About Us
At The Dinner Table Doc, our unwavering mission is to empower and uplift young women of color by fostering their leadership skills, reinforcing self-identity, and nurturing their health and wellness. Through these vital frameworks, we strive to embolden these young women to seize their limitless potential, magnify their authentic voices, and confidently claim their prominent seat at every table.
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We are a dedicated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization firmly rooted in the heart of New York City, working in close partnership with schools and community entities. Through our girl-centered transformative workshops and culturally affirming programming, we aim to cultivate not only college and career readiness but also a sense of self-assured purpose among the young women we serve.
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At The Dinner Table Doc, we believe that by instilling leadership, reinforcing identity, and promoting well-being, we can inspire a generation of young women of color to rise above adversity, excel in every facet of life, and become catalysts for positive change in their communities and beyond.
Vision Statement: 
Fostering the capacity to empower young Black and Brown women to make their own decisions about who they are and the life they want to have is central to The Dinner Table's work. We model exemplary practices and standards for the field that intentionally build communities for girls of color. Through our programming, girls establish a strong sense of self and the confidence to leverage their power to achieve post high school success. Additionally, they possess the necessary skills to make responsible decisions, navigate challenges, and set, monitor, complete goals and confidently express themselves in all areas of their life.

​At The Dinner Table, our events are designed to empower and nurture young women of color in three core domains: Leadership, Self-Identity, and Health & Wellness. Through carefully crafted competencies and indicators, we guide our participants on a transformative journey of self-discovery and growth, equipping them with the skills and mindset needed to succeed in college, career, and life.
​All Of Our Events Aim To:
  • Provide Resources and a network for leadership and goal setting skills
  • Foster Healthy Conversations about identity and self confidence 
  • Promote Healthy eating habits and communication skills
Meet Our Team
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Asha Boston | Founder, Executive Director 

Born prematurely, at one pound and two ounces, Asha Boston knows a thing or two about fighting for the things you want in life-- including life itself. Asha is a filmmaker that additionally serves as the founder of non-profit organization, The Dinner Table Doc. Her passion for empowering Black and Brown girls has led her to become a member of several advocacy organizations.

From 2020-2022 she served as the Brooklyn Representative for the United State of Women Ambassador Program. She also served as an Advisory Board member for Columbia University’s Collaborative to Advance Equity through Research (CAETR); a committee where she helps oversee the distribution of grants for research focused on women and girls of color.

In June of 2016, Asha was honored by the Obama Administration’s White House Council for Women and Girls as a "Nominated Change Maker" at the United State of Women Summit. In addition to her advocacy work, Asha is a passionate creative problem solver. With over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Asha currently serves at the President and CEO of Passion Fruit Vineyard Productions where she oversees all pre, post and current production services for documentary A Time Before  Kale and sometimes freelances as a producer and director for several film, tv and digital program's. 

Contact Email: [email protected]
Virtual Workshop Instructor- Demetria Gillies is the founder of SchoolED LLC - an education consultancy for families, schools & communities.  As a Manager of Resident Development, Demetria Giles also coaches and trains Nashville Teacher Residents. Demetria Giles has over 15 years of experience in education and is passionate about culturally responsive pedagogy, student-centered approaches to learning, and teacher development. Previously, she was the Director of Curriculum & Instruction at 9th Bridge School, a private early childhood and elementary school in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications/Journalism from the Pennsylvania State University.
More Bios Coming Soon
Meet Our Board of Directors
​Courtney Ball is an author, speaker, leadership coach and HR Director who specializes in helping individuals transform their experience into influence, impact and income. For over a decade, she has provided advice and strategy to employees about how to define their career trajectory and execute a path to achieve their professional goals. With endless joy in seeing individuals succeed in life, Courtney also encourages her clients and staff to strike a balance between career pursuits and personal life. Courtney enjoys learning, cooking delicious meals and binge watching Bravo.
Kaiama L. Glover is a professor of African American Studies and French at Yale University. She is the author of A Regarded Self: Caribbean Womanhood and the Ethics of Disorderly Being and of Haiti Unbound: A Spiralist Challenge to the Postcolonial Canon, as well as of numerous essays, articles, and chapters concerning race, gender, and representation in the francophone world. Her current project is biography of Haitian former communist militant, novelist, and erotic poet René Depestre. She is the prize-winning translator of several works of Haitian prose fiction and francophone non-fiction, the founding co-editor of archipelagos | a journal of Caribbean digital praxis, and the founding co-director of the digital humanities project In the Same Boats: Toward an Afro-Atlantic Intellectual Cartography. She is also a regular contributor to the New York Times Book Review and the co-host of the podcast WRITING HOME | American Voices from the Caribbean. Her scholarly, translation, and digital humanities work has been supported by fellowships at the New York Public Library Cullman Center, the Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris, the PEN/Heim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Mellon Foundation.
Uzoma F. Obidike, PhD, is the Clinical Experiences and Internship Manager at National Louis University. She is also a Career Transition Coach and Professional Networking Strategist at She Leads Beautifully, where she teaches mid-career women how to tap into their networks to access their next dream jobs. Dr. Uzoma is a contributing author of No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs. She has graced local and national stages, leading career and leadership development talks. Dr. Uzoma was the 2019 recipient of the Up and Coming Woman in Education Award for the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Awards. Dr. Uzoma holds a B.A. and M.S.Ed. from Indiana University Bloomington and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Indiana State University.
Mariah Mayers has over 10 years of experience working in higher education, specifically in career services. She is currently the Assistant Director of Career Advising for a higher institution in New Jersey, where she conducts career advising sessions with students about their career interests and internship/job opportunities. Also, she assists with managing career programming. She has a passion for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and encouraging students to build their confidence in their unique skill set. She finds that it is important for students to explore finding their voice and authentically creating their professional identity in a welcoming space. She graduated from Pace University with her BA in Communications and a MA in Counseling, with a specialization in School Counseling from Montclair State University.
Guia Golden is a savvy brand marketer with decades of experience working with some of the most recognized brands on the planet including Diesel, Cadillac, Refinery29, and Instagram.  Her love of art and creative expression have always informed her work.  Her sweet spot is marketing that drives cultural conversations, connects creatives with brands, and creates projects that support and uplift diverse communities.  She is currently the Instagram Creator Brand Marketing Lead, where she helps creators harness the power of Instagram’s creativity and vibrant community  to achieve sustainable career growth.  A project she is most proud of in her time at Instagram is, We Create, which brought together Black creatives and Black business owners to empower each other during the pandemic (when Black businesses were closing at 3x the rate of other businesses).  The program deployed art to empower creatives and small businesses - with the creatives designing assets that would engage customers and grow the businesses.
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In her personal life Guia is committed to building community, uplifting marginalized people, and making efforts to level the playing field to create a more equitable world.   Actively participating in community and supporting others is a core value Guia was raised with.  She is especially energized around empowering women and children of color, believing it is everyone’s birthright to thrive.  She volunteers her time as a board member for Housing Works, Athens Cultural Center, and she is very proud and excited to recently join the board of Dinner Table Doc in 2024.
Ramdai Deo is a dedicated financial professional who has worked through the ranks from Accounts Receivable Clerk and currently the Corporate Controller at Magnolia Bakery. For more than a decade she has provided guidance in financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting. She has a passion for driving business growth and working collaboratively with internal and external partners to ensure key objectives are achieved. In her free time Ramdai enjoys cooking and reading
Meet Our Advisory Board 
LaToya Lewis Cox, affectionately known as Lale Cox, wears many hats, including that of a devoted wife, mother to two-year-old Ethan, and a seasoned HR director with nearly two decades of experience in developing business strategies that support growth and business development along with equity for women. Her latest achievement, the Bucks for Babies project, showcases her innovative thinking, where her company matches 529 donations for newborns, akin to a baby 401k plan. In addition to her professional endeavors, Lale is deeply engaged in philanthropy, serving as a dedicated board member for a notable charity. Passionate about empowering women, she has earned acclaim as a skilled connector, founding Nom and Nosh Events, engaging foodie meetups that unite culinary enthusiasts in Westchester. Through these events, her career and her charity work, Lale fosters a platform where individuals can bond while forging meaningful connections, reflecting her warm and inclusive approach to community building.
​Neil G. McGowan is Chief Revenue Officer at Hitachi Vantara. Over the span of his 25+ year career, Neil has amassed experience in global sales, marketing, operations, and general management at public companies and private venture-backed startups, including NetApp, VeriSign, Openwave,

Silicon Graphics, and Tandem (now HP). Prior to joining Hitachi Vantara, Neil was Vice President & General Manager of NetApp's $2B+ Global Accounts Segment. There he led the Vertical sales segments, including Financial Services, Life Sciences/Healthcare, Manufacturing (Auto & Semiconductor), Energy, Hyperscalers, and Telco/Media. Past domestic and international roles include positions as Venture Partner, Interim-CEO, President/COO, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Latin America, Chairman & Managing Director of Silicon Graphics Sub-Saharan Africa in Johannesburg, and Head of Global PS. Neil graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a minor in Math. He also attended Columbia University for graduate courses in Computer Science and completed the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth University.
Keesha O’Galdez is a personal chef. She has completed the Chef's training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Culinary Arts in New York City. Focusing on organic, vegetarian, vegan and other health supportive diets. Also a BS in Information Systems Engineering from Buffalo University—SUNY and a MBA from Simmons College in Boston, MA. Worked in the non-profit, academic, public and financial sectors as a project consultant and operations manager. She has graced the kitchens as a Pastry Chef in Smith Canteen in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, Amy’s Bread, and Smile to Go in Soho and savory as a catering chef at Patina Events. You may have seen Chef Keesha on multiple episodes of Epicurious’s 50 Person Prep challenge web series that has reached over 10 million views and Food Network’s Chopped.

​My name is Melanie Nichols and I'm a NYC based Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). I graduated with my Bachelors in Social Work from Buffalo State College and my Masters in Social Work from Simmons College! I have a passion for working with youth and families and I'm currently working as a School Social Worker and a part time fee for service therapist. I am extremely passionate about empowering others through my work, using a strength based focus. It's my belief that equipping people with the right tools and guidance, I'll be able to help people recognize their true potential in order for them to be the best version of themselves.
Danielle Samuel is an architectural designer with an interest in urban design and urban policies for social justice. She has always had an interest in design, and when her mentor pointed her in the direction of interior design, she gladly walked towards it. Designing for social change is extremely important to Danielle which is why she chose Temple University for her Master of Architecture. She used the landscape of North Philadelphia and knowledge of her hometown to educate and inform others of the dangers of gentrification. Outside of architecture and lighting, Danielle serves as a advisory board member for the Brooklyn-based non-profit organization “The Dinner Table Doc.”
Student Testimonials 

"I felt the safety necessary to be vulnerable in this space. So many times I am closed off and reserved due to the fear of not being understood, respected or well received but at The Dinner Table I felt the comfort I needed to have a vulnerable dialogue."
"After today's event I would frame a picture of a 15 year old girl with an afro standing on the globe. This image would represent that my black is beautiful and society would never tear me down. This event meant so much to me because silence was my loudest scream and The Dinner Table is now my voice. Thank you."
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Email: [email protected]
Office Phone: (718) 986- 6811 
​Office Cell: (929) 390-8884
Registered Charity: 82-2286766

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