Afi Saunders majored in Early Childhood Education at the University of Massachusetts and is an N.A.M.C. Certified Montessori teacher. Afi taught at the Covered Bridge Montessori School in Norcross, Georgia, from 2013 to 2022. She served as a Lead Teacher and the school’s Enrichment Coordinator. She successfully directed the After-School Program, overseeing its daily operations and curriculum implementation, which served as an incubator for the Children’s Peace Initiative Program.  Before her time at Covered Bridge, Afi was the Co-Director of Branch Christian Academy in Lawrenceville, GA.  She is the creator and developer of the Children’s Peace Initiative Program and the Founder of Children’s Peace Initiative, LLC. 

Although she has worked in Montessori systems for over a decade and is directed by its core philosophies, the Peace Curriculum she developed is not strictly Montessorian as it draws from various disciplines and sources.

Afi has utilized her creativity by composing original songs and designing engaging activities that captivate the children seamlessly integrating them into their daily routines. The results have been remarkable, and parents have been greatly impressed by the changes and growth they’ve witnessed in their children. 

Children should be allowed to discover their fundamental needs and capabilities in a safe and peaceful environment. Teaching Peace in all its many facets opens the gates to self-love. We encourage hearts to open by providing a safe place to express innate responses.  When the child experiences this space and feels that their thoughts and voice are respected, what transpires is most amazing.  In its most organic form, the child who speaks from their heart center reveals the depth of untainted innocence filled with love and wonder.

This idea of having a space specifically designated for teaching peace and to teach it as a core subject, collectively in a beautiful and wholistic way can effectively change each child’s space of influence, which will then make room for future peacemakers to emerge as they change and alter how they see themselves in the world.

Leon Saunders graduated from Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in Economics and Mass Communications.  

Mr. Saunders has more than thirty years of experience in the entertainment industry, beginning as a music agent, at Norby Walters Associates, which exclusively represented eighty percent of the entire pool of talent listed on the Billboard R&B charts, including Luther Vandross, Kool & The Gang, Rick James, and many others. He subsequently became one of the first black agents at the William Morris Agency, the oldest and largest entertainment agency in the country at the time. There he continued to represent major artists such as Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, and John Denver.

Mr. Saunders eventually left William Morris to manage the chart-topping careers of Sounds of Blackness and LoKey? on Perspective/A&M Records, and Organized Noize/Society of Soul on LaFace/Arista Records. After ten years, he moved away from artist management to become an Event Producer, producing events for The Coca-Cola Company, The Ford Motor Company, I.B.M., The Orange Bowl, Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, and N.A.A.C.P. He produced “Battle of the Bands” stadium events averaging 60,000 attendees, “Jazz in the Gardens” for the City of Miami Gardens, transforming it into one of the top music festivals in the country, and “Many Rivers to Cross” a Social Justice Music & Arts Festival for the iconic Harry Belafonte, where he made his last performance on stage.

Now, Mr. Saunders has taken the position of C.O.O. of Children’s Peace Initiative, LLC, bringing years of executive management experience with him.

Dr. Wilson has come on board as Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Peace Initiative, LLC.  Dr. Roderick D. Wilson is the recipient of numerous awards for his work in electrical and computer engineering, computer networking, network architecture, engineering management, and education. He has led various research projects in the computer, communication, and networking fields and is the author of several technical publications. He has chaired international committees of the International Telecommunications Union – Technology Sector (ITU-T), based in Geneva, Switzerland, on the development of international standards for next-generation broadband networks. He is a former Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Forum representative as well as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) T1S1 Technical Committee member.

He has served as an electrical and computer engineering professor at the Florida A&M/Florida State University Joint College of Engineering, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in the fields of Classical (Analog) Communications, Digital Communications, Digital Logic, and Computer Networking. He also served as Faculty Advisor to the National Society of Black Engineers Chapter at the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering and was voted Advisor of the Year. 

Roderick served as Chairman of the Board of the Baton Rouge Primary Care Collaborative BRPCC, Inc. BRPCC operates two Federally Qualified Health Centers in Baton Rouge, LA that provide healthcare services to underserved populations. He is a board member of Sports, for Life! Inc. (SFL) where he directs the Technology Component for SFL’s Tennis, Technology, and Theatre youth training program. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Mays Foundation. 

Roderick has over twenty-five years of work experience in the profession of engineering and management. He has held engineering and engineering management positions at Texas Instruments, Wang Laboratories, Bell Communications Research, Nortel Networks, and Cisco Systems, Inc. He is a member of several honorary societies such as Eta Kappa Nu (electrical engineering honorary), Tau Beta Pi (national engineering honorary), and Alpha Chi (collegiate honorary). He is also listed in Outstanding Young Men of America and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He firmly believes in the importance of education and giving back. He regularly speaks to young people about careers that exist outside the fields of athletics and entertainment. 

Roderick has been recognized and featured as an Urban Influencer in the National Urban League’s Urban Influence Magazine for his work in the healthcare industry.  He has also been profiled in the Louisiana Primary Care Association state newsletter. He is the founder and CEO of Management and Technology Solutions Group (MTSG), LLC a company that has been in operation since 2009. 

Roderick received his M.S. (’86) and Ph.D. (’90) degrees from the University of Florida in electrical engineering with a concentration in computer and information engineering. While matriculating at the University of Florida, he was both a GEM and McKnight Fellow. He received his B.S. (’82) degree in electrical engineering from Southern University after receiving a full four-year academic scholarship. At Southern University, he served as College Marshall by graduating first in his class. 

Roderick states that his recipe for success is comprised of three fundamental principles that he strives to live by 1) To whom much is given, much is required; 2) Treat people the way that you want to be treated; and 3) Endeavor to be the best in all that you do; Roderick considers himself a very versatile individual and enjoys helping others succeed in reaching their goals.

Eric Demski is an accomplished artist and multimedia visionary with a career spanning over two decades. He has worked with some of the world’s most renowned brands—including Disney, HarperCollins, and Ben & Jerry's—using his expertise in video production, animation, and digital design to create powerful visual narratives. His work speaks to the heart, inspiring deep emotional resonance, connection, and introspection.

At the core of Eric's artistic vision is a profound belief in the power of creativity as a path to emotional healing, inner peace, and connection to the divine and cosmic aspects of ourselves. This belief has led him to align with CPI, where he now serves as Chief Technical Officer. At CPI, Eric leverages his multimedia expertise to help amplify the organization's mission of nurturing emotional well-being and peace in young minds. He oversees strategic projects that utilize technology to make CPI's impactful programs accessible and transformative for children, families, and educators.

Eric's belief that art serves as a gateway to deeper emotional and spiritual connections is what drives his contributions. He sees creativity not just as a means of self-expression but as a powerful tool for children to understand their emotions, foster resilience, and discover the divine and cosmic nature within themselves. Through his alignment with CPI’s mission, Eric strives to provide children with opportunities to explore their inner world, connect with their higher selves, and cultivate lasting inner peace.

While CPI’s programs employ a diverse range of methods to build emotional intelligence—including social-emotional learning initiatives and community-based activities—Eric’s commitment to the transformative potential of creativity has brought a unique dimension to the organization. By helping children embrace their full spectrum of emotions, Eric aims to empower them to grow in both heart and spirit, building a foundation for a peaceful and harmonious future.

Eric’s creative journey remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling while making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people. He envisions art not only as a medium for storytelling but as a sacred tool for healing, spiritual awakening, and the cultivation of cosmic connection.