Emma Benoit became extremely passionate about suicide prevention after surviving a suicide attempt in 2017, the summer before her senior year in high school. At the time, she was a popular varsity cheerleader with a supportive family and lots of friends, but on the inside, she was filled with depression and anxiety, and had never told a soul about it.  Her attempt resulted in a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed but helped her find faith and purpose; and propelled her on a mission to use her painful experience and miraculous recovery to help others.

A few months after her attempt, Emma started the website liferejuvenated.org and a blog to share her story and recovery journey, in an effort to help other teens who are struggling. In early 2018, Emma began working on a documentary film called My Ascension, which is scheduled for release in 2021, that chronicles her recovery journey and advocacy work, while addressing the youth suicide epidemic.

Emma serves as an Ambassador for LivingWorks, the world’s leader in suicide prevention training and in December of 2020, Emma was a featured guest on Jada Pinkett Smith’s hit show “Red Table Talk”; and she has also been featured on numerous other news programs and podcasts.

Emma is an uplifting speaker who has shared her powerful story and message with thousands of people at in person and virtual conferences and events including: LivingWorks and California Department of Education Youth Summit, National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health Conference, LSU School of Social Work Conference, Arkansas Youth Mental Health Conference, Hope Rising Suicide Prevention Summit and the Hope Squad National Conference.

Emma is a 2018 graduate of Dutchtown High School, whose strength and motivation are rooted in her strong faith and supportive family.

Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall is a former high school principal and associate superintendent with the Provo City School District. He has been involved with suicide prevention for the past thirty years. He is nationally sought after for his expertise in postvention. He is the founder of Hope4Utah, a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Along with Hope4Utah, he founded Hope Squad, a peer school-based program.

Avy Taylor is an award-winning mental health advocate, founder of Hope’s Toolbox, stand-up comedian, and former Miss Fort Worth in the Miss Texas Organization. A Top 15 finalist at Miss Texas 2025, she earned multiple competition awards, the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award for over 250 hours of service, and advocated for suicide prevention at the Texas State Capitol. In her personal life, Avy is a marketing professional, a violinist, and a stand-up comedian around DFW. She loves traveling, learning languages, and bringing love and laughs into every space she steps into.

Allison Moore is a dedicated leader in the field of K-12 student support and at-risk prevention. She is the Executive Director for the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation and the Co-Founder and President of ThriveWay. In this role, she leads a team focused on continuous improvement and support of the Peer Helpers PLUS program, providing school systems with updated curricula and the digital tools necessary to overcome student support obstacles. 

In 2016, Allison helped establish the Alabama School Safety and Suicide Prevention Committee and continues to chair it today for the Department of Education. Her commitment to this cause as well as her academic and professional expertise makes Allison a sought-after educational speaker and consultant for intervention, support procedures, and organizational wellness. She has presented for numerous organizations, including the Alabama State Department of Education and the Mississippi Association of Secondary School Principals, and Arkansas Mental Health in Education Association. She holds a Bachelor of Human Environmental Science from the University of Alabama and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Development from the University of South Alabama. 

Beyond her executive leadership, Allison is active on several boards within her local community and at the state level. She is a Christian, a wife, and a mother of two who enjoys sports, escape rooms, music, and family time in her free time. 

To understand her work, one might think of Allison as an architect of safety nets; she doesn't just identify the gaps where students might fall but designs and scales the structural supports across entire school systems to ensure every child has a peer or professional ready to catch them and keep them safe.

LaTasha Jackson is a renaissance woman who brings a wealth of knowledge to the Foundation, and who has career experience ranging from public health to education. The one consistent element of her career has been her love for people and a desire to touch lives positively daily. LaTasha was born, raised, and still lives in Fort Worth, TX. She is a mom to three amazing children, two boys and one girl.

LaTasha’s personal connection to the mission has solidified over the last several years as personal encounters with depression and each of her children having a friend or classmate who lost their life to suicide ignited a new purpose and determination to change the lives of those in her community. LaTasha is passionate about breaking through the cultural barriers that are often the norm in communities of color, especially in the Black/ African American community, when it relates to depression and suicide. As the Program Manager and certified Hope Squad Trainer, LaTasha ensures that our school peer-to-peer programs are supported. She continues to fine-tune her skill set by being a QPR-certified trainer and gatekeeper, being trained in ASIST (suicide first aid), and Soul Shop for the Black church.

When she isn’t working, LaTasha enjoys working in her church ministry, relaxing on the beach, sporting events, and concerts. She is an extreme Dallas Mavs and NCAA basketball fan, traveling all over the Southeast and Midwest to attend as many March Madness events as possible every year.

JEHF works to prevent suicide, eliminate stigma, and provide hope to people struggling with depression.

Grant Halliburton Foundation works to strengthen the network of mental health resources for children, teens, and young adults; promote better mental health; and prevent suicide.

The Grace Loncar Foundation’s mission is to reduce the suicide rate among North Texas teens, young adults, and survivors of suicide loss by providing education, support, and resources. We accomplish this mission by partnering with mental health professionals, community organizations, schools, and other mental health champions to sponsor mental health awareness programming, provide mental health care scholarships, and support caregivers and suicide survivors.