The San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women’s biannual Women’s Leadership Conference, RISE 2020, and the Women’s Hall of Fame was cancelled in early March, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is still a priority of San Mateo County to put the public’s safety first with its events; therefore we are transitioning to a virtual, week-long conference!
Please save the date for August 24 – 28 as we expect to release a calendar of sessions, activities, and talks that will take place online and will be FREE for all attendees.
The San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women’s biannual Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC) brings together women and girls for a day focused on cultivating female leaders. After a sold-out inaugural event in 2018, we are launching our second conference on March 7, 2020 at Skyline College in San Bruno, CA.
This year’s theme, “RISE 2020,” invites our participants and sponsors to reimagine, inspire, support, and empower women leading the way for gender equity, inclusion, and access efforts at home and abroad. Our conference program takes inspiration from community conversations held around San Mateo County in 2018-2019 to ask what women here need.
Our speakers will represent diversity of thought and experience that is integral to expanding opportunities for women across social and cultural differences, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, and disability.
At present, women make up more than half the US population and account for 47% of the U.S. labor force and 52.5% of the college-educated workforce. Yet they lag substantially behind in leadership positions. Even with significant gains in 2018 elections, women only represent 24% of members in Congress, 28% of seats in state legislatures, 18% of governors and women of color represent less than 9% of members of Congress. Overall, there is a gap between the small numbers of women at the top and the vast majority of women nationwide.* Located at the epicenter of progress and innovation, our conference aims to promote inclusive leadership and community-building by supporting current and future female change-makers.
*The Women’s Leadership Gap, Judith Warner, Nora Ellman, Diana Doesch, November 2018
*”Women and girls” refers to gender expansive adults and youth (cis, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and gender queer).
Ei Ei Samai, Moderator
Alysa Stanford, County of San Mateo
April Torres, San Mateo Union High School District
Nadine Rambeau, EPACENTER ARTS
Safi Jiroh, LeaderSpring Center
Molly Henricks, SMC Office of Education
Maria Lorente-Foresti, Behavorial Health & Recovery Services
Charo Martinez, Health Ambassador Program
Nirmala Bandrapalli, Moderator
Richa Awasthi, Foster City Councilmember
Amourence Lee, San Mateo Councilmember
Nancy Magee, SMC Office of Education
Cecilia Taylor, Menlo Park Councilmember
Dana Linda, Moderator
Daisy Sarabia Medina, Youth Leadership Institute
Eula Camara, Youth Leadership Institute
Geovanna Veloz, About-Face, Inc.
Raquel Lima Hernandez, Youth United for Community Action
Julisa Carriel Lopez, Youth United for Community Action
Anisha Weber, Moderator
Jing Yi, Genentech
Subha Rajana, Biarca
Merline Saintil, Change Healthcare
Giuliana Garcia, Oculus/Facebook
Melissa Dinwiddie, Creative Sandbox Solutions™
Friends For Youth
San Mateo County Youth Commission
Maya Tussing, Moderator
Colsaria Henderson, CORA
Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, ALAS
Rita Mancera, Puente
Monica Valencia, Dreamer Fund
Anisha Weber, Moderator
Toni Moos, San Jose City College
Jamillah Moore, Cañada College
Jayne Battey, Miramar Farms
Georgia D. Farooq, Thrive Alliance
Melissa Dinwiddie, Creative Sandbox Solutions™
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (pronounced SPEAR) is a fearless fighter for women’s equality, LGBTQ rights and the disenfranchised who has dedicated her life to eliminating government corruption while working to strengthen America’s national and economic security. She was named to Newsweek’s list of 150 “Fearless Women” in the world and one of “Politico’s 50” most influential people in American politics for bringing the Me Too reckoning to Congress.
She proudly represents California’s 14th Congressional District, stretching from the southern portion of San Francisco through San Mateo County to East Palo Alto, and serves on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and as the Chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, where she serves on the Subcommittees on Environment and Government Operations. Speier is also Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), the Congressional Armenian Caucus, the Bipartisan Task Force To End Sexual Violence, and the Gunviolence Prevention Task Force.
More information about Congresswoman Speier’s work with Women’s Rights; eliminating government waste, fraud, abuse and corruption; National Defense, and her Early Career can be found on Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s website.
Captain Marie B. Byrd assumed command of U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco in March 2019 and serves as the Sector Commander and Captain of the Port for San Francisco and Northern California. As such, she leads over 850 Active and Reserve Coast Guardsmen operating four Cutters, seven Search and Rescue Stations, an Aids to Navigation Team, a Vessel Traffic Service, and a Marine Safety Detachment. She is also responsible for 1100+ Coast Guard Auxiliarists. Her area of responsibility spans from the Oregon border to the San Luis Obispo County line as well as much of Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming, and includes over 2,500 miles of shoreline within the San Francisco Bay and its tributaries.
Throughout her career, Captain Byrd has been assigned to a variety of operational and staff assignments across the country. In 1995 she served aboard the 378’ high endurance Coast Guard Cutter GALLATIN. In 1997 she served as a Marine Inspector and Senior Marine Casualty Investigating Officer at Marine Safety Unit Galveston, Texas. In 2001, she was the Planning Department Head and Chief of the Port State Control Branch at Sector Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2007, she served as a Marine Safety Engineer in the Office of Commercial Vessel Design and Engineering Standards at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Captain Byrd’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (two awards), the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and numerous Unit and Service awards.
A 1995 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and in 2007, earned her Master of Science in Human Factors from San Jose State University in California.
Captain Byrd is from Cerritos, California. She is married to Patrick Byrd from Pascagoula, Mississippi and they have two sons: Patrick and Anthony.
Aimee Allison is the Founder and president of She the People, the national network elevating the political voice and power of women of color. By bringing together the nation’s top women of color candidates, strategists, and movement leaders, Ms. Allison is one of the primary architects for the electoral successes in 2018 that made it the “year of women of color in politics.”
In April 2019, she convened the first presidential forum for women of color, inspiring thousands of articles and news segments. A democratic innovator and visionary, Ms. Allison leads national efforts to build inclusive, multiracial coalitions led by women of color. In addition, she leverages media, research and analysis to expand the electorate and support leaders who advocate for racial, economic and gender justice.
A thought leader, a speaker, and a writer, Ms. Allison has been featured at NetRoots, Politicon, Radcliffe College, Stanford University and SXSW. She was featured in Politico’s 2019 Powerlist. In the early 1990’s, Ms. Allison was one of the first women of color to be honorably discharged from the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector and works today to support courageous, moral leadership.
Aimee Allison holds a B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University. Author of Army of None, she has written for the New York Times, The Hill, and ESSENCE Magazine and has appeared in hundreds of outlets including MSNBC, CNN, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, Associated Press and PBS.
A lawyer by schooling and nonprofit executive by trade, Aila Malik has been a change-agent in her community and the nonprofit sector, at large, for over two decades. Aila earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from UC Santa Barbara, JD from Santa Clara Law School, and has received recognition for her leadership, activism, and tireless service. In 2015, Aila founded a unique management-consulting firm, Venture Leadership Consulting, which partners with not-for-profit organizations to drive performance and scale solutions the close systemic gaps of inequity. Aila’s greatest motivation for social change is her desire for her three kids live in a world where disparity does not limit access to opportunity, such that ALL people have a chance to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
City of San Mateo
Primitive Logic
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse
Genentech
Youth United for Community Action
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
LeaderSpring Center
Youth United for Community Action
SMC Health, Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (BHRS)
Change Healthcare
Catholic Charities – San Francisco/San Mateo
City of Menlo Park
City of Foster City
Biarca
Commission on the Status of Women of San Mateo County
San Mateo County Office of Education
Cañada College
Puente de la Costa Sur
Commission on the Status of Women of San Mateo County
San Mateo Office of Education
About-Face, Inc.
Miramar Farms
Oculus/Facebook
Youth Leadership Institute at Half Moon Bay High School
Thrive Alliance
Creative Sandbox Solutions™
EPACENTER ARTS
Ayudando Latinos A Soñar
Commission on the Status of Women of San Mateo County
San Jose City College Student Health Center
Commission on the Status of Women of San Mateo County
San Mateo Unified High School District
County of San Mateo
Youth Leadership Institute at Westmoor High School
NAMI San Mateo County
Office of Diversity & Equity
SafeSpace
San Mateo County
Commission on the Status of Women
Celine (Huijia) Wen, a current Junior at Aragon High School, immigrated from China in 2016 and lives in San Mateo. In 2017 she founded Women of the World Club in her school because of her interest and passion to help women, especially homeless women in the Bay Area.
Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga is an Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco and she is Founder/Chief Executive Director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS www.alashmb.org), a Latino cultural arts, education, mental health and social justice program dedicated to working with rural youth and families living on coastside.
Judge Beth Labson Freeman is a Judge on the Federal Court in the Northern District of California, appointed by President Obama in 2014. Judge Freeman sits in the San Jose Division, hearing a broad array of cases including antitrust, civil rights, consumer class actions, commercial litigation and technology cases including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret cases.
Sarah Pistorino joined the San Mateo County Youth Commission in 2016 as a freshman at Sacred Heart Preparatory High School and currently serves as Chair. She is a founding member of the SafeSpace Youth Advisory Board, a resource that provides resources to youth around mental health, referral to services, on-site counseling and communities where youth can connect and share their stories.
We are pleased to present the following sponsorship opportunities to fit different budgets. Your support will help grown the Women’s Leadership Conference and provide access for any woman to attend, regardless of financial means. If you have any questions regarding sponsoring, donations, or sponsoring conference elements such as water bottles, laynards, the iRISE Reception, or a custom opportunity, please contact Tanya Beat at (650) 363-4467 or cswinfo@smcgov.org.
The Women’s Leadership Conference, RISE2020, brings together women and teens from all around San Mateo County. Help us fill 1/3 of our seats with those who cannot afford to attend otherwise. Just $100 sponsors a young woman and her chaperone.
We also accept donations for general tickets in Eventbrite.
*”Women and girls” refers to gender expansive adults and youth (cis, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and gender queer).
Amourence Lee’s career focused on building strong and empowered communities. She studied public policy and public health at Columbia University. Her career started at UNICEF in Beijing, she directed two nonprofits and founded a successful startup before joining the San Mateo City Council. Her community service spans the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, but she never was never aiming for public office. Amourence is committed to forging the path for more women leaders in government.
Anisha Weber is native to the Peninsula and is the COO at Primitive Logic, a woman owned business in San Francisco. Her role is evolving and with over 20 years of technology and solution consulting, Anisha wears many hats in the organization, bridging business and technical needs. Actively involved in her community, Anisha continues to provide time, talent, and treasure to numerous service organizations. She is a graduate of University of San Francisco’s MBA program and received her B.A. in Communications from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Anisha is a first generation American, her parents are from Switzerland and Holland, and she continues to maintain close ties with immigrant communities/groups from both countries.
Colsaria has a Master’s in Social Work with a specification in Administration and Planning. She is from the South and considers her social justice training buried in the roots of activist parents, who dedicated their early lives to the civil rights movement. Since moving to California, she has held leadership roles in multiple Bay Area anti-violence organizations. She is currently focused in areas of intersection between gender-based violence movements and reproductive justice, racial justice, LGBTQ and immigrant rights. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, co-chairs the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council and is the Executive Director of Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA), the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner violence and abuse.
Jing Yi Ph.D. is director of statistics at Genentech overseeing late-stage CIT molecules in oncology. She joined Genentech in 2006, and is a drug developer with intensive oncology drug discovery and development experience, with expertise in pharmaceuticals, biotech, designing clinical development programs, and overseeing cross-functional teams. Jing is passionate about women leadership and coaching, and she is a core member of Genentech gWISE education team with an objective of providing increased opportunities for leadership and career growth for Genentech women in science and engineering. Jing received her Ph.D. in statistics at UC Berkeley in 2006.
My name is Raquel and I was raised in East Palo Alto. I am fifteen years old and currently a sophomore at East Palo Alto Academy. I joined Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) about eight months ago where I am currently a Core Member. At YUCA I learn about topics not typically taught in school. I love learning about the different issues that are going on in East Palo Alto.
Carole Groom was elected to the Board of Supervisors in June 2010 and has served as President of the Board in 2011, 2015, and 2019. Her priorities include expanded access to quality preschool and literacy, access to healthcare for all, environmental protection, preservation of the County’s parks, and growing the local economy. Supervisor Groom was appointed in 2012 to the California Coastal Commission, she sits on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board and the SamTrans Board. She initiated The Big Lift program, holdd the annual Active San Mateo County conference, and coordinated the county’s annual Disaster Preparedness Day.
Safi Jiroh has over 25 years experience in the public and nonprofit sectors as an executive leader, grant maker, non-profit consultant, and certified integral® coach. She facilitates meaningful and intentional human interaction and engagement to advance the wellbeing of leaders in the social, public and private sectors. As Deputy Director of LeaderSpring she directs the Women of Color LeadStrong Fellowship and its Impact Consulting, which centers racial and gender equity and inclusion for organizational impact.
My name is Julisa Carriel Lopez. I am a 16 year old of Mexican background; I was born and raised in East Palo Alto, a small community in the Bay Area. I am currently a member at Youth United for Community Action (YUCA), where I get to work on addressing the housing crisis and provide solutions for a better education system in my community.
Dr. Lorente-Foresti began working for SMC in 2008. Since this time, she has worked to decrease health disparities & honor differences in our communities. Some highlights include, implementing the BHRS Spirituality Policy, streamlining the Parent Project Program, creating the Health Ambassador Program & Stop Bullying Program, participating in BHRS Health Equity Initiatives, Co-Chairing the Native & Indigenous Peoples Initiative and being recognized for her work in training students with a focus on diversity & inclusion.
Merline Saintil is the COO, R&D/IT at Change Healthcare and has held numerous executive and leadership roles at Intuit, Yahoo, PayPal and Adobe. She has been recognized for contributions to her community including, being named by Business Insider as #6 of the 22 Most Powerful Women Engineers in the World, honored as one of the 2019 Most Influential Corporate Directors by Women’s Inc, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award by Girls in Tech.
Monica Valencia is an immigration attorney at Catholic Charities and is the co-executive director of the Dreamer Fund. Prior to college, Monica served her country for six years in the U.S. Air Force as a police officer. After returning home with an honorable discharge, she focused on her education. She received a bachelors in Sociology at the University of Southern California and graduated magna cum laude. She received her juris doctorate from the University of San Francisco with a public interest law specialty. During law school, Monica founded the Dreamer Fund, a non-profit focused on education equity for undocumented students at the graduate level.
Cecilia Taylor is Mayor of Menlo Park. The first person elected from her neighborhood to city council in over 40 years, she founded the nonprofit Belle Haven Action after a multi decade career in education. She spent over ten years on the Adhoc Advisory Board for San Mateo County Housing Authority and is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer. She holds a BA in Mathematics from San Francisco State and a certificate in Early Childhood Education.
Richa Awasthi is a Council Member of City of Foster City. Elected in November 2018 to serve a four-year term, Richa has been an active volunteer in the City. Prior to getting elected to the City Council, she was the Chair of the Foster City Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee and Chair of the Site Council at Brewer Island Elementary. Professionally, Richa is Vice President of Digital Payments at Wells Fargo Bank. She holds an MBA and over 19 years of corporate experience with leading financial services organizations. Richa is a long time Foster City resident with her husband Amitabh, and their twin children Anish and Shyla, who recently turned thirteen.
Subha Rajana is a technology entrepreneur passionate about Education, Women Empowerment, and being a local influencer for social change. She is on the board/advisory board of several non profits, who are making an impact on the above causes. She is a big believer in laying the strong foundation early on to empower the future generations. A strong advocate for gender equality, global advisor and mentor for global community leaders from America, Asia and Africa.
Dana’s tenure on San Mateo County’s Commission on the Status of Women began in 2018. She holds BAs in literature and feminist studies from UC Santa Cruz and a PhD in comparative literature from UCLA, where her research and teaching examined global representations of race, gender, sexuality, and geography within the context of colonial power relations. She now serves as the associate director of donor relations for Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences.
Nancy Magee is the San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools. Elected in 2018, Superintendent Magee brings more than 20 years of classroom experience and 11 years of district and county office of education leadership experience to the role. Committed to excellence and equity in education, Superintendent Magee works to build coalitions in San Mateo County to support learners ages 0-22 and improve outcomes for all youth.
Dr. Jamillah Moore is President of Cañada College, an award-winning institution located in the heart of the Silicon Valley. A native Californian, President Moore holds a two degrees from California State University, Sacramento- a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Masters in Intercultural Communication and Public Policy. Dr. Moore also earned a Doctorate from the University of San Francisco in International and Multicultural Education.
Puente’s Executive Director Rita Mancera has over 20 years’ experience in nonprofit leadership with a focus on youth development and social programs in Mexico and the United States. Rita first joined Puente in 2006. She has served Puente in several capacities including being the Program Director. Rita’s commitment to community empowerment has fueled the growth of Puente’s programs serving more families and individuals on the South Coast of San Mateo County every year to build a healthy, sustainable and inclusive community.
Ei Ei (she/her) contributes to the vision of a world where all our relations have dignified belonging with her coaching, facilitation, and strategy skills. Her career path was paved by women teachers such as Angela Davis, Yuri Kochiyama, Judith Glaser, and Brené Brown. In 2017, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, co-founder of the CSW SMC, recognized Ei Ei for her work with Seedles: Grow the Rainbow. She is being raised as a mother by two kids.
Molly Henricks, LMFT works for the San Mateo County Office of Education as the Coordinator for School Safety and Risk Prevention. She has over 15 years experience working with youth. For the past several years she has worked closely with schools, law enforcement and mental health providers to create policies, programs and trainings that focus on creating a safer, more trauma informed school environment for all students, faculty and parents. She is the Vice President of the California State Juvenile Officers Association and a mother of wild 6 year old twin boys.
My name is Geovanna Veloz, and I am proud to say that I’m Mexican. I was really young when I came to the U.S, probably too young to understand why my parents brought me and my siblings here. It was a big change and difficult to fit into a new environment and especially to learn a new language. Thanks to my parents, I attended to elementary, middle and now I’m graduating high school here in California.
Jayne Battey is the owner and founder of Miramar Farms, a leadership development center located on the San Mateo Coast. She also serves on the board of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board as Vice Chair. Prior to starting Miramar Farms, Jayne held executive positions at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council, and as founder and CEO of Essex Environmental. Jayne received her masters degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and her bachelor’s degree from Boston College. Jayne is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Class XXIV.
Giuliana Garcia (she/her/hers) runs programs that enable the development and launch of some of the most innovative technology products ever, including the Amazon Echo, Facebook Portal, and Oculus’s breakthrough virtual reality devices. A lifelong tech enthusiast and inclusion rights advocate, Giuliana runs privacy and security initiatives in Facebook’s augmented and virtual reality divisions. At Facebook and in a prior role at Amazon, Giuliana supported development teams that have shipped 100s of features for millions of devices shipped to 80 countries. In addition to a focus on privacy by design, Giuliana spearheads ethics and responsibility for Facebook devices, including inclusive and accessible design. At Facebook, Giuliana co-leads the Pride@ and Pride@AR/VR ERGs. She is also a commissioner on the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission.
My name is Daisy and I’m 16 years old. I am currently a junior at Half Moon Bay High School. During my free time I play soccer, bake, and play guitar. It’s my first year taking yearbook and I’m Co-Editor in Chief. I’ve been president of the Youth Leadership Institute club at my school for the past two years. The club helps youth with their engagement in the community and helps youth use their voices. We spend a lot of time working on problems in the community and finding a way to help fix them. We work with adults and they help us with resources and help answering any questions may we have.
Georgia serves as Executive Director of Thrive, The Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County. She hails from Boston, where she led the Center for Nonprofit Management at Stonehill College for seven years. Georgia is a founding board member for Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, on the Advisory Council for Gatepath, an advisor for SF Urban Film Festival, and a graduate of Leadership San Mateo. Georgia has her M.B.A. from Boston University and B.A. from Wellesley College.
Melissa Dinwiddie works with large & mid-size companies to unleash creativity by custom-designing and facilitating strategic workshops and offsites to help them be more productive, innovate better and be more competitive. As a visual practitioner, she also makes your ideas visible, so you can get the big picture—themes AND gaps. She is the founder and chief instigator of Creative Sandbox Solutions™ and author of The Creative Sandbox Way™: Your Path to a Full-Color Life.
Nadine Rambeau is Executive Director of EPACENTER ARTS, where she is leading the creation of a new, LEED certified, 25,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art arts and cultural center in the heart of East Palo Alto that will feature classrooms, a gallery, a cafe and an outdoor amphitheater. Along with an engaged community of youth, local leaders and dedicated staff, Ms. Rambeau is developing EPACENTER’s vibrant programming, which will include digital, visual, and performing arts classes for youth, artist residencies, public art projects, cultural events, and educational and community partnerships.
Nirmala Bandrapalli is a busy mother of 3 who is from Burlingame, CA. Nirmala is currently the President of the Commission on the Status of Women. Prior to this experience, she had the opportunity to serve on the Burlingame City Planning Commission. Nirmala loves playing an active role in her children’s education so she served as a representative on the Lincoln Elementary School, Burlingame Intermediate School, and Burlingame High School’s Advisory Committee. Nirmala currently works for Kaiser Permanente as Project Manager and also serves on various nonprofit boards.
I was born in Trinidad and Tobago, but spent many of my formative years living in different countries as my father advanced his career as a diplomat. I moved to the United States for my last year of middle school and then high school. In college, I completed my Bachelors Degree in Human Biology at Stanford, then went on to Medical School at the University of Pittsburgh and ultimately became a Family Practice Physician.
Manufou’s passion for public service with an emphasis on women’s empowerment and children & youth issues has afforded her opportunities to serve on San Mateo County’s Big Lift Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council, Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, San Francisco Mayor’s Office Asian Pacific American Heritage Committee, Daly City’s Health and Literacy Faire Committee, and San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Youth Forum Initiative. Manufou was recognized for her service in 2013 by ABC Channel 7’s Asian Pacific Islander Salutes.
April M. Torres, PPS/LMFT has been working in education for the past 20 years, the last 15 with the San Mateo Union High School District. She has a passion for working with young people, their families and community. She has earned dual Mater Degress in Counseling and Educational Administration and is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. In addition to her work with the school District, she has a private therapeutic practice, and enjoys working with those she serves.
In her free time she enjoys her family (husband and 2 teens), traveling, trying new restaurants, reading, and walking with her dog along the beach.
Became a Wellness Coach over a decade ago after losing 140 pounds and feeling inspired to help others prevent lifestyle diseases. Degrees in Exercise Physiology and certifications in Behavior Change, Worksite Wellness, Laughter Yoga, Health Coaching, Medical Exercise, and Brain Fitness. Passionate about reaching people in underserved communities to identify free resources and build a culture of wellness.
My name is Eula Camara and I’m a 17-year-old senior at Westmoor High School. I am one of the youth that makes up the leadership board in Youth Leadership Institute (YLI). Joining YLI has made me realize my passion for advocating for those who need representation. As a group, we’ve attended numerous city council meetings and helped the youth within our community find their voice. Together, we have taken a step forward to find solutions that our community faces.
Carol Gosho, CFP®, SF Bay Area financial advisor since 1978, started fee-only financial planning Gosho Financial Group in November 2000 in San Francisco as her daughter suffered a bipolar psychotic breakdown in San Mateo. Her extended family became NAMI San Mateo County family support groups and Family to Family mental health education classes. Since 2001 she has served many roles on the NAMI Board, including SF Bay Area Walk Co-Chair, and is currently Board Treasurer.
My name is Reza, I’m 16 years old and I’m on the Youth Action Board at SafeSpace. SafeSpace is a youth-led organization focused on removing the stigma around mental health, and how it’s addressed. My goal is to start a conversation about it at schools and in our community. You have no idea what an impact ONE person can have on someone’s life and mental health.
The Civic Engagement Committee is a subgroup of the San Mateo County Youth Commission and leads the annual Young Women’s Mentoring Event.
The Youth Commission strives to address issues affecting youth in San Mateo County and close the gap between adult and youth perspectives. By placing youth in committees and on County Boards and Commissions, the Youth Commission increases awareness of and advocates for youth issues, advises the Board of Supervisors, presents policy recommendations, and creates projects that serve the community.
Maya Tussing has lived in the Bay Area for 25 years, half of that time in San Mateo County. She is a partner with Fairlight Advisors, which provides investment and risk management services to nonprofits and philanthropic individuals.
She is an active nonprofit board member and volunteer to local organizations spanning the areas of education, community services, health care and the performing arts. Maya is a graduate of Pomona College and holds an MBA in international finance from the University of Washington.