Spotlight: Spring 2026 Entrepreneurs in Residence Roundtable

​Please join us for an introduction to our new cohort of Entrepreneurs in Residence. 

​Our newest cohort is working on everything from educational empowerment through tech to revitalizing empty store fronts through art. They're training those directly affected by the carceral system for healing and opportunities, showcasing the best and most innovative art for climate justice, all while working to bring back birth centers to the five boroughs.

​In sum, this group of people have a lot of dreams, a lot of hope, and ready to learn from you and share their perspectives. Join the conversation with us.

​Jhody Polk is the founder of the Legal Empowerment & Advocacy Hub (LEAH). LEAH was founded in 2019 with the mission to ensure isolated communities have access to legal empowerment, education and peacebuilding. LEAH’s first program was the Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative (JLI), housed at the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law. Jhody is a 2025 David Prize Winner and a 2024 Global Freedom Fellow. She is recognized as a formerly Incarcerated Jailhouse Lawyer, a Community Paralegal and Community Peacebuilder.

Sebastián Martín is a social entrepreneur and educator. He is the founder of Cambio Labs, a nonprofit that empowers low income social entrepreneurs and workers through educational programs, learning technology, and by providing access to investment and job opportunities. Cambio Labs combines a tech-enabled platform (Journey) with a social entrepreneurship curriculum that is delivered to schools and community organizations with the aim of creating transformational access to new skills.

Myla Flores is the founder of The Birthing Place Foundation, a future birth center offering midwifery-led collaborative care. She has practiced as a birth doula since 2006 and is now an experienced full spectrum doula, midwifery birth assistant, childbirth educator, lactation counselor, and mentor to many. Myla has become a leader and visionary in the birth field, building a suite of community programs where people can access safe, informed reproductive care pre-, during, and post-pregnancy. The Womb Bus, her innovative mobile wellness hub, brings essential education, resources, and outreach to blossoming families. The Womb Bus serves as a vehicle to increase awareness and provide services in preparation for The Birthing Place.

Barbara Anderson is the founder of Art on the Ave NYC, a New York–based nonprofit that transforms vacant storefronts and underused spaces into vibrant, community-centered art hubs. Before founding Art on the Ave NYC, Anderson spent more than thirty years as an educator, an experience that continues to shape her work building collaborative teams, managing complex stakeholders, meeting clear deliverables, and bringing in ambitious projects on time and on budget.

J. English Cook and Alec Turnbull are the co-founders of the Climate Film Fest (CFF). CFF is an annual event with programming that runs throughout the year, dedicated to honoring films and filmmakers who explore climate-related themes. As the largest festival of its kind in New York City, CFF is reshaping the conversation around climate change by leveraging artists and the impact of cinema. The festival highlights emerging and renowned filmmakers, presents landmark climate films, and shares compelling, human-centered stories that inspire and engage audiences.

​Anew is a gathering space and discovery center for the social impact community.

​​Anew’s Entrepreneur in Residence program hosts nonprofit entrepreneurs who are architecting creative social impact solutions to real world problems. Every six months, we support a new group of change makers with a customized curriculum to take their organizations to the next level.