Asher Gellis, MBA, founder and CEO of JQ International earned a BA in Political Theory from UCLA and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Prior to launching JQ International in 2004, Asher served as the Regional Director for Hadassah’s Young Judaea in California, Nevada, and Hawaii. He created curriculum for the Bureau of Jewish Education in Los Angeles, and guided teen scholastic Israel tours. As JQ’s first and only ED, over the years, Asher has launched dozens of groundbreaking LGBTQ Jewish programs and services in Los Angeles affecting thousands of lives and steering the Jewish Community towards LGBTQ inclusion for generations to come. In recent years Asher was an inaugural member for the PresenTenseLA Fellowship, American Jewish World Service Global Justice Fellowship, and Eighteen:22; the global think tank of LGBTQ and ally Jewish visionaries. Currently, Asher serves on the Community Advisory Board of Southern California Media Group (PBS SoCal).

Laura (she/her) is a queer, Jewish woman providing therapy to individuals, couples, and families who are in need of support managing life transitions. She is committed to a culturally humble practice as she puts compassion and curiosity first in her work with folks of all backgrounds. She specializes in therapy with adolescents, folks who identify with the LGBTQ+ community, and all families wanting to improve their communication and heal attachment wounds. She works to create a collaborative space that is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and attuned to the client’s needs.

Hadar Dohn has been a leader in the non-profit educational sector, committed to creating inclusive, engaging environments and working with educators to build their capacity. She holds a Master’s in Education and a Bachelor’s in Literature from American Jewish University and a Bachelor’s in Art from California State University, Northridge.

A fellow of the Day School Leadership Training Institute at the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Harvard Principals Center, Hadar most recently served as Principal of Irvine Hebrew Day School. She previously was Head of School at the Hebrew Language Academy Charter School in Brooklyn, a principal at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago, and Head of the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor. Hadar also spent 19 years at Temple Israel of Hollywood Day School in various roles, including Principal.

Hadar enjoys reading, walking, and cooking, although not baking, since it requires measuring. She and her husband, Mark, have three adult children and share their home with a Great Dane, a mutt,  and a stubborn tortoise.

Lindsay Strongin is a Jewish Angeleno and LGBTQ+ ally. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Annenberg at the University of Southern California and double-minored in Film and Theatre. A creator and artist, Lindsay’s passion is storytelling in various forms and she is concurrently working as a screenwriter and actor whose stories are imbued with the mission of amplifying voices of those who are too often silenced as well as making people feel seen, heard, and understood. Lindsay is also an educator with an academic tutoring business called Strongin Learning, and a trained Facilitator/Leader of Family Connections, a free course for family members of loved ones who struggle with mental health challenges.

Anna Goodman (she/her) graduated with a bachelor's degree in media and communications from Ohio University in 2011, and has since worked in a variety of fields ranging from event production and development, marketing and graphic design, to sales and customer care. With a passion for activism and the LGBTQ+ community, Anna has worked with various organizations, restaurants and bars, and corporations on creating safe spaces, events and experiences geared towards the lesbian and queer community. From 2015 - 2022, she worked as JQ International's Director of Events and Communications providing inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ Jews, their friends, families, and allies.  In 2023, she founded her events company, AG Events & Entertainment,  offering full service private event planning, consulting services, and restaurant/ bar promotional parties primarily geared towards the lesbian/ queer community in Los Angeles. You can also find her performing on stage as her alter ego /Drag King identity, Dandy Frank. 

Michael is a dedicated Jewish community builder from Los Angeles, California, with a passion for fostering inclusivity and connection. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley and a Master’s in Public Relations and Advertising from the University of Southern California, which have equipped him with a unique perspective on engaging diverse communities. Michael is committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community through his knowledge and experience.

Outside of his work with JQ, he is a resident at Moishe House in North Hollywood, where he organizes events for young adults, creating a strong sense of community and friendship. He also works part-time with BBYO, helping Jewish teens build meaningful connections and lasting memories.

As a dedicated ally and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, Michael continuously strives to learn, educate himself, and share knowledge on issues that matter deeply to his friends and allies. Now serving as the Youth Program Manager, he collaborates with temples, schools, and synagogues to create a safe, welcoming environment for Queer Jewish teens in Los Angeles.

Neil Spears serves as Executive Director of the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center after eight years as Regional and Executive Director at Power MyLearning. Neil has a BA from University of California San Diego and a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Todd Shotz, a long-time member of JQ and JQ’s current Board Chair. He is a film producer and the creator of Hebrew Helpers a national B’nai Mitzvah education service. Todd has served on many start-up and second tier non profit boards.

Meir Kojman is a Building Performance Engineer, working for a multi-national, multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm. Meir gained a Master of Engineering degree in Architectural Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lived for five years. On making Los Angeles his home in early 2018, Meir began attending JQ events, and is passionately involved in the organization. 

Nate Looney is Avodah’s Manager of Racial Justice Initiatives, leading diversity strategies at Avodah, focusing on Jews of Color. He previously served as Avodah’s JOC Recruiter. Nate is also the CEO and Owner of Westside Urban Gardens, an urban agricultural company based in Los Angeles, CA. Nate is an AJU alum, entrepreneur, strategist, US Army Veteran, and Urban Farmer. Nate joined the US Army National Guard in 2003. After Bootcamp, Nate relocated to New Orleans, where he was both a military police soldier and a full-time college transfer student at Dillard University, an HBCU. Nate was part of rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and deployed to Iraq in 2008. Nate decided to leave the Army to finish his college education and begin his gender transition. In 2015, Nate graduated with his B.A. in Business from American Jewish University. 

Lior Sibony (he/him) is an honors graduate of Tel Aviv University and The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, specializing in Jewish Education Leadership and Jewish Philosophy. After teaching over a decade in his hometown Tel Aviv, he moved to the United States, where he worked at the Education and Engagement department at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, serving dozens of Jewish day and supplementary schools, developing curriculum and leading teachers seminars . He is currently the Director of Global Jewish Education at de Toledo High School, where he passionately connects Jewish youths and their families with Jewish peers around the world through meaningful exchange and unique experiential learning.

Lior and his husband, Alex, are actively engaged with Jewish and LGBTQ+ Community causes in Israel and the United States