The Wells International Foundation (WIF) believes in the power of EDUCATION to improve lives.
Help us make a change. Donate Today!
Our Founder
Our Team
Our Board of Directors
Past Board Members
Volunteers
Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.
~ Nelson Mandela
Our Founder
Dr. Monique Y. Wells
Founder & CEO
A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Monique Y. Wells is passionate about empowering individuals – especially women, children and youth, and persons of African descent.
An African-American resident of Paris, veterinary pathologist and toxicologist, world traveler, entrepreneur and arts enthusiast, Dr. Wells worked in the corporate sector for 13 years prior to launching a consulting business in preclinical safety assessment.
She was drawn to the non-profit world thanks to her passion for the life and work of a U.S.-born painter named Beauford Delaney.
Read Her Story Here
“I came up with the idea to found this U.S. nonprofit organization to do an art project In Paris. I wanted to raise funds to put on a show of original works by a painter named Beauford Delaney, a man who spent the last 26 years of his life in Paris. He spent the last 4 of those 26 years in a mental hospital.
“My husband and I started a travel business in 1999, and I began blogging freelance to raise public awareness of it. In 2009, I decided I would write an article about African-American grave sites in and around Paris and learned that Beauford Delaney has one of those graves.
“What I didn’t know was that he was buried in a pauper’s division in a cemetery outside of Paris and that his grave was unmarked.
“I founded a French nonprofit called Les Amis de Beauford Delaney to raise money to place a tombstone at Beauford’s grave. And I started a blog to raise awareness of his story to raise the money for the tombstone.
“When the stone was laid in 2010, I felt that I had done a good job, and I thought I would go on to something else.
“But Beauford Delaney’s spirit had infused me, and I felt that I had to keep the blog going. And for years I continued to write about him, still feeling that there had to be more I could do to honor this man.
“Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to do an exhibition of original works of his work. Because I needed U.S. support for the show, I decided to found a U.S. nonprofit to raise the money to organize it.
“I was advised by a very seasoned nonprofit professional, who also knew me personally, to consider putting all my personal and professional passions into the organization I was founding.
“I embraced that idea and ran with it! That’s why we have a large number of Strategic Focus Areas and a wide target population (women, children and youth, and people of African descent)
“That’s how WIF began!
“Our focus areas may seem unrelated, but we generally combine two or more of them in any given project or program. What they all have in common is the theme of education and culture.”
Dr. Monique Y. Wells
Founder
A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Monique Y. Wells is passionate about empowering individuals – especially women, children and youth, and persons of African descent.
An African-American resident of Paris, veterinary pathologist and toxicologist, world traveler, entrepreneur and arts enthusiast, Dr. Wells worked in the corporate sector for 13 years prior to launching a consulting business in preclinical safety assessment. She was drawn to the non-profit world thanks to her passion for the life and work of a U.S.-born painter named Beauford Delaney.
Read Her Story Here
“I came up with the idea to found this U.S. nonprofit organization to do an art project In Paris. I wanted to raise funds to put on a show of original works by a painter named Beauford Delaney, a man who spent the last 26 years of his life in Paris. He spent the last 4 of those 26 years in a mental hospital.
“My husband and I started a travel business in 1999, and I began blogging freelance to raise public awareness of it. In 2009, I decided I would write an article about African-American grave sites in and around Paris and learned that Beauford Delaney has one of those graves.
“What I didn’t know was that he was buried in a pauper’s division in a cemetery outside of Paris and that his grave was unmarked.
“I founded a French nonprofit called Les Amis de Beauford Delaney to raise money to place a tombstone at Beauford’s grave. And I started a blog to raise awareness of his story to raise the money for the tombstone.
“When the stone was laid in 2010, I felt that I had done a good job, and I thought I would go on to something else.
“But Beauford Delaney’s spirit had infused me, and I felt that I had to keep the blog going. And for years I continued to write about him, still feeling that there had to be more I could do to honor this man.
“Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to do an exhibition of original works of his work. Because I needed U.S. support for the show, I decided to found a U.S. nonprofit to raise the money to organize it.
“I was advised by a very seasoned nonprofit professional, who also knew me personally, to consider putting all my personal and professional passions into the organization I was founding.
“I embraced that idea and ran with it! That’s why we have a large number of Strategic Focus Areas and a wide target population (women, children and youth, and people of African descent)
“That’s how WIF began!
“Our focus areas may seem unrelated, but we generally combine two or more of them in any given project or program. What they all have in common is the theme of education and culture.”
Our Team
Our team members are ESSENTIAL to our survival and expansion. We would be nothing without them!!!
Deborah Harlow
Deborah Harlow has been with WIF since our inception. Serving as our donor relations manager, operations manager, and marketing strategist, she is an invaluable member of our core team!
Deb facilitates the L³ Alliance Experience events that are part of our 2025 Women’s Empowerment initiative. She also provides Divinely Aligned You personal coaching as a member of the L³ Alliance membership program team.
Shaltreece Chandler
Shaltreece Chandler is devoted to WIF’s development and STEAM Education activities. She has been instrumental in establishing our STEAM footprint in Michigan.
Shal is a member of our Communications Committee. She works tirelessly to increase the funding base that supports our infrastructure and programs.
Our Board of Directors
Shelley Bradford-Bell
Shelley Bradford Bell is Founder and CEO of 3FIVE55, a consulting, coaching, and publishing business she created after 38 years of creating marketing and promotional campaigns for clients, publishing two magazines, and developing global travel programs for youth. Shelley has 38 years of experience as a veteran public executive, community organizer, fund developer and public relations and promotions consultant. Her past experience includes service as Vice President of the Commission on the Environment in the City of San Francisco and President of the San Francisco Planning Commission.
Click to watch Shelley’s Board Member interview video.
Anthony Fleet
Anthony Fleet currently manages United Airlines’ hub communications at Newark Liberty International Airport. He sought a position on WIF’s board because he believes that being an ally of women requires supporting and contributing to a woman-centered organization that benefits generations of women globally. His expertise in storytelling and strategic communication will help us strengthen our messaging for current and new donors as well as grant makers and corporate sponsors.
Anthony serves as Secretary of WIF’s Board of Directors. Click to watch his Board Member interview video.
Anubhav Kapil
Anubhav Kapil is currently working with KBR as a Sr. Manager, leading the business and technology development for their sustainable fuels’ technology portfolio. He is a Lean Six Sigma mentor, specializing in execution of growth strategies through an analytical approach. Anubhav is passionate about education and leadership skills development, especially for women and underprivileged children. When he is not busy developing technology or spreading the importance of a STEAM education, he enjoys traveling with his family, reading books, and perfecting the latte art.
Anubhav serves as Vice Chair and Treasurer of WIF’s board of directors. Click to watch his Board Member interview video.
Dr. Erma Manoncourt
Dr. Erma Manoncourt is a public health specialist in behavior and social change and the Founder and President of M&D Consulting Inc (Paris, France). A retired UN official, she has worked over 30 years in international development, providing technical assistance in management/leadership, strategic planning, training and facilitation skills, communication for development, and research, monitoring and evaluation. Erma has extensive work experience in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Erma serves as Chair of WIF’s board of directors. Click to watch her Board Member interview video.
Past Board Members
Winnie Anderson
Winnie Anderson is a business development coach for entrepreneurs who have experienced trauma. She helps coaches and consultants position and pre-sell their offerings, as well as profit from their expertise. A Sherlock Holmes aficionado, she spots what’s missing from the sales process and what’s needed to help prospects decide to buy. Winnie is also an author, podcaster, and trainer. She is the host of Let’s Talk Tech, the podcast and Facebook group that demystify technology for solo entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Mandy Craig
Mandy Craig is a former finance and current marketing professional based in Houston, Texas. Her experience working both in food manufacturing and in her current role at the Dow Chemical Company have allowed her to gain experience in FP&A, sales, marketing, and strategy. As an avid reader, Mandy is passionate about the power of child literacy, particularly teaching kids to read at a young age and the power that has to unlock lifelong learning. In her personal time, Mandy enjoys running, skiing, and hiking.
Chad Everhart
Chad Everhart is a Certified Public Accountant and an Area Director of Business Development at Republic Services. He specializes in capital markets, merger and acquisition, and divestiture transactions. In addition, Chad has vast experience in driving organizational change projects at Fortune 500 and small private equity backed companies. Chad has a particular passion for helping others on a personal level and as a result has worked with many student groups teaching financial literacy, business, and serving as a math tutor. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, golfing, and exploring the many cuisines that Houston has to offer.
Kate Hurley
Lolita Jackmon
Lolita Jackmon currently serves as the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Governance for MUFG Union Bank. Based in Atlanta, she specializes in developing high-performing teams, programs, and organizations while continuously improving processes and streamlining operations. She has a strong science background, interest in travel and dance, and mentoring activities that parallel WIF’s Strategic Focus Areas in travel / study abroad, women’s empowerment, STEAM education, and the arts.
Theresa Lloyd
Theresa Lloyd is a partner at Lloyd Resource Management Associates (LRMA), a team of award-winning DoD Financial Comptrollers, Resource Management Analysts, financial software IT Developers, and Program Quality Managers. She is a life-long math, science, engineering, and arts advocate and a manager of math, science, engineering and technology professionals. Theresa has made a career of leading teams, organizations and business to define, measure, analyze, and improve themselves. She believes that STEAM education, women’s empowerment, art and travel are “essential to our being.”
Pat Long
As the broker/owner of Keller Williams Preferred Properties (KWPP), Pat Long has grown the single-office brokerage from 28 agents when it opened in 2004 to over 600 agents today. To date, the office has closed over $1 billion in sales and profit shared more than $2 million with its associates. With 33 years of real estate experience and licenses in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, Long serves as KWPP’s CEO.
Community service is a cornerstone of Long’s business philosophy. Click to watch her Board Member interview.
Nicole Matusinec
Nicole Matusinec has over 20 years’ experience in corporate training and entrepreneurship. Among her current professional activities, she teaches Sustainable Business at the American Business School in Paris, France. Nicole served as WIF’s Scale Up Strategies Specialist for the 2019 The Successful Woman International Women’s Day conference in Paris, France.
Dr. De’Laija Napier
Dr. De’Laija Napier is a well-rounded marketer with a passion for storytelling and building authentic relationships with audiences. Her specialty is in social media marketing and digital advertising. De’Laija is a leadership coach and organizational development consultant who works with leaders and teams to increase engagement, productivity, and efficiency. She also provides organizational trainings on productivity, efficiency, team engagement, and burnout prevention. In addition to her work as a consultant and entrepreneur, De’Laija volunteers at local arts organizations and works with veterans.
Oge Okosieme
Oge Okosieme is a lifestyle coach, visionary, and mentor to visionaries who have a bold mission they desire to birth. A former nonprofit executive, she has operated The New Human Experience (TNHE) – a coaching service for high achievers and business owners – since 2015. Through TNHE, she helps her clients define their audacious dream, re-define success, and gain clarity on the new life they want to create for themselves. Oge operates from the greater London metropolitan area in the UK.
Tom Reeves
Tom Reeves has been a confirmed Francophile since he first traveled to France in 1975 to learn the language, see the country, and pursue a diploma in French language, literature, and civilization. He moved there permanently in 1992. Tom is the co-founder of Entrée to Black Paris, a travel service that specializes in tours and activities featuring African Diaspora Paris and Gourmet Paris. He is also the author of Paris Insights – An Anthology and Dining Out in Paris, two books that reveal multiple elements of French culture.
Dr. Maimoona Salim
Dr. Maimoona Salim is a social entrepreneur, mentor, and philanthropist who is actively involved in the development space focused on community, women and youth empowerment, and sustainable development programs. She is a qualified facilitator whose key strengths are in human capacity development, skills development, and empowerment. Mai’s professional activities include service as Vice-Chair for women in business at the Durban Chamber of Commerce Industry in South Africa; Director of Beyond Mentors Limited in Nigeria; and Secretary/Registrar of Academic Council Human Rights Education Federation of the IHRC Africa Headquarters in Nigeria.
Francis Van Wyk
Francis van Wyk is a business and marketing strategist and the founder of multiple successful online businesses like Create Client Chemistry. She has a Masters degree in Chemistry as well as a Masters degree in Business Administration and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs build websites and online businesses that get more clients and income.
Our Volunteers
We honor our volunteers, without whom our programs and projects would not progress!
Désiré Akoda
Désiré Akoda is one of WIF’s Houston-based volunteers. He is using his skills as a social media strategist to help us reach our promotional and fundraising objectives for our organizational needs as well as for individual projects. He has a particular interest in our literacy initiative in Houston, TX.
Kjerstin Andreasen
Kjerstin Andreasen volunteered to assist with client registration and customer service at The Successful Woman: Lifestyle, Legacy, and Leading by Example in Paris, France. She was part of the team that created a seamless, magical experience for attendees at this international event.
Dana Barry
Dana Barry supported Phase II of our COVID-19 PAGES virtual art exhibition through her outreach to Bay District County K-12 schools in Panama City, FL. She has also provided tremendous support by reviewing and ranking grant opportunities for our general operations, projects, and programs.
Linda Cabral
Linda Cabral joined WIF’s volunteer team in Houston, TX because of her passion for programs that focus on education for children in grades K-3. When she learned about our literacy initiative for children in Houston, she eagerly joined us. With her help, we’re looking forward to making great things happen.
Shal Chandler
Shal Chandler is a seasoned and dynamic
business professional who thrives in
environments that serve people in creative ways. She is joining WIF as a Development Volunteer who is committed to helping us find the funding we require to sustain and grow our many projects and programs.
Chré Davis
Chré Davis was WIF’s first volunteer! She devoted her time and energy to supporting the successful kickoff of our literacy initiative in Houston in 2017 and to managing data in our donor data base. She recently returned to Houston after spending a few years teaching English as a second language in China.
Destiny Fagbohun
Destiny Fagbohun is contributing her formidable skills as a graphic artist to WIF’s Youth Veterinarian Initiative. She designed a template for our YVI podcast sessions and will be creating graphics for upcoming sessions. She has also committed to working with us on our 2023 fundraising luncheon in Houston, TX.
Erica Handy
Erica Handy brings her undying passion for travel and study abroad to WIF. As an advocate for our Entrée to Black Paris Cultural Awareness program, she is visiting high schools, community colleges, and other institutes of higher learning in Mobile, AL to increase awareness of the advantages of studying abroad in Paris.
Aniya Hamilton
Aniya Hamilton is a recent masters graduate from the Paris Institute of Political Studies who is a passionate pan-Africanist interested in global health and public policy governance. Through ADCI (African Diaspora Cultural Awareness) Paris, she is volunteering to share her vision of the City of Light to encourage African American youth to consider the possibility of studying abroad..
Anower Hossain
Anower has offered his bookkeeping services as a QuickBooks Online Advanced ProAdvisor to WIF since January 2022. Because he is passionate about education, environment and gender equality and believes in making a sustainable lifestyle, he likes to spend his spare time helping non-profits. To learn more about him, visit www.anowerhossain.com.
Vanessa Hulme
Vanessa Hulme is a staunch supporter of our Houston-based literacy initiative. She attends the quarterly Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation meetings on our behalf and keeps her eyes and ears open for possible collaboration opportunities in the city.
Donatella Jackson
CheyAnne Keese
CheyAnne Keese is our first Paris-based volunteer. Prior to health restrictions due to COVID-19, she was poised to photograph sessions for our Classes Duo Paris / New England program. At present, she is working on building our influence on Instagram.
Dr. Inger Kent
Dr. Kent is a former principal and turn-around school strategist. She has graciously volunteered to consult on our Youth Veterinarian Initiative (STEAM Education) and our Breakthrough to Success Online program for BIPOC female K-12 educators (Women’s Empowerment).
Tessa Kilcourse
Tessa Kilcourse joined our volunteer team to research grant opportunities and write funding proposals for WIF’s general operations, projects, and programs. Her contribution to our sustainability and growth will be invaluable!
Marteena Mendelssohn
Marteena Mendelssohn was WIF’s first Autumn intern (Fall Semester 2022). Following her remarkable success in building our ADCI Paris social media presence, she has volunteered to continue to assist us with graphic design and social media for upcoming promotional campaigns.
Rawah Mohamed
Damayandee Mooneesawmy
Damayandee Mooneesawmy volunteered to assist with client registration and customer service at The Successful Woman: Lifestyle, Legacy, and Leading by Example in Paris, France. She was part of the team that created a seamless, magical experience for attendees at this international event.
Michaela Powell
Michaela Powell joined our volunteer team to work on our 2023 fundraising luncheon. She is passionate about creating and using her gifts and talents to help others. Her online research and graphic design skills are vitally important to our project!
Gerret Schnock
Gerret Schnock joined WIF as a volunteer to help manage Google Ads for the L³ Alliance membership campaign. He currently is working side by side with Team WIF members to help with new ideas and side projects!
Steven Starosto
Steven Starosto first became involved with WIF through a project posted on the Catchafire expert volunteer platform. He worked with us to make our 2019 International Women’s Day event a success. His suggestions for strategy and technical considerations are inspired and his enthusiasm for our project is infectious.
Oromidayo Tunji-Ajayi
Oromidayo is a communications and brand strategy professional with experience supporting nonprofits, higher education institutions, and mission-driven organizations. Specializing in social media planning, content strategy, and copywriting, she is passionate about helping organizations clearly communicate their mission and impact while creating systems that improve consistency and efficiency.
Kaylan Young
Help Us Make A Change. Donate Today!