Team

Malene serves as a Community Engagement Officer for Brownsville, and as a board member of Public Sentiment, supporting the mission to find inclusive ways to create solutions where the voices of community members are heard.  

As a native of Brooklyn, NY, Malene has invested her time in founding and running her own not-for-profit that serves the Brooklyn community, Women’s Access to Empowerment Inc., lovingly known as Brooklyn WATE. It has been a space for Black Women to find and absorb holistic versions of wellness and is home to the Black Women Do Initiatives.

Her community service is rooted in her 12 years experience in the NYFD Emergency Medical Services, and while earning her Masters in Public Health – making information and education available to Black & Brown people who can struggle to have both access and equitable health standards influencing their wellbeing.

Mike is Founder & CEO of Public Sentiment. Mike’s mission is building trust between people. Through Public Sentiment, he is helping more people be heard, and helping people on opposing sides of big issues better understand one another.

Mike has lived life on both sides of a big issue himself – he came out in the middle of the US marriage equality battle. It took Mike thirty years to find his voice and to use it. This formative experience shapes Mike’s work bridging social divides and correcting misperceptions to reduce destructive conflict.

Athenia is a Community Engagement Officer in Brownsville, and the the Founder of Umoja Events, the producer behind one of New York City’s largest and longest-running Juneteenth celebrations, Juneteenth NYC.

She has over 14 years of experience as a small business owner, and has successfully led, grown, and advised other small businesses, leveraging her expertise in psychology and business strategy – applying knowledge of human behavior and motivation to enhance organizational performance, culture, and well-being.

As a Middlebury College graduate, she values learning, collaboration, and diversity, and seeks to empower her community with a vision that centers economic prosperity and racial equality.

Felicia Zerwas is a Lead Researcher at Public Sentiment. She believes that empathy, inclusivity, and transparency play critical roles in facilitating effective communication, promoting trust, and building constructive and sincere relationships

Before joining Public Sentiment, Felicia worked with local organizations in Arizona –  Homeward Bound and Banner Health’s Child Life – providing support for children and adults, and seeing the influence that different types of relationships have on people’s lives. 

Felicia pursued her interest in relationships at the Health and Interpersonal Systems Lab at the University of Arizona and graduated with her B.S. in Psychology. She has continued this work at the Emotion and Emotion Regulation Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, earning her Ph.D. in Social Psychology.