Elizabeth is an artist, educator and entrepreneur. She co-founded Green Art Workshop in 2010, a San Francisco based non-profit that focused on hands-on art and sustainability, teaching participants to transform discarded items into unique artworks. She repurposes materials in her artwork and upcycles garments using artful mending techniques. Elizabeth received her BFA in Studio Art with a minor in Art Education from Alfred University in New York.

David is a Community-Centric Fundraiser and seasoned nonprofit professional who first joined Girls Leadership as an advisory board member in 2022, then the Board of Directors in 2023, and now serves as the Deputy Director on staff as of September 2024. In his role, David supports fundraising, internal systems/operations, and organizational alignment.

David ended up in the nonprofit world through his passion for working with young people in the community, first as a teen counselor at the Deer Hollow Farm outdoor summer camp and more formatively as a volunteer organizer in public K-12 schools during his college years at UC Santa Barbara. His other past experiences include co-founding a music mentorship nonprofit, serving as an AmeriCorps member, and fundraising for early education, arts, and out-of-school-time nonprofits. When David’s not in the office or talking about how nonprofits and foundations can build better partnerships, you can probably find him experimenting in the kitchen, exploring the Bay Area with his wife and son, or playing pickup soccer.

Angie was first drawn to art when her parents enrolled her in a Saturday art class as an adolescent. Her passion for the arts and youth education led her to join the YAX board in 2023. After working in tech for over 11 years, Angie recently launched her own personal styling business. Client success has always been important to her, so she now dedicates her time to helping people feel more confident and empowered through their style choices. You can find her at angieshinstyle.com. Angie lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children, Lucy and Lenny.

John M. Francis is a city planner and urban designer based in San Francisco where he is engaged in community building at all scales, from parklets to neighborhood master plans. John has practiced for 15 years throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and California helping to equitably uplift community voices in shaping the public realm, including over seven years with the City of San Francisco.

Cindy Teruya has a lifelong passion for art and storytelling. Since graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles with a BA in English Literature, she’s acted as a professional writer and editor, including writing and staging a full-length play at an established theater in North Hollywood, associate editing for the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series and writing marketing and advertising copy for household brands. She is currently a Senior Content Project Lead at Google, an aspiring novelist still working on her first novel, and a student of performance arts. She strongly believes that art changes lives and is a vehicle for authenticity and empowerment. She is thrilled to join the YAX Advisory Board and is particularly passionate about furthering opportunities for youths.

Jenni Fick is an educator and evaluator who has dedicated her career to serving Bay Area youth. Starting out as a math and art teacher in Oakland, Jenni is currently the Director of Impact and Learning at Beyond Emancipation, a non-profit organization that supports foster youth as they transition out of care. Jenni enjoys building large-scale interactive art projects and has helped build art structures and art vehicles exhibited at local festivals, parades, and Burning Man. Jenni lives in Berkeley with her husband, daughter and chiweenie and holds an MA in Education and BA in both Anthropology and Math.

Rohit Tak is an accomplished urban designer and mobility planning professional with over thirteen years of progressive experience across India, Southeast Asia, and North America. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Pune University, India and a Master’s in Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Fulbright Fellow.

Rohit possesses a deep understanding of public participatory processes and data-driven approaches in urban transformation, with extensive experience working across both developing and developed contexts to advance sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban solutions. His expertise spans strategic planning, multimodal transportation systems, tactical urbanism and place-based urban design interventions that drive equitable and impactful change.

Megan Hover has over a decade of experience in fundraising, supporting nonprofit organizations nationwide. She is passionate about fostering an inclusive society where individuals can pursue their passions and thrive.

Megan’s commitment to community service began at Rutgers University with NJPIRG. After earning a Master’s in Public Administration from George Mason University, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member at Jackson County CASA in Kansas City, where her fund development efforts quadrupled the organization’s budget during her five-year tenure.

After relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, Megan joined Juma Ventures and later worked as Development Director at Creativity Explored, a San Francisco art studio for disabled artists, where she helped double its contributed revenue. In her current role as Juma’s Director of Individual Giving, she leads the major gift strategy, manages advisory boards, and oversees the national fundraising gala. Megan also contributes to the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative, promoting equitable access to quality jobs across the region.

In her spare time, Megan helped launch the award-winning Kansas City chapter of the Care to Learn Fund, supporting students' emergent needs in health, hunger, and hygiene.

The daughter and granddaughter of artists, Megan has always been surrounded by creativity. Though she jokes about her inability to create art, she enjoys drawing and making collages.

Jenna Melnyk is a (mostly) self-taught ceramicist and graduate of Parsons School of Design. Her art is inspired by contemporary graphic design and a love of all things wobbly and odd. In addition to being and artist, Jenna brings her experience as a creative business owner and researcher to her role at YAX. In 2022 she co-founded Wave Collective Space, a local community art gallery and event space where she did everything from teaching classes and curating shows to financial forecasting. She has been a UX Researcher at Adobe studying digital creativity for the past 8 years where she’s developed a wide methodological toolset and a keen ability for data storytelling. Jenna is also on the Governing Board of the Bernal Business and Arts Association where she focuses on Marketing and Communications.

Orrin Goldsby, AIA. LEED AP, BD+C, is an Associate with David Baker Architects (DBA) in the Bay Area. DBA is a nationally known, locally oriented architecture and urban design firm based in California and Alabama. Orrin grew up in the redwood forests of Northern California and brings his deep admiration of the complexity of the natural world to his design work to make resilient places for people. As a leader of DBA’s Site Ecology & Water working group, Orrin advocates for sustainable solutions in DBA’s architectural projects, enacting meaningful change at the nexus of affordable housing, climate, and community.

Marisol is a proud first-generation Mexican American with over a decade of experience in product design, specializing in EdTech. She is dedicated to transforming technology through co-design principles and user-centered solutions. As a doctoral student in Education, she integrates culturally relevant pedagogy with User Experience design, ensuring that technology serves as a tool for equity and inclusion. Marisol believes that youth voice is the future and is committed to co-designing spaces, products, and policies with young people who are shaping a better future where everyone can thrive. 

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I want to give back to a program that really helped me become who I am today. I wanted to apply while I was a student but I never had enough time while I was in high school. I would like to do something for my community, I believe in what YAX does and I have seen the positive impact it has brought.

I am a current undergrad at California College of the Arts, I am studying architecture there. I consider myself a multimedia artist, I have dabbled in many mediums. I am the most familiar with design, especially graphic design and architectural design. I like crafts and making things with my hands, I often crochet and make clothing. Recently I have been working with wood and exploring that.

As a clinical psychologist, I've worked with youth for many years and in several different capacities. I know how art can positively impact a youth's self-confidence, sense of belonging, well-being, and overall mental health. When I was a school-based clinician at a struggling public school, I set about joining the community as an act of solidarity rather than an act of charity. I partnered with the art teacher to create an installation that would hang in my office for the duration of my tenure there. I gave her the quote "bloom where you are planted" and asked that the students to create artwork based on that quote. The result was a welcoming, joyful, hopeful, symbol for everyone. I have a long history of voluntarism and service and would love to be part of an organization that supports youth and fosters a community where they can thrive.

My interest for visual arts started pretty much ever since I was born. My mother is a wardrobe designer for film, TV and theater and my father is a Brazilian diplomat, film maker, producer and photographer. With my family influences and my background in product, visual design (both digital and print), photography and quality-assurance engineering, my goal is to convert complicated problems into simple, holistic, creative and inclusive solutions. Always bringing the focus to human centered design in order to best solve the various complex ways people interact with products. In my experience, if we can design for trust, we can build strong and everlasting relationships between people and their products.

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In a career spanning over four decades, Richard Mueller helped build two multibillion-dollar financial services companies, a venture capital firm, and three internationally recognized research and consulting firms. He is a private investor, donor, board member, and advisor in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Richard’s work in the financial services industry earned him an international reputation as a pioneer in the application of computer technology to mature financial markets. He is deeply involved in the nonprofit sector and has guided several organizations through watersheds in their evolution. Active in the field of business economics, Richard counsels U.S. and foreign government officials on a wide range of economic and public policy-related issues.

With over 20 years of experience in education, Nichole has found her sweet spot as an admissions Director, where she can effectively utilize her breadth of knowledge and expertise. Through her various roles, she has demonstrated a deep understanding of the needs of children, families, and teachers.

Nichole's journey began as a preschool teacher, where she developed a passion for creating a nurturing and stimulating learning environment. Over the years, she gained valuable experience in different areas of education, but it was in school leadership that she truly found her calling. As a center Director, she successfully led teams, implemented programs, and fostered a collaborative culture.

Now, as an Admission Director, Nichole has discovered the perfect blend of her skills and experience. She understands the importance of finding the right educational fit for each child and family, and she brings her extensive knowledge of teaching and leadership to guide the admissions process. Her ability to build strong relationships with parents, teachers, and community stakeholders allows her to create a seamless and holistic experience for prospective students.

Nichole's dedication to lifelong learning is evident in her continuous pursuit of professional development opportunities. By staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in education, she ensures that she consistently delivers excellence in her role. With her passion, expertise, and commitment to quality education, Nichole continues to make a significant impact on the lives of children, families, and teachers.

Aaron De La Cruz's work, though minimal and direct at first, tends to overcome barriers of separation and freely steps in and out of the realms of fine art and design. The act and the marks themselves are very primal but tend to take on distinct and sometimes higher meanings in the broad range of mediums and contexts they appear in and on. His work finds strengths in the reduction of his interests in life to minimal information. De La Cruz gains from the idea of exclusion, just because you don't literally see it, doesn't mean that it's not there.

Originally from the Bay Area, Dorothy’s passion for the arts began with childhood piano lessons and sketching sessions. Her creative interests deepened through experiences in ceramics, film photography, and architecture classes, fueling her appreciation for artistic exploration. Dorothy has a particular fondness for Impressionist art, and her favorite museum is the Musée de l'Orangerie. Dorothy currently serves as an Associate at TPG. Prior to joining TPG, she was an Analyst in the Restructuring Group at Lazard, where she worked on a range of in- and out-of-court recapitalizations. Dorothy is excited to support youth access to the arts and believes in the transformative power of creative education.

Jason is an award-winning director, cinematographer, and photographer living in San Francisco. A life-long visual artist and recovering DJ, he brings a finely tuned sensibility for both picture and sound to every project he takes on. His comedy podcast, Traumatized with Erin and Jason, keeps his comedic timing sharp. He has previously worked with clients such as Clorox, Mitsubishi, PowerBar, Sunrun, and Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners.

Alison Skjeie White (they+she) is dedicated to promoting intersectional social justice and supporting the dignity and agency of individuals and communities. They have experience in psychology, neuroscience, education, design, research, communication, and data analysis. Alison has worked as a neuroimaging research coordinator with the Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect, and Psychopathology Lab, and as research and teaching assistant with the Stanford School of Medicine's Community Health and Prevention Research masters program. Most recently, she supported the Bay Area based non-profit consulting firm Lyons Newman Consulting as an Associate Consultant and interned with the Orange County Jails Team of the ACLU of Southern California. Alison earned their Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2021 with minors in Data science and Journalism. You're likely to run into her at your local swing dance venue or the public library - say hi if you do! 

After a decade leading strategy and experience design teams at leading innovation and design firms (Jump Associates, frog, Method), Ami turned her attention from helping the world’s largest companies navigate change to unblocking impactful teams in uncharted territory. Ami is the rare strategist with an equal love for shaping both external offerings and internal systems. Bottom line, she helps organizations align more closely with the needs of the people they serve — through a future-focused, human-centered approach.

Ami’s background includes teaching at the Stanford d.school, leading Growth initiatives at Jump Associates, and serving as an Org Design practice lead at frog. Her clients include Fortune 100 companies in retail, financial services, healthcare, technology, and media, as well as government agencies, prominent nonprofits, and educational institutions. She currently works with a variety of social impact startups.

Walter is a senior employment law attorney with more than 30 years of experience advising employers on challenging workplace issues and providing practical solutions that minimize legal exposure in a heavily regulated business environment.

Walter represents some of Silicon Valley’s most dynamic corporate players, from Big Tech giants and high-profile tech-adjacent foundations to emerging businesses and ambitious startups.

He frequently operates as outside general counsel on employment law, meaning that major clients rely on him as their first point of contact when employment issues arise. Walter is widely respected for his ability to assess problems, design smart legal strategies, and oversee cost-effective resolutions. In his own day-to-day practice, Walter handles employment law litigation, settlement negotiations, and arbitrations; negotiates executive contracts and advises directors and officers on personal liability and indemnification matters; and provides proactive state and federal regulatory counselling.

For the first two decades of his career, Walter worked as an employment lawyer in two California-based Am Law 100 firms. In 2011, he joined the leadership team of the Miller Law Group, a boutique employment law firm, and helped grow that firm into one of the most prominent employer-side boutiques in the country. He then moved to Cozen O’Connor with the entire Miller Law Group in 2019. 

Outside of his private practice, Walter is deeply involved in the Bay Area legal community and pro bono service. He routinely advises the Equal Justice Society and National Center for Youth Law on employment law issues, and he serves as the lead organizer of bi-annual one-day pro bono employment law clinic run through a partnership between the San Francisco Bar Association’s Justice Diversity Center and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Bay Area Chapter.

Walter earned his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and his law degree from Cornell Law School.