Board of Directors

 Screen Shot 2015-04-07 at 4.00.01 PMRev. Jennifer Bailey

Rev. Jennifer Bailey is an ordained minister, community organizer, and emerging national leader in multi-faith movement for justice. As Founder and Executive Director of the Faith Matters Network (FMN), Jennifer believes that people of faith can be game changers in the fight to build a more just, compassionate, and peaceful world. She comes to this work with nearly a decade of experience combatting intergenerational poverty in her hometown of Chicago, and her adopted home, Nashville, Tennessee. A Truman Scholar, Jennifer earned degrees from Tufts University and Vanderbilt University Divinity School where she was awarded the Wilbur F. Tillett Prize for accomplishments in the study of theology. She is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, the oldest historically black denomination in the United States. Jennifer is currently a Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellow, an elite cohort of innovative leaders combatting issues of economic and social inequality with outside-the-box thinking.

Rabbi Lexi Erdheim

Rabbi Lexi Erdheim was ordained from the Hebrew Union College – Los Angeles Campus in 2019 where she also received her Master’s Degree in Jewish Nonprofit Management. She first began her involvement with World Faith in 2010 as a college fellow and social media intern while she was an undergraduate student at Barnard College. She currently serves as the assistant rabbi for Congregation Gates of Prayer in Metairie, Louisiana. Rabbi Lexi is the rabbi in residence for the New Orleans branch of Avodah, the Jewish Service Corp, which engages Jewish young adults in the fight against the causes and effects of poverty in America.

Lauren Tassone

Lauren is a PhD student in religion at Harvard University focusing on Catholicism, media, and gender. She holds a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) degree in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Cognitive Science and Organizational Studies from the University of Michigan. Her research interests include the history of Roman Catholic women religious, American Catholicism, and religion in film and digital media. Lauren previously led learning and development priorities at nonprofits in New York City and has professional experience in interfaith organizing, curriculum design, and facilitation. Lauren was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to her interests in religion and interreligious dialogue, Lauren loves to host gatherings, sing and play piano, and row on the Charles River.

Janett I. Cordovés

Janett is the Senior Program Director for the Presidents Consortium at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. She researches, writes, and designs opportunities for collaboration across ideological lines, fostering positive contributions to our democracy. She also leads projects and events involving diverse higher education leaders who prioritize civic preparedness, strengthening democracy, and measuring the impact and effectiveness of civic learning. Previously, Janett served as the Director for Higher Education Partnerships at Interfaith America, where she focused on the importance of religious identities, the power of religious communities, and the why for interfaith cooperation. Before that, Janett worked in higher education for nearly 20 years and was the Associate Editor for the Journal of College and Character. Her research interests include first-generation, digital pedagogy, leadership development, civic preparedness, and spirituality. Janett holds a BS in applied mathematics, an MA in higher education from Montclair State University, and a doctorate in ethical leadership from Olivet Nazarene University. Janett has also been named an Aspen Institute Fellow and Civic Fellow at the University of Chicago. Janett enjoys tennis, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Jason, and two dachshunds, Negroni and Bailey. Janett is actively involved in her church community and volunteers at Glory House. She also serves on the World Faith and FaithLives board and is an active member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.

Sheridan Ruiz

Sheridan Ruiz is a Senior Associate at Freedman Consulting, LLC, where she supports the project teams in strategic planning, research, and communications efforts for clients. Before joining Freedman, Sheridan played a leading role in fundraising at the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program. Sheridan previously worked as a consultant for Friends of the British Council. In this capacity, she cultivated philanthropic partnerships, conducted prospect research, and provided support for programming initiatives. She began her career working at the intersection of religion and public life at Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) while earning her Masters in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs from American University in Washington, DC. Sheridan is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and a native Texan. Outside of work hours can often be found at the local flea market, reading, or searching for her next favorite restaurant. Additionally, she served as the co-chair of the Emerging Leaders, an affinity group within the Institute that focuses on fostering professional development and building relationships for individuals who are in the early stages of their careers or are new to the Institute. During her tenure at the Institute, Sheridan worked to enhance institutional philanthropy’s comfort level with faith-inspired grantees and equipped them with tools to address any hesitations they might have.

Vaeme Afokpa

Vaeme Afokpa is a passionate social impact problem solver, who has worked across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. A self-declared policy generalist, she is a talented researcher and story-teller with a focus on translating complex socio-economic issues into compelling narratives. Most recently, she has been leading the International Chamber of Commerce’s external engagement in the US in an effort to strengthen multilateralism and advance impactful partnerships. Vaeme Afokpa is American and Togolese. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MPA from Sciences Po, Paris. She is a former Steering Committee member of SparkNYC, now an advisory group within the Global Fund for Women.

DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 22JAN16 - Frank Fredericks, Executive Director, World Faith, USA; Global Shaper at the Annual Meeting 2016 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 22, 2016. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/Benedikt von LoebellFrank Fredericks

Frank Fredericks is the founder of World Faith, and currently is the Executive Director at One for the World. He has been recognized as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and is a Fellow Alumnus of Leading for Impact at Oxford Skoll Centre, AMENDS at Stanford, IFYC Germanacos, Soliya, Ariane de Rothschild, and YouthActionNet. He did his BM at NYU and his MBA at Oxford Said as a Global Shaper Scholar from the World Economic Forum. He teaches social entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at IE-NY.