About Us

About Us

Team Unity Commitment

Team Unity, Inc. is a 501 (c ) 3 nonprofit organization that supports and advocates for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through Multicultural Education/Education Equity–most notably in the New York City Metropolitan Areas. This includes but not limited to proposing and endorsing strategies throughout the education system that were developed to assist facilitators responding to the many issues created by rapidly changing demographics and challenges of their student populations; therefore, creating inclusive learning environments.

Team Unity’s vision of empowerment is rooted in diversity, equity and inclusion. Our events, programs and fiscal sponsorships are designed to combat food insecurity, improve nutrition and wellness, provide athletic mentorship, while spreading social justice and relief.
This nonprofit will also endorse educational curriculum (through Fiscal Sponsorships) that incorporate knowledge about the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups, and it assumes that the future of all societies is pluralistic. As a public charity, Team Unity, Inc. will fund raise through exhibitions, performances, publications and athletic events that promote cultural criticism; promoting decision-making and critical thinking while moving toward pluralism.
  • Team Unity Model
  • Governance
  • Art & Culture
  • Social & Environmental responsibility
  • Mentorship, Leadership & Entrepreneurship

Team Unity Spirit

The Spirit of Team Unity Inc. brings together truly exceptional divisions. Each of them creates programming that embody unique gratification which encourage engagement. We consider our Board, Staff, Volunteers and Partners “Ambassadors of Diversity” reinventing opportunities.

Board of Directors

Richard Claudel Cox

Chairperson
Richard Cox—A multicultural education enthusiast, PolyGlot, Numismatic Professional and Non Profit Entrepreneur is a multi-skilled Project Manager who founded Team Unity, Inc. in 1994. A Harlem Native (Sugar Hill); With more than a quarter century of project management experience; Richard has served the United States Government Whereas he developed Scopes of Work and Initial Analysis relating to stakeholder and senior management concerns—for both Government and Non-Government entities. This included feasibility studies, technical evaluations (analytical & quantitative support) risk management techniques and Integrated Baseline Review. Richard’s undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering and graduate studies in Mathematics prepared him to develop database models that monitored project budgets and fiscal activities. Richard also serves on the regional board of the Lott Carey Foreign Mission/American Red Cross Partnership—providing guidance in local, regional and worldwide disaster relief ad currently serves the Harlem Tourism Board as a Board Member and Vice President of Events and Programming.

Raven Denelle

Vice Chairperson
Raven Denelle, serves as our vice chairperson leading our multicultural arts program. She began dancing at age 10 at Ballet Tech, the New York City Public School for Dance. She furthered her training at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia Arts High for Music and Art and Performing Arts, where she graduated with honors. While at LaGuardia, Raven also attended the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s(DTH) Pre-Professional Program as a scholarship student and performed with DTH’s Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble. While at DTH, Raven was selected as a featured dancer for the Scholastic Children’s book, “Beautiful. Ballerina” by Marilyn Nelson. During the summer of 2013 and 2014, Raven received the honor of performing choreography by Tony Award winner George Faison for the NYC SummerStage Performance Series. In 2015, Raven graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance with a concentration in ballet from SUNY Purchase. In the summer of 2015, Raven appeared on NBC’s annual “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular.” She has performed works by George Balanchine, Aszure Barton, DaVon Doane, Eliot Feld, Robert Garland, Bill T. Jones and Mitchell, Matt

Additional Board Members

Rufus Barkley

Rufus a Harlem, New York native head our multicultural visual arts projects. He studied Fine Arts at The Music & Art H.S. (now known as LaGuardia H.S.). Upon graduation from M&A in 1967 Rufus fine-tuned his passion for fashion at the Parsons School of Design. During his senior year at Parsons he worked as an apprentice to the late Oscar de la Renta. After graduation he continued full time as Oscar’s assistant in the couture. In 1970, Rufus went to work with Kay Unger at the Teal Traina Boutique & Sport. Rufus later took over both divisions as lead designer. In 1972. After his first Fall Collection, Women’s Wear Daily called him the new face of 72′. Rufus was considered a newcomer to the already established Black designers Willi Smith, Scott Barry and Stephen Burrows. His career has led him to work at: Geoffrey Beene Bag, Mollie Parnis Boutique & Couture, Kasper for Joan Leslie. For over 15 years, Rufus displayed his couture clothes on the runway of The Ebony Fashion Fashion Fair. Various newspaper & magazine articles in Essence, Ebony, Jet, Black Enterprise, Vogue & Bazaar. Rufus taught fashion illustration at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and critiqued fashion design classes at Fashion Institute of technology.. He collaborated with Essence magazine & Vogue/Butterick Patterns to produce a collection of Afro-Centric items. Rufus was honored to be a part of the “Inspiring Beauty: ’50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair” exhibit in 2013 at the Chicago History Museum. When the opportunity presents itself, Rufus loves to give back his creative knowledge to up and coming talent.

Sharon Ann Cox

Harlem Native (Sugar Hill) Sharon A. Cox heads our multicultural culinary arts programs. She is truly passionate about changing the face of healthcare foodservice. As a licensed registered dietician she is an active leader in the Food and Nutrition industry. Her recent roles included President of the National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management (HFM), Adjunct Professor, Foodservice Systems, Hunter College, N.Y. and Professional Issues Delegate, American Dietetic Association. Currently, Sharon is the Systems Director for Food & Nutrition at Carolinas Healthcare System. Sharon is known as one on the pioneers of healthcare room service as a result of her early works at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) where she was the Food and Nutrition Director for over 10 years. This groundbreaking room service model received national media headlines including coverage on Fox News, Crain’s New York Business, Food Management; Foodservice Director. The coverage culminated in a front-page newspaper article in Science Times, NY Times (For Hospital Menus, Overdue Surgery, and March 7, 2006.) Committed to education, Sharon established in 2004 a culinary externship program at MSKCC in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America, the second healthcare partnership in the country. Sharon holds a Masters in Allied Health and Education from New York University.
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