Ángel is an economic justice advocate, affordable housing proponent, and UC Santa Barbara grad. Holding a B.A. in History of Public Policy & Law, he began his nonprofit career as a Los Angeles LGBT Center Intern, where he helped raise funds for a youth housing project. Prior to joining SVCN, he served as a Communications Associate for Jubilee USA Network, advocating for climate finance legislation and debt relief. After work, he spends his time flipping through recipe books, trying to live up to his parents’ cooking skills, and practicing drums.
Angela is an innovative operations leader with over a decade of experience in nonprofit management and strategic development. As the former Sr. Director of Operations at Women In Product, she scaled the volunteer-led organization from two to ten employees and spearheaded initiatives to scale the organization's programming and launch year-round engagement, unlocking new revenue streams and expanding its impact on equity in tech. With a BA in Psychology & Italian Studies from UC Santa Barbara, Angela's expertise spans corporate development, data optimization, and strategic partnerships. Based in Oakland, Angela is a Bay Area native who lives with her husband, two kids, and dog, Vito. When she’s not at her desk, you’ll find her swimming laps or trying out a new craft.
Danna is a nonprofit strategy leader and community organizer. She has played various roles in organizations within the Muslim community throughout California and is passionate about leadership development, capacity building, and movement building. Previously, she served as the first full-time staff member for MSA West where she led strategy & organizational development. Danna is a UC Davis alumna, where she majored in International Relations, minored in Spanish, and was active in leadership roles on campus that worked to mobilize and support marginalized communities. She sits on the board of A Continuous Charity (California chapter) and is an advisor for MSA West. She lives in San Jose with her husband and in her free time can be found exploring coffee shops and spending quality time with her family.
Gianella is a South Bay native born and raised in Sunnyvale, CA. She is a proponent of socioeconomic equality and affordable housing development and earned her B.S. in Political Science and Communication from Santa Clara University. She began her nonprofit career as a Communication Intern for The Harvest Fund, managing their blog and writing stories on successfully utilizing agriculture to support female farmers in Zambia. Before joining SVCN, Gianella worked as a Marketing and Research Assistant for the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship upholding values of global citizenship and economic empowerment. She also had the opportunity to intern for Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff in San Francisco researching legislation on affordable housing and immigration. In her free time, Gianella enjoys attending concerts of her favorite artists, spending quality time with family and friends, and exercising at her local CrossFit gym.
Kyra has been a long-time nonprofit professional, community leader, and public servant in our Silicon Valley community. Previous to her role at SVCN, she was senior policy advisor in the City of San José’s Mayor’s office, focused on housing and homelessness, and, before that, directing attorney at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, leading teams of public interest attorneys in high impact policy advocacy and litigation. Kyra has a JD from the University of Michigan Law School and a BA from the University of Arizona. Kyra is an American Leadership Forum senior fellow, a recipient of the SCCBA Professional Lawyer of the Year, and a Silicon Valley Business Journal Woman of Influence. She lives in downtown San José with her husband Eric and daughter Kassia.
Marissa is a community organizer, arts advocate, and playwright born and raised in East San Jose. Previously, Marissa led the youth program at AACI amplifying youth voices with arts, media, and leadership development. With over eight years of experience in communications and events, she is committed to sharing stories and uplifting underserved youth and communities. Marissa earned a B.A. in English and Theatre Arts from Santa Clara University. She is a founding director of More Más Marami Arts and is involved with genARTS Silicon Valley and KQED as a member of the Community Advisory Panel. When she isn't writing or teaching art with youth, Marissa enjoys ice cream, decorating her planner, and watching movies and live theatre.
Marvah is a nonprofit professional and community advocate. A resident of the South Bay since 2014, Marvah has lived in a variety of states and countries including Ghana and Senegal. She graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Science. Her nonprofit career began at Seneca Family of Agencies in the quality assurance department. While in this role, she advocated for and developed an affinity group for grief and loss. Marvah has a passion for the visual arts and hopes to integrate her artistic abilities in her professional life. In her free time, she can be found drawing portraits, building structures for her cats, and watching bad movies with her partner
Nandini is a senior at Santa Clara University studying Economics, Data Analysis and Sustainability. She is from Cupertino, California, and is excited to positively serve the community around her through various policy initiatives, work and projects. On campus, she currently serves as the Vice President in a business fraternity, and is also passionate about increasing access to financial literacy resources for minorities, especially to women of color. In her free time, she likes to play the piano and violin, try new brunch spots, go on long walks, and travel!
Priscilla is a nonprofit professional with experience in community building within culturally diverse communities and is passionate about mental health and wellness. Prior to joining SVCN, Priscilla worked with Public Profit as a project assistant to help strengthen programs and empower mission-driven organizations to promote sustainability and enhance their reach through data and evaluation. Priscilla earned her B.S. degree in Public Health, concentrating in Community Health, at San Francisco State University, where she displayed a passion for community building by leading wellness workshops as a Student Peer Health Educator & Ambassador for Campus Health & Wellness. In her free time Priscilla is getting lost on a hike admiring nature’s beauty, dancing, or simply sipping her favorite herbal tea enjoying the sunshine with a book in hand.
Rose is a senior at Santa Clara University, pursuing a major in Business Management and a minor in Spanish. She is passionate about social and environmental justice, helping to lead an ocean conservation club while at SCU, affiliated with the Surfrider Foundation. Graduating from her role as Head of Marketing and Communications for the Surfrider SCU Chapter, she is now taking charge as Vice President. Rose has also dedicated much of her time to volunteering and leading fundraising efforts for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH). She has volunteered at the NPH home in the Dominican Republic several times and remains connected with friends in that community. In her free time, Rose enjoys painting and reading outside, and exploring the beautiful beaches and hikes in the area.
Susie has served as the VP of Youth Voice Initiatives and Executive Director of Santa Clara County for Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) for 21 years. Upon her transition from FLY at the end of 2022 she launched a consulting and coaching practice grounded in transformative and holistic healing centered practices supporting non profit leaders, community based organizations, system stakeholders, and youth and young adults who have been impacted by the system. Her ultimate passion is centering voices of youth and young adults who have been impacted by systems and creating bodies of advocacy that authentically lift up those voices for impactful system changes. Additionally, Susie is a Lecturer at San Jose State University in the College of Health and Human Sciences/College of Social Sciences, teaching in the departments of Justice Studies and Public Health.
Kathy is a longtime nonprofit leader in Silicon Valley with over 30 years of experience in social justice activism. Before coming to Recovery Café in 2020, she was the Executive Director of Santa Maria Urban Ministry, and previously worked for Asians Americans for Community Involvement, West Valley Community Services, Somos Mayfair, Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, and the County of Santa Clara. Her Board experience includes the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Silicon Valley Chapter, and the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus. She holds a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University, and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University. Kathy enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, cooking and is an avid baseball and performing arts fan.
Christa M. Gannon is the Founder of Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. (“FLY”). Christa has received numerous awards for her work at FLY, including the James Irvine Leadership Award, the Human Rights Award for the City of San Jose, Stanford Law School’s Inaugural Alumni Public Service Award, and more. After serving as CEO of FLY for two decades, Christa now serves in a formal Founder role as an advocate and ambassador for FLY, helping with fundraising and investor relations, and working on special projects for FLY’s strategic plan. Christa holds a B.S. in sociology and law and society, graduated with honors from Stanford Law School, and is a member of the California Bar. Christa is also a wife, mother of two teenagers, and basketball coach.
Mark is the Vice President of Operations for American Leadership Forum –Silicon Valley(ALF-SV). Previously Mark served as Director of IT & Operations for United Way Silicon Valley. Mark grew up in Ohio, received a History degree from Swarthmore College and identifies as an Asian American as the son of an Indian immigrant and husband of a Filipina woman. Mark loves to play (especially volleyball) and follow (especially the NBA and the Warriors) sports and wants to help our world live up to the ideals of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, namely that “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
Edwin Tan, Ph.D. serves as the Director of Advocacy and Community Relations at San José State University. In his role he works with neighborhoods, community-based organizations, business associations, and other non-governmental entities. He has extensive experience working in the local community, previously he served as Director of Advocacy and Development for Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) a community health center and District Director and Senior Chief Advisor to Congressman Mike Honda. In those positions he worked on issues such as health care access, Asian Pacific Islander data disaggregation, educational equity, etc. Prior to moving to the Bay Area he was trained as a developmental psychologist and conducted research and taught at the University of California, Irvine and in Indonesia. Edwin earned his Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. He also serves on various community boards and government task forces, including the City of San José's COVID-19 Recovery Task Force and Santa Clara County's 2021 Redistricting Commission.
Veronica Goei has more than 25 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector developing programming and curricula in the areas of parenting, early literacy, oral language development and adult education. As Executive Director of Grail Family Services (GFS) for 18 years, she has provided direction and oversight for all GFS programming, including design, development, funding, implementation and evaluation. Over the years, Veronica has served as a consultant to many organizations including Stanford University, Western Illinois University, UCLA, the Children’s Bureau, and many NGOs. Veronica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Chile. She is a graduate of the Harvard University Strategic Perspective in Nonprofit Management Program, and the HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality) Leadership Institute.
Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez is the Executive Director of MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana located in downtown San José, CA. She’s led transformative efforts at MACLA to build organizational capacity, secure a permanent facility, launch a youth digital media lab, and deepen engagement programs while ensuring artistic excellence and community relevance. Anjee’s areas of expertise include: creative placemaking, commissioning art work, program development, capacity building, economic and real estate development, fund development, and participatory evaluation. Anjee earned an MA in Visual Criticism from California College of the Arts and a BFA in pictorial arts from San Jose State University. She lives in downtown San José with her family and is a novice gardener and recovering karaoke performer.
Poncho is the Executive Director of Sacred Heart Community Service, a grassroots antipoverty organization based in San José, California. A native of Santa Clara County, Guevara’s professional career has been geared toward the advancement of low-income families –from providing direct services and community organizing, to serving in executive management roles in nonprofit housing and human service organizations. By cultivating and creating bridges between diverse constituencies, he has helped develop and lead campaigns addressing critical issues in workers’ rights, children’s health care, homelessness, affordable housing, and immigrant rights. Poncho lives in San José with his two amazing daughters.
Ms. Alvarado is an experienced healthcare executive, whose diverse career in health spans over 40 years, including working in a community health center, family planning clinic, county hospital, and university-affiliated adolescent clinic. Most recently, she served as Executive Manager in the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. In the course of her career, she has become known for her ability to bring stakeholders of diverse communities and perspectives to address the root causes of health issues, such as poverty and lack of education. Ms. Alvarado received a Master’s in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and a Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis in Community Health from the University of California, Berkeley and a California Teaching Credential from the University of San Francisco.
Dana Bunnett joined Kids in Common (KIC) in January 2001. As the executive director of Kids in Common, she has overseen a variety of programs and initiatives all with the goal of improving outcomes for children. Dana coordinates and supports the Santa Clara County Children’s Agenda. The Santa Clara County Children's Agenda moves from data to action by focusing on outcomes for children. Created on the premise, "what gets measured gets done" the Children's Agenda provides a common vision for community leaders, governmental agencies, funders and community-based organizations to work across sectors to improve children's lives by focusing on improving measurable outcomes of child well-being.
Sujatha Venkatraman is currently the Executive Director for West Valley Community Services. Sujatha has been with WVCS for fifteen years and has focused on ensuring our mission-driven programs and services impact our community. She has demonstrated a commitment to addressing complex social issues and working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders throughout her career. She has led the development and implementation of various initiatives to reduce food insecurity and prevent homelessness in our community. Sujatha has over 25 years of non-profit experience in program and policy development, strategic planning, and curriculum development. Previously she worked as the Senior Family Development Specialist for the Little City Foundation and before that she was a Behavioral Specialist for the United Cerebal Palsy of Georgia/South Carolina. She has a Masters in Humanisitc Psychology from University of West Georgia, graduate of Leadership San Jose, MSW from Dehli School of Social Work.
Erin O’Brien has been the President & CEO of Community Solutions since 2003. She has devoted her career to meeting the growing and changing needs of South Santa Clara County and the surrounding communities. She is fiercely dedicated to ensuring that children, families, and individuals have the support and services they need to create positive changes in their lives. Erin is active in various county efforts that impact vulnerable and underserved populations. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Erin holds a Master of Social Work degree and a Bachelor's degree in Humanities from San Jose State University.
Victor Duarte-Vasquez migrated to Oakland, CA at the age of 7 from Mexico. Victor is currently one of the Co-Director for SOMOS Mayfair and supports the Organizing and Transformational partnerships work. As part of SOMOS Mayfair and the Si Se Puede Collective, Victor is committed to building a movement that advocates for community decision making, alternative solutions and economic justice in Santa Clara County. Victor holds a master’s degree in Mexican American Studies with an emphasis in education from San Jose State University and a BA in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley.
Eva Terrazas currently works at at Pacific Clinics where she serves as the Chief Public Policy and Advocacy Officer. Her focus is in the fields of State and City legislative, government administration, and public policy advising. With her extensive experience in public policy and consulting she has excellent analytical, policy development, strategic thinking, and program management skills. Some of her passions include meaningful community involvement especially relating to sustainability, creating efficiency, ensuring quality programs, and maintaining rigorous administrative oversight. She has proven herself in several fields and positions and is dedicated in her service to the community.
David Low brings more than a decade of public policy and strategic communications experience to Destination: Home’s work to end homelessness in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining Destination: Home, David served as a senior advisor and communications director to San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, where he was intricately involved in the mayor’s efforts to combat Silicon Valley’s homelessness and affordable housing crises. He also spent a number of years working on the team of former Mayor Chuck Reed, as well as in the nonprofit sector, including as marketing and communications director for the YMCA of Silicon Valley and regional communications director for Breathe California. David grew up in Silicon Valley and is an alumnus of UCLA, where he earned a dual bachelor’s degree in political science and communication studies.
For over 25 years, Ms. Gloner embarked on a professional path that is committed to addressing the priorities of vulnerable populations and building community capacity. Primarily in the nonprofit and public sectors, Ms. Gloner’s career focused on community health education and promotion, research, health communication, policy, advocacy, training, and administration. Currently, she serves as Chief Executive Officer for Project Safety Net, a collective impact dedicated youth resiliency, mental health promotion, and suicide prevention. She is a first generation college graduate with a Bachelor in Combined Sciences from Santa Clara University along with advanced degrees in public health (MPH from San Jose State University) and business (MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business).
Gregory Kepferle is CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and has worked in the Catholic Charities network for over thirty-two years. Starting his career as Director of the Social Justice Resource Center of Catholic Charities of the East Bay, he became Director of Parish Social Ministry and Assistant Director. Prior to his work in San Jose he was Executive Director of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gregory is a member of the American Leadership Forum – Silicon Valley and of Rotary International. Greg has a BA from Saint Louis University, an MA from Loyola - Chicago, and an MDiv from the Jesuit School of Theology.
Sarita Kohli is the President & CEO of AACI, Asian Americans for Community Involvement. AACI is a community-based organization focused on providing culturally sensitive high-quality health and wellness services to underserved populations in Santa Clara County. Sarita is passionate about empowering marginalized individuals and communities, through increasing access to health and wellness services. Her work encompasses many such communities, including victims of domestic violence, individuals with mental illness, survivors of trauma, refugees and low-income immigrant populations. Sarita holds an MBA and is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
As the first Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Contractors’ Association (BHCA), Elisa Koff-Ginsborg leverages her national policy and local organizing experience, extensive professional training and deep passion to create a strong safety net to support people affected by mental illness and substance use so that they have the same opportunities to fully participate in life as others in our community. With more than 25 years of non-profit and government experience that encompass policy analysis, advocacy, organizing, nonprofit management and direct service as a social worker, Elisa works collaboratively with nonprofit and government leaders. Elisa has a BA from Syracuse University, an MA from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University and an MSW from Catholic University of America.
Susan Frazer is the CEO of Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley (JFS SV) and has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. Susan has brought her expertise of aging services to JFS SV, making the agency a leader in providing wrap-around services to older adults and caregivers throughout Santa Clara County. As one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the Western United States, JFS SV supports hundreds of refugees worldwide who are fleeing violent and dire circumstances. Supporting the unmet needs of Santa Clara County residents is paramount to Susan and she leads the agency to meet its mission through Jewish values: Welcome the Stranger, Repair the World, Treat Everyone with Respect and Dignity.
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