Name:		Jyll Taylor
		Month:		November 2002
		Schools:		Brown, 1995 Afro-American Studies and Comparative Society Development, Magna cum Laude BA with honors
		Organization:		JY Enterprises, Inc.
		Title:		President

Jyll Taylor has recently accepted the position of Executive Director of the New York City office of Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), a community-based, non-profit organization founded in 1992 by Black Harvard Law students. BELL’s mission is to dramatically increase the academic achievements and life opportunities of elementary school children living in underserved communities through tutoring, mentoring and parent empowerment. In April 1997, President William Clinton recognized BELL as one of the nation’s most outstanding community service organizations and presented them with the President’s Service Award. Since then BELL has grown significantly increasing the number of students, communities and cities it serves. Jyll has been hired to build and enhance the New York City operation, specifically increasing its networks, school partners, funding, and the number of children in their programs. (For more information visit www.bellnewyork.org.)

Jyll will be drawing on her experience and contacts as the founder and president of J Y Enterprise Inc., a nonprofit and business consulting firm committed to building a more socially responsible society through the leadership empowerment of individuals and organizations to fulfill their mission. This company was built upon Jyll’s expertise in all aspects of non-profit management and fundraising, and her ability to provide decisive leadership, penetrating analysis, strategic planning, and systems implementations. Jyll will continue to oversee the work and development of J Y Enterprise while assuming her new responsibilities at BELL. (To learn more about J Y Enterprise, please visit www.jyenterprise.com.)

Jyll is also an accomplished photographer who has been awarded several grants to conduct photo-ethnographic studies of South African women and children, including a 1995 Fulbright Fellowship. Through her photographic work, she offers an authentic perspective from which to stimulate cross-cultural understanding. Images from the South Africa series have been shown throughout the world, most notably as part of the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.

Jyll has a strong personal commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding and addressing social and economic inequality and injustice.