Ruja Ballard is a Social Justice Leadership Institute Intern at the American Friends Service Committee, and is an activist, writer, performer and teaching artist. She visits high schools and local non profit organizations, teaching poetry to marginalized and under-served young folk. She’s spoken at several events all across the globe including the Youth In Action Conference in Nairobi Kenya, Brave New Voices international poetry competition, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and is co founder of YourFavoriteJawns poetry collective.
Arias
Sulma Arias is the Immigration Field Director of the FIRM Campaign at the Center for Community Change. For four years previously, she was the Executive Director of Sunflower Community Action in Kansas, a multi-racial grassroots organization dealing with issues of racial and economic inequality. Prior to Sunflower, Sulma was the Campaign Director for National People's Action's Immigrant and Worker Justice program. Previously, Sulma organized leaders to launch a statewide campaign to change the state's driver's license law and directed grassroots participation in the introduction and successful passage of Kansas' in-state tuition bill.
Ambrosio
Guadalupe Ambrosio is the Co-Executive Director of the New York State Youth Leadership Council and the first undocumented youth lead organization in New York. Through her involvement with NYSYLC, Guadalupe’s work has focused on advocating and policy work with the New York Dream Act Campaign; organizing and establishing a Dream Team Network of 30 High School and College school clubs; and leading the annual Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference. In addition, has a degree in Fashion Forecasting, which has allowed her to explore different artistic disciplines through film, poetry and design. Guadalupe is currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education.
Ahussain
Madihha Ahussain serves as special counsel for anti-muslim bigotry at Muslim Advocates and heads the Program to Counter Anti-Muslim Hate, where she works with a coalition of organizations to combat anti-Muslim efforts by public officials. Previously, she interned with U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen of the Northern District of California; the Asian Law Caucus; and the ACLU of Southern California. Ms. Ahussain received her B.A. with a double major in Sociology, and Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California at Irvine and earned her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Abrar
Sanaa Abrar serves as the Advocacy Director at United We Dream. Sanaa brings political skill, sound judgement and vision that embodies the UWD spirit. Whether she’s putting her body on the line in defense of DACA, bringing advocates together to defund ICE and CBP or helping craft advocacy strategy during the Clean Dream Act campaign, Sanaa does not waiver from her commitment to ensuring that immigrant youth lead the way so that our families can thrive. She shares in the UWD vision of reaching out to sisters of color who feel ostracized by their communities, to build, organize and win.
Yang
John C. Yang is president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) where he leads the organization’s efforts to fight for civil rights and empower Asian Americans to create a more just America for all through public policy advocacy, education, and litigation. His extensive legal background enables the organization to address systemic policies, programs, and legislative attempts to discriminate against and marginalize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other minority communities.
Xiao
Ze Min Xiao (Zee) directs the Mayor’s Office for New Americans in Salt Lake County, which under her leadership became the first county in the nation to achieve certification as a Welcoming Community. She co-founded the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Utah Asian Charitable Foundation, and is an appointed member of the Governor’s Multi-cultural Commission and Refugee Advisory Board. She is on the board of directors for the Children's Center and co-founded social-enterprise programs including New Roots of Utah and Spice Kitchen Incubator. Zee holds a Master of Art in Community Leadership from Westminster College.
Williams
Andrea Williams has been the Executive Director of Causa, Oregon’s statewide immigrant rights organization, since 2013. She recently defended the nation's oldest sanctuary law and led the state to victory as the Chair of the No on Measure 105 campaign. She is the co-founder of One Oregon, the state's largest coalition defending against anti-immigrant policy attacks initiated by a local hate organization. She currently serves on the boards for the Northwest Health Foundation, Oregon Latino Health Coalition, and PCUN (Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste). Andrea graduated with a bachelor’s degree in politics from Whitman College.
Warren
Bryan Warren is the Director of the Office for Globalization, a Division of Louisville Forward in Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky. He leads the city’s Global Louisville initiative, a public-private effort to bring together government, business and civic leaders to welcome immigrants through policy and practice for shared economic and community growth that benefits all Louisvillians.
Vimo
Jackie Vimo is a policy analyst at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC). Prior to NILC, Jackie was Director of Advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition, leading NYIC’s work on Affordable Care Act implementation, worker rights, driver’s licenses, higher education, and language access. Jackie’s other positions include Make the Road NY and the NY AIDS Coalition. Jackie has a Political Science B.A. from Barnard College, M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and Ph.D. from the New School University.
Villela
Joseph Villela serves as the Director of Policy at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, based in Los Angeles. A committed government relations professional and political adviser, Joseph has more than a decade of experience in monitoring and analyzing legislation. During that time, Joseph also established a successful track record in developing and managing legislative and budgetary campaigns, helping to improve the lives of California's most vulnerable. Joseph graduated from the University of Los Angeles, California (UCLA).
Valdez
Daniel Valdez is a Network Director for the Welcoming America Network, where he leads overall strategy and provides technical assistance to community partners and network members. Additionally, Daniel volunteers with a number of organizations and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Charlotte Pride. Throughout his career, he has worked in areas of public health, income inequality, immigrant inclusion, and racial justice. He holds a B.A. in History and Latin American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.
Tromiczak
Caitlin Tromiczak manages the Health & Psychological Wellness program at TASSC International. She is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked with immigrant communities in Washington DC for over 15 years. Her areas of expertise include trauma, domestic violence, grief, immigration, torture, and family separation in transnational families. She also draws experience from working with communities abroad in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She is a doctoral candidate in international psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Suriyopas
Ivy O. Suriyopas is a program officer with the Equality Fund of the Open Society U.S. Programs, working on immigrant rights. Previously, she was an attorney and the director of the Anti-Trafficking Initiative at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, providing legal representation, conducting community education and outreach, and engaging in policy advocacy on human trafficking issues. She has written and co-authored works about immigration, workers’ rights, and racial justice for various outlets. She received her JD from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and studied international human rights law in South Africa through Howard University.
Stolz
Rich Stolz has served as OneAmerica’s Executive Director since August 2012. During his tenure, OneAmerica has cemented its status as one of the most effective organizing, advocacy, and civic engagement organizations in Washington State. Prior to OneAmerica, Rich worked at the Center for Community Change, a national organization based in Washington, D.C. He has lived and organized in communities as diverse as Portland, Maine; Montgomery, Alabama; Tucson, Arizona; Washington, D.C.; and Seattle, Washington.
Stephens
Stephanie D. Stephens serves as Campaign Manager for We Are All America, which works to uphold and strengthen our nation’s commitment to welcome and protect those seeking freedom, safety and refuge in the United States. Previously she co-founded Unite Oregon, a statewide social justice nonprofit leading on issues impacting immigrants, refugees, people of color and low-income Oregonians. Stephanie was also appointed by the Mayor to lead the City of Portland's visioning project; the resulting “2030 Vision” lay the foundation for planning and development in the region. She previously served as Communications and Development Manager at Western States Center.
Sreeharsha
Kavitha Sreeharsha is the Director of the Immigration Portfolio at the Emerson Collective, where she develops and supports philanthropic partnerships focused on national and local immigration advocacy and services to immigrants. Previously, Kavitha led a Career Pathways initiative for the Sobrato Family Foundation; expanded language access policies to benefit limited English proficient immigrants at the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; and spent over a decade working with nonprofits on immigrant rights as a direct services immigration attorney. Kavitha received her bachelor’s degree from U.C. Berkeley and J.D. from U.C. Hastings College of the Law.
Soni
Saket Soni is the founder and director of Resilience Force, a new national initiative to transform America’s response to natural disasters. In 2011, Saket founded the National Guestworker Alliance, an organization focused on defending the human rights and dignity of guestworkers in America. After Hurricane Katrina, in 2006, Saket co-founded the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice. A labor organizer and human rights strategist, Saket was profiled as an “architect of the next labor movement” in USA Today, and he has testified before Congress and at the United Nations.
Shamasunder
Reshma Shamasunder is Vice President of Program Strategy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles. Previously, Reshma served as Deputy Director of Programs at the National Immigration Law Center and consulted with philanthropy, advocacy, and grassroots partners on policy campaigns and issues that benefit low-income, immigrant, and vulnerable communities. She served as the Executive Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) from 2003 to 2015. Reshma has received numerous awards for her leadership on immigrant issues, including the Families USA Health Equity Advocate of the Year Award and the National Immigration Law Center Courageous Luminaries Award.
Serrano
Kimberly Serrano, the Messaging Research Project Manager for California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), is a research professional who manages complex, multi-phase research and organizing projects to advance narratives that humanize and dignify immigrants and communities of color. She has spent most of her adult life navigating the complex emotions, ideologies, and experiences associated with pro- and anti-immigrant sentiment, all with an orientation toward healing and bridge-building.