Charles Lu, PhD is a first-generation college graduate, educator, and social impact leader committed to expanding opportunity for students who are often the first in their families to navigate higher education. He co-founded the Ivory Bridges Foundation to provide financial support, mentorship, and success coaching to rising college students, with a focus on long-term belonging and achievement.

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Over the past 20+ years, Charles has served in leadership roles across K–12 and higher education, including executive and senior positions at the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Texas at Austin, and UC San Diego. His work has centered on student success, institutional change, and building environments where all students can thrive.

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In addition to his nonprofit leadership, Charles co-founds and manages a family real estate investment company and advises organizations on strategy, leadership, and philanthropy. Across these efforts, he is driven by a simple belief: when students are given support, community, and opportunity, they can transform not only their own lives—but the futures of the families and communities they represent.

David Lu is a Manager at Deloitte Consulting, LLC with expertise in HR product development, process automation and workforce analytics.  He has spent the last 5 years of his career focused on serving clients across the public sector designing and implementing HR modernization solutions to streamline inefficiencies across various talent lifecycles.  Prior to joining Deloitte, David spent over a decade as a data analyst, transforming large data sets into intuitive insights through concise, compelling infographics, maps, and data visualizations.  A lover of the great outdoors, David spends much of his free time hiking with his girlfriend and dog and hopes to visit every National Park in the United States.

Currently working in Austin, Kristy is a technology sales professional at Box who has been communicating with Fortune 500 companies since graduating in 2018. During her time at the University of Texas at Austin, she received her B.S. in Corporate Communications and served as a leader in programs such as Texas THON and Gateway Scholars. As the Texas THON Director of Event Operations, Kristy helped to increase fundraising efforts for Dell Children's Medical Center by over $100,000 and planned the annual 12-hour Dance Marathon fundraising event.

Dr. Kendra J. Royston completed her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at Stillman College and later received her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a dissertation focus in cancer epigenetics. She went on to continue her post-doc education at the University of Chicago before joining Eli Lilly and Company in their department of Global Scientific Communications. Since then, Royston has assumed higher responsibilities within Clinical Development managing oncology clinical trials. In addition,  Dr. Royston is a Lilly Talent Magnet Influencer and is featured on the company's website to aid in recruiting more diverse talent. She is a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and has been given additional responsibilities in helping shape the strategy for patient education in the clinical trial space. Dr. Royston is also the founder of Stupid Science Inc., a nonprofit organization that aims to increase diverse representation in STEM fields/ careers.

Cameron serves as Executive Director of Client Engagement at Everspring, an EdTech company that partners with leading colleges and universities to accelerate digital transformation and better meet the evolving needs of students and faculty. In this role, he leads the strategic vision and execution for a portfolio of key clients.

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Prior to Everspring, Cameron was Director of Business Development at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Executive Education, where he managed corporate partnerships and designed customized learning and development programs for executives.

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A former competitive tennis player, Cameron can (and will) talk about tennis all day. He spends his free time on the court, planning his next trip to a professional tournament, or training for his next fitness competition.

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Cameron holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, where he served as President of the Black Management Association.

​Kevin is a national award-winning scientist who bridges the worlds of regenerative medicine research and clinical application. From investigating Alzheimer's and Schizophrenia in neuroscience laboratories to shadowing cardiothoracic surgeries in the operating room, he's always trying to learn and grow.

His research journey started at Scripps Research Institute, where he investigated synaptic formation in Alzheimer's disease models, work that led to winning the 2024 Cell Press Rising Black Scientist award as one of two undergraduates recognized nationwide. He then traveled to the Champalimaud Center in Portugal to study cerebellar-dependent learning mechanisms in Schizophrenia and Intellectual Disability. Most recently at Fate Therapeutics, he contributed to clinical-stage iPSC manufacturing for oncology and immunology therapeutics.

With experience spanning stem cell engineering and differentiation, immunology, oncology, genomics, and neuroscience, Kevin brings a unique cross-functional perspective to complex biological problems. He is particularly interested in iPSC-derived cellular therapies for personalized medicine applications.

Beyond the lab, Kevin stays at the forefront of emerging technologies, particularly AI and its potential to accelerate research workflows and solve complex biological challenges. When he's not in the lab, you'll find him surfing, cross-country running, or trying new restaurants. 

Marcell Strong completed his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Walden University and his MBA with a specialty in Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University.  He is the Director of Client Success for Life Startup Essentials and a part-time accounting professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.  As a sales and accounting professional, Marcell is passionate about building strong client relationships and creating systems that drive clarity, growth, and results. With a keen eye for numbers and a knack for communication, he bridges the gap between financial accuracy and business strategy. When he’s not deep in spreadsheets or closing a deal, you’ll find him hanging with his 3 children, singing at church, or adding another stamp to his passport.

Hello, my name is Jorge L. Sanchez. I am of Mexican descent,  born and raised in San Diego. I was fortunate enough to start at Grossmont Community college and transfer to University of California, San Diego. Now I’m in Finance, working at Charles Schwab Advisor Services Department. This is my first year as board member and I’m excited to be as much help as possible towards our first generation community.

Jarren Wenderlein Sternburg is a seasoned legal and corporate advisor with broad, multi-functional responsibilities. Trusted counselor with significant experience in XAAS, transactional law, technology, business development, negotiations, strategy, sales, contracts, privacy, operations, and project management. Ability to work across many departments and bring consensus on an approach to an opportunity.