Leads the City of Oakland's Department of Economic and Workforce Development team managing business recruitment and retention efforts, small business support initiatives, business improvement district programs, and the City’s ongoing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Empowering social impact leaders to ignite and propel their social change missions, our consulting services support executive leaders, provide strategic thinking, thought partnerships and organizational development services and executive coaching to build your team and organization's capacity and growth.

Whether students seek to consult with social sector organizations, found a social enterprise, become effective philanthropists, lead through board governance, or pursue a career in the sector, the Center for Social Sector Leadership provides the leadership education and support to help them succeed. The Executive Director provides the vision, leadership and executes on our work to train, support, and advance future leaders, organizations and partners in their pursuit to change the world.

Through the intersection of arts education and youth development practices, civic engagement strategies, and high quality artistic presentation, Youth Speaks creates safe spaces that challenge young people to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of societal change.Following its Founder, I am honored to have transitioned this organization, its culture, and programs into its 25th year of transforming young peoples' lives and communities through the arts. My vision for Youth Speaks is to amplify youth voice as an agent of large scale social change, building on Youth Speaks national network of talent and lived experience as we build our beloved community through public and private partnerships. As a community builder, I recently completed a $2M capital campaign and construction of an innovative permanently affordable arts and community space to engage and deepen relationships in our Mission community and beyond. The space supports and sustains our culture making and place keeping work, serving the region and our rapidly expanding global community of young writers, poets and future change makers. The project continues to serve as a model for holistic, culturally rich, community driven development and is a pillar for the organization's long-term sustainability.

Destiny Arts Center is one of Oakland's leading youth arts education and movement organizations, highly regarded in youth development, arts integrated education and a training ground for teaching artists, educators, civic and community leaders. Our mission to inspire and ignite social change through the arts is the driving force behind my vision and leadership as our dynamic arts organization continues to empower youth, families and communities in Oakland and the East Bay.As Destiny Arts Center continues to grow and innovate quality arts education programs in schools and communities throughout the East Bay, my job is to ensure we are providing strategic, innovative, and sustainable programs that are modeled on positive youth development outcomes with our community and educational partners.My top priority when I arrived at Destiny was to find, purchase and build us a permanent facility to serve as our home and as a gathering place for community members to meet, interact, engage and strengthen our communities. Our new arts center is a catalyst for revitalization, community building and engagement through dance, theater, martial arts, conflict resolution and self-defense. Opportunities for expansion include partnerships with established community service providers, artists, collectives and others seeking to activate our new arts facility with daytime programming to support our peacebuilding work with youth and their families. While at Destiny I have:- Doubled our organization's budget and tripled our total net assets- Established operating and facilities reserves- Secured and built out our new arts facility- Retired almost 1M in mortgage debt. - Increased our donor size by 100% - Serve over 4,000 youth annually in over 30 public schools and at our newly built arts center- Increased Destiny's visibility regionally and nationally- Stabilized organizational culture, operations and finances- Positioned Destiny to continue deepening and growing our impact

Excelsior Action Group is a community and economic development program that grew into a replicable model to economically strengthen and stabilize the Excelsior's commercial district. As the Founding Executive Director, I forged trusting relationships with small business owners, providing the information, resources and assistance needed to remain in the community, retain local jobs, goods and services and to build assets and long-term wealth and sustainability. Served as an advocate and liaison for community driven policies to City staff, Council, and Mayor's Office and worked closely with city staff to remove obstacles and support entrepreneurs and existing businesses alike. Grew organization from 1 to 7 full-time staff with an annual budget of $650,000 and over 250 volunteers. Leveraged additional resources to support volunteer and community development efforts. Recruited and trained young leaders in the community and economic development field as we hosted and trained Americorps interns, high school and college volunteers.

Established and led economic development project developed via a community based planning process. Created committees to address issues of blight and disinvestment, established relationships with city government to draw resources and solutions to our community. Leadership and organizational capacity development, advocacy, technical assistance and problem solving, volunteer recruitment and management, fundraising, public relations, marketing and communications. Managed several projects including a year-long transportation study in partnership with the S.F. County Transportation Authority.

Served as personal and committee staff for senior Senator's Capitol Office. Worked with community and interest groups to inform legislation and policy priorities. Prepared legislation and related materials including bill analyses, language, op-eds, memoranda and media alerts. Prepared Senator for various committees including Agriculture and Water, Elections, Small Business and Professions, Smart Growth, and Transportation. Facilitated communications with constituents and other stakeholders, coordinated and led meetings and hearings. Represented Senator in her district, conducted outreach and assisted in coordination of annual college recruitment fair in East Los Angeles. Facilitated the passing of legislation protecting consumers, formalizing teen poll workers, and a slate of other bills serving Californians.