About Elizabeth

Born in the United States, the youngest of 4 children, Elizabeth and her family moved back to their hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, while she was still an infant. Returning to the United States as a teenager, she entered an unfamiliar world where English, her second language, was central to communication, and where few things were familiar. Thus began her journey to generate a sense of belonging while experiencing inequity. As an educator for over 25 years, Elizabeth takes that experience into the DEI space to make concepts of race, gender, sexuality and beyond more accessible. Elizabeth served as dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Loomis Chaffee School, has worked with the
city of Hartford's Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation, has conducted workshops and presentations for the National Association of Independent Schools' People of Color Conference, The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) national conference, the TABS Global Symposium, the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), and National School Boards Association (NSBA) Equity Symposium. Elizabeth holds dual masters degrees: MPH from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Masters in teaching from the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, in Salamanca, Spain.

MARTHA BRACKEEN-HARRIS, ED.D
A retired educator with over 40 years of extensive experience in working with students and adults in a variety of public schools, independent schools, and college settings. Dr. Brackeen-Harris has also connected with students directly a classroom teacher, and administrator. As director of Community Outreach, adjunct professor, and diversity practitioner, she has conducted numerous workshops for educators and parents at national conferences and public and independent schools. As the founder and CEO of MBH Equity Associates, she develops workshops for schools, works with parent groups to help them become strong advocates for their children’s education, and facilitates difficult conversations on issues of equity, inclusion, belonging and social justice. Dr. Brackeen-Harris is a founding member and served for 34 years as a trustee of the SPHERE Consortium of Independent Schools, an organization that seeks to make Hartford area independent schools welcoming and safe communities for all employees and students. She currently is the DEI consultant for The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University and both a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Hartford.