“A book changed my life,” says Ihkeem Ma’at, founder & CEO of The Bookshelf Project, a nonprofit that provides home libraries to low-income families in Washington, DC, and Maryland. At just 11 years old, Ihkeem read Gifted Hands, the autobiography of Dr. Ben Carson, chronicling his journey from a troubled childhood in Detroit to triumph as a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon. That book didn’t just inspire Ihkeem. It convinced him that his own potential was far greater than he had imagined.
That same conviction fuels The Bookshelf Project, which has given away more than 800 books and nearly 500 bookshelves to families since 2017. “Every child should have the chance to build literacy skills by having access to books and parents who read to them every day,” Ihkeem says.
Ihkeem’s passion for literacy is rooted in personal experience. Read-alouds were not part of Ihkeem’s home life while he was growing up. His father was largely absent, and his hardworking mother had little time. “I was extremely quiet as a child, not rambunctious like other kids. In second grade, I was negatively labeled and sent back to first grade for an extra year. That left a mark on me for the rest of elementary school,” he recalls.
Reading Gifted Hands gave Ihkeem the confidence to persevere through middle school and high school. He would ultimately go on to earn his associate and bachelor’s degrees in business administration with a concentration in project management.
After college, Ihkeem spent four years as an assistant project manager in commercial real estate construction. But his true calling emerged when he became a certified entrepreneurship teacher through the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) nearly 20 years ago.
He went on to establish his first nonprofit, the Brave Heart Entrepreneurial Youth Camp (BHEYC), while also serving as a manager at the Community Preservation Development Corporation in Washington, DC. There, he led community-based initiatives to improve the quality of life for adults and children living in low-income housing, and he taught young people the fundamentals of starting a business.
“I wanted our youth to know they don’t have to wait until adulthood to start a business,” he explains. “In marginalized communities, children often lack role models who are business owners. I wanted them to understand that they can view any career—firefighter, doctor, or NBA player—as a business, and that they can use their skills to create something of their own.”
While teaching in DC public schools, Ihkeem saw firsthand the link between low literacy rates and limited life opportunities. Nearly 70 percent of students were not reading at grade level, and the data coupled with his classroom experience pushed him in a new direction. He began to focus more deeply on early literacy development, and he eventually phased out his entrepreneurial youth work.
His path took a pivotal turn when he met Maurice Sykes, a nationally recognized early childhood education expert while serving on the Washington Teachers Union early childhood taskforce. The two connected over their shared commitment to literacy and early learning, and in 2020, Ihkeem joined the DC Early Learning Collaborative (DCELC), where Maurice served on the board of directors. As collaboration and advocacy director at DCELC, Ihkeem now works with diverse stakeholders to ensure children from birth to school entry have access to high-quality, affordable early care and education.
As the former president of the DC Black Child Development Institute (BCDI-DC), Ihkeem helped launch The Bookshelf Project, an initiative that he created to promote early literacy. When his term ended, he reestablished the initiative in 2021 as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Since then, partnerships with organizations like WETA, Washington Hebrew Congregation, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, First Books and Martha’s Table have fueled the growth of Ihkeem’s nonprofit. Through Martha’s Table, Ihkeem was able to secure a grant that helped him purchase a book delivery van to reach more families. Ihkeem often delivers the shelves himself, using the moment to speak with parents about reading, family engagement, and the joy of building a culture of reading in the home.
Ihkeem’s nonprofit also advances reading in our early childhood settings. Knowing that early childhood teachers are crucial to children’s literacy success, The Bookshelf Project began offering early literacy professional development within the last year. The purpose of the training is to expose early childhood teachers to early literacy strategies, especially dialogic reading, a method that turns storytime into an interactive conversation. The trainings are delivered by professional literacy consultants who equip early childhood educators with the tools to create literacy-rich environments, foster language development, and engage families. Revenue from the trainings helps fund free books and bookshelves for families, including underserved family child care providers.
Merging his passions for entrepreneurship and literacy, Ihkeem wrote a children’s book, The Entrepreneur in Me. It was inspired by his youngest nephew who Ihkeem wanted to learn the value of money and how to earn his own money through entrepreneurship. The story teaches children basic business principles and encourages them to see themselves as creators and problem solvers.
Ihkeem’s commitment to children and families is about more than books or business; it’s about community well-being. He draws inspiration from a Maasai greeting: “How are the children?” The reply, “The children are well,” reflects the health of the entire community.
“That’s the basis of my work,” Ihkeem says. “If the children are well, then the people of our society will be well.”
Join Ihkeem Ma’at and The Bookshelf Project in building in-home libraries for children that provide access to books—and the brighter future they deserve. Support the mission today by donating at www.thebookshelfproject.org.
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Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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