Our Team

  • Christa Núñez is an African American entrepreneur, researcher, agriculture educator, social justice practitioner, and storyteller. She focuses her work on creating cooperative land governance models and equitable food systems with African diaspora communities. As a facilitator for change in the realm of narrative building, education, and food justice, she collaborates with stakeholders across multicultural, multigenerational, and interdisciplinary lines, cooperating primarily on projects with children and families.

  • Davi Mozie is an American community organizer, trainer, advocate, and organizational leader who has spent over 30 years specializing in youth leadership development, violence prevention, and community engagement. A Bronx native and U.S. Army veteran, she is particularly well-known for her innovative work utilizing the sport of jump rope as an educational and behavioral intervention tool.

    Core Initiatives & Organizations

    • I-JUMP (International Jumper United Mentoring Program): As the Founding Director, Mozie uses competitive and recreational jump rope to promote youth leadership, cross-cultural relationships, and safe, respectful communication. Her work includes integrating jump rope into elementary school curricula and residential youth centers to teach conflict resolution and self-regulation. 

    • FIT for Peace Inc.: An organization she founded that merges physical fitness with violence prevention, focusing on teamwork, personal responsibility, and healthy lifestyles. 

    • Healthy Masculinity Projects: A core trainer for the national organization A CALL TO MEN, Mozie has led community-wide healthy masculinity initiatives and implemented non-violent communication curricula in schools across both the U.S. and value-based sports organizations in Kenya. 

    Community Leadership

    For much of her career, Mozie was heavily rooted in the upstate New York region. She served as the Executive Director of Ithaca's historic Southside Community Center and worked as the Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Cornell Cooperative Extension. She collaborates with educational and agricultural organizations like The Learning Farm and Khuba International to run Summer youth programs centered on wellness and physical activity. 

    International Work & Relocation

    Mozie's community work extends globally, particularly through deep-seated sports partnerships with the Jump Rope Association of Kenya. Over the last few years, she transitioned her primary focus toward the African continent. Alongside her longtime collaborator Christa Núñez, she began establishing travel programs aimed at bringing Black youth to Africa. 

  • Christine Barksdale leads the Farming for Freedom Trail initiative that connects local farms owned and operated by farmers, forest stewards, and landowners of color to supporters and community members who are invested in eating locally and equitably. She is a local small business owner. She has served on a number of non profit boards including the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Southside Community Center and the Human Services Coalition.  She currently volunteers at Loaves and Fishes and the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, where she is a previous board member. She currently serves on the board of the Ithaca Housing Authority.

  • Pete Núñez was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Harlem, NY. He developed a love for the outdoors while living in the beautiful Redwood Forest of Northern California and enjoys working the land and producing good food for the community. As a behaviorist, he loves working with young people in all phases of their development and enjoys supporting pathways to healthy communication and relationship-building.

  • For more than 25 years, Jay Smith has been a food justice advocate, working in and with organizations challenging food apartheid. As a community activist, he helped to start and steward community gardens in NYC and Ithaca to promote urban agriculture, beekeeping, and ecological awareness. Jay supports the cultivation of knowledge among people of color about farming and growing food independently of the ecologically destructive, food apartheid agricultural system. He works with Christa and Pete Núñez to promote the Quarter Acre for the People project of building intentional communities for historically marginalized people of color.

  • Michael Reese serves as the Technical Assistant Forester at Khuba International, supporting sustainable forestry initiatives and community engagement efforts. With a strong background in environmental stewardship, resource management, and outreach, Michael plays a key role in advancing Khuba’s mission of promoting sustainable forestry practices while fostering diversity and inclusion in the sector.

    Before joining Khuba, Michael attended Duke University where he received his Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Masters in Management studies from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Michael has gained valuable experience in collaborative outreach, bridging technical expertise with relationship-building to strengthen partnerships across environmental networks. Known for his commitment to service, adaptability, and hands-on problem-solving, he is passionate about connecting forestry practices to broader community benefits.

    In his role at Khuba, Michael supports technical operations, assists with project implementation, and works closely with partners to promote responsible land management and conservation strategies. His work reflects a dedication not only to forest health, but also to building trust and opportunity in the communities Khuba serves.