2026 Delaware Difference Makers Winners
2026 Delaware Difference Makers Awardees
Spur Impact is proud to honor 10 extraordinary leaders who are not only embracing the fundamentals of leadership, but actively sparking change across Delaware.
These individuals are catalysts—visionaries who are inspiring others to get involved and have made a meaningful impact in their communities over the past year.
Meet this year’s Delaware Difference Makers Recipients below:
Shari Custin
We are honored to recognize Shari Custin, Assistant Vice President, Community Impact Specialist at WSFS Bank in Wilmington, Delaware.
As a leader, Shari specializes in community engagement, corporate philanthropy, and nonprofit partnerships, helping connect resources with initiatives that strengthen local communities. This important work supports programs that promote economic opportunity, volunteerism, and lasting community impact.
Although she holds a leadership role, Shari believes you should define your next chapter by your purpose, not your position. Her commitment to creating meaningful change shines through her work.
Shari is recognized by her team as a problem solver and innovative thinker who can always be counted on to go the extra mile. These attributes are reflected in her impact within the organization. She has been responsible for managing logistics for WSFS’s annual "Day of Service,” increasing non-profit partner involvement and Associate volunteer participation.
Guided by the philosophy to "be the change you want to see in the world," Shari believes that when each person contributes in their own way, collective efforts can create lasting transformation. From her perspective, when you lead with service and strive to be the change you want to see in the world, meaningful change naturally follows.
Please join us in celebrating Shari Custin—a change agent and community champion, who doesn’t only lead through title, but with a commitment to making a meaningful impact in the communities where she lives and works.
Alicia Dominguez Cortes
We are proud to recognize Alicia Dominguez Cortes, a passionate advocate, community leader, and champion for Delaware’s Latino community whose work reflects the very heart of the Impact Awards.
Alicia joined the Latin American Community Center in 2020 to launch ConeXiones, a program created during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide education, testing, and vaccination opportunities to thousands of Delawareans. What began as a new challenge quickly became a platform for Alicia to expand her lifelong passion for advocacy. Since then, she has grown into leadership roles at the LACC and now serves as Director of Life Empowerment, overseeing 16 programs that provide wraparound support to individuals and families across Delaware.
Her impact reaches far beyond one department or one organization. Alicia helps connect families with essential resources, supports health and education initiatives, advocates for survivors of domestic violence, and provides immigration assistance as a DOJ Accredited Representative. Through “Know Your Rights” sessions and her involvement with New Castle HELP, she continues to ensure that community members are informed, supported, and empowered to navigate difficult circumstances.
But Alicia’s leadership is not about being the person in the spotlight. In her own words, “Leadership does not mean being in the spotlight, it is lifting the people on your team up so that they are able to shine themselves.”
That philosophy is evident in the growth of ArtAddiction, an annual LACC event that encourages the community to explore addiction and recovery through art. Under the leadership of her team, the event has grown from just 20 or 30 participants to more than 100 pieces of artwork in 2026. Alicia didn’t need to take center stage. Instead, she trusted her team to build the vision, lead the event, and experience the recognition they had earned.
That is Impact in action—creating space for others to grow, trusting their abilities, and celebrating their success.
Alicia reminds us that impact is not always about one defining moment. Sometimes, it is the result of taking a chance, adapting when circumstances change, and continuing to show up for the people who need you. Her own journey is proof of that. In 2020, she took a leap into a role she had never done before, and that leap ultimately opened the door to a career dedicated to empowering communities across Delaware.
Please join us in celebrating Alicia Dominguez Cortes—a leader, advocate, and community builder whose work continues to create meaningful change and lift others along the way.
Meg Garey
We are proud to honor Meg Garey, a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health, whose commitment to learning and listening to others' perspectives has helped her navigate the ever-evolving fields of child welfare and trauma informed care.
Since 2016, Meg has served as Executive Director of A Better Chance for Our Children, where she oversees programming, training, compliance, and fundraising. Throughout her career, she has held leadership and clinical roles in child welfare and behavioral health, with expertise in trauma-informed care, program development, staff supervision, and organizational leadership.
She believes every child deserves the opportunity to grow up feeling safe, valued, and connected and is motivated by the opportunity to build programs, support professionals, and advocate for policies that help families stay strong and give children the best chance to thrive.
Meg’s approach to leadership is influenced by the belief that every person's behavior is shaped by experiences we may not fully understand. She strives to meet people where they are, assume positive intent, and treat everyone with dignity, respect, and empathy.
In her eyes, impact is about making life better for the people we serve. She embodies this value by reflecting on her own experiences, seeking feedback, and being willing to adapt when new knowledge helps her better serve children, families, and her team.
Please join us in celebrating Meg Garey—a leader, child welfare and behavioral health advocate who is committed to helping families feel seen, supported, and empowered.
Mandi Mendoza
It is an honor to recognize Mandi Mendoza, a leader, advocate, speaker, and nonprofit consultant whose work is helping create more compassionate and effective systems for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
Mandi’s work is rooted in a powerful belief: meaningful change happens when we move beyond awareness and create real opportunities for people to heal, rebuild, and thrive.
Through Esperanza Events & Consulting, Mandi works alongside nonprofits and community organizations to strengthen fundraising strategies, cultivate donor relationships, and build trauma-informed practices. Through her work with Survivor Ventures, she helps secure the resources and partnerships needed to support survivors with safe housing, employment opportunities, economic empowerment, and long-term care.
But Mandi’s impact reaches beyond the organizations she works with. As a former Governor-appointed member of the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council, she spent three years advocating for stronger policies and survivor-centered systems. Through her involvement with the Sex Trade Survivor Caucus and her continued community advocacy, she works to ensure that survivor voices are not simply heard—they are meaningfully included in shaping the solutions that affect their lives.
This is Spur Giving at its core: using your time, experience, relationships, and resources to create opportunities for others.
Mandi believes that effective leadership is rooted in service, not position. She leads with humility, collaboration, and authenticity, recognizing that the strongest solutions are built when the people most affected have a meaningful voice at the table.
And for Mandi, impact isn't simply measured by numbers. It is measured by lives changed—by creating systems that offer greater dignity, strengthening organizations so they can serve more effectively, and helping people see possibilities for a future they may not have thought was possible.
Her work is a reminder that lasting change doesn't happen overnight. It happens through courage, integrity, humility, curiosity, and people willing to take that first step into the unknown.
Please join us in celebrating Mandi Mendoza—a powerful advocate, compassionate leader, and changemaker dedicated to restoring dignity, expanding opportunity, and building pathways for survivors to thrive.
Jalyn Powell
We are delighted to honor Jalyn Powell, a nationally recognized community advocate, strategic consultant, and speaker who is empowering local voices and reshaping how decisions are made in Delaware.
Jalyn is the Founder and and Executive Director of OUTLOUD DE Inc., a youth-centered nonprofit advancing healing, leadership, and systemic change through trauma-informed, culturally responsive programs. She works alongside young people to build power, strengthen communities, and create more equitable systems.
Throughout her career, she has collaborated with renowned community change agents, including, Dr. Wes Bellamy and Angela Rye, to advance conversations around youth empowerment, equity, and social justice.
Driven by a heart to serve, a passion for justice and obedience to God, Jayln is on a mission to answer her calling—to create spaces where young people and communities can heal, lead, and thrive.
A combination of faith, dedication and education has propelled her community impact. Jalyn holds a B.A. in Political Science, an advanced M.A. in Law with a concentration in Human Rights and Rule of Law and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Transformative Social Change.
Her leadership has earned statewide recognition, including appointment by the Governor to the Delaware Office of Women's Advancement and Advocacy, the President Joe Biden Rising Star Award, and recognition as a Delaware Business Times 40 Under 40 honoree.
Through a strategic partnership with the Delaware Racial Equity Consortium and in collaboration with Councilman Coby Owens, Jalyn organized and co-moderated a series of impactful town halls across the state. These gatherings brought stakeholders, elected officials, and residents into the same room—both physically and metaphorically—bridging long-standing divides.
From Jalyn’s viewpoint, impact is about leaving people, communities, and systems better than you found them.
The legacy she strives to leave every day is the one we are proud to honor tonight. Please join us in celebrating Jalyn Powell—a leader whose work is rooted in faith and service and ensures that community voices are not just heard, but centered.
Laeia Riddock-Washington
We are thrilled to recognize Laeia Riddock-Washington, a community leader, speaker, certified full-spectrum doula, and the founder of Naturally Beautiful and Naturally Beautiful Minds.
A dedicated advocate for youth development, maternal health, and community wellness, Laeia creates programs that empower individuals to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and embrace their unique purpose. As a former state pageant queen and now the Regional Director for Miss Black USA, she mentors and develops titleholders while helping young women grow in service, advocacy, and personal excellence. Through her work, Laeia continues to inspire positive change by connecting people with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.
Laeia’s mission was born from her own life experiences and desire to ensure that others feel seen, supported, and empowered. She recognized the need for safe spaces where youth, women, and families could build confidence, access resources, and discover their purpose, so she created organizations that turn those needs into action.
Laeia’s leadership and initiative is woven throughout her journey and her track record for launching initiatives that empower youth has led others to take notice. In 2009, Laeia started a mentoring program called Make Me Pretty that helped guide young girls through the challenges that they would encounter at home and in school during their pre-teen and teenage years. In 2016, Laeia started First State Fashion Week. This organization created a pathway for youth that may otherwise be ostracized from creative spaces to take hold of their potential in fields such as modeling, fashion design, and music, to name a few.
When asked how she defines impact, Laeia shared that “Impact is creating lasting change in the lives of others. It’s not measured by titles, recognition, or the number of people who know your name, but by the lives you’ve helped transform, the hope you’ve restored, and the opportunities you’ve created.” She believes that when you lead with purpose and genuinely invest in others, the impact extends far beyond yourself.
Laeia is the embodiment of these principles, and we celebrate all that she’s done through her work, mentorship, and philanthropic endeavors to make a difference in the lives of others. Please join us in honoring Laeia Riddock Washington.
Dan Stabb
We recognize Dan Stabb, Director of Admissions & Professional Development at Zip Code Wilmington and the Creative Director of Fearless Improv. Through workforce development and the performing arts, he is passionate about helping people discover confidence, develop new skills, and reach goals they never thought possible.
His enthusiasm for empowering others isn’t a newfound passion, Dan has always been drawn to work that helps people discover their potential. He points out that many career changers entering tech lack confidence and struggle to see themselves as professionals, let alone as future leaders. Overcoming this mindset doesn’t occur by happenstance—as Dan puts it, they need guidance to believe in their potential.
As Director of Admissions & Professional Development, he’s coached over 500 students through workshops, 1:1 coaching, interview prep, and applied improvisation. The impact: students who once doubted their ability now land roles as software developers & data engineers. More than that, they go on to lead, mentor others, and bring empathy into an industry that needs it. One student shared, “Dan is the backbone of ProDev… he always knows the right thing to say.”
This is Spur Leadership in action—developing today’s rising professionals to advance their careers and help them to become the future leaders of tomorrow.
Dan exercises this by leading with kindness, meeting students where they are and helping them rediscover their voice. His motivation is clear and consistent. Dan asserts “My goal is always the same: to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to show up authentically.
When asked how he defines impact, he responded: “...helping people discover that they are capable of more than they imagined. The greatest reward is watching confidence transform into action and ultimately lasting change.”
It may be time for Dan to add a new title to his resume: Chief Encouragement Officer. Thank you Dan for inspiring others to believe in themselves and activate the potential that’s already within.
Sarah Stowens
We are proud to recognize a public servant and nonprofit leader who has dedicated her career to advancing education, public health, and community advocacy across Delaware, Dr. Sarah Stowens.
Throughout her career, Sarah has believed that challenges shouldn't define our strategy—we have to define the path forward based on the outcomes we want to achieve. When she sees a barrier in her community, she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work.
Her broad grassroots advocacy spans founding key community resources like Delaware’s first abortion fund to launching the state's chapter of Moms Demand Action. She has consistently stepped up for local families—serving as a PTA President, leading Girl Scout troops, and mentoring young leaders throughout the state to ensure everyone has a seat at the table.
That commitment to sustainable, community-first change defines her work today in state government. As Chief of Staff to Lieutenant Governor Kyle Evans Gay, Sarah leverages her experience in coalition building and strategic leadership to drive policy initiatives centered on healthcare access, strong families, and economic opportunity across Delaware.
Whether working alongside phenomenal partners in state government, advocating for grassroots causes, or raising her children with her husband to value service and compassion, Sarah shows us that meaningful impact happens when we match our passions with action to move the ball forward.
Her advice: “Everyone has the ability to impact their community and the world but the kind of change you want to make has to match your life, your passion, and your skills.”
Kady Taylor
We are honored to celebrate Kady Taylor—an educator, role model, and coach who leads through service, action, and community impact.
Kady is a Professional Services Specialist with EL Education with more than 16 years of experience in education. She specializes in K–2 instruction and is currently pursuing a literacy-focused EdD in Education.
“Giving back has always been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember,” Kady recalls. “Whether it is giving back to young children in the classroom, to teachers on the ground doing the work, or to the community where I grew up, my ‘why’ is grounded in my deep belief that all people deserve a chance to feel a strong sense of purpose, belonging, and agency for their lives.”
Described as “the ultimate embodiment of a Delaware Difference Maker,” Kady’s impact extends beyond the classroom. Affectionately known by some as “Coach Kady from CrossFit Petram,” she is applauded for effortlessly bridging the gap between fitness, fellowship, and philanthropy.
One of her notable achievements is her reimagining of the annual CrossFit Open. Rather than focusing solely on athletic competition, Kady transforms the multi-week event into a powerful philanthropic drive. Each week, she creatively ties the gym’s internal competition to a different local charity, and her fundraising initiatives have channeled immense support to local organizations.
This is the essence of Spur Giving, dedicating your time and resources to stimulate community growth and developing fundraising strategies to help nonprofits engage new donors.
Kady’s fitness isn’t only reflected in the gym, but also in ensuring that her optimism for a brighter future remains in top shape as well. Her advice: “I'm often told that I am ‘too hopeful’ about what I want to be true about the world, and I am unapologetic about rejecting that statement. I would encourage those looking to make meaningful change to stay rooted in what you believe is possible for others, to set and keep the bar high, and to anchor yourselves in supportive people who can help you along the way.”
Please join us in celebrating Kady Taylor, a champion of change and 2026 Delaware Difference Makers honoree.
Asia Tillison
We proudly celebrate Asia Tillison,the founder and CEO of Ultimate Destiny LLC and the visionary behind the Dream Her Experience, and Take Flight Leadership Initiative.
As a licensed social worker, author, speaker, and trauma-informed wellness consultant, she creates transformative experiences that empower youth, families, and communities through healing, leadership, and personal growth. Asia is passionate about helping others dream beyond their circumstances and discover the strength to heal, rise, and lead with purpose.
Life experience propelled her into this work, creating spaces that remind young people that their circumstances do not define their future. In her own words, “true impact creates a ripple effect. When one girl heals, one student discovers their purpose, or one family finds hope, that transformation reaches generations and entire communities”.
Through her company Ultimate Destiny LLC, Asia has led workshops, networking opportunities, empowerment initiatives, and community-focused programs that encourage personal growth, entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency. Her commitment exemplifies Spur Leadership—setting the stage for others to thrive personally and professionally.
One of the greatest lessons she’s learned this season is that leadership begins with stewardship. True leadership in her eyes involves protecting your peace, being intentional with your energy, and stewarding the gifts God has entrusted to you.
Growth for her is two-fold. On a personal level, faith, healing, reflection and purpose are the catalysts she highlighted. Professionally, seeking opportunities to learn, continuing education, mentorship and listening to the communities she served are key factors.
Thank you Asia for stewarding your gifts with excellence and opening doors for others to prosper. Please join us in celebrating Asia Tillision, one of the dynamic winners of our 2026 Delaware Difference Makers Award.
