Dr. Greg Lucas is a storyteller, a freedom dreamer, and a cultivator of possibility. With over 25 years rooted in education and youth development, Greg’s work lives at the intersection of healing, equity, and transformation. He helps schools reimagine themselves as spaces where young people are seen, valued, and empowered to thrive fully in their humanity.
As the founder of Joy Roots, Greg leads a collective committed to nurturing joy, healing, and emotional wellbeing in education. Joy Roots partners with schools and organizations across the country to build cultures rooted in belonging, accountability, and care.
In his most recent role as Director of Social and Emotional Learning at New Visions for Public Schools, Greg supported a network of over 70 schools across New York City. There, he guided the implementation and continuous improvement of social emotional learning and positive school climate practices. As a lead facilitator with the Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship, Greg partners with school and district leaders across the country to reimagine what equitable leadership looks like in practice.
Greg has served as a consultant for both local and national organizations including the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, NYC PRIDE, World Vision, Fresh Air Fund, City Relief, and Girls Scouts of America.
Greg holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Antioch University where his research focused on school principal emotional intelligence. Greg’s roles as pastor and father continue to shape his work today. Greg is a pursuer of joy, a protector of peace, and a firm believer that choosing to remain unbothered is both a personal practice and a form of resistance.
Dr. Greg Lucas Founder, Lead Consultant
Kellen Khelefu is a Licensed Social Worker and native Brooklynite dedicated to social and human justice causes. With a background in youth and workforce development, education, public safety, and community organizing, he has served underrepresented and marginalized communities across New York City impacted by violence, community divestment, and structural racism. Kellen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and a Masters in Social Welfare from Stony Brook University. With 13 years of experience, he is a passionate and dedicated professional skilled in youth and community engagement, strategic planning, program implementation, staff management, and leadership development.
Kellen Khelefu, Consultant
Dr. Shameka N. Gerald is an education strategist, leadership coach, and founder of The Liminal Lab, a consultancy focused on systems thinking, leadership development, and the relational conditions that allow people and institutions to thrive. With over 20 years of experience in K-12 and higher education, she partners with schools, districts, and organizations to build the adult capacity that makes belonging and liberation possible for students. Her work centers identity, intercultural awareness, and the kind of honest, human development that transforms school culture from the inside out.
Shameka has partnered with organizations including Big Picture Learning, Getting Smart, and Morehouse College Center for Excellence in Education, and has served in senior leadership roles across the education sector. She is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS) Inventory and holds an EdD from Virginia Tech and a Virginia Superintendent's License. She is an adjunct professor at Regent University and is based in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
Learn more at: getliminallab.com
Dr. Shameka N. Gerald, Consultant