Aryah Lester, a nationally awarded author, model, speaker, and educator, is a Black woman of transgender experience originally from New York. Ms. Lester was the founding deputy director of Transgender Strategy Center, eventually moving into the role of executive director. She has been a member of many boards, including Trans Tech Social Enterprises, the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Transgender Networking Group, AIDS United, The Well Project, and the Southern AIDS Coalition. Ms. Lester is also board chair of STARR, the nation's first transgender organization initially founded by Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. She also serves as advisory board member for Gilead Sciences, NMAC, and ViiV Healthcare.
