Tony Ferraiolo is the Co-Founder/President of the Jim Collins Foundation, and serves as an active member of the Board. Tony has dedicated himself to promoting competent and respectful health care for the transgender community, educating providers and advocating on behalf of patients. Tony founded and facilitates two youth groups: Translation, a support group for transgender teenagers, and Create Yourself, an art group for transgender and gender non-conforming children under the age of twelve. He also assisted in forming TransPACT, a support group for parents of transgender and gender … [Read more...]

M. Dru Levasseur is Co-Founder/Vice President of the Jim Collins Foundation, and serves as an active member of the Board. Dru is the Transgender Rights Project Director for Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV. He leads Lambda Legal’s transgender rights work through impact litigation, advocacy and community education to advance the civil rights of transgender people nationwide. Dru’s work has focused significantly on addressing the … [Read more...]

Dr. John C. Capozuca is a licensed psychologist in private practice in New York City with many years of experience serving transgender individuals and their families, facilitating the medical, legal and social transitions of numerous Trans people since opening his practice in 1991. In addition, he has been the supervising psychologist for the Gender Identity Project, the community-based peer-facilitated support program at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in New York, where he has also co-facilitated the support group for transsexual (FTM) men in transition.  Dr. … [Read more...]

Ava Arnett is software engineer for a regional bank.  Ava has been involved in the computer industry professionally since 1998 and has worked for nonprofits, health care and the financial industry in various capacities. She is an active volunteer with the Translation transgender youth group and has been co-facilitating since 2013 with Tony Ferraiolo and the other coordinators.  Ava had struggled with gender dysphoria since her childhood in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2010 she transitioned, personally and professionally and began living her authentic life. In her spare time, she enjoys … [Read more...]

Julie Thibodaux is a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana and has lived in New Orleans for about ten years. Currently,Thibodaux serves as the Interim Director of the Women's Resource Center (WRC) for Loyola University New Orleans.  At the WRC, she provides The Women's Resource Center aims to provide Loyola women and men with a positive college experience by responding to their needs as gendered human beings and by fostering an environment that is free of sexism and other forms of institutional and individual forms of oppression.   She works with campus partners to strive to create a supportive and … [Read more...]

Ryan Sallans, author of Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love and Life, is a public speaker, diversity trainer, consultant, publisher and author specializing in health care, campus inclusion and workplace issues surrounding LGBTQ community. After his appearance in the documentary Gender Rebel featured on the LOGO channel, Ryan began traveling to Universities where he shares the story of his transition from female to male and his recovery from anorexia nervosa. Ryan has been interviewed twice on Larry King Live, Trisha, Ricki: The New Ricki Lake Show, HuffPost Live and NPR. Ryan … [Read more...]