Books with color leadership
Kristina Cruise
Kristina Cruise
Kristina Cruise
Kristi Cruise is the President and Co-Founder of Books with Color, Inc. and the Founder of Living Libraries®. An award-winning author, nonprofit leader, and literacy innovator, she has dedicated more than 15 years to helping children fall in love with reading—and themselves. Kristi’s journey began in 2008, when, as a TV reporter, she met
Kristi Cruise is the President and Co-Founder of Books with Color, Inc. and the Founder of Living Libraries®. An award-winning author, nonprofit leader, and literacy innovator, she has dedicated more than 15 years to helping children fall in love with reading—and themselves. Kristi’s journey began in 2008, when, as a TV reporter, she met a young girl at a food pantry who had never touched a book. That moment inspired her to create Promising Pages, which grew into one of the country's largest and most efficient book distribution programs. Today, through Books with Color and Living Libraries®, Kristi continues her mission to ensure every child has access to diverse, inspiring stories.
Harrison Martin
Kristina Cruise
Kristina Cruise
Harrison J. Martin is the Chief Executive Officer of Books with Color, Inc. and author of the children’s book The Bacon Tree, among other books. Since stepping into the CEO role in 2025 after serving on the board, Harrison has led the organization’s growth from a regional initiative into a national platform connecting diverse indie author
Harrison J. Martin is the Chief Executive Officer of Books with Color, Inc. and author of the children’s book The Bacon Tree, among other books. Since stepping into the CEO role in 2025 after serving on the board, Harrison has led the organization’s growth from a regional initiative into a national platform connecting diverse indie authors with classrooms. Harrison attended Gardner-Webb University on a full football scholarship, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies: Video & Film and International Master of Business Administration. In addition to being an author, Harrison is also a movie critic with membership in the North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA), Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA), Online Film Critics Society (OFCS), African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), and Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC).
Books with color leadership
Sanaa Hicks
Sanaa Hicks is the Operations Coordinator at Books with Color, where she created and manages the BWC Authors Circle—a growing community that connects diverse indie authors with classrooms nationwide. Originally joining through the MYEP fellowship, Sanaa now leads day-to-day coordination, author engagement, and program logistics, helping s
Sanaa Hicks is the Operations Coordinator at Books with Color, where she created and manages the BWC Authors Circle—a growing community that connects diverse indie authors with classrooms nationwide. Originally joining through the MYEP fellowship, Sanaa now leads day-to-day coordination, author engagement, and program logistics, helping scale BWC’s impact with precision and heart. Contact Sanaa at info@bookswithcolor.org. You can also book one of our authors in a classroom for free at www.setmore.bookswithcolor.org.
Books with COlor Board of Directors
Crystel Patterson
Crystel Patterson
Crystel Patterson
Crystel Patterson is an award-winning children’s author and proud mother from Sacramento, CA. She created the Inspired to Be... series, which amplifies positive narratives of Black people while fostering social-emotional learning and growth mindset in kids. Inspired by her own children, Crystel writes stories that encourage all kids to dream big and embrace their uniqueness. Serving on the Books with Color board aligns perfectly with her mission to champion diversity in literature and ensure these stories reach children everywhere.
Ashley Kile
Crystel Patterson
Crystel Patterson
Ashley Kile is a senior finance and accounting executive with deep expertise in regulatory reporting, audit, and risk management. He serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Financial Officer in Accounting Policy at Truist Financial Corporation, where he leads governance frameworks and provides regulatory expertise on complex financial matters. Ashley is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with additional certifications including CMA, CIA, CRMA, and CFE, and holds both a B.B.A. in Finance and an M.S. in Accounting.
Inspired by his own family and the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in the stories they read, he is passionate about advancing the organization’s mission of representation and belonging in literature.
Asha Barua
Crystel Patterson
Kamal Bhargava
Asha Barua is a Nurse Practitioner with over 2 decades of experience in medicine. She has been married for 12 years and is the proud mother of a daughter who inspires her daily. Outside of work, Asha enjoys fitness, travel, and embracing life to the fullest.
She joined the Books with Color board because she deeply believes in its mission to promote diversity, increase cultural awareness, and foster a love of reading in young people. Asha is passionate about ensuring every child can see themselves represented in the stories they read, and she is honored to support a nonprofit that makes that vision a reality.
Kamal Bhargava
Kamal Bhargava
Kamal Bhargava
Kamal is a technology enthusiast with a deep understanding of enterprise systems and applications, Kamal work closely with enterprises to reimagine their technology architecture using the power of Google Cloud.
Kamal is based out in NJ and has two daughters 16 & 14 and a beautiful wife in the family. You can find me playing Racquetball, Volleyball or Cricket when I am not working.
Desiree Dancy
Kamal Bhargava
(Coming Soon)
Desiree is a senior HR and Corporate Responsibility leader with extensive experience in inclusion, belonging, and workforce development. She has successfully led initiatives in mentoring, women’s leadership, and employee engagement while influencing senior executives to align people strategies with business goals. Her career spans industries including financial services, media, and financial technology, and she is passionate about leveraging corporate partnerships and volunteerism to drive meaningful change in the community.
(Coming Soon)
Kamal Bhargava
(Coming Soon)
If you're passionate about making a difference, join our team and become part of the Books with Color, Inc. family. We're always looking for dedicated individuals to help us achieve our goals. Email us at info@bookswithcolor.org.