“My leadership is rooted in community, accountability, joy, and the belief that we go farther when we go together. My mission in life is to lead with clarity, conviction and a lot of care, as I create spaces where people feel seen and supported. I want people to know that they can be leaders themselves, as leadership is not always about being at the front. It is about making sure no one gets left behind. I lead from the back, paying attention to who has access, who has been overlooked, and what barriers need to be removed. I want people to discover their own power because I helped create room for them to use it. A good leader creates conditions for other people to shine. ”
In her professional life, Iresha is an autism behavior specialist and clinical lead at the Center for Autism. Outside of work, she leads the Black Girl Joy Bike Ride, a cycling group for Black women in Philadelphia. The riders, ages 10 to 60, cycle outdoors every two weeks to experience the joy of spinning along the streets and the trails of the city.
Black Girl Joy Bike Ride
Iresha notes that Black women are busy and often feel burdened. Fun, relaxing, noncompetitive exercise is just what they need.
“Black women work hard,” she says. “We carry so much responsibility. I wanted the rides to be just an hour long. I say: come, bring yourself, and we can go for a nice little ride.”
The group has continued to grow over the years, with their most recent ride including over 30 riders. Through grants, Iresha ensures that cycling is accessible to all, offering free bikes to women or using Indigo Rental Bikes if women do not have their own equipment.
Iresha is a community leader who sees her organization as “not a third space, but a safe space.” Motherhood is hard and marriages are hard, she points out, and not everyone’s home is a comfortable sanctuary. “These women know that this is going to feel safe and this is going to feel good and joyful for them,” she adds.
Iresha doesn’t lead the cyclists by riding in front of them, though. She says the best piece of advice she’s received is to lead from behind. She is willing to step back and let the community itself become the focus. Nobody gets left behind on her rides. They ride together as she motivates and inspires them.
Leading in Behavioral Health
Likewise, in Iresha’s professional work, she leads from behind by welcoming, supporting, and understanding her clients—not by intimidating them. As clinical lead at the Center for Autism in Philadelphia, Iresha describes herself as “a hood therapist.” Her supervisor notes that Iresha’s greatest strength is her relationships with children and their families: They simply love her.
Iresha says the bulk of her clients are Black and come from poverty. They can feel vulnerable when accepting outside help: they fear being judged. Iresha says her identity as a Black woman from a working-class background allows her to lead clients in a welcoming and comforting manner.
“They tend to think you’re judging them, or you don’t understand what they’re going through,” Iresha explains. “But when I show up, they think: ‘Oh, she looks like me. She talks like me. She smiles like me. She lives like me.’ Then they can put their guard down.” She understands that leaders must build trust before expecting people to follow their guidance.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Iresha’s desire to be a leader in accessibility started at a young age, when she was growing up in Virginia. Wanting to focus on African American Studies, she chose Virginia Commonwealth University, which was one of the few schools in her area that offered the discipline. There, she fell in love with the ideas of Black feminist thinkers, including bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Kimberlé Crenshaw. She left her undergraduate program with a double degree in African American Studies and Women and Gender Studies and a minor in Sociology.
She pursued her master’s degree in education from Temple University in Philadelphia. As she began teaching, though, she realized that not much education can take place if behavioral issues interfere. Iresha studied to become a licensed behavior specialist through a post-graduate program on behavior analysis and autism at Arcadia University and is now helping children with autism and their families.
Leading through Happiness
Iresha radiates joy and hopefulness, whether she is riding bikes with Black women in Philadelphia or working at the Center for Autism. This enthusiasm translates into a powerful leadership style, which is not about being at the front. Instead, it is about creating the environment and then being willing to pedal along in the back. She says she approaches every client and community member empathetically: “I know what it feels like to struggle and be blessed.”
