We’re passionate about helping you grow and make an impact.

Meet Our Executive Team

Fatima Salaam

Founder + CEO | Atlanta, GA

Core Values:

Truth, Freedom, and Excellence

  • Fatima Salaam is an exceptional leader, coach, and facilitator with a profound commitment to create a world where everyone feels and knows that they matter. With a rich background shaped by diverse communities from Syracuse, New York to Selma, Alabama, Fatima's upbringing, coupled with extensive travels, has endowed her with a remarkable ability to bring people together, creating safe spaces where individuals can freely embrace their authentic selves.

    Current Experience:
    Fatima is the CEO and Founder of The Nexus Experience. She is a coach, facilitator, and trainer.

    Education + Certifications:
    • Bachelor of Arts in English, Spelman College
    • Montessori Elementary Credential
    • Certified in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Affiliations:
    • Association of Strategic Planners
    • Association of Fundraising Professionals

    Past Experience:
    • Program Officer, Corporation for National Service
    • Teacher, Principal, and Development Director, Montessori Education
    • Sales leader, team builder, and co-chair, LegalShield - Women’s Division
    • Founder and CEO, Go Women Global

    Interests:
    Fatima is a lifelong learner and traveler.

    Favorites:
    • Quote |     “Begin with the end in mind.” - Stephen Covey
    • Books |     Becoming - Michelle Obama, Unapologetically Ambitious - Shellye Archambeau, Dare to Lead - Brene Brown

Liz Sohn

Co-founder + COO | North America

Core Values:

Servant Leadership, Purposeful Living, and Growth Mindset

  • Liz leads TNE’s operations with a deep commitment to providing organizational excellence and exceptional client service. With a diverse background in communications, operations, and marketing across academic and non-profit sectors, she brings extensive experience to her role. Inspired by the profound impacts of exceptional leadership, Liz now leverages her unique expertise to equip individuals with the tools to live and work with intention. Her recent endeavors focus on advancing the health and well-being of Black women, prioritizing racial and social justice equity. She brings the same heart for service and community to her work at TNE.

    Current Experience:
    • Business Operations and Marketing, The Nexus Experience
    • Website Production, Women’s Reproductive Health Education
    • Marketing Specialist, Global Marketing Company

    Interests:
    Liz finds joy spending time in nature, playing tennis, and exploring new cities. Her curiosity extends to studying mindset optimization, exercise performance, and the latest in neuroscience.

    Favorites:
    • Quote | Here
    • Book | Here

    Past Experience:
    • Communications Associate, Women’s Reproductive Health Education
    • Operations, University Department of Campus Recreation
    • Program Developer, Education and Career Development for Immigrants

    Education + Certifications:
    •     Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Health, and Wellness, Northeastern University
    • International Affairs Studies, Northeastern University

Meet Our Collaboration

Rasheeda Salaam Tolbert

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Coach | Restorative Practices
Atlanta, GA

Core Values:

Equitable educational outcomes for children, importance of representation, compassion, resilience, empathy, and fostering an environment of love and respect for optimal learning

Expertise:

  • Adult Learning and Coaching

  • Alternative Discipline

  • Behavior and Child Development

  • Restorative Practices, Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

  • Trauma Informed Practices

  • Rasheeda Salaam Tolbert is a visionary educator who is deeply committed to transforming education and empowering children. With twenty years of experience in primary and secondary education, Rasheeda's unwavering dedication to whole child learning has led her to create impactful initiatives. As the co-founder of Radiant Educational Services, she leads collaborative efforts to illuminate what schools prioritize through innovative professional development programs, including The Heart Work Institute™. Rasheeda brings this comprehensive approach and tireless advocacy to her work with TNE.

    Current Role
    Managing Director, Leader Development

    Interests
    Outside of work, Rasheeda dedicates her time to community service, engaging in social action, gardening, hiking, reading, and sewing.

    Favorite Quote
    “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” - Muhammad Ali

    Favorite Book
    Becoming - Michelle Obama

    Past Experience:
    •     Middle School Language Arts & Reading Teacher
    • High School Student Support Team Chairperson & Student Counselor
    • High School Director of Student Support Services
    • High School Assistant Principal
    • Elementary School Director of Community & Scholar Support

    Education:
    •     Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology, Troy State University
    • Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, Hampton University

    Affiliations:
    •     The Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of 100 Black Women
    • Henry County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
    • NAACP, Henry County Chapter

Samantha Stern

Executive Coach | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) + Personal Mastery
Johannesburg, South Africa

Core Values:

Equity, Justice, and Ubuntu (I am because we are)

Expertise:

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

  • Team Strengthening

  • Leadership Development

  • Psychosocial Wellness

  • Current Experience
    As the Founder and Lead Facilitator of Journeys to Remember, Samantha Stern is dedicated to creating spaces for discovery and fostering meaningful connections. With a background spanning three continents and a passion for building bridges, Samantha brings a unique perspective and extensive expertise to designing and facilitating transformative learning experiences. Her 28 years of experience in areas such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), team effectiveness, leadership development, and personal empowerment have equipped her with the skills to guide individuals, teams, and organizations towards growth and connection.

    Current Experience:
    •     Founder and Lead Facilitator, Journeys to Remember
    • Associate, Centre for Mental Wellness and Leadership
    • Associate, Mandate Molefi HR Consultants
    • Associate, Nurturing Growth Trading
    • Associate, Tara Transform

    Interests
    Outside of work, Samantha enjoys dancing, traveling, listening to books and podcasts, and watching detective series.

    Favorite Quote
    “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” - T.D. Jakes

    Favorite Books
    • What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
    • Dare to Lead - Brene Brown

    Past Experience:
    •     Programmes Manager, Youth Development Network
    • Project Coordinator, Joint Enrichment Project
    • Overseas Volunteer Coordinator, Visions in Action
    • Program Officer, Corporation for National Service

    Education:
    •     Training in a range of approaches for managing social change, working with complex systems, and managing conflict. This includes Theory-U, Deep Democracy, Systems Thinking, Organisation and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC), and Process Work.
    • Master of Arts in International Affairs, The George Washington University
    • Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a Concentration in Psychology, Hofstra University

    Affiliations:
    •     Home of Hope for Girls
    • WhiteWork South Africa

Dr. Kyra Caldwell Templeton

Leadership Development Coach | Educational Strategy
Atlanta, GA

Core Values:

Servant leadership, mutual respect, and mission alignment

Expertise:

  • Instructional and Leadership Coaching

  • ELA Curriculum Writing and Implementation

  • Professional Development for Teachers and Educational Leaders

  • Team Building

  • Dr. Kyra M. Caldwell Templeton is an educator and consultant dedicated to empowering academic and non-profit institutions through customized professional development, coaching, strategic planning, curriculum design, and evaluation services. As the Co-Founder of Radiant Educational Services, she brings her wealth of experience in teaching, coaching, and administration to her work with TNE.

    Current Experience
    Program Director of Student Engagement, Atlanta Public Schools

    Interests
    In her leisure, Dr. Caldwell Templeton enjoys exercising, cooking, and organizing.

    Favorite Quote
    ”    My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” - Maya Angelou

    Favorite Book
    Cultivating Genius - Dr. Gholdy E. Muhammand

    Past Experience
    •     ELA Instructional Coach Grades 6-8, Marietta City Schools
    • English Teacher, McEachern High School, Cobb County
    • Teacher, then Director of Operations, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (KAC)
    • English Teacher, Sprayberry High School, Cobb County

    Education:
    •     Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction, Mercer University
    • Master of Arts in Teaching, English Education Grades 6-12, Georgia State University
    • Master of Education in Post-Secondary Education, Capella University
    • Bachelor of Arts in English, Spelman College

    Affiliations:
    •     Order of the Eastern Star, Prince Hall Jurisdiction of Georgia
    • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Marietta-Roswell Alumnae Chapter
    • National Alumnae Association of Spelman College, Atlanta Chapter
    • International Community School, Board Member

Safiyyah Salaam

Instructional Coach |  English as a Second Language (ESL) + Multiculturalism
Memphis, TN

Core Values:

Integrity, Empathy, and Excellence

Expertise:

  • Multilingual Learners

  • Exceptional Students

  • Parent Engagement

  • Instructional Coaching

  • ESL Professional Development

  • Safiyyah is a highly skilled educator, specializing in multilingual and exceptional learners. With an unwavering commitment to academic growth and achievement, she has an impeccable record of ESL academic success for newcomers-advanced level students. Safiyyah's experience includes working for one of the largest urban districts in the US, serving multilingual learners from diverse backgrounds around the globe. Her focus on educational excellence and collaboration with parents, teachers, and community stakeholders have equipped her with the skills to help students and organizations thrive in their educational journeys.

    Current Experience:
    •     ESL Coordinator, Memphis School of Excellence
    • Board Chairperson, Rabata
    •     Parliamentarian, Member at Large, Tennessee Educators of English to Speakers of other Languages

    Interests:
    Safiyyah enjoys reading, traveling, trying new recipes, and investigating new knowledge and concepts.

    Favorite Quote:
    ”We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

    Favorite Books:
    •    Purification of the Heart, Hamza Yusuf
    •Deep Learning, Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn, Joanne McEachen

    Past Experience:
    •     ESL Teacher
    • ESL Team Leader
    • ESL Peer Coach
    • Special Education Teacher

    Education:
    •     Master's in Educational Leadership, Tennessee State University
    • Master's in Collaborative Teaching, Auburn State University
    •     Bachelor of Arts Spanish, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Ready to work with us?