DR. Peter Watts, Jr.

Dr. Peter Watts, Jr. was born and raised in South Los Angeles and is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Watts of Power Foundation. Through the Village Initiative, Peter leads efforts to recruit, train, and holistically support Black male educators, with a focus on providing wrap-around support in a residency model which includes affordable housing so teachers can live and work within the communities they serve. His vision is to empower educators while fostering educational equity and community revitalization in South LA.

Peter has been a dedicated advocate for livable communities, volunteering with the Livable Communities Initiative and residing at the intersection of three historic neighborhoods: Adams Normandie, University Park, and Pico Union. He is a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he earned a B.A. in Mass Communications, and the University of Phoenix, where he received his Master’s in Education Administration and Leadership. He also holds a Master’s and Doctorate in Theology from Fuller Seminary.

Peter’s 27-year educational career began in the Los Angeles Unified School District and later expanded to ICEF Public Schools, where he served as the founding principal of Thurgood Marshall Middle School, a pioneering blended learning institution. As Director of Blended Learning at ICEF, he developed comprehensive, innovative educational models that integrated technology and project-based learning.

In addition to his role at Watts of Power, Peter serves on the advisory board for Teach For America, Los Angeles, remaining committed to creating lasting impact in education and community development. 

Outside of work, Peter enjoys vacationing with her husband of thirty years and their three adult children who are all educators in Los Angeles.

Dr. Didi watts

Dr. Didi Watts is an accomplished education advocate who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Counseling and an Ed.D in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.

Didi was born and raised in LAUSD Board District 7 and has spent more than 20 years as an educator advocating for the needs of Black and Latino students. She served as an LAUSD elementary district intern in South Los Angeles before transitioning into the role of school psychologist. Fueled by a desire to provide excellent support to special education students and families, Didi served as the Assistant Director of Special Education within a charter management organization. Upon receiving her administrative credential, Didi served as a middle school principal focusing on academics while improving school culture and climate. Most recently, Didi was the Vice President of Education for a non-profit in West Los Angeles, supporting students with special needs in non-public and residential placements. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for LAUSD BD 7.

Outside of work, Didi enjoys vacationing with her husband of twenty-six years and their three adult children.

Johnny Reed

As a High School African American Literature Teacher on Chicago’s South Side, Johnny Reed saw how stress and ongoing trauma caused by systemic racism and educational inequities impacted his students. He launched ProjectHEAL Inc. in 2017 in response to the need for school staff, students, and families to discuss how trauma impacts student learning and teacher well- being, and to collectively identify healthy, culturally relevant coping mechanisms necessary to navigate and transcend the mental scarring that trauma can inflict. In five years Reed established more than 62 partnerships with universities, community-based organizations, and public and charter schools in more than 18 states, reached 5000+ education leaders through trauma-informed professional development, impacted more than 250,000 students, and launched an elementary school Meditation & Calming Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now, after extending ProjectHEAL’s reach to the city of Los Angeles, Johnny Reed has partnered with The Watts of Power Foundation and The Teacher Village to facilitate Trauma- Informed Learning for the participating Black Male Educators.

TUNJI ADEBAYO

Tunji Adebayo is a nationally respected and recognized educator with a passion for people and leveraging his background in nutrition, fitness, and education to create a global, holistic health movement for underrepresented and underserved communities. Tunji is the founder and vision alignment officer for RHYME LLC, a holistic health company. He earned a B.S. in Dietetics at the University of Georgia and a Master of Arts in Education at Loyola Marymount University. Tunji has worked throughout Los Angeles and Georgia as a middle/high school science teacher. During his time as an educator, Tunji also worked with Educators for Excellence to write and advocate for new education policies to the state board. Tunji has worked as a NASM certified personal trainer since 2013 and received his Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in 2019. Tunji delivers keynote speeches and workshops throughout the United States leveraging all these different backgrounds and skill sets. Tunji is based in Atlanta.

Liana Sims

Liana Sims embodies a multifaceted persona as a Christian thought leader, author, and dynamic entrepreneur with a remarkable journey of weight loss success. With over 12 years of immersive experience across leading organizations, her expertise lies in spiritual leadership, community engagement, and impactful communication. A true pillar in her community, Liana is a pastor creating women’s empowerment events such as Sharpen Her Iron– conversations with dope women, 21 Days with Jesus–a devotional prayer book and The REAL which stands for ‘Relatable’, ‘Effective’, ‘Applicable’, ‘Living.’  At her essence, Liana values community, faith, restoration, and excellence, infusing these principles into every project and presentation she undertakes. Her genuine aspiration is to witness individuals and communities flourish at their peak potential. Liana has been featured on Today, POPSUGAR, Shoutout LA, Voyage LA and more. She is a true entrepreneur cultivating her “Courage” clothing line, an extension of her authored book “Monday Never Comes.” Through Liana’s clothing line, her slogan ‘the decision to move forward in the face of fear,’ can be seen throughout Los Angeles.