Our Team
Cierra Sisters is powered by people who care — survivors, advocates, caregivers, healthcare partners, and community leaders.
We believe that healing happens in community, and every member of our team brings heart, skill, and purpose to that mission.
Shayla Akande
Chief Executive Officer
Shayla Akande is a wife, mother, and faith-driven leader passionate about empowering women and advancing health equity. As CEO of Cierra Sisters, she carries forward the legacy of her late mother and founder, Bridgette Hempstead, expanding the organization’s reach through advocacy, research, and community impact. Before leading Cierra Sisters, Shayla spent over a decade at Microsoft, where she specialized in talent strategy and partnerships.
When she’s not leading with purpose, you can find Shayla chasing her two little ones, sipping a white chocolate mocha (with almond milk) or dreaming up her next big idea to change the world—one sister at a time.
Jasmine Jones
Chief of Staff & Operations
Jasmine Jones serves as Chief of Staff & Operations at Cierra Sisters, where she bridges vision and systems to move the organization forward with purpose. With a background in executive support, operations management, and project leadership, Jasmine thrives at the intersection of alignment and implementation. She is passionate about building systems that empower people, strengthening organizational capacity, and advancing the mission of reducing health disparities in Black women and breast cancer through both practice and research.
Grounded in compassion and faith, her leadership ensures that programs, events, and partnerships create lasting impact, opening space for healing, hope, and community care.
