Recently named by The Hollywood Reporter as their “Next Big Thing” and by Los Angeles Magazine as their “One to Watch,” exceptionally driven and stunning actress Javicia Leslie is CW’s new Batwoman becoming the first bisexual, black actress to play Batwoman. DC’s Batwoman premiered fall 2019 as the first superhero series in television history to feature an avowed LGBTQ character as the central character. Javicia made her debut in the iconic cape as a new character named ‘Ryan Wilder,’ when Batwoman returned to the CW for its second season in January 2021.

Javicia was also recently featured in Women’s Health and Emmy Magazine for her breakout series regular role on CBS’ #1 drama, God Friended Me as the quick witted and levelheaded lesbian daughter of ‘Reverend Finer’ (Scandal’s Emmy-nominated Joe Morton). Javicia captivated an audience of over 10 million people each week in the US as the “...most watched freshman series last year” and was seen in 265 countries around the globe in over 65 different languages. Javicia is also known for stealing the screen on Carl Weber’s The Family Business (BET). On the feature film front, Javicia recently tackled the lead role in hilarious new comedy, Always a Bridesmaid, penned by NAACP nominated, Yvette Nicole Brown and currently streaming on Netflix. Additionally, Javicia has also begun stretching her muscles behind the camera as well, directing two short films this year, Black Excellence and Howl.

Born in Germany to military parents, Javicia was primarily raised in Prince Georges County, Maryland. With a passion for performing early on, Javicia started small with talent shows, going on to perform leading roles in plays, and live poems, all while keeping up with an early love for fitness in track. From senior year high school president, she went on to historically black college, Hampton University, where she appeared in several productions including Seven Guitars, For Colored Girls and Chicago. Following graduation, she took on a job while working in D.C. helping soldiers and their families all while producing her own play and starting to test the waters with hosting. When she landed her first agent, she knew she wanted to pursue acting and the performing arts as a career full-time, so she left her job, packed up, and set out with her sights on Los Angeles.

Without any friends or family in the city and just a month living in L.A., Javicia was discovered working the booth of a pop-up shop event and catapulted her acting journey. She quickly gained major visibility with the Lifetime Movie Swim at Your Own Risk in 2016 which only continued to propel her forward with the TV series Chef Julian and her recurring appearances on the CBS MacGyver reboot. As if that wasn’t enough to keep Javicia busy, she starred as a lead in Carl Weber’s The Family Business alongside acting vet, Ernie Hudson on BET, consistently ranked as one of the top 10 cable shows on TV during its run.

As driven philanthropically as she is in her career, she has started an annual charity drive timed around her birthday to use the evening to give back to youth in her community, this year collecting donations of sports items via her charity, The Chandler Foundation. When Javicia isn’t filming, she spends her free time planning her next charity event, spending time with her dog, Judah, and staying fit through her passion for fitness and healthy diet.

Ashley Blaine Featherson can currently be seen opposite Lena Waithe and Vanessa Williams in the independent film Bad Hair which premiered at this year’s Sundance and she currently stars as ‘Joelle Brooks’ in the critically acclaimed Netflix Original Series, Dear White People. After the DWP’s 2017 debut, Variety, described Featherson’s ‘Joelle’ as “pitch-perfect,” and TV Guide said the actress is “the comic force of the show.” In Volume 2, Featherson continues to steal scenes and reviews. Additionally, with her stunning cover of Erykah Badu’s classic, ‘Tyrone,’ she also has the honor of being the only cast member featured on the soundtrack. In 2013, alongside Emmy-winner Lena Waithe, Featherson co-created the groundbreaking web series, Hello Cupid. Vulture selected Cupid as one of the best web series of 2014 and The Boston Globe went further, declaring the series, and Ashley, deserving of an Emmys. This past year, Featherson again stood out in her starring role in the MACRO produced series, Leimert Park, which premiered at Sundance. On the big screen, Featherson also starred in Amber Tamblyn’s directorial debut, Paint It Black, and in the 2016 ABC pilot, Drew and guest starred in Fox’s Glee on the small screen. Featherson received her BFA in musical theater from Howard University and she currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Janell is a beauty editor, communications strategist, and Hampton University-alum based in Brooklyn, New York. She has been in the fashion/beauty industry for 10 years working at various companies including KCD, Victoria’s Secret, Essence, HL Group, Ebony, Gilt, and BET.

Her work has appeared in magazines including Elle, Essence, Oprah Magazine, and Glamour, alongside digital pieces on Harper's Bazaar, Refinery 29, BRIDES, Allure, SELF, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and many others. She's also worked on numerous editorial branding projects with Sol de Janeiro, Hey Day, Dermstore, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, INTERMIX, and Birchbox to name a few.

Briana Thompson is a Health & Wellness Expert, Entrepreneur, and Empowerment Coach committed to developing a wellness infrastructure that caters to improving the health of those living in underserved communities. Since the launch of her boutique cycling company, Spiked Spin in 2016, Briana has cultivated a community of over 5,000 riders in New York City. From pop-up experiences in cities across the country to classes at the flagship studio in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Spiked Spin is providing healthy living tools and resources for people to thrive! Spiked Spin is on a mission to change the state of health and wellness for the majority, diversifying the wellness space not only in terms of race, culture, body types, but socioeconomic backgrounds as well. Briana has partnered with premier brands such as Nike, Beats by Dre, and BodyArmor among others to elevate this mission. As Briana grows The Spiked Brand, she continues to leverage her years of experience in the boutique fitness industry and intricate studies of generational health and wellness to educate the masses on social determinants of health and how adopting healthy living practices, balance, and consistency can lead to transformational changes. Briana attended Hampton University with Javicia and Janell