Rosa Inés Méndez is a first-generation Black Dominican American born and raised in Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, earning a bachelor’s of psychology with a minor in Spanish. She received her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Roosevelt University in 2004. Rosa has over 20 years of experience with community engagement and mental health services. She has served as a case manager, program manager, Community Schools Resource Coordinator and Early Childhood Resource Specialist. In these positions she was able to bear witness to the racial inequities across multiple systems. She has worked with non-profit organizations, school districts and businesses during her career to promote equitable and just community, parent and family engagement efforts in the Chicagoland area. She is a Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity (SEED) facilitator and has experience-creating mutual aid efforts in Evanston, Ill. She is the board chair for the Village Legal and Community Project serving the South Shore, Woodlawn, and Englewood communities of Chicago. Her purpose is grounded in social and equity justice, empowering individuals and families, and connecting people to resources within their community.