CEN Leaders Institute Class XVI
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Ana Angel AvendañoExecutive Director, El Concilio of San Mateo CountyAbout Ana:
Ana Angel Avendaño is a first generation Chicana/Latina born in the Bay Area and raised between borders. Her childhood experiences with her grandmother in Michoacán, Mexico, not only shaped her identity but her everyday work as a community leader, activist and mama scholar. Ana has worked both in the public and non-profit sector with youth and community development programs in leadership, advocacy, and cultural awareness. Ana is the new Executive Director for El Concilio of San Mateo County. She is excited to continue working directly with the community to address the needs of our most underserved and vulnerable populations. Her community leadership includes serving in a steering committee for New Voices for Youth, seating in an Art Advisory Board for the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space, and organizing an annual Latinx Youth Conference. Ana holds a doctorate in Education from the University of San Francisco, a Masters in Chicanx Studies from San Jose State and a B.A in Ethnic Studies from CSU, East Bay. About the organization: El Concilio of San Mateo County (ECSMC) is a non-profit, community-based organization incorporated in 1980, is committed to increasing education, employment and access to quality of life services to underserved communities in San Mateo County. It has responded to the well documented racial and ethnic health and education disparities that include all underserved, low-income, non/limited English speaking communities through its programs.. |
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Julia ChihCEO, Aim HighAbout Julia:
Rooted in by her own experience as an immigrant to this country and a first-generation college graduate, Julia’s fight for educational equity is a personal one. She has dedicated her career to improving educational outcomes for students of color from low-income communities. Julia brings over two decades of experience in education and a fierce commitment to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to pursue their passions. She earned her B.A. in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and holds a dual master’s degree in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. About the organization: Aim High creates life-changing opportunities during the summer and beyond. Our community: nurtures the promise and potential of middle school students from low-income neighborhoods and prepares students for high school, setting them on the path to college and future success.. |
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Shanda CooperChief Program Officer, Tigerlily FoundationAbout Shanda:
Shanda Cooper is Chief Program Officer of Tigerlily Foundation, a national breast cancer foundation on a mission to educate, advocate for, empower, and support young women, before, during, and after breast cancer. Prior to joining Tigerlily in 2020, Shanda served as the Founder of the Fena Group, an international development consulting firm specializing in partner engagement, corporate social responsibility, and health equity. She has a Bachelor of Science in international relations and a Master of Science in violence, conflict, and development. Active in her community, she is the Vice-Chair and Chair of the Engagement Committee for the W&M Society of 1918 and Co-Chair of the Outreach and Social Justice Ministries at the Washington National Cathedral. About the organization: Tigerlily Foundation's mission is to educate, advocate for, empower, and support young women, before, during, and after breast cancer. |
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Sara DeanExecutive Arts Director, South Bay Musical TheatreAbout Sara:
Sara K. Dean’s experience spans all levels of theatre, from community productions to Broadway. In 2017, she joined South Bay Musical Theatre as Production Manager, and in 2019 was named Executive Artistic Director. She received her BFA theatre from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a focus on directing and arts management. In New York, Sara was a Production Assistant with the original company of Disney’s The Lion King, and worked with Madison Square Gardens on A Christmas Carol and The Wizard of Oz. In the Bay Area, Sara was the Company Manager at AMTSJ, and worked for San José Rep and CMTSJ. Sara is immensely proud of the diverse and passionate community of artists at SBMT that have persevered to bring vital, thought-provoking stories to the South Bay and beyond - both on stage and through our eStudio - during this unprecedented era of pandemic theatre-making. About the organization: South Bay Musical Theatre strives to provide high-quality entertainment by bringing together a diverse group of participants in an inclusive, collaborative, and nurturing environment. As we share our passion for Theatre Arts, we endeavor to leave a lasting, positive impression upon our community. |
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Ryan EasterlyExecutive Director, WITH FoundationAbout Ryan:
Ryan Easterly serves as executive director of the WITH Foundation. An experienced grantmaker, strategist, and advocate, he is driven by a desire to effect meaningful change. Before joining WITH, he served on its Board of Directors, which advanced his commitment to disability justice and the need for broader access to comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities. Regarded as a leader on the intersections of race, class and disability, Ryan has worked across the federal sector and within community outreach and advocacy efforts with a strong record of collaboration. He is a co-founder and previous director of Northern California Community Relations at MySupport, Inc., an online platform designed to empower people with disabilities and seniors with dignity, self-determination and respect while connecting them with direct support workers. As manager of the National Youth Transitions Initiative for The HSC Foundation, a Washington, DC nonprofit operating as the parent foundation of a health system for children and young adults with complex medical needs, he led funding and programmatic support for a grantee and collaborative network of 70+ organizations serving young people with disabilities and young veterans. Ryan also worked at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities in 2016. Ryan regularly advises government agencies and the philanthropic sector on issues such as community participatory practices, inclusive philanthropy, accessibility, leadership development, employment, and healthcare impacting communities of color, the foster care system, and the LGBTQ+ community. He is a member of the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, the Disability & Philanthropy Forum Steering Committee, and co-chairs Exponent Philanthropy’s Disability Funders Peer Circle. Ryan hails from Alabama, and after moving to the West Coast, often wonders when he will find his next glass of sweet tea. About the organization: WITH Foundation promotes comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities in the United States that is designed to address their unique and fundamental needs. |
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Laurie EganExecutive Director, Coastal Watershed CouncilAbout Laurie:
Laurie leads the Coastal Watershed Council to transform the lower San Lorenzo River into a thriving urban riverfront where all Santa Cruzans can connect to nature in their daily lives. Since joining the team in 2013, Laurie has shaped CWC's strategy, launched trademark programs, forged deep relationships with funders and decision-makers, led staff through significant challenges, and fundraised some of the most transformational investments in CWC's work to date. Prior to joining CWC, Laurie worked on statewide campaigns to reduce ineffective toxic chemicals in consumer products with Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles and the Center for Environmental Health. Laurie serves on the City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Task Force, the board of directors at United Way of Santa Cruz County, and was recognized as Santa Cruz County's 2016 Emerging Leader of the Year. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Analysis from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. About the organization: CWC’s mission is to preserve and protect coastal watersheds through stewardship, education and monitoring. |
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Jacquetta GiffordFounder/Principal, Dismantling Daughters FoundationAbout Jacquetta:
Jacquetta Gifford is an entrepreneur, educator, and multi-hyphenated creative located in Oakland, CA, originating from Newark, NJ. With an education background in Marketing and Theater, from Temple University, she found herself working in the many intersectionalities of the communities that she is a part of such as the nonprofit industry, education, and performing arts. Through Jacquetta's own journey of self-discovery, she was led to build Dismantling Daughters Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting BIPOC women with navigating disruptors in their structural blueprints. She found that her journey to success was not linear and that she spent a lot of her time living as an observer of her life and not as a participant. After conversations and years of research with several women in the many different communities Jacquetta is a part of, Dismantling Daughters was birthed. As a creative, she has a passion for storytelling, social and environmental justice, education, and women’s rights. About the organization: Dismantling Daughters Foundation - A community based organization that focuses on supporting BIPOC women with navigating disruptors in their structural blueprints; through five pillars/focuses: food and housing security, education, finance, mental health and wellness, and professional development by supporting an internal shift that lends them the opportunity to gain success in the world. |
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Kevin William Heller-Antrim, EdDExecutive Director, Santa Clara Schools FoundationAbout Kevin:
After ten years of teaching English as a Second Language, Kev made the jump to administration, first running UC Scout, UC’s online high school program, and then leading operations for Stanford’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, before taking on the ED role with the SCSF. He has a BA in English, an MA in TESL, a graduate certificate in Project and Program Management, and an EdD in Educational Leadership. He participated in study abroad programs in Mexico and Italy, and after college spent a year in Ecuador, a year in Northern Ireland, and four years in Germany. In his spare time, Kev is an avid disc golfer, crossword puzzle enthusiast, and photographer. He spent four years helping to shape admissions policy on the UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), helped craft the QualityMatters (QM) national standards for high-quality online education, and currently serves on the board of the Katie Johnson Fellowship, a non-profit dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. He lives in Santa Clara with his wife and daughter, and most mornings he runs with his dog, Walnut. About the organization: The mission of the Santa Clara Schools Foundation is to enhance the quality of education for all students in the Santa Clara Unified School District by providing a source of funds for educational projects, equipment, and programs which directly benefit the students. |
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Jill HollowayCo-Executive Director of People and Operations, Bikes East BayAbout Jill:
Jill joined Bike East Bay, a bicycle advocacy and mobility justice nonprofit based in Oakland, as the Operations Director in June 2021. She will be stepping into a new position, Co-Executive Director of People and Operations at the end of this year. Her background is in environmental engineering and she previously owned a zero-waste business in Oakland. She graduated with an MBA from UC Davis in 2018. Since moving to Davis, CA from Pennsylvania in 2013 her appreciation for biking and advocacy for safer streets has continuously grown. Now a resident of the East Bay she spends a lot of her time commuting and running errands by bike and advocating for just and equitable transportation systems. About the organization: Bike East Bay promotes healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safe, fun and accessible. |
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Rolland JanairoExecutive Director, Silicon Valley Urban Debate League
About Rolland:
Rolland joined SVUDL as its Executive Director in December 2018. Born and raised in New York City to parents who immigrated from the Philippines, Rolland has developed a deep appreciation for the transformative power of education as a product of the NYC public school system. While attending and after graduating from Brown University, Rolland volunteered and taught at a preschool in Providence, Rhode Island. He later earned his Masters Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During his time in Boston, Rolland was the Associate Director of Teacher Development at Jumpstart for Young Children, as well as the Director of Playmaker Operations at Life is Good Playmakers. Prior to joining SVUDL, Rolland served as the Chief Operating Officer at World Savvy. Across all of these roles, Rolland's focus has been on supporting students to reach their full potential by empowering the caring adults around them to do the same. Rolland also serves as Treasurer of the Board of the Directors of the Thrive Alliance of Nonprofits of San Mateo County, as well as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the California Association of Urban Debate Leagues. He is a current Fellow at the Silicon Valley Multicultural Awards Program, as well as an IDEA Fellow of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Silicon Valley Chapter. He is also a Senior Fellow faculty member with the Institute of Nonprofit Practice. In his spare time, Rolland enjoys running, cooking, and exploring the Bay Area with his wife and two young boys. About the organization: Our mission is to empower Silicon Valley students, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status, to reach their full potential to become professional and community leaders by teaching critical thinking and communication skills through Speech and Debate programming. |
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Kim JonesExecutive Director, The Changemaker InitiativeAbout Kim:
Kim is passionate about enabling people to find their abundant, purpose-filled life. She worked as a pediatrician for 20 years before leaving clinical medicine to do nonprofit work. Her favorite things are being part of an awesome team, biking, hiking, board games, and ice cream. About the organization: Empowering and equipping real people to be compassion-driven changemakers every day in their families, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. |
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Melanie McDougallCOO of Public Editor, Goodly LabsAbout Melanie:
Melanie has a demonstrable track record of delivering high-quality work in under-resourced teams and thrive in positions that require continuous learning of technical subjects. She has refined these skills over ten years, recently working with early-stage technology companies in the Bay Area; notably, Ambisafe where her team grew from 12 to over 100 people in my first 6 months She is adept at spearheading new initiatives, communicating complex ideas, developing relationships with early customers and building teams. Melanie believes integrity is a cornerstone in building high-performance teams, and as such, will always ensure that she completes deliverables on-time and within budget. About the organization: Goodly Labs a nonprofit organization leading research and development of prosocial technologies that develop public capacity to understand and improve society. Goodly's ready-to-scale projects empower responsible citizens to address vital democratic concerns, including misinformation, police and protester interactions, the oversight of elected officials, and deliberation/governance. Future projects will also produce tools for improving social life offline and scaffolding better interpersonal relationships at a number of scales. Goodly's flagship 'Public Editor' project enlists online volunteers in an assembly line of evaluation/annotation tasks to label over 40 types of misinformation directly onto the erroneous words and phrases of each day's most popular news articles. The labels help newsreaders avoid being fooled, and gradually train them in media literacy and critical thinking. With open, explainable processes, Public Editor also computes a credibility score for each article, which can be used to provide media platform users with a credibility threshold filter on their feeds. |
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Gabriel MedinaExecutive Director, La Raza Community Resource CenterAbout Gabriel:
Gabriel’s more than 20 years’ experience in policy, government, nonprofits and leadership have demonstrated the innovation, compassion, and integrity that have defined La Raza Community Resource Center’s (La Raza CRC) culture. While he lived most of his life in the Excelsior and Portola neighborhoods, he was born and raised in the Mission. A 100% product of SFUSD schools, Gabriel serves his community on the Community Action Group member for UCSF and his local Mission YMCA Advisory Board. Working for the CEO’s of both the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) and Mission Neighborhood Centers (MNC) since 2013 has given him a well-informed perspective on serving the Mission community. He is the current Co-Chair of Commissions for All, which successfully passed Proposition C (2020) so all immigrants can serve on City Commissions, regardless of their status. He was the Campaign Manager for Proposition N (2016) the Immigrant Parent Right to Vote Act, winning the right to vote for School Board for Aspiring Citizen Parents with children in SFUSD schools. About the organization: La Raza Community Resource Center (La Raza) works to preserve and develop the Latino/a community by providing the appropriate resources which promote self-sufficiency and leadership. Our primary focus is to address the unmet needs of Latino/a immigrants. |
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Jethroe Moore IIPast President, San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACPAbout Jethroe:
Rev. Jethroe (Jeff) Moore II was born in Norfolk Virginia and is a graduate of Silver Creek High School; received an Associated Arts Degree from Evergreen Valley College and a B.S. Degree in Bible & Theology, Management and Ethics from San Jose Christian College. Rev. Moore was licensed and ordained to preach the gospel by Rev. Dr. Willie T. Gaines Jr. and is current Pastor of the Rehoboth Christian Center. Rev. Moore Past President of the San Jose/Silicon Valley National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). And a Former Commissioner on P.O.S. T. Peace Officer Standards and Training for the state of California; Juvenile Justice Commission of Santa Clara County Commissioner, 2020 Census Count Steering Committee Valley Water Environmental and Water Resources Committee Vice Chair. He is an active member of Eta Sigma Lambda Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and Past Co- Chair/Co-founder of the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet, Member of American Leadership Forum XXVIII. He is married to the beautiful Audrey Hill of Birmingham Alabama; we have two son Jethroe Zion Moore III and Josiah Javon Moore. Rev Jethroe (Jeff) Moore II the Doulos One (Servant): Inalienably possessed by God, at the disposal of God, obedient to God, and constantly in the service of God, About the organization: Our mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color. |
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Mandy MurphyCEO, Kay Yow Cancer Fund
About Mandy:
Murphy is the CEO of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against all cancers affecting women through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause. She was previously an independent consultant at MNM Strategy LLC, where she successfully guided clients to drive strategic social impact through the power of sport. Murphy has spent more than two decades in the sports industry, including the last 12 years in the international sport for development non-profit sector, including leadership roles at both Special Olympics International and PeacePlayers. An ESPN “Enspire” Award winner and proud graduate of Penn State University, Murphy has an extensive background in strategy, communications and partnerships and has demonstrated success in using sport as a vehicle for positive change. About the organization: The Kay Yow Cancer Fund aims to find an answer in the fight against all cancers affecting women through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause. |
