MEET OUR TEAM
Inspired by Aza, a young orphan, & founded by two 'raes'
Deana Sharae and Shirae Leslie,
the Azarae Foundation is a group of passionate people dedicated to ensuring Caribbean kids can achieve their purpose without barriers.
Dr. Deana Anglin
Co-Founder & President
At age 8, living in Jamaica, Deana developed a passion for technology. At 12, she won a national Cable & Wireless competition for her essay outlining she how imagined technology shaping the Caribbean in the 21st century. At 15 she graduated high school receiving the country’s Caribbean Examinations (CXC) top student award for business and technology subjects. She went on to pursue Computer Science in the US obtaining scholarships and fellowships through her Bachelors, Masters and from Georgia Tech a PhD. Deana now holds a senior role at Google where she guides the design of global products. To date she has travelled to almost 50 countries. Deana credits her achievements to the focus she had from knowing her purpose and passions at an early age. She aims to help youth in low-resourced communities find and pursue their purpose while helping them overcome access barriers.
Dr. Shirae Leslie
Co-Founder & Vice President
A biomedical engineer and Caribbean native, Dr. Leslie’s interest in medical devices stems from a longstanding personal aspiration to improve patient care. As a Jamaican citizen, she was particularly interested in how widespread vaccination changed life expectancy in third world nations. While attending Randolph Macon Woman’s College, her interest in vaccine synthesis grew and she earned a B.S. in chemistry. She then pursued a Masters in Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a PhD in Chemical Engineering where she developed a cell-based therapy for bone and cartilage regeneration that has the potential to revolutionize orthopedic patient care. This technology has been patented in the U.S.A. Shirae has a passion for mentoring and helping underserved children that stems from her parental upbringing and her faith.
Dr. Trudy J. Hall
Founding Board Advisor & Secretary
Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Padmore is a chemical engineer in Washington, DC where she conducts research to improve drug delivery. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Howard University where she graduated summa cum laude and a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Georgia Tech. Trudy strongly believes in the pursuit of education and community building. To that end, she actively mentors and volunteers in her community.