WEBINAR 1
It Starts with a Conversation: Taking the First Step in Brain Health
AlzInColor Webinar 1 of 6 (May 28, 2026)
Join AlzInColor on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 7 PM to 8 PM EDT for the kickoff session of our monthly six-part Brain Health & Alzheimer’s Webinar Series, “It Starts with a Conversation: Taking the First Step in Brain Health.”
This foundational session will introduce the AlzInColor campaign and its mission to advance brain health awareness and equity in Black and Latino communities. Through a powerful blend of professional insight and lived experience, our speakers will guide participants through what it means to prioritize brain health, recognize early signs of cognitive change, and take meaningful steps toward care and support.
Whether you are navigating concerns for yourself or a loved one, or simply want to be proactive about your brain health, this session will provide practical guidance, trusted resources, and a pathway to informed decision-making—without stigma.
Register Now for Webinar 1 and Secure Your Spot!
What to Expect:
- LEARN what brain health is and why early awareness matters in Black and Latino communities
- RECOGNIZE the early signs of memory and thinking changes and when to seek support
- EXPLORE how to access trusted, culturally relevant resources through AlzInColor
- HEAR both clinical and lived perspectives on caregiving, advocacy, and navigating the healthcare system
- TAKE ACTION with practical next steps to support your brain health or care for a loved one
Guest Speakers
Our featured speakers bring both clinical expertise and personal connection to the brain health journey:
Dr. Bashir Easter – AlzInColor Community Advisory Board (CAB) Member, former caregiver, patient advocate, and Founder of Melanin Minded, LLC
Dr. Nicole Rochester – Founder & CEO of Your GPS Doc, LLC and physician advocate for patient-centered care
Dr. Bashir Easter, PhD, Melanin Minded, LLC, Founder & CEO
Dr. Bashir Easter is a scholar, entrepreneur, and community leader committed to improving the quality of life for people of color. He is the founder and CEO of Melanin Minded LLC and the Melanin Minded Foundation, which provide culturally relevant resources to empower marginalized communities and promote equity and well-being.
Dr. Easter holds a PhD in Multidisciplinary Human Services from Capella University, where he published groundbreaking research on African American adolescents caring for relatives with dementia. His study highlights the unique burdens faced by young caregivers in communities of color and underscores the need for targeted support.
Dr. Easter has led the development of an innovative initiative in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—Dementia Villages—designed to build Dementia-Friendly Communities that specifically support the unique needs of individuals of color living with dementia and their caregivers. Through this work and his leadership at Melanin Minded, he champions systemic change and community empowerment, especially among youth caregivers. His vision is to create inclusive spaces where all individuals have access to the support and tools they need to thrive.
Nicole T. Rochester, MD, Your GPS Doc, LLC, CEO
Dr. Nicole T. Rochester is a pediatrician, TEDx and keynote speaker, and the CEO of Your GPS Doc, LLC, an innovative healthcare advocacy and consulting company committed to eliminating health disparities and bridging the gap between healthcare providers, patients, and family caregivers. Dr. Rochester was inspired to start her company after caring for her late father and witnessing the complicated healthcare system from the other side of the stethoscope.
Dr. Rochester’s consulting and advisory work has included leading the Maryland Department of Health’s first statewide patient and family caregiver advisory group, partnering with the Maryland Patient Safety Center to address COVID vaccine hesitancy and maternal health inequities, and providing strategic insight for health equity, workforce retention, and population health initiatives as a consultant for the Maryland Hospital Association. She is the former Medical Advisor for Health Access for the Immune Deficiency Foundation and a Board Member for HealthAdvocateX. She also serves on the Maryland Chronic Disease SHIP Workgroup and was appointed by Governor Moore to the Maryland Commission on Public Health from 2023-2025.
A Maryland native, Dr. Rochester obtained her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a member of the National Medical Association, HealthAdvocateX, the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of two young adult daughters.
AlzInColor Community Advisory Board Members
Jeanette Contreras
Organization for Latino Health Advocacy (OLHA)
Washington, DC Metro Area
Dr. Bashir Easter, PhD
Melanin Minded, LLC
Milwaukee, WI
Oya Gilbert
Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation
Delaware
Gina Haynes-Sanders
Community Liaison
Lexington, KY & Washington, DC Metro Area
Dr. Michelle Jackson, PhD
Black Women Inflammation and Tau Study (BWITS) at UC San Diego
Southern California
Jacquelyn Lee
Frankfort-Lexington (KY) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated Frankfort
Frankfort-Lexington, KY
Daryl Love
Everent Health
Kentucky
Pastor Joseph Owens
Shiloh Baptist Church
Lexington, KY
Robert Reid
Black Dementia Minds
Georgia
Dr. Mayra Sainz, PhD
Public Health Research
Georgia
Janay “J Smiles” Smith
Parenting UP!
Atlanta, GA
Cheryl Teare
Washington (DC) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated
Washington, DC
Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, PhD
Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland School of Public Health
Health Advocates In-Reach and Research Campaign (HAIR)
Maryland
Rev. Dr. Jim Thurman
Zion Baptist Church
Paris, KY
This Event is Presented By:
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