I. Ashaki McClain, a mother of four and Doula to many, is a longtime advocate and instructor of holistic health and fitness. She earned her BA in Business Administration and during her decades-long career as a dancer, performer, and teaching artist, she and her husband founded the Afterschool Arts Alliance, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, that provided academic support and exposure to the arts as an academic tool through theater, music and dance.

Ashaki relocated to Chicago to support her father in growing their family business, Business Development Advisors. In 2005, she accepted the opportunity to combine her passion for activism with her propensity for cultivating the power of young women as the Performance Arts Activist Coordinator at Family Matters. In 2010, Ashaki was promoted to Director of Teen Girls Programs and has utilized her certifications to subsequently deepen the health and wellness efforts in the program and throughout the organization.