Political Leadership Program for People of Color

Brandon Best
Director, National Candidate Recruitment and Development, LEE

Brandon Best is an educator turned policy maker and political strategist with a profound commitment to shaping the future of public policy through education and civic engagement. His journey began in the classroom, where he cultivated a passion for empowering young minds, an experience that has profoundly influenced his approach to policy and reform. Transitioning from education to the political arena, where he now serves on the DC State Board of Education, Brandon has adeptly applied his teaching acumen to mentor political aspirants, equipping them with the skills necessary to effect meaningful change across various levels of government in the United States.

Diana Bonete Matzen
Director, National Candidate Recruitment and Development, LEE

Diana is a Director of National Candidate Recruitment and Development at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) where she focuses on supporting equity minded leaders explore a run for public office across the country. Most recently, Diana has served as a Senior Field Advisor on the Jon Ossoff for U.S Senate race. Prior to LEE, she served as the Deputy Political Director and Latino Outreach Director for Ossoff’s congressional race, where she focused on developing a targeted outreach program to increase the Latino vote in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. Diana brings extensive experience in electoral politics, having worked on presidential, congressional, senate and mayoral campaigns throughout the country for over a decade. Diana is a first generation Ecuadorian-American, Chicago native, community organizer, and avid runner and crossfitter. She is a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina where she earned a BA in Political Science and Spanish. She currently resides in Chicago where she is an elected member of the O.A Thorp Elementary Local School Council.

Holly Lim – Lead Facilitator
Civic Leadership Development Director, LEE

For the last 20 years, Holly (she/her) has been building a pipeline of diverse and equitable leaders. Prior to joining LEE, she was the CEO and founder of Holly Lim Strategies, garnering a 100% general election win rate for diverse candidates she consulted. She also led virtual programs at a PAC, contributing to 400+ under-40 candidates running across the country in 2023. 

Holly was also the Program Director of Public Allies Silicon Valley/San Francisco, where she hosted and facilitated a conversation with Mrs. Michelle Obama on leadership and equity with young adult leaders. Holly holds an MA in Asian American Studies and a BA in Political Science/Law & Society. She taught Ethnic Studies at local community colleges, and her graduate research and publications studied the leadership pathways, styles, and frameworks of women of color leaders in the political field, such as electeds, organizers, advocates, and legislative staffers.

Jemila Mitchell
Director of Regional Impact (Atlanta), LEE

Jemila Mitchell, Atlanta’s Director of Regional Impact with Leadership for Educational Equity, began her career in education, driven by a passion for empowering children. Transitioning to political action, she now utilizes her extensive background of campaigns, training, and organizing to support individuals in taking meaningful action in their communities aiming to elevate LEE members across the Metro Atlanta region.

Rizwaan Akhtar

Senior Director of Learning, Development, & Inclusion, LEE

Rizwaan Akhtar is the Senior Director of Learning, Development, & Inclusion at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) where he designs learning experiences that support leaders to engage politically and build more just and liberatory systems. Based in Chicago, Rizwaan is a Board Member of the Chicago Community Bond Fund and a former Local School Council member of Reilly Elementary School in Avondale. Prior to LEE, he led an international team at World Learning, training over 2,500 young people in civic leadership and peacebuilding in Iraq and the U.S. Rizwaan is a Fellow of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, is proficient in Arabic, Spanish, and Urdu, and holds an Executive Nonprofit Management Certificate from Georgetown University, an M.A. in International Education from the SIT Graduate Institute, and a B.A. in Psychology and Middle East Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Melissa Ait Belaid

Director of Member Engagement, LEE

Melissa cultivates memorable experiences as the LEE Director of Member Engagement for regions in Texas, celebrating members for their contributions to the community and co-discovering their next opportunity to effect change. As the leading fundraiser in her campaign for the Board of Trustees in the Princeton Independent School District, she underscored the importance of community engagement and field efforts in campaigning. She is committed to amplifying her impact in public service by building capacity in campaign management and voter engagement across Collin County through operations and finance.  Melissa is a student in the fifth cohort of the University of Texas LBJ Women’s Campaign School, earned a M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language at American University in Washington, DC, and double majored in Spanish and International Studies at the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Marcus Ceniceros

Vice President, Regional Impact, LEE

Marcus has been at LEE for seven years serving in several capacities, including: Director of Houston Impact, Senior Director of Regional Impact, and Chief of Staff to the Executive Director. He has directly engaged over 700 LEE members through one-on-one coaching and group leadership development training during this time.

Marcus became an educator after graduating with a degree in government from The University of Texas at Austin by joining Teach For America. He spent eight years with KIPP teaching primary school in Houston, New Orleans, and Chicago. He currently lives in New York City, but calls El Paso, Texas home.