MCC's Diversity Conference Series

Javannah J. Davis is the Founder and President of WAVE Women Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equity, leadership, and wellness for transgender and gender-expansive communities. A licensed practical nurse and community health advocate, Javannah has spent over a decade bridging healthcare access, advocacy, and education for LGBTQIA+ people across New York State.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Javannah is a columnist for BlaqueOut Magazine, where she uplifts the voices and experiences of Black LGBTQ+ communities through storytelling, cultural commentary, and social justice writing. She is also an entrepreneur under Linjé Enterprises LLC, and Sisters of Eternal Essence LLC.

Javannah has organized and facilitated numerous community-centered initiatives, including the upcoming Rochester Love Rally 2026, a four-day celebration of resilience, healing, and advocacy, as well as workshops on transgender health equity, housing access, and leadership development for BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals. She is also a key participant in launching Riverside Family Medicine, founded by Dr. Colt St. Amand, a trans-led, community-driven healthcare clinic in Oneonta, NY.

Through her work, Javannah embodies a commitment to radical self-love, equity in healthcare, and the creation of safe, affirming spaces where marginalized communities can thrive

H. May is a Professor of Theatre and the Donald R. Harter Professor of the Humanities and Social Sciences at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. They are a stage management member of Actors Equity Association and a full member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. As both a scholar and a practitioner of theatre,

May’s work uses theatre and performance as a means of asking questions, stoking curiosity, and exploring possibilities in order to imagine and build new spaces, processes, institutions, and worlds that are just, equitable, accessible, inclusive, and creative. May’s recent autoethnographic work explores the relationship between embodiment, ableism, gender, and representation in academic and theatrical models. Their performative autoethnographic film “Awaiting Tiresias” was an official selection for the Together! Disability and Great Lakes International Film Festivals, a semi-finalist for the Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest in Chicago and received Disability Awareness and Contemporary Issues / Raising Awareness Awards of Merit from the IndieFEST Film Awards.

They have performed a livestream version of “Awaiting Tiresias” at multiple conferences, including the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts Digital Humanities Conference and the Digital Research in the Arts and Humanities Conference (UK), the latter of which was published in Body, Space, Technology. 

May published “When I Can’t See You at the Theatre,” in Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training: Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity, a book chapter on how to meaningfully engage blind and low-vision performers in acting classrooms and theatrical productions. Their autoethnographic essay “Practice-Based Research: Working in Crip Time” (Performance Matters, 2023) is a crip intervention into traditional models of scholarship that center embodied performance. They have two forthcoming book chapters on their experiences as a blind professor expected out within the year and will be returning to participate in their second “Crip Innovations and Interventions” panel at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education conference later this summer.

May founded the social justice theatre company Mosaic Theatre Company while teaching at Auburn University and brought that model with them to Hobart and William Smith Colleges to found Mosaic NY. May’s work as a professional director and deviser led them to be selected to be a resident artist at Indy Convergence (2019) and a participant in La MaMa Umbria International Directors Symposium (2014, 2017), Dell’Arte International Summer Intensive (2015), Pig Iron Theatre’s Something from Nothing workshop (2018), and Directors Labs North (2015) and West (2014, 2017). May served on the Strategic Diversity Planning Committee and has been a Fisher Center Research Fellow in 2014-15 and 2025. H. May holds a B.A. from Grinnell College, an M.A. from Washington University and a Ph.D. from Indiana University.

Ryan Sforza is NYS LMHC-DP, LPC-MI as a Community Mental Health Therapist, Certified Trans Health Provider, Certified Clinical Trauma Therapist-1, and Relational Therapist, and has been an LGBTQ+ health educator and consultant since 2008. As owner and clinical director of Thriving Mental Health Counseling NY PLLC, Ryan leads a cooperative practice focused on social justice and reducing barriers to care for marginalized communities. Ryan specializes in trauma, chronic illness, IPV/DV, identity development, neurodivergence, and tiered gender minority stress.

Ryan facilitates two provider groups for minority identified therapists, and leads an 'allied mental health coalition collective' to broaden mental health accessibilities in the larger community of NYS. They also mentor, supervise, and train future clinicians, advancing equitable, community-centered mental health practices, and serve on two trans health legislature community boards. Ryan appreciates working with the TGNC populations since 2016 in associated healthcare clinics and clinical consulting engagements. Since 2008, Ryan has been an LGBT health educator and consultant. Ryan is eager for future collaborative research projects.

Ryan Sforza is a Community Mental Health Therapist with NYS LMHC-D, and LPC MI. Holding primary certifications as: Certified Trans Health Provider, Certified Clinical Trauma Therapist (Level II pending) and Relational Therapist. I am a relational therapist, and my practice predominately serves minorities. I am clinically trained as an trauma and complex crisis therapist. Post -covid, I have garnered extensive experience working in IPV/DV relationships and maneuvering toxic family relationships. At Thriving Mental Health Counseling NY PLLC; As clinical director and owner, we operate as an community integrative (Co-Op ) collaborative private practice; community mission to decrease inequitable accessibilities in Mental Health treatment options since 2018. My practice is known working with minorities at various levels of identity development, minority hardship, and
neurodivergent folks navigating the neurotypical world. We serve 4yrs olds to 93 year olds. We are Social Justice Liberator Therapists.

As an Community Clinical Educator and consultant since 2014, Ryan has broaden partnerships to strengthen patients and connect providers in community resources by decreasing patient inaccessibility. In part, by professionally speaking on various topics across the landscape of mental health duress, some examples include: Trauma-informed practices for sexual assault survivors who identify as TGNCNB, Trauma-informed care for those on the front lines, Gender Spectrum & beyond, healthcare oppression advocacy, Domestic violence & IPV with the LGBTQIA community, and lastly rewarding Young adults combating ‘adult’ diseases. I am interested in identity development, tiered gender minority stress, healthcare engagement practices for disenfranchised/marginalized populations and providers identifying as TGNC while working with patients in the community. As an
Ryan has devoted their career to ensure Mental health care is accessible and affordable – they mentor and support those in similar endeavors.

Since 2019, Ryan’s diligence to further the professional counselor career, have been locally contracted with operating an practicum-internship placement site for CACREP education institutions, and been offering CEU training programs with specialization devoted to (1) LGBTQ and counselor education / development, (2) Neurodivergence, (3) Trauma, (4) IPV & PnC relational work. I have experience in leading and building curriculum for consultation projects, federally grant funded programs, and both undergraduate & graduate credited classes. I lead counselor education supervision groups, and individually support therapists in their career pursuit. I have extensive experience with IPV - DV and complex family / relational dynamics. For the past 16 years, Ryan has been an LGBT health educator and consultant.