Dr. Benton Ng
Dr. Ng is a pediatric cardiologist with expertise in noninvasive imaging, including transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, and cardiac MRI.
After completing his medical training at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, he completed his pediatric residency at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, followed by a pediatric cardiology fellowship at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He received additional training in cardiac MRI at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, he was a clinical assistant professor and director of pediatric noninvasive imaging services at the University of Iowa. Dr. Ng also holds a master’s degree in clinical investigation from the University of Iowa.
He currently serves as a co-leader for the health equity project within the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC). He has organized monthly diversity meetings within his division since 2021, organized and participated in multiple health equity webinars through the NPC-QIC, and participates in research evaluating outcomes in congenital heart disease based on race and ethnicity.
Sam(ira) Obied
Sam(ira) Obeid is an internationally renowned spoken word poet, a reputed educator, a longtime youth advocate, and a local activist. Sam moved to the U.S. from India in 2007, earning her second and third master’s in Multimedia Journalism and Women’s & Gender Studies, and worked for a series of non-profit social justice organizations prior to launching her own consulting firm.
Sam has spoken at the Racial Justice Convening by the California Conference for Equality and Justice and was a Keynote Speaker at the Promoting Ethical Behavior through Social Justice Advocacy, Research, and Civic Engagement at the University of South Florida. She was recently awarded the 2022 Charlie Hounchell Spirit of Service & Leadership Award by Equality Florida for her work as an activist in Tampa Bay.
Nestor Ortiz
Nestor Ortiz has been involved in youth and community development for more than 25 years and is committed to the holistic impact that youth and community programs can have on larger communities. He advocates for numerous historically vulnerable communities by participating in various agencies, associations, coalitions, and grassroots movements.
Nestor is currently the President and CEO of 16 Point Compass, a consulting firm that focuses on the people, processes, programs, and policies of various institutions and corporations. He most recently served as the Chair of the Hillsborough County Diversity Advisory Council and is a New Leaders Council Tampa Bay alumni class of 2017, and his best role yet… the father of two hilarious and compassionate boys!
