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Strategic Partnerships & Investments Consultant – The Artisan Hub

At The Artisan Hub, a nonprofit collective dedicated to community resilience and economic equity, I served as a Strategic Partnerships and Investments Consultant. In this role, I developed and managed cross-sector partnerships with local governments, businesses, and community-based organizations to support artisan-led economic development initiatives. I also advised on investment strategies aimed at scaling sustainable enterprises and expanding access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs. This work aligned with The Artisan Hub’s mission to foster inclusive, community-driven solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges.

As a strategic consultant, I played a pivotal role in shaping climate program priorities and guiding philanthropic investments focused on environmental justice, climate resilience, and the green economy in Florida. Collaborating closely with key consultants and community leaders, I facilitated the development of initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by Florida's frontline communities. This work involved engaging organizational boards and staff to align their efforts with climate justice priorities, ensuring that investments and programs are community-led and equity-centered.

Provided leadership and expert environmental justice analysis to multidisciplinary advisory body within the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that focuses on identifying and addressing the combined effects of air pollution and other environmental and social stressors on community health. This group brought together public health experts, environmental justice advocates, scientists, community leaders, and agency staff to integrate cumulative impact analysis into air quality planning, permitting, and policy development.

As a strategic partnerships and program consultant with Bay Localize, I served on the Steering Committee, contributing to the development and implementation of initiatives aimed at advancing environmental justice and community resilience in the Bay Area. My role involved fostering collaborations with local organizations, advising on program strategies, and supporting efforts to empower communities through equitable, locally-driven solutions to climate challenges.

​As a strategic consultant for the California Air Resources Board (CARB), I am contributing to shaping Racial Equity and Inclusion (REI) strategies embedding racial equity principles into CARB's policies and programs, aligning with the organization's commitment to becoming an anti-racist entity as outlined in their Racial Equity Framework. This work will support CARB's broader efforts to address environmental injustices and promote equitable outcomes for all Californians.

Currently, serving as Climate Justice Director, leading efforts to advance state climate policy with a strong focus on environmental and climate justice—ensuring that frontline communities disproportionately impacted by climate change are centered in decision-making and benefit equitably from climate solutions.

Served as a steering Committee member and strategic consultant with the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), I provided strategic insight on community resilience priorities in California, emphasizing a Just Transition framework. My work focused on supporting refinery-impacted communities through initiatives in clean energy, cooperative development, and local economic empowerment. This included fostering partnerships and advising on equitable strategies that center frontline communities in the shift toward a sustainable, community-controlled green economy.

As a diversity and equity consultant for the biennial California Adaptation Forum (CAF), I played a pivotal role in integrating racial equity, climate, and environmental justice principles into the forum's programming and outreach. CAF is hosted and organized by CivicWell (formerly the Local Government Commission), in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. CAF serves as California's premier gathering for adaptation professionals, aiming to foster knowledge exchange, innovation, and mutual support to accelerate adaptation efforts and create equitable and resilient communities throughout the state .​California Adaptation Forum

In this capacity, I collaborated with CAF organizers to ensure that the forum's content and structure reflected the diverse needs and perspectives of frontline communities disproportionately affected by climate change. This included advising on inclusive programming, facilitating workshops on community-led adaptation strategies, and supporting efforts to provide scholarships and logistical assistance to enable broader participation .​

My work contributed to CAF's mission to provide an inclusive space for community leaders, decision-makers, technical experts, and on-the-ground practitioners to connect, discuss, and learn about new policies and tools, project successes and lessons learned, and emerging opportunities to build climate resilience in the near-term and over the coming decades .​

For nearly eight years, I directed regional environmental justice programs at the local, regional, and state levels in California. In this capacity, I collaborated with state agencies, engaged local governments, legislators, and the Governor's Office providing strategic consulting and leadership to advance environmental justice priorities and processes aimed at securing robust health and community benefits.​

My work involved integrating climate justice and racial equity into policy development and program implementation, ensuring that frontline communities disproportionately affected by environmental hazards received equitable support. I also served on several local organizational coalitions and boards, contributing to initiatives that promote community resilience, clean energy access, and cooperative development.

Coordinated and integrated diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental, and climate justice language into three annual convenings focused on climate resilience. Analyzed conference materials, co-developed resources and tools, delivered expert support, and provided training to strengthen climate adaptation capacity—while also designing targeted adaptation strategies to address specific climate challenges.

As a founding member of the Fund for an Inclusive California (F4ICA), I collaborated closely with key consultants and philanthropic partners—including The California Endowment, Ford Foundation, Surdna Foundation, California Community Foundation, Common Counsel Foundation, and community leaders—to co-develop this trust-based, community-led funding initiative. F4ICA is dedicated to advancing racial and economic equity by supporting grassroots power-building and housing justice efforts across California. The fund was co-designed with grassroots leaders to ensure that communities most affected by unjust housing policies have decision-making power in shaping their neighborhoods.

As Director of the Democratizing Development Program (DDP) at Neighborhood Funders Group, I led the launch and implementation of a national initiative that engaged over 500 funders and community leaders. The program focused on the intersections of housing justice, racial equity, climate solutions, community land trusts, and community leadership, aiming to reshape philanthropic investments to be more equitable and community-driven.​

Under my leadership, DDP served as a collaborative platform for place-based and national funders to learn, analyze, and support sustainable development strategies that empower communities. We emphasized intersectional approaches to protect, preserve, and produce affordable housing solutions, address gentrification and displacement, and promote community ownership models that allow residents to influence local decisions and create long-term benefits. ​nfg.org+2nfg.org+2nfg.org+2nfg.org

Notably, DDP members contributed to the launch of the Amplify Fund, NFG's first grantmaking fund, which focuses on nurturing conditions necessary for Black, Indigenous, and communities of color to build power in place. ​LinkedIn+5nfg.org+5nfg.org+5

Through peer-learning, sharing best practices, and equity-centered grantmaking approaches, DDP has been instrumental in organizing philanthropy to genuinely partner with communities, ensuring that philanthropic strategies are aligned with the needs and voices of those most impacted by systemic inequities.​

As a Steering Committee member and consultant for the Oakland Climate Action Coalition (OCAC), we played a pivotal role in advancing climate justice initiatives within Oakland's frontline communities. OCAC is a cross-sector coalition dedicated to racial and economic justice, engaging Oakland residents in creating and implementing climate solutions that strengthen environmental, economic, and social resilience

Key Contributions:

• Strategic Guidance: Collaborated with coalition leaders to develop and refine strategies that address climate change impacts, ensuring alignment with community priorities and equity goals.​

• Community Engagement: Facilitated workshops and forums to empower residents, particularly those from low-income communities and communities of color, to actively participate in climate resilience planning and decision-making processes.​

• Policy Advocacy: Advised on policy development and advocacy efforts aimed at integrating climate justice into local governance, influencing the city's approach to climate adaptation and resilience.​

• Resource Mobilization: Assisted in identifying and securing funding opportunities to support community-led climate initiatives, enhancing the coalition's capacity to implement its objectives.

As a staff member and strategic consultant, I led national and international initiatives to advance clean transportation and climate policies. My work intersected with human rights issues in oil extraction regions and environmental justice concerns in refinery communities. I engaged youth, college students, faith communities, and environmental activists through creative direct action campaigns, training programs, and skill-building workshops to activate community involvement and advocacy.​

Additionally, I partnered with organizations to develop and implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies, fostering racial equity within predominantly white liberal environmental groups. This included connecting these organizations with Indigenous and people-of-color-led solutions, ensuring that policies and actions reflect the leadership and needs of frontline communities.