Ari Hampton has been an employee of Wayne State University (WSU) since 2012. Mr. Hampton is a health educator by training and a national HIV activist whose passion for community-based advocacy fuels his drive as the Manager of Prevention Services for Wayne State University Prevention team, also known as (W’SUP). Mr. Hampton is also a former case manager for the Detroit STD clinic, where he worked closely with clients living with HIV and he currently just finished his term, leading the Michigan HIV/AIDS Council with the Michigan Department of Human Health Services (MDHHS). Ari is a proud mixed gay man from Detroit, MI and has been lending his voice and experience of Living fabulously with HIV over his last 16 years to fight for health equity.

DeKeitra Griffin (He/King), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), is currently attending Louisiana State University as a PhD student within the school of social work. King serves as a board member for the Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV/AIDS, steering committee member for the United States People Living with HIV Caucus, steering committee member for the Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health, and president for the Association of Black Social Workers Louisiana State University chapter. DeKeitra uses his lived experiences including living with HIV, survivor of date rape, former sex worker, facing homelessness, and survivor of intimate partner violence to become a stronger advocate with his studies.

Devin McEnry, JD, CRM currently resides in Portland, Oregon, where he has been a part of the recovery and advocacy communities for the last decade. He received his Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Portland State University and his Juris Doctorate from Willamette University. He currently works in a supportive housing program operated by Central City Concern as a Certified Recovery Mentor, and hopes to use his lived experience with addiction, the criminal justice system, and HIV (diagnosed in 2017) in pursuit of a legal career rooted in advocacy and supporting vulnerable populations.

Mary Jane works with both local and national organizations to address the critical housing needs of individuals living with HIV. Mary Jane has served as co-chair of the Colorado chapter since 2022, where she provides vital support to women living with HIV and relentlessly pushes for policy reforms and equity for the entire HIV community. As a certified peer recovery specialist with Promotores de Esperanza, Mary Jane is deeply committed to harm reduction across Colorado. She offers peer recovery support, overdose awareness, prevention, and aftercare, alongside the distribution of Naloxone and Fentanyl/Xylazine test strips. 

Valerie Pinkston is a passionate advocate and leader from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who is dedicated to advancing the rights, dignity, and health of people living with HIV. She is actively involved with Health Not Prisons (HNP), the Positive Women’s Network (PWN), We the Positive, and The Reunion Project. Valerie’s work centers on the intersections of health, justice, and lived experience, particularly for women and communities most impacted by HIV. She has proudly shared her expertise and advocacy, as a presenter at the 2024 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA), AIDSWATCH 2024, and Positive Living 2024. She also co-produced AIDSWATCH Mississippi 2025, bringing communities together to influence HIV policy.