Board Members

Founder and CEO

Board Vice Chair

With over 30 years of experience in fashion design and theater, Ava Byrd has established herself as a seasoned professional in the industry. She holds a

degree from the renowned Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles and has completed post-secondary studies at the Los Angeles American College for the Applied Arts. Throughout her career, Ava has held various designing and merchandising positions, lending her expertise to fashion retail giants and prominent Californian fashion houses. 

In 2008, she took a leap of faith and founded ByrdSong Productions, a company specializing in backstage management for the Creative Arts Industry. However, the challenges posed by the Covid-19 era prompted Ava

Byrd to reimagine her artistry and embark on a rebranding journey.  In 2022, recognizing the exciting potential to leverage her skill set in new ways,

Ava accepted an invitation to join The International Alliance of Theatrical

Stage Employees (ITASE), Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the United States. Currently, Ava is working closely with talented individuals in the Bay Area Theater and Film community as a Skilled Wardrobe Technician. Ava Byrd's unwavering support for FranCine Gadsden spans nearly four decades. FranCine Gadsden has nurtured two generations of Byrd women, highlighting the importance of community and collaboration. Recognizing the significance of empowering young women of color, Ava feels honored to be involved with the Afro Puff Gurl Prep Academy, working alongside them to uplift and inspire the next generation. With Ava Byrd as the Vice President of Afro Puff Girl Prep Academy, she is excited to leverage her extensive experience and passion for the arts to make a profound impact on the organization's mission.

Financial Director

Nkem is a Christian, Nigerian-born American who has worked in corporate America, Africa, and Canada for over 17 years. Nkem has an extensive career in finance, project management, data analysis, innovation, and accounting. During her diverse career, Nkem has worked with different multinationals in the United States, Nigeria, Ontario to oversee their financial operations and ensure that all financial transactions are accurate and in compliance with the law. At a high level, Nkem works with C-level executives to help them analyze financial data, prepare financial reports, and provide recommendations to improve their company's financial performance. As an entrepreneur, Nkem is the founder of NEEDDS LLC, J3V16 LLC. Both companies were formed to empower and give back to the black and brown communities and hire mostly those that are in the low income bracket to build them from the ground up. Nkem sits on the board of many NGOs both in her home country and abroad and uses her experience in the finance industry to contribute to society. Nkem is a recipient of numerous local and international awards. Nkem has her MBA  (concentration in Finance) and MSc (Data Analysis) from Hult International Business School, Boston Massachusetts. When Nkem is not working, she enjoys quality time with friends and family. Nkem currently lives in Canada with her 2 children.

Myila Granberry is an Oakland native who currently works as an Educational Specialist with Seneca of Family Agencies. Myila earned her Bachelors from Mills College and her Masters from Holy Names University. She recently obtained a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion form Cornell University. Along with her passion for teaching, she is the current co-chair of the Alumnae of Color Committee of the Alumnae Association of Mills College. Myila has a passion for working with families and students to navigate their way through the educational system, starting from preschool through college. Through her work with Mills College, she has helped raise over $280,000 for the Alicia DeCoudreaux Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship has helped over eleven students obtain degrees from Mills College. Myila’s motto is, “Treat others kindly, as you never know what they are going through.”

Tara Sykes has been a proponent of uplifting and encouraging young people from a young age to adulthood. In all of her over 25 years of work experience in Customer Service, Tara has not only assisted customers but trained, mentored, and educated co-workers to not only be better and effective at their jobs, yet made sure that young adults who were entering the work force understood how to take care of business. She believes that instilling a strong work ethic in a young person will help them to be successful in adulthood. She feels that it is important to instill confidence, courage, and leadership skills in all our children. This is why Afro Puff Gurl Prep Academy is important; It showcases to the girls that they can be an entrepreneur, a creative, an educator, or a scientist, at the beginning of their self-discovery. Tara Sykes is honored to be an inaugural Board member of the  Afro Puff Gurl Prep Academy and is looking forward to helping it grow and making a difference in the community. 

   Bethtina Angienine Woodridge is a Black, queer, Bay Area native currently residing in Lisjan, Ohlone Territory (Oakland). A passionate and curious strategist and storyteller, Bethtina brings over twenty years of experience as a consultant and coach in government and nonprofits. Trained as a coach through the Co-Active Training Institute, her coaching is rooted in Black healing and liberation. She served as Executive Director of Public Allies Silicon Valley & San Francisco, an organization dedicated to building the leadership capacity of homegrown young people from 2004 - 2016. Her work, as with her life, is guided by values of hope, liberation, and love. She works to embrace the nuance, complexity, and intersectionality of life and people. This fierce mama bear is an aunt and grandmother. She loves making medicine, traveling, reading, laughing, making art, working to divest herself from attachments to capitalism, and being Black Magic.