Board of Directors
Taijon Carson
President
Taijon Carson is the President of the Kadeem Carson Foundation and Kadeem’s beloved twin brother. He shared Kadeem’s passion for community and founded this foundation with his sister Kia to keep his dream alive. He and Kadeem were born and raised in New Britain and have been involved in the New Britain community since they were children. Tai worked with youth in the city for years alongside his brother and friends. Tai has dynamic experience working on many types of teams, most recently as lead engineer of support for Ring Central. He brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership and problem resolution. Tai is experienced in collaborative work and fostering relationships and this makes him a great leader who is making a difference for the foundation and the New Britain community. He has built lasting relationships within the city that motivate him to give back as much as possible. The Kadeem Carson Foundation was built to be a pillar in the community that can “Pay it forward”, like Kadeem always said.
Ashley Wooten
Vice President
Ashley Wooten – Vice President of the Kadeem Carson Memorial Foundation. Ashley has been one of Kadeem’s closest friends for over 20 years and brings a personal perspective as a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor to our foundation. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from CCSU and was the President of the student-run event planning board for (3) years. She has extensive event planning experience in providing a range of diverse and inclusive events, including comedy shows, carnivals, open mic nights, annual balls, and concerts. She is currently the Assistant After School Program Coordinator for Parks and Recreation and has experience in leadership, communication, budget planning, and management. Ashley also has deep-rooted community connections that are essential in supporting the Kadeem Carson Foundation’s mission.
Jared Carter
Secretary
Jared Carter is the board Secretary and the social media manager for the Kadeem Carson Foundation. Jared’s work is centered around Social Media Engagement, furthering education on Cancer Research and creating awareness and traction for our foundation. Jared was raised in faith in the heart of New Britain. He is childhood friends turned brothers with Kadeem and Taijon. The three of them have been a part of Spottswood AME Zion Church since they were 2 years old, and have built an unbreakable bond and brother hood. Jared’s connections on the community and digital marketing experience plays an integral role in ensuring the Kadeem Carson Foundation gets the exposure needed to meet our goals.
Kia Carson-Singfield
Co-Director
Kia Carson-Singfield is Kadeem’s sister and Co-Director of the Kadeem Carson Memorial Foundation. She is a native of New Britain, NBHS class of 2002, and currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband Dahnel Singfield and her two children Donnon and Dillan. Kia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from SUNY at Albany and is currently employed at Johns Hopkins University. The Carson family grew up in the community utilizing some of the same programs that Kadeem worked for in his young adult years. Kia believes community is an extension of your family and offering time, guidance and resources to the youth leaves a long lasting legacy to show the impact you provided. Kia started this foundation with Taijon to ensure that they continued Kadeem’s legacy of love and dedication for the youth and the community.
Christina Cassone
Co-Director
Christina Cassone – Co-Director of the Kadeem Carson Memorial Foundation. She has been best friends with Kadeem’s sister Kia for over 25 years and has been part of the Carson family. Christina’s role is to help provide guidance to the board as it navigates through fulfilling Kadeem’s mission of bringing tools, resources, and support to the youth of New Britain. Christina has a Bachelor’s degree from CCSU and brings over 15 years of leadership experience and strategic planning which plays a vital role in ensuring Kadeem’s mission is accomplished. She is the Lottery Drawing Manager for the State of Connecticut, serves as Vice Chair of The Training and Motivation Center Board, and sits on the CMHA board. She is experienced in board governance, project management, and effective communication.
Dominique Stellmacher
Co-Director
Dominique Stellmacher is our foundation Treasurer, has been close friends with Kadeem for over 15+ years, and grew to be more like family. They connected over their love of sneakers, fashion, sports and being left-handed. They eventually went on to start a business together. Dominique has a degree in Sports Management from the University of New Haven which helps her connect with the youth in our community and has provided her with experience in marketing, competitive strategy and finance. She is also one of the creative directors and designs our apparel and marketing collateral. Dominque is an organized multitasker, with attention to detail, which makes her an excellent at managing KCF’s finances.
