Rachel Briggs serves as the Program Manager, bringing years of experience as an educator, storyteller, and community advocate dedicated to inspiring learners of all ages. Throughout her career, she has designed engaging educational programs that blend science, history, culture, and the arts, creating meaningful learning experiences that empower young people to see themselves as capable, curious, and connected to the world around them. Rachel seeks to foster hope, healing, spark curiosity, and encourage the next generation to dream boldly and create a brighter future.
Sara Monteiro isanAfrican/Cape Verdean/African American Providence Native:her focus and talents have been utilized to provide quality service to under- represented communities by way of education and community organization. She is an entrepreneur and artist. As a mother, she is passionate about creating and supporting fruitful programs for inner city youth. She is a URI alum with a background in African American Studies & Human Development, who has served as Co-Chair to URI’s Alumni of Color Network. She specializes in managing community partnerships and directing special projects. Sara is passionate about serving and collaborating with community partners to create spaces for equal/diverse representation. Sara’s goal is to preserve culture and history through community. As a resident artist at CIC she produces art as a form of storytelling about her rich ethnic background as a 1st generation Cape Verdean. She is the proud owner of Distant.Relatives LLC. and OUTSPOKEN.
Shavon “Choclt” Smith is a Human Resources professional with 15-plus years of experience keeping the workplace happy, compliant, and thriving across HR management, employee relations, talent development, and compliance. A Bryant University graduate, mom of three, and grandmother of three, she volunteers weekly at Feed RI. She loves to travel, enjoy warm beach weather, take photographs, dance, and eat anything that looks good on a plate.
Annette Alves is a community builder, cultural organizer, and advocate whose work bridges health, heritage, and human connection. As Director of FUNDA Fest, she brings a refined blend of creativity, precision, and purpose to one of Rhode Island’s most cherished cultural traditions — honoring Black voices and celebrating storytelling as a force for unity and transformation. A Certified Community Health Worker and Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist, Annette’s public health foundation shapes her commitment to community care, representation, and belonging in every space she curates.
With more than a decade of experience in event coordination, community engagement, and nonprofit leadership, Annette is known for turning ideas into impact. Her leadership includes curating Southside Community Land Trust’s annual Rare and Unusual Plant Sale — a record-breaking fundraiser generating over $100,000 annually for food access programs — along with impactful roles at the Institute for Nonviolence and Federal Hill House. Born and raised in Providence and fluent in English and Kriolu, she leads with compassion, humor, and a steadfast belief in the power of storytelling to heal, educate, and transform communities.
Mel is the Marketing Director for RIBS, where she oversees graphic design, website development and updates for both the RIBS and Funda sites, social media management, and digital marketing strategy. With more than 30 years of experience in the creative industry, Mel began her career in pre-press printing before transitioning into graphic design and later serving for eight years as the Creative Director of a marketing company.
Over the past decade, she expanded her expertise into digital marketing and website development. In January 2020, Mel left her Creative Director role to launch her own marketing company, RedDesign (reddesigncreates.com), where she helps organizations and businesses build strong, meaningful brands.
That same year, Mel joined the RIBS team, inspired by the organization’s commitment to telling the stories of people of color. As someone who is part Native American—whose distant family was forced to hide their heritage—she deeply understands the importance of oral traditions and believes that stories truly matter.
In addition to her professional work, Mel taught art for many years in after-school programs throughout Rhode Island, working with at-risk youth. This experience reinforced her deep belief in the power of the arts to strengthen communities, inspire creativity, and create opportunity. She is especially passionate about working with nonprofits and supporting local businesses, using her skills to amplify voices, nurture culture, and create lasting impact.
Michelle returns to RIBS after serving as its grant writer from 2023 to 2025. She brings more than 20 years of grants management, community development, and public service experience to RIBS. A Rhode Island native, her career includes 16 years in federal grants management and seven years as Community Development Director for the Town of Warren as well as serving as town planner for the City of Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Michelle looks forward to helping advance the RIBS mission of preserving, promoting, and celebrating the rich traditions of Black storytelling, culture, and community engagement.
