Mother, Entrepreneur, Author, Social Justice Strategist, Philanthropist, Art Collector and Curator, Takema Robinson-Llewellyn is the CEO and co-founder of Converge, a national social justice consulting firm, whose purpose is to accelerate the creation of a radically just new world where communities of color thrive. With over 20 years of experience in strategic philanthropy, policy advocacy, and fundraising, Takema has built a company with clients like the American Civil Liberties Union, the Ford Foundation, the Packard Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners and Steven Speilberg’s Hearthland Foundation, representing over $100 billion in philanthropic investment worldwide. Since founding Converge in 2016, Takema has grown the firm to over $3.5 million in annual revenue and a team of 20 and growing.

A steadfast advocate for criminal legal reform in Louisiana, in 2017, Takema worked along-side grassroots criminal justice organizations, organizing philanthropic investments to pass Louisiana Governor John Bel Edward’s signature legislation — the Justice Reinvestment Initiative — and in 2018, Takema spearheaded a $2 million fundraising effort in 90 days for Amendment 2, a state-wide ballot initiative to end the racist practice of non-unanimous juries in Louisiana.

Takema is a proud mother of two boys. During her second pregnancy, she delivered a one pound baby at 24 weeks, placing her and her child’s life at risk. This near-death experience personally informs her work to raise awareness of Black infant prematurity, mortality and the growing Black maternal mortality crisis. Takema helped to form the groundbreaking organization, National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) and continues to support its efforts to decrease birth inequity for Black women across the U.S.

Originally from Connecticut, Takema earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and African American Studies from Howard University in Washington, DC and pursued post-graduate studies in art history and curatorial studies. Takema has served on numerous boards including Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, the Innocence Projects New Orleans, New Orleans Arts Education Alliance, New Orleans Parent Organizing Network, Lagniappe Charter School, and KidsmART.

As an art curator, Takema has produced several exhibitions including the 2017 exhibition “Freedom Dreams”, featured in season 2 of Ava Duvernay’s Queen Sugar. As an arts educator has worked at art museums including the Smithsonian Institute, the International Center for Photography, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the New Museum and the Seattle Arts Museum, She has authored curriculum on major exhibitions, including comprehensive K-12 curriculum for the nationally touring exhibition, Only Skin Deep, a examination of race, photography and American identity, curated by Coco Fusco. For over 4 years, Takema co-directed Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Institute, a highly competitive program that brings together over 150 dancers and activists to New Orleans for a 2 week immersive exploration of the intersection of dance and racial justice in post-Katrina New Orleans. In 2004, Takema was awarded the prestigious Echoing Green fellowship for The Laundromat Project, an innovative arts and social enterprise model in Brooklyn, New York.

Takema is an avid advocate for Black women and radical self-care, wellness and healing, which she practices daily through meditation, collage, watercolor painting, yoga and watching the sunset on any beach in Jamaica, where she resides with her beloved family.

Speaking expertise includes entrepreneurship, philanthropy, Black art and culture, racial justice, racial and social justice, women of color maternal health and Black women and self-care.