MEET OUR TEAM

Lilly Marcelin

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Meet Lilly

Fiona Almeida

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS

Meet Fiona

Fiona is the Director of Programs and Operations at RSP. She is a graduate of Tufts University, where she obtained her Master’s degree from the Urban Environment Policy and Planning Department. Fiona received her BA from Wellesley College and her AS from Middlesex Community College, Boston, MA. Almeida is passionate about Global Healthcare, Education, Gender Equality and the intersection of Culture and Identity.

Fiona has a varied and richly textured background and has held various positions at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Wellesley College, and Harvard Smithsonian – Center for Astrophysics. She also worked with the Deshpande Foundation in Hubli, India. Almeida is the Founder and Executive Director of Small Acts for Sustainability which empower, educate and engage girls, women and youth from marginalized communities with a focus on education, menstrual hygiene and mental health. At RSP, Fiona uses her passion for education to raise awareness on women's reproductive diseases.

At RSP, with my passion for education, I am able to raise awareness and remove stigmas on women's reproductive diseases.

Yassmina McDonald

HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER

Meet Yassmina

Yassmina McDonald is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner; she currently works as a Gynecologic Oncologic Nurse Practitioner for Palo Alto Medical Foundation in San Francisco.

She has worked with RSP since 2011 in various roles, which allowed her to explore her passion for decreasing health disparities in the Black community, and to continue educating women about diseases of the reproductive system through creative pedagogy.

Liz Sohn

COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE

Meet Liz

RSP's relentless fight for women's reproductive education and justice has continued to inspire and challenge me over the years. I am blessed to be a part of RSP's team, the strongest advocates and supporters for Black women everywhere.

Aleyana Momplaisir

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Meet Aleyana

Aleyana is a third-year student majoring in Political Science at Northeastern University. With her many interests, exploring the intersections between her major and other fields is essential. While working at RSP, she better understands how policies impact women's access to information and supportive care. As she completes her undergraduate courses, Aleyana hopes to apply that understanding to her capstone and graduate-level concentration.

I work with the Resilient Sisterhood Project because the environment allows me to learn. Not knowing is not shamed, and research for social media work and projects is encouraged. I have learned a lot since starting seven months ago, and there is no end in sight to that at RSP.

Katherine O'Brien

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Meet Katherine

Katherine is a student at Northeastern University with a major in health science and a minor in environmental and sustainability sciences. At Northeastern, she has been involved in research examining neglected tropical diseases and HIV/AIDS in African populations. She is passionate about the intersection of health and environmental science and hopes to explore this further in the context of women’s health.

I work with Resilient Sisterhood Project because they provide the opportunity for continuous learning on women’s health issues and extend this into the community. I find RSP’s mission of education and empowerment inspiring and am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to it.

Katie Van Woert

CO-OP

Meet Katie

Katie is currently on Co-op as a Research Assistant at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in the Environmental Reproductive Justice Lab and a staff member at the Resilient Sisterhood Project. At Harvard, she assists Dr. Tamarra James-Todd and her team with the IMPACT study. This project investigates concerns around exposure sources and adverse health effects of metal(loids). As a part of Harvard's Superfund Community Engagement Core, the IMPACT study seeks to build community partnerships through research, including their relationship with the Resilient Sisterhood Project. At RSP, she assists with our important work, specifically as it relates to the impacts of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on reproductive health.

Meet our Young Advisory Leadership Council

A Message From Our Founding Director, Lilly Marcelin

A message from our founding director, Lilly Marcelin:

I am often asked what motivated me to start the Resilient Sisterhood Project. I always wish that I could respond with a quick and simple answer. In reality, the concept for this organization is a culmination of my steadfast beliefs in women’s rights and health, my love of science, and many years of advocating and working in partnership with underserved women who experience(d): incest, domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, domestic servitude, labor exploitation, and other forms of social injustice.

While working with many of these women I became keenly aware of their countless health burdens, particularly around diseases of the reproductive system. This awareness compelled me to inquire about the prevalence and impact of these diseases in women of African descent. The findings from my inquiries gave me a more in-depth understanding regarding the seriousness and consequences of these diseases in our communities.

In addition, I gained greater insights into

the prevalence of these diseases in many women of African descent including young adult girls.
the pervasive under-diagnosis and under-treatment by medical professionals.
the general lack of attention to these diseases for this racial group.
class and racial stereotypes.
stark medical and social inequities.
limited or no knowledge of these diseases.
emotional, familial, financial, and other hardships.
a culture of silence and secrecy in dealing with these diseases.
the impact of environmental toxins and synthetic hormones in our food and common household products.

These are some of the reasons behind the genesis of RSP—with its unwavering commitment for transformative social change toward more equitable reproductive health education and policies, as well as healthier women in our communities.