Meet The Raising Multicultural Kids Executive Board
Denise Barbosa Lane – Co-Founder/Executive Director – Denise began her career in management, with a BS from the University of Massachusetts at Boston in Management with a double concentration in Finance and Marketing. Denise also has an MBA from the Simmons School of Management. Denise has over 20 years of banking experience which culminated in the office of the CIO as a Strategic Business Consultant. Denise also served as a consultant for a medical software company on sales and service related matters. Denise manages the sales, contracts and implementation of all of RMK’s programing. She serves as Program Director for our school-based programs overseeing 20-25 part-time employees and interns. She is proud of her Cape Verdean descent and has three multicultural students attending Easton Public Schools.
Kelly Ann Lamb, M.A. – Co-Founder, President, Director of Education and Programs – Kelly began her career as a scientist studying Epigenetics, where she specialized in experimental design. In 2009, Kelly co-founded Ethnicity & Disease Community Empowerment Center working to address the healthcare gap in BIPOC and immigrant communities, designing patient education programs, clinical trials to improve patient outcomes, and cultural competency trainings for healthcare professionals. In 2012, she began working on resource access issues in the foster care system, eventually becoming an advocate and serving as Vice President of Massachusetts Alliance For Families. Kelly helped design and advocate for the Behavioral Health Partners Program, utilizing the skills and knowledge of experienced foster parents to help foster parents struggling to meet their child’s behavioral health needs. In this role, she also consulted for the Department of Children and Families working to address systemic issues experienced by Foster Parents that ultimately harm the children in their care. In 2019, she co-founded RMK after her daughter experienced multiple racial incidents in Kindergarten. In her role as Director of Education and Programs, she designs innovative curriculum, develops youth leadership experiences, and leads professional development that equips educators to create truly inclusive learning environments. Kelly has built partnerships with schools, universities, and community organizations while also securing the funding that makes RMK’s work possible. Her passion is rooted in the belief that belonging is the foundation for learning, and that representation and equity in education benefit all children. Through her leadership, Raising Multicultural Kids is helping transform classrooms into spaces of belonging, resilience, and possibility.
Maria Monteiro – Vice President – Maria is a Senior Integration Analyst on the Interface Engineering Team at Boston Medical Center. She has a Bachelors in Biology with a Pre-Med concentration from Manhattanville College. Maria has been a member of RMK since inception and she has one multicultural student in Easton Public Schools.
Angela Clark – Treasurer – Angela works at Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General as the Chief of Organizational Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. She previously served as President of Diversity and Inclusion at Robinhood Investments, and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Fidelity. In her current role, she develops, manages and helps set the direction for DE&I processes to create a culture of inclusion for all six bureaus of the AGO. The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who also serves as an advocate and resource for the Commonwealth, its residents and businesses. The six bureaus are responsible protecting consumers, combating fraud and corruption, protecting civil rights, and promoting meaningful economic recovery. Angela received her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1996 and a Master of Science degree from Boston College in 1998. She also holds the FINRA Principal Series 7 and 63 licenses and is an adjunct Professor at Boston College for Multicultural Studies and Diversity and Inclusion Strategies.
Jacqueline (Jackie) Grant – Secretary – Jackie has a BS in Business Management from Bentley University. She is a Client Accounting Manager at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates, where she has worked for 25 years. She has been a board member of RMK since June 2020. Jackie and her husband have two multicultural students attending Easton Public Schools.
Leadership
Justine Medina – Curriculum Director – Justine has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Manhattanville College, a Master’s degree from Mercy College in Elementary Education and Teaching and a CAGS from American International College. She began her career in social work and transitioned to education in September of 2004 as a teacher in the Bronx for the New York City Public Schools. In 2007 Justine returned to her hometown of New Bedford, MA, where she initiated a district wide Parent Teacher Home Visit Project, bringing teachers and families together and giving teachers a stronger understanding of the students and families they serve. Justine taught for 8 years before moving into the role as Assistant Principal. As a leader she continued to grow and was asked to lead Carlos Pacheco Elementary School as the Principal in 2017. While Principal she served as a member of the New Bedford Public Schools’ Diversity and Equity Team. After leading Carlos Pacheco from 2017-2021, Justine became a search consultant with Carney Sandoe and Associates’s DEI practice. Justine is currently the Dean of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at Our Sisters’ School, an all girls, tuition free, independent middle school. In September, she will be teaching ESL at Elizabeth Carter Brooks Elementary School in New Bedford School District. She is a certified personal trainer and passionate about health and wellness. Justine enjoys spending time with her two children, Noah and Karlee.
Lauren Robinson – Instructional Strategy – Lauren spent 13 years as an educator and supported students who have a variety of needs and backgrounds, including Autism, ADD/ADHD and Dyslexia. She has M.A. in Special Education/Moderate Disabilities and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction served as the Director of Special Education for Pre K-12 for for a charter school in Boston for 3 years. She also is a parent of a child with special needs and utilizes her lived experiences to support other parents through the special education process. Lauren is a Curriculum Specialist for RMK and owns Mind Motives Consulting where she helps families navigate the special education system.
Amie Dossantos – Littlest Inclusive Learners Curriculum Leader – Amie has a BA in Child Psychology & double Master’s Degrees in Elementary & Special Education. She worked as a Child Developmental Specialist for Thom Boston Metro Early Intervention for 4 years. During that time, she founded a Library Story Hour at the Boston Public Library in Mattapan & served as a Play Activity Leader for Horizons for Homeless Children. She currently works for Randolph Public Schools as a Kindergarten teacher. Over the last 12 years she has also taught K, 2nd & 3rd grade special education. She has served on the Language Assessment Team for English Language Learners & currently serves on the Instructional Leadership Team. She has been a union representative & member of the Principal Advisory Council. Amie was a panelist at Bristol County Community College’s Social Justice Forum: Race & Education. She served as an Inspired Fellow for Massachusetts DESE, focusing on the recruitment, support and retention of BIPOC educators. She is a mentor for youth through Taunton Area School to Career. Amie is the Educational Director for T.R.U.E Diversity. In this role, she has secured and created DEIB resources for students of all ages as well as families. She also develops the curriculum for their summer enrichment program. Amie’s most important role is being a mother to her beautiful daughter. Each day she strives to make the future better for her daughter & all children.
Jacquie Williams – I Love Me Middle & High School Program – Jacquie has traveled the country as a professional model for over 40 years. She has been married for 32 years to former New England Patriots player Brent Williams. The couple have three children and three grandchildren. She loves to positively influence self-acceptance, confidence and belief in your authentic self. This is especially important with young men and women today – in the age of social media. Jacquie created the I Love Me program to use her experiences in the world of fashion and beauty to help youth gain an understanding of how uniqueness and acceptance builds a better self-image and improves overall wellness.
Adam Garner – Grant Writer – Adam graduated from Dean College in May 2021 with a B.A. in English. Growing up in a multicultural family, Adam has a great enthusiasm for learning about other cultures. This aligns perfectly with RMK’s mission and work. He is currently taking courses to learn Chinese. Adam’s passion for helping people and organizations tell compelling stories has helped RMK receive several grants from multiple local Cultural Councils and foundations.
Vanessa Fossouo – Partnership Coordinator – Vanessa has a BS in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and a Doctorate in Pharmacy from Northeastern University. She is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at the VA Boston Healthcare System in Brockton. Vanessa has been a member of RMK since inception and has served on the board. She currently serves as RMK’s representative on Easton’s Wings of Hope board, a grassroots non-profit working to prevent youth substance use through education, awareness, and policy change.