Meet the Honorees of D.C. United’s 2025 Raise a Toast Presented by Giant and the D.C. United Foundation
D.C. United announces its 11 Raise a Toast honorees for the 2025 cohort. Honorees are selected for their commitment to promoting empowerment, opportunity, and service in the community.
The annual Raise a Toast celebration is presented by Giant and the D.C. United Foundation, recognizing our local heroes that continue to make a positive impact in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virigina area. In addition to their Raise a Toast award, the D.C. United Foundation grants a $1,000 donation to benefit a nonprofit of each honoree’s choosing. Since the inaugural Raise a Toast in 2022, the D.C. United Foundation has honored 47 individuals to date, donating $47,000 to nonprofits in the DMV, including but not limited to Latinas Leading Tomorrow, Leveling the Playing Field, Worthy Mentoring, Nueva Vida and Friends of Anacostia Park.
The D.C. United Foundation is excited to honor this year's newest cohort.
Below is more information about each Raise a Toast honoree:
Alex Clark - Educator and Founder of Prime Ability Youth Cycling Development
Alex Clark is an award-winning educator and visionary leader dedicated to uplifting youth of color. A teacher at the historic Dunbar High School in Washington, DC, and founder of Prime Ability Youth Cycling Development, Clark has been recognized as the 2023 DC OSSE Teacher of the Year and 2024 SHAPE America National PE Teacher of the Year. Having lost over 20 students to gun violence, he channels grief into purpose, using cycling to heal, empower, and create safe spaces for youth. He established DC’s first youth cycling team of color, launched the innovative Bike Bus to fight truancy, and leads the region’s first in-school bike mechanic program, certifying students for careers in the cycling industry. Featured in the Washington Post, TIME, and The Today Show, Clark continues to inspire through his rallying cry: #StayPrime — More Kids on Bikes, Less Kids on the Streets.
Andrea Durham - CEO and Founder of Minority Women in Sports
Andrea Durham is the CEO and Founder of Minority Women in Sports, a 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to supporting and advancing the educational and professional goals of minority women in the sports industry. Since its founding in 2020, the organization has launched programs addressing the unique challenges faced by minority women while creating pipelines for career guidance, networking, and skills development. Through strategic partnerships, MWIS connects aspiring professionals with industry leaders and builds community to ensure women have the tools to thrive in every arena. With a background in athletic training that spans every competitive level, Andrea continues to serve in the field as a PRN Certified Athletic Trainer. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Tennessee State University and a Master of Science in Athletic Training from Seton Hall University. Her career reflects a commitment to creating opportunities where others can learn, grow, and lead. These values are at the heart of her leadership and fuel her passion for advancing equity.
Diane Wallace Booker - CEO and Founding Executive Director of U.S. Dream Academy
Diane Wallace Booker is the CEO and founding Executive Director of the U.S. Dream Academy, where she has led national expansion and developed a youth development model supporting over 15 thousand of young people in under-invested communities across the country in afterschool and mentoring. An attorney and expert in positive youth development—particularly for children of incarcerated parents—she is committed to advancing equity and opportunity. Diane previously led a youth violence reduction initiative in Southeast D.C. for the U.S. Department of Justice, resulting in a notable drop in crime through community partnerships within a year. She holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland Frances King Carey School of Law and a B.A. in Communications from Bowie State University. She also earned nonprofit leadership certificates from Stanford and Harvard Universities. Diane currently serves as board chair for both the Capitol Hill Counseling and Resource Center in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore City Head Start, which delivers vital early learning services to thousands of children in the city.
Cidney Farley - Founder and Executive Director of iFLY Youth
Cidney Farley, Founder and Executive Director of iFLY Youth, has over 15 years of experience addressing the opportunity gap facing students of color. As a Teach for America alumna and former middle school teacher, she has taught in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. While teaching at an all-girls school in Houston, she saw that many students faced not only an academic gap but also a lack of life experiences; some had never left their neighborhoods, while others dreamed of traveling but lacked resources. Inspired by her own childhood of limited travel and her global teaching experiences, Cidney created iFLY Youth to give girls from low-income backgrounds transformative, real-world opportunities. Her passion for empowering girls and expanding their horizons drives the organization’s mission. Since 2017, she has led the organization in providing 65 girls the opportunity to travel to countries such as Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama.
Daniel Altman - Co-Founder of NOVA RAFT
Daniel Altman is the co-founder of Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NOVA RAFT), which he established during the evacuation of Kabul in August 2021. His ties to Afghanistan run deep: he first deployed there with the U.S. military in 2006 and continued to return frequently through 2019. When the Kabul crisis unfolded, Dan mobilized hundreds of community members, faith institutions, and civic groups to furnish homes for newly arrived Afghan families. Partnering with area refugee resettlement agencies, NOVA RAFT directly supported more than 300 families and delivered over $1.5 million in donations. Since then, Dan’s work has expanded to focus on the long-term educational needs of Afghan families in Alexandria. With the support of more than 150 volunteers, NOVA RAFT now provides intensive ESL instruction to over 120 adults and operates a youth literacy program serving more than 120 Afghan middle and high school students—helping them catch up academically, build confidence, and reach their full potential. Through dynamic community partnerships, Dan has also created opportunities for these youth to engage in a wide variety of educational, cultural, and trauma-informed activities that support healing and growth.
Hannah Penman - Founder and Executive Director of Soccer for the Future
Hannah Penman is the Founder and Executive Director of Soccer for the Future, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the joy of soccer and physical activity to children facing cancer and other serious illnesses. She studied Sports and Recreation Management at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, where she also played soccer for four seasons, fueling her lifelong passion for the game. After graduation, Hannah spent six years with D.C. United, running their after-school soccer program for one season, then becoming their Grassroots Marketing Manager. Soccer for the Future partners with healthcare hospitality houses to deliver free, on-site programming that meets families where they are during difficult times. Hannah is a cancer survivor herself and can relate to many of the experiences of the children and families that she serves.
Hannah now resides in Fairfax, VA with her husband Dustin and newborn Eleanor under the watchful eye of their rescue pup Chewy!
Joseph Hooks - Founder and Director of 480 Club
Joseph Hooks is the founder and director of the 480 Club, a youth development organization dedicated to empowering young people through sports, education, and community engagement. With over a decade of experience in youth programming, Joseph has led initiatives spanning early learning, out-of-school time, and athletic development. He has successfully built both nonprofit and small business ventures that focus on equity, access, and holistic growth for young people. Under his leadership, the 480 Club has become a trusted partner in Montgomery County, delivering mentorship, wellness programs, and leadership opportunities that inspire students to thrive academically, socially, and athletically. Joseph’s vision centers on bridging gaps in opportunity and fostering resilience, ensuring that every young person has the tools and support to succeed on and off the field.
Maria Jose Espinosa - Executive Director of Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas
María José Espinosa is the Executive Director of the Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA), a women- and immigrant-led organization dedicated to shaping humane and cooperative U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean. Under her leadership, CEDA has become a leading voice on migration governance, expanding partnerships across the hemisphere and influencing decision-makers in Washington and beyond. She has advised governments, multilateral institutions, and philanthropy, and led high-level delegations to Central and South America, the U.S.–Mexico border, and the Darién Gap, connecting policymakers with on-the-ground realities.
María José also serves as a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for International Policy and on the board of the Miami Freedom Project for Democracy. Named a Latino National Security & Foreign Policy Next Generation Leader by New America in 2020, her expertise has been featured in El País, CNN, and The Miami Herald. An immigrant herself, she brings vision and lived experience to reimagining migration rooted in dignity and cooperation.
Parie Kadir - Director of College and Career Services of Urban Alliance
Parie Kadir is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of equitable and accessible public services. Throughout her career as an educator, public policy researcher, and youth mentor, she has remained committed to expanding access and opportunities for underserved communities. Parie’s guiding philosophy is that society thrives when we build a bigger table, not taller barriers.
As Director of College and Career Services at Urban Alliance, Parie empowers young people in the DC metro area by providing paid internships, mentorship, and skill-building workshops—helping them navigate adulthood and pursue economically sustainable futures.
Outside of her professional work, Parie is a proud soccer mom to two girls, a grateful wife, and a community-focused individual who regularly opens her home to family, friends, and neighbors for good food and conversation.
Roberto Gomez - Founder of Cornerstone Craftsman
Roberto Gomez is the owner of Even Scale, a home remodeling business in Alexandria City's West End, and is a dedicated youth advocate in underserved communities. He recently launched Cornerstone Craftsman, a nonprofit born from his passion for service to address rising juvenile crime, gang activity, substance abuse, and school absenteeism. The organization trains and mentors young men and women (ages 12-17) in the skilled trades. Gomez also serves on the Alexandria City Gang Task Force, the Sheriff's Community Advisory Board, the Alexandria Community Safety Forum, the Alexandria Police Foundation, the ACPS CTE Advisory Committee, and the Harbor Freight Leadership Lab. In May 2024, he was named a Chamber ALX 40 Under 40 honoree.
Terrence Barnes - Community Leader and Gun Violence Activist
Terrence Barnes is a community leader, survivor, and founder dedicated to ending gun violence and uplifting youth in the DMV. After surviving multiple gunshot wounds in 2023, he turned his pain into purpose by creating safe spaces for young people to grow, connect, and thrive. Through his nonprofit work, he organizes events like back-to-school drives and youth basketball tournaments that provide resources, mentorship, and hope. Driven by resilience and a deep commitment to giving back, he uses his story to inspire change and empower the next generation.
