Carla Arias-Chavez is the Director of Operations for The Bloc. Carla comes to us with 20 years of experience in Operations. While she scaled a multi-million dollar business, she was working toward equity in the workplace with a focus on finding returning citizens jobs. She and her wife live close to the Bloc community, ensuring her work truly touches those around her.

Sabrina Canchola is a Chicago Northwest side native and serves as one of our Program Managers at The Bloc. Her work ensures our fighters are experiencing high quality and meaningful programming, as well as managing our data to demonstrate The Bloc's success through our day to day activities. Sabrina is also currently earning her MA in Social Sector Leadership and Nonprofit Management at The University of Chicago, and is looking forward to growing as a nonprofit leader with The Bloc to continue bridging together grassroots community organizations so that we all prosper. Outside of work and school, Sabrina loves being crafty, spending time with family, and watching reality TV.

Lee Acevedo Torres - grandson of Maria Luisa and son of Eileen - is known around The Bloc as Coach Lee. He has been around Boxing for over 35 years. As a Fighter, he is a 2x Chicago Golden Gloves Champion. As a Coach, he has helped trained Fighters to win the Chicago Golden Gloves, Tacoma Junior Golden Gloves and the Regional Silver Gloves.

He is grateful for the opportunity to work with our Fighters and help them to grow and learn to make more conscious choices so that they can be the Champions of their own lives both inside and outside of the Ring.

Coach Jay-R is a USA Boxing-certified coach at The Bloc who is passionate about teaching boxing and mentoring youth. He discovered boxing in his 30s as a way to cope with personal loss, and it changed his life. Now, he uses the sport to empower people, build confidence, and create champions in life. Community is a big part of his upbringing and grassroots values, and he brings a positive, welcoming energy to building connections at The Bloc. Along with coaching, he sponsors a family of amateur boxers in the Philippines and believes in giving back to the sport that shaped him. Jay-R is also a proud father to his 3-year-old daughter, Kailani, and values the importance of every stage of growth. At The Bloc, he’s more than a coach—he’s a mentor, a father, and a believer in everyone’s potential.

Johnny Arrington Jr is our boxing program partnership manager at the bloc. He is leading our efforts to provide after school programming to schools on Chicago’s west side using our train the trainer model. Johnny came to us by way of Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man program (BAM), and before that he was the director of the harvey boxing club, where he oversaw a hugely successful program. Johnny has his Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication, from North Central College.

Johnny is most proud of the fact that he delivered both of his daughters at home, during their respective unassisted home births!

Johnny enjoys being a family man, nature, staying active, engaging with others, sharing dad jokes, and a good movie.

Darleen Harris is a Youth Support Specialist at The Bloc. She ensures that we’re implementing programming in a way that engages the fighters and that positively impacts them. Darleen was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, a member of the founding class of DRW, where the bloc originated, and a UIUC Alumni. At UIUC, she studied social work and gender & women’s studies. She is hoping to provide the right information to help fighters with mental health, academics, career planning and boxing. Outside of work, Darleen enjoys being a mother, business owner, and watching documentaries.

Adreiona Jennings has been working with youth and young adults since September 2015 where her former position was Program Manager at a
non-profit organization on Chicago’s West and South Sides. Prior to transitioning into non-profit, she has been a volunteer in her church’s
youth ministry department since 2010. As a youth leader at her church, she was the keynote speaker at an annual conference that is held for
youth around Chicago. She also holds small groups and individual sessions as a youth leader. In addition to that she has had the opportunity
to travel to different countries to uplift and empower women around the world. In her role at The Bloc, Adreiona develops weekly group sessions
with topics that vary from identity, leadership, self-esteem, dating, and
social media just to name a few. In addition to the small groups, she meets with her youth one on one to provide additional support to not just them but the families as well.

Adreiona’s passion is to help create leaders and let youth know they have a voice and they have the capability to change not just their neighborhood, or the community around them but they can change the world.

Moises Rivera is Youth Support Specialist at The Bloc. He is dedicated to help Chicago youth excel in all aspects of their lives not just academically. Moises was born in Jalisco, Mexico but has lived in Chicago for a majority of his life. He is a recent graduate of DePauw University where he majored in Anthropology and minored in Latin American and Caribbean studies. Outside of work he likes watching movies, trying new food, and spending time with friends and family