Officers

President, Liat Feller (she/they)

Liat is a college student, special educator, and intersex activist from Stamford, Connecticut.  As a queer, disabled, intersex Jewish woman, she is a passionate advocate for intersex inclusive, weight-neutral, gender-affirming practices in medical, spiritual, and educational settings.

At her first InterConnect conference, she felt the life-changing impact of intersex support, healing, and community.  That’s when Liat knew she wanted to be a part of the InterConnect team and help share that healing impact with other intersex individuals.

Treasurer, Elizabeth Chan (she/her)

By day she works at a college as an Associate Dean, but on afternoons and weekends Elizabeth assumes the proud roles of gym mom and dance mom to her two boys.  She wants to reach out to families with intersex children and provide them with support, education, and most importantly help them overcome their fears.

Elizabeth came to her first InterConnect conference six years ago.  As an intersex person, she found the connections she made and the sense of belonging at that conference invaluable.

Secretary, Tendaji Phoenix (he/she)

An openly Islamic, black, indigenous and transfeminine activist, Tendaji’s been featured in Teen Vogue speaking out against proposed bans on HRT and gender affirming care.  When not doing advocacy, he/she writes poetry about their mixed heritage, assembles Legos, and daydreams about which pets to adopt one day.

For Tendaji, InterConnect means being embraced and seen for who they truly are, not who society thinks he/she should be: ”InterConnect creates space for intersex people of color who are often left out of conversations surrounding intersex identity, medical care and experiences.  I want to make sure everyone feels seen and heard, not just other intersex youth but their families too.”

Members-At-Large

Jennifer Levine (she/her, they/them)

Jennifer specializes in clinical patient recruitment and community outreach for a biopharmaceutical company in New York City. Put simply, she helps research sites enroll clinical studies in order to find new treatments for diseases and conditions of the central nervous system, such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, fibromyalgia and narcolepsy. She’s also a Certified Meeting Planner, specializing in pharmaceutical/medical conferences as well as patient outreach events.

She has been a member of InterConnect since 2015, having that year decided to live her truth, speaking up against intersex erasure and surgery in all parts of her life, including via her YouTube and Instagram. She’s also a dog mom to a “super chihuahua” named Mochi, enjoys hip hop dancing and long-distance running and will not shut up if you talk to her about pretty much any TV show or movie from the last 45 years.

She can be reached on most social media as @jennlevine.

James Knudtson (they/them)

James lives a very intersectional life as intersex, autistic, and physically disabled.  They look forward to improving intersectionality in the organization’s fundamental identity as well as working in areas of fundraising, with a specific interest in creating collaborative opportunities for our community’s authors, artists, and makers.  James has experience working in, and with, nonprofits during most of their life.

InterConnect changed James’ life and has provided many meaningful relationships. With this new found home, they seek to give back to our community.

Meredith “Mx” Byars (they/them)

A dedicated advocate and speaker for intersex and queer liberation, Mere has a decade of experience championing these causes and a lifetime of lived experience.  Their passion for equity and inclusion extends beyond advocacy; including a commitment to working with and uplifting diverse populations, such as children, seniors, and low-resource communities.

They have significantly contributed to educational spaces, most notably at Magic City Acceptance Academy in Alabama, which is dedicated to students who have dropped out, are not thriving in traditional schools, or are enrolled in home-school programs.

Sam Everett (he/him)

Sam found out he was intersex in 2019 and wanted to find a community where he could exist and meet people with a variety of intersex experiences not just those that pertain to Klinefelter syndrome. That is what he found at InterConnect.

With a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Sam is currently working in a cytogenetic laboratory in the Northeast.  “I hope that one day I can become an expert in this field and give talks about the stigma surrounding being intersex to the medical community and my colleagues.”

Akelah Reese (she/her)

Akelah serves as an Assistant Director at a midwest university, where she is dedicated to supporting underserved students by connecting them with resources that foster academic success and meaningful career pathways. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, with primary research centered on the inclusivity of intersex individuals. Her work is rooted in a strong commitment to advocacy and education, informed by her professional experience in higher education.

Akelah is deeply dedicated to fostering a more inclusive society for all. InterConnect allows her to focus on connecting families to resources and supportive networks, while raising awareness about intersex identities and ensuring that families, educators, medical professionals, and community members are equipped to support intersex individuals with knowledge, compassion, and understanding.

Staff

Social Media and Peer Support Specialist, Sam Sharpe (they/them)

Sam Sharpe is an intersex peer support advocate, researcher, and a professor of biology and social transformation studies.  They have a PhD in biology and served as a 2023-2024 ORISE Fellow with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health focusing on transgender and intersex health policy.

Sam has been a staff member at InterConnect since 2022, providing peer support, content creation, and community education services.

Peer Support Specialist, Lace (no pronouns)

Before joining InterConnect, Lace has been a facilitator for other groups starting in 2001 such as Community Connections and The Whitman-Walker Clinic, both of of Washington, DC., and On Our Own of Montgomery County. At forty-seven years old, Lace lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland with Gabby, a beautiful long haired tabby cat.

A member since 2014, Lace finds InterConnect means being supported and joining in partnership with people sharing the same issues. Lace enjoys facilitating groups and it’s been a major part of Lace’s life. The support we get from these groups is invaluable!

* Due to personal and family privacy reasons, not all board members or staff may currently be listed on this page.