Rooted in Sisterhood, Strategy, and Soul.

I started The SisterFriend Network because I’ve seen too many women – especially Black and Brown women – pour endlessly into others while running on empty themselves. I wanted to create a space where women feel seen, supported, and equipped to thrive with clarity and compassion. SisterFriend exists so no woman has to walk alone.

Two women smiling closely together outdoors, one wearing a patterned headscarf and leather jacket, the other with long hair and glasses on her head, standing in front of a building with multiple windows.

The seed for SisterFriend was planted during the pandemic, on a day when I wasn’t quite myself. I reached out to two friends, and without hesitation, they both showed up – listening, encouraging, reminding me I wasn’t alone. I thought: What if every woman had SisterFriends like that? That’s the heart behind this movement – to make sure every woman, everywhere, has access to care, strategy, and sisterhood that fills her cup again.

About Belinda

For four decades, my work has lived at the intersection of education, disability, advocacy, leadership, and systems change.

I began my career as a special education teacher and went on to serve with the New York State Education Department, ultimately spending a decade, from 2013 to 2023, as Chief of Special Education Services–Downstate. In that role, I led the Special Education Quality Assurance regional office for New York City, overseeing special education quality assurance across NYC public and charter schools, as well as NYSED-approved preschool and school-age special education programs.

My academic journey brings together psychology, special education, theology, spirituality, leadership, and justice. I hold degrees from Clark University, New York University, and Union Theological Seminary, where my Master of Divinity studies focused on Womanist Theology. I am currently a Doctor of Ministry candidate in Spirituality, Leadership, and Justice at Union Theological Seminary, with anticipated completion in May 2027.

Where Experience Meets Purpose

Today, I bring that experience and scholarship to The SisterFriend Network, where purpose meets strategy. I created SisterFriend as a space for women to reflect, connect, learn, and grow, intentionally centering the experiences and perspectives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous women while welcoming others.

Through consulting, workshops, retreats, reflections, educational resources, and practical tools, I draw on professional expertise, scholarship, advocacy, and lived experiences to help women, organizations, and communities navigate purpose, leadership, growth, and change with greater clarity and intention.

I believe experience should do more than establish expertise. It should become something we can use to serve others.

A smiling woman with gray curly hair and glasses, wearing a black vest over a long-sleeved blouse with black and beige stripes, posing against a plain white background.

My approach brings together strategy, scholarship, and lived experience. Grounded in Womanist thought, spirituality, leadership, and justice. I created space for women and communities to reflect, learn, and consider what comes next.

Whether through consulting, workshops, retreats, or SisterFriend resources, my goal is to connect thoughtful reflection with purposeful action–and to build connections among women across communities, cultures, and borders.

This is where purpose meets strategy.

Each woman’s story holds sacred wisdom. We heal when we listen, and we rise when we’re heard.

Ready to begin your own SisterFriend journey? Book a Discovery Call

Illustration of six women with diverse skin tones and hairstyles, facing forward.