ABOUT
Aligning boldly-resilient young people with the tools and mindset to move courageously,
with purpose and discipline, to activate underserved communities
At Destination Innovation, we cultivate intrinsic diversity and inclusion, both on our team and in our programs. We believe in centering the voices of people directly impacted by issues in the processes of creating effective solutions. We believe that in order to cultivate a safe and thriving community we must address the root causes of harm and work collectively to make real change.
Marquetta
Atkins-Woods
Executive Director
Destination Innovation
Progeny
Camp Destination Innovation
Root the Power
Marquetta Atkins is a community educator who brings her passion for working with youth and her creative energy to the table as a facilitator. For years she has dedicated herself to ensuring that young people are equipped with the tools for a better future. She was born and raised in Wichita, KS and graduated with a degree in Communications from Wichita State University. Her persistence in reaching her educational goals equipped her to be a mentor for high school youth in Wichita, including her own children Devon a senior at WSU and Aimani an sophomore at Prairie View A & M University.
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Marquetta’s passion for youth development is rooted in her conviction that youth are the change-makers we need for the transformation of our communities, both today and in the future.
In 2015, she founded Camp Destination Innovation to expose young people to a variety of career options; encouraging them to create their own future. The camp also helps youth explore strategies for entrepreneurship and civic engagement, grounding their professional development in a larger vision for whole and healthy communities.
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Striving to eliminate the barriers facing young people and women as entrepreneurs, Marquetta created Women Entrepreneurs of Kansas (WeKan!), an initiative to support the growth and power of women entrepreneurs. Marquetta’s talented facilitation challenges people to question their own assumptions and dig deeper into critical awareness. Marquetta is a member of the Entrepreneurship Task Force, the Evergreen Curriculum Committee, sits on the Juneteenth committee and serves on the Innovation Committee at Wichita State University.
Jondalyn
Marshall
Director of Administration
Root the Power Program Manager
Jondalyn has organized Root the Power since 2018, guiding the program through a successful expansion in size and impact. Her experience as an entrepreneur business owner, coaching individuals and groups in pursuit of their wellness goals, has equipped her to be a skilled mentor and facilitator with the young people involved in Root the Power and a connector with other community partners. Jondalyn has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and experience working in both business and nonprofit administration, which makes her invaluable to our internal operations and sustainability as an organization.
Margi
Ault-Duell
Program and Operations Director
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Margi is involved in each of Destination Innovation’s program areas and in the internal operations of Destination Innovation. Her background is in program design and facilitation, as well as in building sustainable organizational cultures. She has a Master of Divinity degree and 10 years of experience in social justice education, particularly in immigrant rights, globalization, and racial justice. Margi’s vision for social change honors the need for multiple strategies and an ecosystem of efforts. Her hope is for people to see themselves as powerful and beautiful, as change-makers capable of uprooting internalized and external oppression and creating systems of equity and dignity. She loves working at the level of personal and interpersonal transformation, where people connect themselves to a bigger vision for social change.
Tyler
Williams
Progeny Community Organizer​
Tyler has been involved in Progeny as a Youth Leader since the program began in 2017, and joined the program staff in 2018. Tyler is a formerly adjudicated youth in the state of Kansas who understands first-hand how and why the juvenile justice system needs to be changed to not only help youth grow but also to assist healing the community as a whole. He also knows how important it is to be proactive in investing in communities to build a safer and more prosperous Kansas. Tyler works on the national level as a former youth leader and now alumni of Youth First and has interned on a State level as a community organizer with Kansas Appleseed and received a governor’s appointment to the Kansas Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency and plans to utilize his platform to elevate the voices of impacted youth.
Shanae'
Calhoun
Policy Manager
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Shanae’ works with the Progeny team to advance their vision for transforming the juvenile justice system and reinvesting money into programs that support youth, preventing involvement in the juvenile justice system, and offering sustainable alternatives for economic development, wellness, and restorative justice. Shanae' is the founder of Willow Consulting which focuses on empowering leaders to transform the world. Shanae’ holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Florida State University and 14 years of experience in community organizing, executive leadership, and ministry.
Yadira
Palacios
Communications Manager
Destination Innovation
Root the Power
Progeny
Yadira joined our team in 2018, entering the organization during a period of rapid development for both Progeny and Root the Power. Her work has been essential in the successful growth of these programs, helping them to become well-recognized within the Wichita community and beyond and to gain greater public involvement and support. With a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, she brings to the team her eye for design and her experience in social media, marketing, photography, and video production.
Desmond
Bryant White
Progeny
Program Manager &
Lead Organizer
Desmond E Bryant White is the Program Manager and Lead Organizer for Progeny Kansas. His passion to ignite, empower and to activate change dates back to his own experience as a youth in the judicial system.
Bryant believes that social impact can happen through poetry and music. The 4x published author and award-winning poet whose work has been donated to detention centers, shelters and community youth programs across the world.
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He consistently engages the community & regularly uses his voice to speak about injustices around the world. As a Wichita Business Journal 40 under 40 Honoree for his community involvement he hopes it motivates others to get involved in making positive changes in their own communities.
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It brings him joy for the young people of Progeny and varies communities to be able to find their voice through the arts in projects such as the work done on the Debt Free Justice Campaign in 2022 which received a National Telly Award. When he’s not busy pushing for reform, inspiring or writing his next book, he enjoys spending quality time with his family.
Dynasty
Wynn-Bowen
Executive Assistant
Destination Innovation
Root the Power
Progeny
Paris
Lipsey-Coley
Human Resources
Representative
Lovette
Mba
Camp Destination Innovation
Program Manager
Lovette Mba, a native of Wichita, is the Program Manager for Camp Destination Innovation, and she is dedicated to empowering young innovators to build out their dreams and shoot for the stars. Rooted in her commitment to community upliftment and cultural resurgence, Lovette blends her Bachelor's in Business Management from Langston University with skills in program management, design thinking, and leadership. Her dedication to reshaping communities of color fuels her innovative spirit, infusing each endeavor with creativity and a clear vision.
Brandy
Willett
Board President
Wichita State University
Fabrice
Metan
Board Treasurer
Simplify My Numbers​
Nadine
Long
Board Vice President
KU Medical Center
Dr. Michelle
Vann
Board Member
Sistahs Can We Talk​
Vanntastic Solutions, LLC
Jill
Miller
Board Member
Finishing School for
Modern Women
Sawyer
Hobbs
Board Secretary​
Ascend Technologies
Angela
Baker
Board Member
ADT
Ngoc
Vuong
Board Member
WSU
Mike
Fonkert
Board Member
Kansas Appleseed
Angie
Scott
Board Member
Wichita State University
Malakia
Bell
Board Member
Fidelity
Nick
Flores
Board Member
Occidental Management
