Honorable Rhonda Binda, Esq

Rhonda is a visionary leader with trisector sector experience, and globally recognized as a People’s Choice winner for building smart, safe and compassionate cities. Rhonda is Special Counsel to Public Safety and Emergency Management at the NYC Office of Technology & Innovation. She served as CEO of the People’s House, Gracie Mansion Conservancy and as Queens Deputy Borough President helping turn Queens around from being the epicenter of covid to the most vaccinated county in the country. Rhonda also served in the federal government as a diplomat at the U.S. Department of State under President Obama, in the West Wing of the White House under President Clinton, at the Office of National Drug Control Policy and for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

MIn between government tours she practiced technology law at Alston & Bird LLP with a focus on emerging tech and breaking up monopolies bringing internet and cable access to millions of more households. Later as Co-founder of Venture Smarter, they developed smart city standards for NIST and the framework for forming the bipartisan U.S. Congressional Smart Cities Caucus in 2017. Born in the South Bronx and raised in Queens, Rhonda returned to NYC to serve her community. As Executive Director of the Jamaica BID, she revitalized downtown with her 3T strategy: Technology, Tourism and Transportation. During her tenure Jamaica, Queens was named the #1 neighborhood in NYC by WSJ and StreetEasy, as well as competed for and won the first award from New York State for downtown revitalization, and the NYC SBS Neighborhood Challenge Grant for an immersive art gallery. Rhonda served on the board for the New York Hall of Science, Guyanese Girls Rock Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens. She is an Adjunct Professor at CUNY’s Medgar Evers and Queens Colleges for the Macauley Honors Program. She receives Public Interest Technology grants from New America to develop coursework on smart and connected cities. In addition, Rhonda earned her B.A. in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University with a minor in African-American Studies. She is a Lord Rother mere Scholar from Oxford University and alum of the Georgetown University Law Center and currently serves as Queens County District Leader for Richmond Hill Queens.

Judge Karen Gopee

Justice Karen Gopee was elected in November 2021 and currently presides in Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term’s Hearing & Trial Part, after serving as a Criminal Court Judge in Queens County since 2015. She has presided over the Youth Part, the Domestic Violence Part as well as the Specialty Felony Waiver Part, working to improve alternative to incarceration dispositions and increase programming options. She made history twice, when she was appointed and then elected as the first Indo-Caribbean jurist to the bench in New York State. Prior to the bench, she served as the Principal Court Attorney at the Red Hook Community Justice Center where she handled Criminal, Family and Housing Court matters and implemented programs that improved police/community relations, diverted youth from criminal court and helped adolescents and adults receive treatment in lieu of incarceration. She began her legal career at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where she specialized in the prosecution of domestic violence and child abuse cases. She is a founding member and past President of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean Bar Association of Queens, and currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board. She is also Treasurer to the Asian American Judges Association of New York and is a board member and CLE Chair for the Caribbean American Lawyers Association. She received her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and her B.A from Binghamton University. She regularly volunteers across NYC to raise awareness regarding domestic violence, sex abuse and access to the Courts. She mentors’ students and junior attorneys and judges, has planned and participated in continuing legal education classes for thousands of attorneys on topics ranging from discovery to immigration and has received dozens of honors nationally and internationally for her work.

Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Esq.

Attorney Chrissy Grigoropoulos born in Queens, New York in 1988 to a first-generation Greek family, Chrissy Grigoropoulos has devoted her life to advancing justice, equality, and access for underserved communities across New York. After earning her Juris Doctor in 2013 and being admitted to practice law in 2014, she established The Grigoropoulos Law Group in 2016 with a mission to fight for the injured, the voiceless, and the working-class families too often overlooked by the legal system. Over the past decade, Chrissy has built one of New York’s leading personal injury and workers’ compensation law firms, representing thousands of clients who might otherwise have been denied fair treatment. She has been a tireless advocate in securing medical care for victims, ensuring families receive just compensation, and creating a workplace culture rooted in dignity, empathy, and opportunity. Beyond her courtroom victories, Chrissy is recognized for her community outreach and philanthropy, including becoming fluent in Spanish to better serve her clients. She organizes annual back-to-school drives, supports immigrant and minority business owners, and mentors’ young men and women aspiring to enter the legal profession. Her leadership reflects Dr. King’s vision of using education, advocacy, and service as tools for social progress. Today, while raising three young children under the age of four, Chrissy continues to balance motherhood with her mission-driven work and running a three-location law group. Her dedication is a living testament to the belief that true justice is achieved not only through legal victories, but through service, compassion, and the empowerment of future generations."

Cindy Brown

Cindy Brown was born and raised in the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. She migrated to the United Stated in 1998 to acquire her Bachelor of Arts degree at Medgar Evers College. In 2001 she was crowned Miss Medgar Evers College for her famous monologue performance of Sojourner Truth “Aint I A Woman?” One of her many accolades at Medgar Evers College wats a feature in Ebony Magazine representing entitled “The College Queen.” Ms. Brown’s performances have since provided many opportunities. Some of the places Ms. Brown has performed recently is in the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Concord Baptist Church and at back at her alma mater, Medgar Evers College, just to name a few. She later acquired her Masters of Business (MBA) from Monroe College in 2009. She is the founder of “Sisters of Excellence,”.

Shareefa Williams

Shareefa Williams, a humanitarian from South Richmond Hill, donates her time doing charity work whenever she can. At the beginning of the 2020 COVID, she would go to public areas and hand food or canned goods to those in need. She continued to feed the homeless through the entire year, all four seasons, rain, snow or shine. It's currently 2024 and Shareefa continues to serve her community by spreading to the that no one should be hungry.To highlight her past community involvement, she was part of the ICCA working with the senior centers for approximately 10 years, she was working alongside Christine Persaud, who also provided pantry services, for approximately 20 years, ICF for 4-5 years and she has been a part of Guyana Day USA for approximately 3-4 years.It’s 2025 and Shareefa is the president/founder of Together We Serve Inc. On a weekly basis, she is feeding the homeless, hosting coat drives in various locations such as Liberty Avenue, Jamaica Avenue and the Adult Day Care Centers. Shareefa truly provides humanitarian services to the Richmond Hill Community and will continue to do so to help those in need. She hopes to keep everyone’s spirits up through hard times!

Pastor Esther Mondestin

Pastor Esther Mondestin** is a trailblazer, visionary leader, and servant of the Lord whose life is marked by faith, resilience, and divine purpose. A prophetic voice to her generation, she is an intercessor, worshipper, missionary, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and co-pastor of **Soul Harvest International Church**. As the founder of **Woman of Destiny Arise International Ministries** and **Mercy & Compassion Ministry**, Pastor Esther has dedicated her life to empowering women, mentoring leaders, and raising Kingdom builders who impact generations. Through her global ministry, she inspires people to rise above limitations, embrace their God-given identity, and walk boldly into destiny. A prolific **author**, she has penned transformational works including *The Unheard Voice Triumph: My Miraculous Healing Journey*, a powerful testimony of victory, healing, and God’s faithfulness. Her writings reflect her passion for equipping believers with spiritual, practical, and prophetic insights for life and Kingdom advancement. A woman of many callings, Pastor Esther is also a nurse, businesswoman, and fashionista whose creativity and excellence shine in every sphere. Her ability to merge spiritual wisdom with practical strategies has birthed businesses, ministries, and initiatives that continue to transform lives. Together with her beloved husband, **Pastor Luckner Mondestin**, she has faithfully built a legacy of faith, love, and Kingdom impact, raising their three children—Rachel, Stanley, and David Mondestin—to carry the torch of excellence and service. Pastor Esther’s mission is clear: to equip, empower, and elevate God’s people into realms of purpose, prosperity, and destiny. With a message of hope and transformation, she continues to be a voice of influence, a vessel of healing, and a living testimony that with God, nothing is impossible.

Rachelle Louis

Rachelle Louis is a young woman born and raised in Haiti who migrated to America at the age of 8 years old. She found herself stepping into a whole new world with her father and 3 of her siblings. The world of the unknown. She was driven by faith, resilience, and purpose. From an early age, life taught her the power of perseverance and the beauty that can rise from pain. Losing her father during the global pandemic was one of the hardest moments of her life—a loss that deeply shaped her journey. Yet through that heartbreak, Rachelle found strength she never knew she had. She discovered that God never gives you anything you cannot handle, and in His perfect timing, He reveals exactly who you were created to be. walking in faith and stepping boldly into rooms she never imagined she would be in. Her journey began humbly as a shampoo girl, where she built meaningful relationships with every beautiful soul who walked through those salon doors. That was the moment God began to expand her—stretching her beyond her comfort zone and preparing her for greater purpose. Her path led her to work with children at a pediatric center, a role that deepened her compassion and care for others. From there, she transitioned to working alongside colorectal surgeons, providing quality healthcare services to patients with excellence and empathy. When that season came to an end, Rachelle chose to trust God once again—believing that every closed door would lead to a greater one. But it was after that door closed that Rachelle’s true ministry began. Through her business, Manifest Beauty Bar, she created a safe and relaxing environment for both men and women—a space to empower, encourage, and help others step into who they were created to be. Rachelle continues to walk boldly in her purpose, conquering fears to never give up, to take risks, to follow what brings joy, and to use her gifts to impact others. one day at a time. Her story reminds others that when you faithfully walk in faith the sky is not the limit—it’s only the beginning.

Rev. Marie Berbick Bailey

Reverend Marie Berbick Bailey is an ordained minister, transformational speaker and coach, author, mentor and founder of Marie Berbick Ministries International (MBMI) and Sisters United for Prayer, Healing, Empowerment & Restoration (SUPHER). A 2025 US Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awardee and honoree on the 2025 New York Carib News Jamaican-American Power 100 List, Reverend Berbick is a true overcomer. Affectionately known as “The People’s Pastor,” in 2018 she stepped away from a successful corporate career in communications in Jamaica to answer God’s call to ministry in the United States. Reverend Marie draws from her powerful personal journey—overcoming divorce, betrayal, and intense spiritual warfare to experience divine restoration—as a source of inspiration and healing for others. She is passionate about mentoring and coaching women, leaders, and emerging leaders, while encouraging believers through her books, conferences, weekly columns in All Woman Magazine (Jamaica Observer) and her inspiring weekly TV program Power & Purpose on the NOW Network.

Imam Safraz Bacchus

Imam Safraz Bacchus is a distinguished faith leader who has been serving the New York City community for over thirteen years. He currently holds the position of Imam and Scholar-in-Residence at Masjid al-Abidin in Queens, NY. His dedicated service, coupled with his chaplaincy work with New York’s diverse faith leaders, hospitals, law enforcement, and elected officials, has earned him widespread recognition and respect. I mam Bacchus serves as a community partner with the NYPD’s and specifically the 106th Precinct and is a trusted community partner with the department. He is also a graduate of the Citizen Police Academy Program and a current member of the Clergy Advisory Council for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Born in Guyana, Imam Bacchus developed an early passion for Islamic law and theology. In 1993, he was awarded a full scholarship by the Government of Egypt, in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, to study Islamic Jurisprudence, Arabic, and Theology at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo. After completing his studies in 2004, he returned to Guyana and joined the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) as a religious educator. Under CIOG’s leadership, he played a key role in poverty alleviation efforts and the coordination of orphan care programs. Before migrating to the United States in 2013, Imam Bacchus became a well-known public figure in Guyana, hosting a popular weekly television program that addressed issues of spiritual, social, and national importance. In 2015, he earned a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies from the American Open University in the United States. His thesis, “Towards a Faith-Based Understanding of Environmental Ethics,” explored the intersection of faith and environmental responsibility. He went on to complete four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through Northwell Health, and currently serves as a chaplain at two major healthcare facilities in Queens. As part of his chaplaincy role—and in response to the ongoing mental health crisis—Imam Bacchus offers spiritual and emotional support to individuals facing mental health challenges in New York City, working closely with patients and healthcare professionals to promote holistic healing and well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Imam Bacchus provided crucial emotional and spiritual support to grieving families, while also coordinating food and meal distributions for the elderly and vulnerable members of the community. His humanitarian work extends beyond the United States. Imam Bacchus continues to coordinate aid and relief efforts for underserved communities in Senegal, Gambia, and other West African nations, as well as in his native Guyana. These efforts include the distribution of school supplies, food hampers, and other essential items. In recognition of his lifelong service, Imam Bacchus received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of the President of the United States in 2002. His efforts to combat gun violence through interfaith collaboration have also earned him special recognition from the City of New York and the NYPD’s 106th Precinct. In 2023, the New York State Assembly passed Resolution 785, officially honoring Imam Bacchus with the Lincoln-King Visionary Award for his unwavering commitment to service and community building. In February 2024, he was honored with the prestigious opportunity to deliver the invocation at the opening session of the New York State Assembly, as well as at the inauguration of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, the 57th Governor of New York. Imam Safraz Bacchus is widely respected for his empathetic and compassionate leadership, and he remains a passionate advocate for peace, interfaith dialogue, and religious harmony.