Born in Brooklyn, NY, Jimel Calliste attended the High School for Civil Rights and Law at the Thomas Jefferson Campus. Jimel is an activist who has dedicated much of his life to defending the rights and improving the lives of those who are underserved. At Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, he served as chair of the organizing committee during the chartering of the collegiate chapter. He led critical campaigns for voter registration and diversity amongst campus students, faculty, and staff.

In 2019, he joined the NAACP's NextGen Program, which provides comprehensive leadership and advocacy training for young adults on a mission to become the next generation of civil rights leaders. In 2020, he served as a Democracy fellow, where he managed virtual organizers to phone bank and text-recruited volunteers to mobilize the indirect relational voter turnout (IRVT) program.

He has served as Advisor of the Pennsylvania NAACP State Conference Youth & College Division and President of the Wilkes Barre NAACP,  serving as one of the youngest in history for both positions.

Since joining the national staff, he has assisted in the charter and reactivation of over 200 youth units, increased the Youth & College membership by 3,000+ during the Fall 2024 membership campaign, redeveloped the Advisor's Manual, and recentered Advisors as trusted sources for youth development. More recently, he manages the Digital Organizer Collective, a program dedicated to magnifying the Youth & College's digital footprint through all forms of multimedia. 

With a vision rooted in innovation, accountability, and community, Jimel works to ensure every advisor, organizer, and student leader sees themselves as a vital part of a growing justice movement.