​ELDER Niambi Jaha-Echols, Founder Emeritus

ELDER Niambi Jaha-Echols is a Cultural Agility Strategist, Inspirational Speaker, Thought Leader, Author, Visionary, Professional Educator, and nationally recognized Life Empowerment and Transformation Advocate with over 30 years experience working with various modalities of creativity. She is the Principal and Lead Consultant for Cross-Cultural Agility  where she trains, coaches and consults individuals and corporations on issues supporting cultural intelligence and new pathways to inclusion.  She is also the Founder of  The Butterfly Movement, where the organization utilizes the symbolism of the caterpillar/butterfly metamorphosis to foster emotional and spiritual transformation in women and girls.  She enjoys traveling, inspiring creativity in others and uncovering solutions to challenges that beseech the human spirit. 

ELDER Niambi is a co-contributor to the book “African Americans and Community Engagement in Higher Education”, published by SUNY Press, and is also the author of "Project Butterfly", “Inspiring The Souls of Our Girls” and the Founder Emeritus / Facilitator Consultant for International Project Butterfly Organization where she continues to empower wombyn who in turn empower girls.  She also led the residential summer camp experience, Camp Butterfly from 2003 - 2015. 
 
ELDER Niambi has been featured in Essence Magazine, Sierra Club Magazine, Ebony Magazine, MSN.com, and  Camp Butterfly had been featured on Oprah's Angel Network. Niambi has also been recognized by the State of Illinois and Essence Magazine as a woman who is "shaping the world."  

​She served for six years on the American Camp Association's National Board of Directors and has also served on their National Board Development Committee, National Conference Program Planning Committee and their National Board's Diversity and Inclusion Sub-Committee. She is a faculty member of Expert Online Training, is a member of the National Diversity Council and has served as a Professional Advisor to graduate students at DePaul University's School for New Learning and is the Founder and President of both Butterfly University and Earth Purpose Institute.