My Why

I am a life-long collaborative organizer. I build communities of activists and leaders, and I do this work in partnership, never alone.

Most recently, I led State of Equity at the Public Health Institute for 16 years. There, I chaired the California Health in All Policies (HiAP) Task Force for over a decade, embedding health and equity into state decisions on parks, transportation, education, food systems, and land use. Building on that work, I helped build California's state government racial justice program, the Capitol Collaborative on Race and Equity, which has since helped more than 60 government agencies develop racial equity plans and leadership teams.

This work grew out of decades as a social justice organizer. Since my teenage years, I have worked across immigrant and refugee rights, youth organizing, reproductive health access, economic justice for elders, and climate policy. I have held roles at the Vanguard Public Foundation, Medical Students for Choice, and Jewish Youth for Community Action, where I led youth leadership programs rooted in solidarity and political action. I also co-founded Jewish Voice for Peace, working to mobilize Jews in support of Palestinian liberation and a shared future.

My perspective largely comes from decades of on-the-ground learning. I grew up in a mixed-race family with an adopted sibling, and I lived in India as a child. Each of these experiences pushed me to question, and seek to understand, belonging, chosen family, and the harmful impacts of colonialism and capitalism on health and well-being. I'm also queer and Jewish, which adds another outsider's view of the assumptions embedded in most institutions. I continue to travel when I can, having recently spent time in Indonesia, Finland, and Uzbekistan.

I like fun too. I love listening to live music, I’m a fast jigsaw puzzler, and I’m learning ceramics and pickleball. I live in Oakland, California, with my dog, who is adorable and a little grumpy, and my spouse Quin, who is a delight.