Iovine and Young Center Advisory Board Members
Dr. Carliss Richardson-McGhee
is an educator, author, and community leader with more than 30 years of experience advancing literacy, education, and youth development. A former Head Start teacher and author of seven children’s books, she has dedicated her career to empowering children and families through education and cultural literacy. As Director of the United Negro College Fund in Los Angeles for 12 years, she raised record-breaking funds and helped secure scholarships for more than 1,300 students attending HBCUs. Dr. McGhee served as President of the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education and is co-owner of Khocolate Keepsakes Children’s Literacy Museum. She is also deeply committed to expanding opportunities for students through STEM mentorship, helping young people develop the skills, confidence, and exposure needed to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She holds degrees in Early Childhood Education, Psychology, and Pre-Perinatal Psychology.
Mandy White
is the Senior Lead Brand Marketing for Community Events at Shoe Palace, where she brings creativity, strategic vision, and a passion for building meaningful connections between brands and communities. Her work focuses on creating impactful experiences and events that connect people, culture, and brand identity. A proud University of Oregon alumna, Mandy majored in Psychology while also excelling as a star student-athlete. Her athletic experience helped shape her discipline, leadership, teamwork, and commitment to excellence—qualities she continues to bring to her professional career and community engagement.
Kirk Lockhart Sr.
is a visionary Digital Strategist and advisor with over 25 years of experience in technology, digital transformation, marketing, and social media optimization. He helps organizations navigate digital disruption, accelerate growth, strengthen brands, and leverage emerging AI technologies to create new opportunities. His experience spans entrepreneurs, startups, mid-market companies, and Fortune 500 enterprises, giving him a unique perspective on organizations at every stage of growth. Kirk provides strategic counsel in technology, marketing, cybersecurity, governance, and digital strategy, helping organizations turn emerging trends into sustainable, revenue-generating opportunities.
Dr. Lenise Yarber, DDS.
Dr. Yarber spent her childhood in beautiful Anchorage, Alaska and attended high school in Federal Way, Washington. After high school she attended Los Angeles Southwest College, where she co-founded The Science Club and was an elected member of the ASB Excecutive Board. While attending LASC she completed her Associate of Science Degree in Biology and transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry in 2002. Dr. Yarber continued her education in dentistry at the USC School of Dentistry, where she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. During her studies she was the recipient of the Doctors Out To Care Award, the USC Century Award for Academic Achievement, the American Dental Hygiene Association Award for Commitment & Service and the Colgate-Palmolive Outstanding Leadership Award.
Upon graduation she was appointed a position as a member of the USC School of Dentistry faculty and served as a liasion for the recruitment and retention of underserved students into the profession of dentistry.
With a passion for the oral health care needs of children, Dr. Yarber completed an Advance Pediatric Dental Residency at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine’s Harlem Hospital based program in New York. In 2010 she received the Harlem Hospital New York City Health and Hospital Corporation Women In History Award for Outstanding Commitment to Patient Care.
With commitment and enthusiasm for outreach and service, Dr. Yarber is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, American Dental Association, National Dental Association, California Dental Association, Angel City Dental Society, Miller-Lawrence Medical Denatal Society, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and The Links, Incorporated.
Josh Grady
is the Founder and CEO of CentIQ, a gamified financial literacy platform that makes learning about money interactive and approachable for students. CentIQ partners with financial institutions to deliver engaging personal finance curriculum along with measurable learning outcomes, Josh is an Economics major and Presidential Scholar at Loyola Marymount University, where he is building CentIQ through the Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship. He taught himself to code in order to build the platform's first version, and he is committed to ensuring every young person has the financial knowledge and confidence to build a strong future.
