Kelly believes that when we know who we are, we are less likely to hurt ourselves and others. This is why she created the Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network, an initiative to build capacity among Native-led organizations to undertake, sustain and describe the benefits of intergenerational cultural supports in their communities.

Kelly is trained as a health policy researcher, focusing on Indigenous empowerment, sexual violence prevention, adolescent health and well-being, and equity in access to opportunities. She has designed, evaluated, and strengthened programs with Indigenous communities throughout the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa.

She serves as an advisor to various panels, studies and Institutional Review Boards. She received her PhD in economics from Michigan State University.

Lisa Polen is the project manager for the Indigenous Girls Empowerment Network. She provides technical assistance to on-the-ground partners throughout the United States, administers grant programs, and facilitates workshops.

Lisa is interested in how historical, transgenerational trauma, and structural violence affect mental and physical health. Lisa has over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating adolescent and reproductive health programming internationally and domestically. Prior to joining IMAGEN, she worked with advocacy and research organizations to expand access to maternal and reproductive health services for adolescents and women in excluded communities.

She received her Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University.

Stephanie is honored to have been involved with the Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network since 2017. Through GIS and graphic design, Stephanie focuses on creating visual products that share the purpose, scope, and impact of the network.

Stephanie dedicates herself to understanding and advocating for environmental justice. She is currently a PhD student in Environmental Planning at the University of California, Irvine.

Kassel joined IMAGEN as an intern in 2019 and has been part of the team since. Currently, Kassel runs IMAGEN and IJC’s social media accounts and creates newsletter and email communications in addition to providing programmatic support. Her favorite part of working with IMAGEN is the biweekly conversations with the circle of Native women working for their communities.

Kassel has a master’s degree in Critical Gender Studies from the Central European University in Austria. She is currently based in New York where she is completing a Ph.D in Gender Studies.

Originally from Mexico City, Kassel is passionate about gender equality, girls’ education, and 2SLGBTQ+ rights.