Erin Hustings is an equity and civil rights policy strategist and subject matter expert. In two decades of work with community development organizations and mission-driven entities in the nation’s capital, Erin has advocated inclusion and agency in immigration policy, elections, public data collection, education, workplaces and workforce development programming. She helped to draft and secure favorable votes on the Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, and other key federal legislation; and has briefed elected officials, Members of Congress, and the public on topics ranging from quality of public hate crimes data to dangers of conducting government business in English only.
Erin began her career as a junior high teacher in the Peace Corps in West Africa and did organizing and development work for public foundations focused on empowering women and children. Since becoming a lawyer, she has been an active volunteer with the Election Protection Coalition’s hotline and poll monitoring program, pro bono counsel to immigrants seeking humanitarian protection, and is the co-founder and coordinator of the DC Detention Visitation Network, which supports people affected by immigration detention in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Erin earned her B.A. from Grinnell College, and a J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where she received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Law Center Community and the Joyce Chiang Award, and was a Pro Bono Pledge honoree.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia and currently residing in Washington, DC, Ariana Satina considers herself to be a DMV native. She was brought up by resourceful, hard-working, and small business-owning Filipino parents. They instilled in her those values and beliefs and turned their American dream into a reality.
Ariana followed her own dream to learn more about and immerse herself in the world by studying abroad. In 2018, she graduated from Franklin University Switzerland with a BA in Communication and Media Studies and a Minor in Psychology. After graduating, Ariana hit the ground running to give back for all that she had received and to strive to make a change for the better—she volunteered as an Outreach Representative in the Visayan region of the Philippines. It was a transformative period in her life that she attributes to refining her. With 18 months of service in the Visayas, Ariana returned to the United States with professional fluency in Cebuano, a better understanding of the culture, a stronger love for service and the human family, and more hope for humankind. Since then, she’s implemented different aspects of her education and experiences in work as a Communication Intern, a Public Relations & Social Media Consultant, and a Design Assistant.
She currently works as the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) Program & Operations Manager. Her main responsibilities include coordinating core NWBC programmatic activities, such as public meetings, roundtables, and research policy rollouts, and managing NWBC office operations, including equipment, supplies, materials, printing on-boarding and off-boarding personnel processes, budgetary management and systems, and coordination of staff and invitational travel. Ariana hopes to use this opportunity to assist and advocate for female and minority, small business owners.
Outside of work and responsibilities, Ariana thoroughly enjoys experiencing and savoring as much of the world as possible through travel, food, music, dance, and friends. Life is meant to be lived and learned from, and Ariana aims to do just that. Hinay hinay, basta kanunay (slowly, but always).
With more than 25 years of experience, Tené Dolphin, has served in both local and national positions with a primary focus on policies and programs that create opportunities for all. Most recently Tené provided strategic and operational leadership for Wells Fargo’s Small Business Growth Philanthropy.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Tené served as the director for the newly constructed Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity for the City of Birmingham. In that role she established the Mayor’s Inaugural Small Business Council, developed the City’s inclusive procurement program, launched a disparity study, served on the supplier diversity council for the 2022 World Games and created essential local and national partnerships connecting resources to the City’s small business community.
Before spending time in Alabama, Tené spent most of her career in Washington DC. In 2017 she was appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser to support critical local business initiatives. As the Senior Deputy Director for the Department of Small and Local Business Development Tené provided oversight for the City’s Certified Business Enterprise program, the Aspire program and the Made in DC program.
In 2008 she was appointed to Senior Executive Service by President Barack Obama for the U.S. Department of Commerce. She first served as the director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat and then as the Chief of Staff for the Economic Development Administration (EDA). While at EDA Tené elevated the work of Historically Black Colleges and University’s and coordinated White House, departmental and agency strategic initiatives.
Prior to her federal service Tené led a massive volunteer corps for then candidate Adrian Fenty. Upon the success of the campaign Mayor Adrian Fenty appointed Tené to serve as his Chief of Staff and the interim director for the Department of Employment Services.
Tené began her career of service as a teacher in the Prince George’s County Public Schools. Among a classroom full of third graders she helped her students see education as a means to provide economic opportunity.
Tené is a proud graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a degree in Psychology. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Leader Greater Washington’s 2012 Class. She is an active humanitarian, volunteering for several local and national organizations. Her highest honor is being mom to her amazing son.