The New E.D. 360 program is a unique mentorship, training, and peer support model that will provide new Executive Director / CEO mentees with a facilitated dialogue designed to build participants’ operational and leadership capacity and gives participants the ability to seek peer support during Executive Director (ED) onboarding in a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere.
Experienced ED mentors offer their knowledge and expertise in a 1:1 context to help the new ED learn and grow. Experienced EDs have committed to a relationship where mutual learning and support is expected. The program includes:
Affinity Group meetings—One year of facilitated, monthly new ED peer support and peer-learning Affinity Group meetings
Training—Get training on a range of relevant topics to strengthen your skillsets and gain a deeper understanding of the local nonprofit sector
Mentorship—The opportunity to be paired with experienced Executive Director mentors for free 1:1 coaching
Reverse Mentorship—Experienced EDs get new ideas and new energy from their relationship with a new ED
Clarrissa Cabansagan is the Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition whose mission is to build healthier and more just communities by making bicycling safe and accessible for everyone in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Previously, Clarrissa tackled a range of policy areas including bicycle and pedestrian planning, congestion pricing, public transit, and transit-oriented development as the policy director at Oakland-based TransForm. There she forged public and private partnerships with community-based organizations, centering the needs of Black and Brown communities. Her start in mobility justice began in LA, pushing back on bus service cuts with the Bus Riders Union, and advocating for Free Muni for Youth with Urban Habitat. She holds an MA in Urban Planning from UCLA; and a BA in Ethnic Studies, minor in City and Regional Planning, from UC Berkeley.
Downtown Streets Team's new CEO, Julie Gardner, brings a strong commitment to social justice and community impact. As a passionate public health leader with a track record of implementing innovative solutions to address homelessness, food insecurity and economic inequality, Julie’s leadership in engineering programs that served thousands of individuals have been recognized at local, state, and international levels. In addition to non-profit leadership Julie currently serves as the board chair for HomeOwnership SF, and adjunct faculty in the Master of Public Health program at San Francisco State university. As a passionate and eager leader, Julie hopes to be a part of revolutionary change work that inspires an eco-system of health equity and people reaching their fullest potential.
Julie Hutcheson is the Executive Director of Green Foothills, a 62-year old nonprofit that champions climate resilience and biodiversity through the protection of local nature. Working in partnership with the Board and staff, Julie ensures the development and implementation of the organization's strategic direction, fund development, governance, and financial operations. She leverages expertise, persistence, partnerships, and community engagement to achieve conservation victories. Having served Green Foothills for over a decade - as an advocate for 7 years and Director of Impact for 5 years - Julie brings deep experience to bear in all aspects of her work.
Dennise Jauregui is the Executive Director at Housing Choices. She grew up in Southern California and attended UC Santa Cruz where she graduated with a BA in Psychology. She started working as a Housing Coordinator at Housing Choices and was the only Housing Coordinator for much of 2013. When the organization began growing, she eventually became the Program Manager, then Program Director and recently the Executive Director. Over the years, she has seen the organization grow. Since working here, she has developed a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector and is passionate about helping others in need.
Socorro is a dreamer, organizer, and artist. They’re the third person on their maternal side to be born in San José, so they have respect for this land that has been here long before the tech companies boomed. They studied Ethnic Studies and Politics at Mills College to ensure they don’t recreate the ties between race and power structures in their visions for the future. They’re invested in building a world where we treat the earth and each other with care. Socorro loves napping, gardening, spending time with their cats, baking, and visiting the beach.
Heather is an East Bay native and lived in the South Island of New Zealand for a number of years. Heather has a Masters of Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Otago, and a Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management from Unitec Institute of Technology. She has 15 years of experience working in various nonprofit leadership roles. She has served on the Boards of YWCA of Dunedin and YWCA of Aotearoa New Zealand. In January Heather began a new role as Executive Director of Live Oak Adult Day Services, serving elderly people with dementia across Santa Clara County.
Huy is the child of Vietnamese refugees who fled their homeland in search of security and stability. Watching his parents work endlessly to provide for their family is what rooted him in equity and social justice. Huy dedicated his career to social justice and worker’s rights first as a union organizer and community organizer. Upon graduating from SCU Law, Huy co-founded Justice at Work Law Group where he represented immigrant workers whose workplace rights were violated. Huy was appointed to serve as SIREN’s Interim Executive Director in May 2023 and became its Executive Director a year later.
Nelson’s passionate about working alongside people and organizations who fight for justice. His understanding and love for the power a group of individuals have when they find a way to work effectively together is evident in his organizational development work with nonprofit organizations, teams, and leaders. In his 25+ years of work in organizational development, he has supported organizations in a wide range of issues that include performance management/staffing, coaching and communications, project management, organizational change, boards of directors, strategy, and leadership development. At the core of all his consulting, facilitation and training engagements is equity and justice.
Nelson is also a certified leadership coach through Leadership That Works and not only bring his coaching to individuals but also with teams. Before starting his own consulting firm in 2018, he spent 24 years at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and served in various roles including directing the public training program, leading consulting projects, and designing and leading leadership development initiatives. He co-designed and cofacilitated CompassPoint’s Fundraising Bright Spots Program. He also provided fundraising coaching for the program’s participants. Some of his recent clients include Surge Institute, Earthjustice, ABADÁ-Capoeira, SOMA Pilipinas, Grid Alternatives, Dolores Street Community Services, the Ford Foundation, and Changelab Solutions.