented her research at numerous National Educational Associations and published considerable peer-review quantitative and qualitative research and a textbook. She is also certified by the Florida Department of Education in Early Childhood, Elementary Education, ESOL, ESE, Reading, and Educational Leadership at all levels.
Katrina Wilson
Chief Academic Officer
Public Servant, Educator, Administrator, Public Speaker & Innovator
Katrina Wilson is a native of Miami-Dade County. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Reading K-12 from Florida Memorial University. She has also done post graduate work at Nova University in Educational Leadership.
Katrina Wilson is a Veteran Educator and Achiever with more than 30 years of service in Miami Dade County Public Schools. She began as a part-time clerk, and then became a teacher at Miami Killian Senior High School where she taught Social Studies Education for 11 years. While there, she wrote and produced five African American History themed plays that were recognized district wide by the Miami Dade County School Board and featured within both public and private schools across Miami Dade County.
In 1994, she was selected by then School Board Member and now U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson to work in the establishment of South Florida’s Premier Mentoring Program, the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project as it was piloted within Miami Dade County Public Schools. In 1996, she was appointed as Principal and CEO of Florida’s First Charter School, the Liberty City Charter School which was founded by Florida’s Former Governor Jeb Bush and the President of the Greater Miami Urban League, Mr. T. Willard Fair.
Katrina Wilson is also a sought-after Motivational Speaker and Trainer who has served as the keynote speaker for women’s conferences, national educational workshops and conferences. Her areas of expertise and training include grant writing, strategic planning, organizational management, curriculum development and education. Her areas of expertise in motivational speaking include, religion, education, self-esteem building, and developing a love for oneself.
Lisa L. Raymond
Director of Training, Life Skills & Workforce Innovation
Motivational Speaker, Master Trainer, Life Coach, & Author
As an international Speaker, Lisa travels the globe empowering organizations to move toward greater excellence. For over twenty years in the employee development industry, Lisa is one of the most sought-after Speakers and Trainers in the business. As stated by one client and echoed by others, “Once your employees meet Lisa they want her back. She brings instant credibility and builds trust quickly.” Lisa’s diverse career set the stage for her success in the training, coaching, and consulting industry. She has the ability to quickly assess the needs and create an action plan for change.
Lisa specializes in using creative and innovative techniques to facilitate learning while keeping the atmosphere upbeat and entertaining. CEOs and Executives seek her insight and welcome her candor. Lisa Laude has been a conference Speaker, Master Trainer, professional development coach, storyteller, up-skill expert, and radio host for two decades. She is also the founder of the Lift Your Life and Your Sister’s Too Women’s Professional Conference.
Her goal is to inspire, motivate, train, and coach people on how to Lift Your Life and help get them to the level of success that they desire in most areas of their life. Lisa Laude sets a course and inspires others to follow.
Lisa Rogers Cherry, JD
Director of Partnership Development
Financial Literacy Expert, Author, Community Development & Motivator
Lisa Rogers-Cherry is a native South Floridian. She graduated from Spelman College, Atlanta, GA with a B.A. in English; and received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, FL.
Lisa Rogers-Cherry is formerly the Executive Director of a Community Development Corporation in Fort Lauderdale, FL where she helped more than nine hundred families to become first-time homebuyers. Lisa worked to develop a partnership with Bank of America and the City of Fort Lauderdale to create an infill housing development in Sweeting Estates. She is currently working to develop infill affordable housing in both Miami -Dade and Broward Counties.
She has received extensive and has conducted training in housing development, credit counseling, debt management, and budgeting. In addition to being an Author, Lisa is well known and respected in the financial literacy, housing, credit counseling and community development industries throughout South Florida.
For twenty years Lisa has served as the President and CEO of Red Pen Press. She also serves as the Director of Development for the Collective Empowerment Group of South FL. She currently serves as the Partnership Development Director of Lead to Excel USA.
Linda Julien
Florida State Coordinator
Public Service Leader, Real Estate Developer, and Community Champion
Linda Julien serves as the city’s first Haitian-American council member. Linda earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in public administration.
For the last ten years, she has worked throughout Miami Dade County, focusing on real estate, economic development, procurement, and workforce development. One of Linda’s most notable projects is Solé Mia, a 4-Billion-dollar, 15-year mixed-use real estate development, a public/private partnership between a local municipality and the development team of Soffer and LeFrak.
With her civic work throughout South Florida, Linda was appointed to the City of Miami Gardens Charter Review Commission. In addition, Ms. Julien serves on the Board of Directors of the Immigration Partnership and Coalition Fund (IMPAC). Linda also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Nyah Project.
Dr. Monalisa Ferrari, Facilitator
Senior Logistic Coordinator/Life Coach
Professional Development Coordinator at NYC Department of Education
Dr. Monalisa Ferrari is currently employed by the New York City Department of Education has worked in a variety of positions including Professional Development Coordinator, Dean, Middle School Director, Lead Teacher, and Mentor among others. As an advocate for bilingual education, she has earned a postgraduate Degree from St John’s University.
College and career readiness have propelled her to contribute to writing the Common Core State Standards. She has served as an adjunct professor with the City University of New York at the borough of Manhattan Community College and Queens College.
Her contribution as a writer on the Bilingual Common Core Initiative enhances the teaching and learning process of bilingual and English Language Learners. She is a firm believer in building intergenerational bridges. She believes in empowering the youth by providing them with access to hands-on learning as they engage in community service and civic engagement. She has organized several teams of youth to volunteer on multi-level political campaigns ranging from presidential to city council across the country. As the Foundation for the Emancipation of Women and Girls founder, she remains a source of inspiration for the young generation of leaders as a coach with her expertise in educational leadership and administration.
Marie Carmel Louis
Director of Operations/HR
Marie Carmel Louis is a highly skilled human resources professional and an experienced small business owner. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from American Intercontinental University, specializing in human resources.
Mrs. Louis‘s core competency is managing employee benefits, including health insurance and wellness programs. She keeps herself up to date with industry trends and regulations to ensure compliance with the law.
Mrs. Louis is committed to empowering employees to make well-informed decisions about their benefits, fostering a sense of ownership, and enhancing their job satisfaction. In addition to her role in human resources, Mrs. Louis is a Notary Public for the State of Maryland and has experience in small business social media management.
Mrs. Louis enjoys spending time with her family and friends and exercising when she is not working. She also volunteers with various organizations, demonstrating her dedication to serving her community.