Staff

Chris Axley is the Managing Director of IT at East Bay Community Foundation. Chris is an adaptable and strategic-minded leader with a passion for using technology to increase the effectiveness of the community he serves. With more than two decades of experience, Chris has a wealth of knowledge managing cross-functional teams and implementing efficient IT solutions.

During his two-decade-long tenure at the Exploratorium, a museum of science, technology, and arts in San Francisco, Chris anticipated the need for a hybrid workforce in advance of the pandemic and smoothly moved the majority of staff to remote work. He also led the team to migrate CRM services from Raisers Edge to Salesforce, led the effort to design and move IT infrastructure to a new museum location, and implemented new transaction systems for admissions, membership, and events.

Chris earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute and enjoys spending time with his family, playing disc golf, and gardening.

Shannon Baker is the Managing Director of Marketing and Communications at the East Bay Community Foundation. With more than 20 years of experience leading fundraising and communications for mission-driven organizations, Shannon is passionate about building community, helping leaders communicate their impact, and connecting donors with values-aligned giving opportunities.

Shannon’s deep and diverse experience – including running grassroots campaigns with the State PIRGs, securing major gifts at Stanford Law School and The Nature Conservancy, and leading communications efforts at progressive organizations like Citizen Engagement Lab, New Media Ventures, and Mindful Schools – allows her to design and execute successful programs and campaigns.

Shannon has a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from University of Michigan, where she focused on strategy and social innovation. When not at work, she enjoys travel and photography, the East Bay’s best eats and treats, and spending time with her husband, stepson, and menagerie of dogs and cats.

Zakiyyah Brewer is a Program Associate with our Community Investments and Partnerships department — working on the ASCEND:BLO initiative. This is a crucial role as the initiative has grown immensely over its first year. Working directly with Byron Johnson, Capacity Building Initiative Officer, Zakiyyah will support the ASCEND:BLO Accelerator, Stabilizer, and Network components of the program, ultimately contributing to the support, guidance, and connections of black-led organizations across the Bay Area.

A recent graduate of San Francisco State University, before joining EBCF, Zakiyyah was with Five Keys Charter School and Programs in San Francisco, working both in the community and in San Francisco’s county jails. In her spare time, Zakiyyah enjoys going to concerts with friends and spending time with family.

With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, grantmaking, program design, and youth development, Alexandria Cooley, is the Managing Director of Donor Services and Grants Management at East Bay Community Foundation.

Alexandria previously served as the Chief Program Officer at Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), a Bay Area nonprofit. She spent 10 years in a variety of roles at AmeriCorps, a federal grantmaking agency, and most recently served as Deputy Regional Administrator of the Southeast Region. During her time at AmeriCorps, she and her team managed grant awards and project development of over $80 million across a six-state region. She was instrumental in supporting the agency through a transformation process that resulted in the development of new positions, a modification in grantmaking processes, and the hiring and training of 20 new staff members within her region. Alexandria also served in leadership roles at youth development and K-12-based institutions.

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Alexandria is a first-generation Haitian-Cape Verdean American, 2021 Council on Foundations Career Pathways Fellow, and a 2003 Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) fellow. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Connecticut College, a master’s degree in nonprofit management from The New School for Social Research, and a certificate in federal grants management. Alexandria is an active volunteer and mentor in her community and is committed to supporting the eradication of poverty and the development of equitable structures.

She and her husband, John, have two daughters and enjoy time with family, cooking, and kayaking.

Mimi is the Grants and Scholarship Manager at the East Bay Community Foundation where she supports the team in implementing best practices and driving process improvements for the department. Before joining EBCF, she worked as the Program Officer and Operations Manager at the Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation and as a Program Associate at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Her past programmatic work included supporting policy and advocacy efforts for California’s early learning and children’s health field, including paid family leave and early childhood nutrition.

Before working in philanthropy, Mimi received her BA from the University of California, Davis, and her MA from the University of San Francisco, both in International Studies. During her free time, she loves cooking recipes from her extensive cookbook collection, hiking in the redwoods, and taking her dog to the beach.

Elle Fersan is Vice President of Philanthropy at East Bay Community Foundation. With more than 20 years of experience leading organizations through growth and building strategic partnerships, Elle sets strategy and leads the philanthropic advising, fundraising, and donor engagement teams at EBCF.

Elle brings a diverse experience, having worked with academic institutions, local governments, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and international organizations and raised more than $200 million in funding. She has forged strong partnerships and co-led successful capital campaigns resulting in significant growth and increased support for vital social justice causes. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in connecting donors with impactful projects that bring about meaningful change.

Prior to joining EBCF in 2023, Elle served as Executive Vice President of Resource Development and Communications at the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC). Prior to that, she directed The University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law Immigrants and Global Migration Initiative, where she introduced USC’s online Undocumented Students Resource Center and galvanized campus resources to support civil society organizations and asylum seekers during the 2018 family separation crisis.

Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Elle holds a Master of Arts in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco and both a Master’s and Bachelor of Arts in History from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon.

Elle finds delight and inspiration in her nieces and nephews and is working hard to beat out her siblings for the “best aunt” title. She loves a good documentary, fixing electronics (or anything really), playing soccer, exploring our beautiful planet, and introducing her local friends to the very best of all cuisines: Lebanese. She might be slightly addicted to Family Feud.

Maddie is a grants specialist at the East Bay Community Foundation, where she supports the Grants Management & Scholarships department by conducting due diligence for daily grants processing and performing key administrative functions for the organization’s various funds. Prior to joining EBCF, she worked in grants management at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, starting as an associate and eventually serving as a Grants Manager, where she managed grantmaking operations for a portfolio of 1,100 donor-advised funds.

Before working in philanthropy, Maddie received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and worked for over five years in the theatre industry, holding positions at local organizations like Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 3Girls Theatre Company, and Playwrights Foundation. She’s also a writer, primarily writing cultural criticism about everything from prize-winning plays to trashy TV. Across Maddie’s work in philanthropy, writing, and theatre, she hopes to use her skills and knowledge to support organizations and movements that are building a just and equitable world.

During her free time, she plays with her cats, watches the Golden State Warriors, and obsessively creates new Spotify playlists.

Debrah Giles is a philanthropic and non-profit management professional that serves as a Program Director for the East Bay Community Foundation in Oakland, CA. She specializes in supporting initiatives within EBCF that foster education, youth development, and arts and culture. In her role, she leads the foundation’s program strategy and grantmaking focused on arts and culture for social and racial justice, serves as the Senior Program Officer for the Clorox Company Foundation’s Responsive Grantmaking Program, and continues to lead the work that focuses on boys & men of color.

Before joining the East Bay Community Foundation, for nearly 15 years, Debrah worked for Sun Microsystems in their Global Community Development Group (Foundation). At Sun Microsystems, she managed all aspects of their national and regional grant-making programs and develop strategies to improve their grant-making procedures. During her tenure with Sun, she also developed and guided major funding programs, including their international disaster relief program, multi-year educational grants, and global gift matching programs.

Debrah received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from St. Mary’s College. She is a native of Oakland.

As Director of Philanthropy at East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), Marta leads our planned giving program and supports donors who are committed to strengthening our community and leaving a legacy of love and liberation for the East Bay. She is dedicated to aligning her passion for advancement work with her commitment to addressing systemic inequality.

Marta has extensive fundraising experience and successfully raised funds for a $40 million and $24.5 million capital campaign and led a $4 million annual giving program. She also founded two social justice organizations that served Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students and their families and has more than two decades of experience in local schools.

Marta is a Bay Area native and first-generation graduate with a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Brown University and a B.A. in U.S. History from San Francisco State University. Marta enjoys gardening, hiking with her dogs in the Oakland hills, and cooking with her daughter.

Myra Haidari joined the Accounting team at East Bay Community Foundation in May 2022 as an Accountant. After having her children, she decided to embark on a new career that allowed her to maximize her love and talent with numbers. Prior to joining EBCF, Myra worked as a Project Accountant at an environmental firm and an engineering company.

Myra was born in Afghanistan and came to the United States as a refugee and has been living in the East Bay ever since.  She spends her personal time volunteering and serving newly arrived refugee communities. In her spare time, Myra likes to spend quality time with her family, read, and explore new restaurants. Myra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry from San Jose State University.

As ASCEND BLO: Program Associate, Julius brings extensive experience as an educator, community leader, and social justice advocate. As Program Associate, Julius supports the department of Community Investments and Partnerships’ Black-led organization initiative, serving as the lead person for the initiative’s network and community engagement activities. He has managed and facilitated programs, brought diverse groups together, and partnered with numerous Bay Area community-based organizations. In all his work, Julius pursues the promotion of justice, healing, love, and liberation in the communities he is a part of and serves.

Before joining East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), Julius worked for thirteen years as a classroom teacher in schools throughout the Bay Area. He has served on the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team in varying capacities and has served as a facilitator for the National Equity Project’s, Black Teacher Project program. 

Julius holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in Sociology, and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of the Pacific. He lives in Oakland with his husband. In his spare time, he enjoys caring for his plants, going to museums, and connecting with the many beautiful outdoor spaces in the Bay Area, especially the Redwoods with family and friends.

Brandi Howard is the president and CEO of East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), one of the oldest community foundations in the country. Named the “boldest community foundation” in 2019 by Inside Philanthropy, EBCF is known for its work advancing inclusion, fairness, and racial justice in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Howard is a collaborative and compassionate leader who brings deep experience as an equity and justice strategist rooted in community to the Foundation’s vision and framework for A Just East Bay.

Before EBCF, Howard led strategic planning and the development of the equity learning infrastructure as chief of staff and interim vice president of programs at San Francisco Foundation. Her leadership was critical in advancing the equity-centered grantmaking policy and systems change in the region. When she began there, she worked with the The Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Program, a community leadership program that works with grassroots risk-takers and makes a five-year investment in their community. Prior to that, Howard worked for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene where she oversaw two city-wide initiatives to reduce infant mortality and chronic disease and led the development of a division-wide framework to streamline implementation, staffing, and quality improvement processes for Neighborhood Health Action Centers.

Howard is a third-generation Oaklander who grew up in multicultural communities throughout the city, in a family with a heritage of Pan-Africanism and a global worldview. Conscious of the complexities of race, racism, and racial injustice, Howard began her career recognizing the linkage of all oppressions in the shared fight for liberation. She was drawn to advocacy and health equity work during her nineteen years as a doula working with Black and Latinx women. Decades-stagnant health outcomes for Black and Latinx mothers led her to speak out for systems change and her career shifted. As maternal child health subcommittee chair for the Alameda County Public Health Commission, she served as a liaison between public and nonprofit agencies, community members and the county board of supervisors to provide recommendations to support optimal maternal and child health in Alameda County. Howard also worked for First 5 Alameda County, and has advised a number of nonprofit organizations on strategy, sustainability, and equity as a consultant.

Howard is a member of Chief, a network of senior women leaders built to strengthen their leadership journey, cross-pollinate ideas across industries, and affect change from the top-down. Howard is a lecturer for equity in practice at the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, where she is also an advisory committee member. Howard is principal consultant at Beyond the Curve, a consulting firm providing organizational development, business strategy, and talent and crisis management.

Howard started her career transition journey at Merritt College after ten years in the workforce as a mother of three children. She transferred to the University of California, Berkeley where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies and a Master of Social Work. Now a mother of four, Howard is constantly inspired by her children’s creativity and relentless energy. Her children are her motivation to advance racial equity, and transform political, social, and economic outcomes for all who call the East Bay home.

Germán Jiménez is a first-generation Mexican American whose experiences growing up in the inner city shaped his passion for social impact and philanthropy. Witnessing the challenges that underserved communities face firsthand, he was driven to work for organizations that create meaningful change. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he developed a strong foundation in organizational management and strategic planning. After moving to Oakland in 2021 from Los Angeles, he began his journey in the nonprofit sector, realizing the importance of community-driven initiatives.

Now, as the Philanthropic Specialist at East Bay Community Foundation, Germán is excited to contribute to the foundation’s mission of advancing racial equity and economic opportunity. With over four years of fundraising experience, he brings expertise in donor stewardship, event coordination, CRM database management, and cross-departmental collaboration. Germán values building relationships across diverse communities and ensuring inclusive philanthropic efforts.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing golf at Metropolitan and Monarch Bay Golf Courses, as well as exploring the Bay Area’s vibrant outdoor spaces. He’s eager to continue immersing himself in Oakland’s culture and connecting with his community. Whether on the golf course or walking around Lake Merritt with his dog, Cashew, Germán is always looking for ways to engage with and uplift those around him.

Theresa Johnson is a professional accountant whose past experience is with startup and growth phase companies; a background that has provided her with valuable insight into many areas of finance, accounting and system implementation, as well as developed her ability to successfully work in a dynamic, fast paced environment. She holds a B.A degree in Sociology and has completed extensive coursework in accounting.

Theresa was born in Oakland and was raised in Ukiah. After living in a handful of other Northern California cities she eventually returned to live in the East Bay in 2012. In her free time, she enjoys hiking in the Walnut Creek Lime Ridge Open Space and spending time with her husband and five children.

Tyson is a public sector and nonprofit leader with nearly 20 years of experience working to build stronger, more equitable communities. His career has centered on creating and managing programs, teams, and systems that improve outcomes in areas like early childhood development, affordable housing, and community development.

Before joining EBCF, Tyson served as Deputy Director of Administration at Chinatown Community Development Center in San Francisco, where he led internal operations—spanning facilities, IT, and HR—and supported board governance. Prior to that, he also held executive roles at First 5 Alameda County, First 5 Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Office of Early Care and Education, helping guide multimillion-dollar agencies focused on children and families. A highlight of his work was leading an initiative to install water bottle-filling stations in Santa Clara County schools—an effort that gained national recognition from former First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America.

Throughout his career, Tyson has also advised elected officials, managed local campaigns, and led strategies that helped engage and mobilize communities. He brings a collaborative, community-first approach to everything he does—grounded in data, driven by values, and focused on systems that work for people.

Tyson holds graduate degrees in public policy and social sciences from the University of Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in history from UC Davis. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and running.

Emily Kokernak, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, is dedicated to connecting donors with opportunities to make a lasting impact in their communities. With over 20 years of fundraising experience, she helps individuals invest in the causes they care about. Most recently at Planned Parenthood Northern California, Emily built strong relationships with donors committed to reproductive freedom and advancing health equity.

She has a strong track record in major gifts, capital campaigns, corporate sponsorships, and gala events. Emily’s well-rounded career in Development includes significant roles at esteemed organizations such as Planned Parenthood Federation, Harvard University, Boston Medical Center, and the Oakland Museum of California.

Emily earned her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and MBA from Simmons University. She and her family relocated to Oakland from New York City in 2018 and they spend their time exploring the beautiful spaces of the East Bay and beyond.

Born and raised in Oakland, Joshua Lee has been leading grassroots organizations in the Bay Area for over ten years. A focal point of Josh’s work has been with youth organizing groups in the east bay such as Youth Together and AYPAL: Building Asian Pacific Islander Community Power, centering the voices and leadership of some of the most powerful yet vulnerable populations in the region in BIPOC young people. Josh recently completed his role as a Multicultural Fellow at the San Francisco Foundation (SFF), where he led their Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building and COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund grantmaking. Prior to his role at SFF, he was the Director of AYPAL: Building API Community Power for 5 years. He has a MA from the University of Michigan in Higher Education with a focus on Social Justice, and a BA from UC Santa Cruz in American Studies. After being in the field for many years, harnessing his perspective as both grantee and funder, he is driven by a commitment to building collective strategies towards racial equity, led by those most impacted, towards a Just East Bay.

Autumn McDonald is the Vice President of Community Investments & Partnerships, leading EBCF’s strategic grantmaking, regional collaborations, and team of program officers to deliver on our mission across the East Bay.

Autumn has more than two decades of experience working with foundations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies at the intersection of strategy, advocacy, civic innovation, and social impact. Through her work with FSG, a social impact consulting firm, Autumn built expertise in providing strategic guidance to large, small, community, and family foundations. Autumn also served the late San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, shaping policies and public-private initiatives to improve economic opportunity for Bay Area families. Before joining EBCF, she was a member of the leadership team at New America where she served as a senior fellow and head of New America CA.

At New America, Autumn’s work focused on issues of economic equity, community engagement, resident voice, policy influence, and narrative change. Her writing has been published by numerous media outlets, including Slate, The Washington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Project Syndicate, Pacific Standard, CalMatters, and Britannica Parents. She also serves on the board of KQED, Women’s Foundation of California, and as Chair of the board for Lincoln Families.

Autumn has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a master’s from the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. She, her husband, and their three children live in Oakland. Her parents moved to Oakland from the east coast right before the pandemic, happily making her East Bay kin now intergenerational!

Mây (pronunciation) Nguyễn brings over 15 years of experience as a community organizer, attorney, and program director to her role as Senior Philanthropic Advisor at East Bay Community Foundation. She has been a leader in disaster and climate justice, co-authoring a white paper on the BP Oil Spill for the White House Initiative on AAPI, providing written testimony on the Oil Pollution Act for a US Senate Energy Subcommittee hearing, and appearing on NBC, NPR, and local Louisiana media. She published a revised second edition environmental law and policy advocacy guide and has taught an undergraduate program and trained over a thousand impacted people and local elected leaders to take action. And she received UCLA School of Public Policy’s Rishwain Social Justice Entrepreneurship Award for her transformative organizing work with Black, Indigenous, and Immigrant fishing communities to win recognition and damages for traditional fishing practices.

The proud daughter of refugees from Viet Nam, Mây grew up in New Orleans and east Oakland as one of seven children. She earned her BA from Amherst College and MA from Johns Hopkins University. And received a NAPABA Scholarship to attend UCLA School of Law, where she earned her JD with a certificate in Public Interest Law and Policy.

Mây lives in the Bay Area, California with her husband and two young children, and enjoys traveling, ice skating, and making music. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of a community foundation in Louisiana, and Lowlander Center, a climate justice participatory action group.

She looks forward to meeting more funders and donors and co-creating philanthropic strategies to realize a just east bay for all of us that call this area home. Her specific areas of interest include Trust-Based philanthropy, Regenerative philanthropy, faith-based giving, crowdfunding, and centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) philanthropy. She is fluent in Vietnamese and proficient in Spanish.

Melody Rooshen is a Program Manager for Community Investments and Partnerships (CIP) team at EBCF. She is interested in advancing social change by bridging her two worlds of technology and non-profit together to center and uplift BIPOC communities in cultural power building.

Currently, in her role, she strategically focuses on identifying the needs and gaps in our grantmaking by building authentic relationships with our community thought partners. Her role intersects Arts and Culture for Racial and Social Justice and supports our corporate partnership’s grantmaking.

Melody received her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Riverside. Her personal interests include ambitiously binge-watching Netflix, getting that 12-step skincare regimen down to a tee, and drinking chai with her loved ones. Melody lives in the East Bay with her husband and son.

Ian began his professional journey at Wells Fargo in Commercial Mortgage Servicing. He started out in the mail room and ascended to lead the document management team for the West Coast CMBS group. With more than 15 years of extensive database management expertise, Ian’s career spans various sectors, including land trust management and affordable housing. Throughout his career, Ian successfully spearheaded 8 database conversions, specializing in enhancing both operational efficiency and donor engagement.

Prior to joining EBCF, Ian served as the Development Manager at East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), focusing on elevating individual donor stewardship and cultivation strategies. Ian’s unique journey underscores his commitment to bridging corporate acumen with nonprofit values. As EBCF’s Development Manager, Ian is excited to partner with a diverse ecosystem of community leaders and that his work will have impact across the East Bay.

During his free time, Ian enjoys hiking East Bay trails, trying out new restaurants in Oakland, and watching Warriors games.

Natalie Torres-Rosas joined the Donor Services and Administrative Support team at EBCF as a Donor Services Associate in June 2019, and now serves as a Grants Manager. In her new role, she works alongside Grants & Scholarships Manager, Laura Choe, and Grants & Scholarships Specialist, Clint Hayden, in administering daily grants processing, and supporting scholarships administration and processing – as EBCF increases our involvement in grant-making and scholarships.

She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She hopes to continue helping EBCF with our mission, given her educational and personal background, and strong interest in improving the criminal justice and social systems. Before joining EBCF, Natalie was with Development at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley. She also volunteered at different organizations in San Francisco, both in the community and in San Francisco’s and San Mateo’s county jails.

During her free time, she enjoys going to the dog park with her two pups, reading mystery and crime, listening to vinyls with her partner, and exploring Oakland. You can most likely find her at a taco stand!

As the Managing Director, Operations & Facilities, Carlos Velasquez oversees the Operations Department which is responsible for day-to-day management of IT and network operations, the headquarters building, and the Foundation’s conference Center. He also serves as the liaison to the Foundation’s outside professional HR administrative services group.

Carlos has more than 30 years of technical and operations experience. Prior to joining to the Foundation in 2009, Carlos worked in various managerial capacities at the Educational Testing Service, Snap Technologies/Embark, The Princeton Review, and the California Nurses Association.

Carlos holds a B.A. in Humanities from U.C. Berkeley.

Sabrina Wu is a Senior Program Officer and leads EBCF’s work on building a just and inclusive economy. In this capacity, she supports increasing access to fair capital for BIPOC entrepreneurs, grassroots equitable economic development, and moving grant and impact investing resources in more participatory and collaborative ways.

Sabrina is a collaborative leader with over twenty years of experience in non-profit leadership and coalition building. Prior to joining EBCF, she led grassroots non-profits and community collaboratives to advance racial and economic equity and build local sustainable food systems and ran community and youth programs. She serves on the Board of Directors of Just Futures Impact and was previously a Just Economy Institute Fellow and co-chair of the Bay Area Asset Funders Network Steering Committee.

Sabrina holds a Bachelors degree from Barnard College of Columbia University and a Masters degree in Agriculture, Food and Environmental Policy from Tufts University.

Genevieve (Gennie) Zaragoza, CPA (inactive) currently serves as the Controller of East Bay Community Foundation. Her career of 30 plus years has been entirely devoted to accounting in the nonprofit sector, including more than 10 years as the Managing Partner of the Oakland based CPA firm Ghaffari Zaragoza LLP. She has experience with a wide variety of organizations using her broad in-depth experience to help organizations achieve financial clarity, efficiency and compliance. Most recently she served as the Controller for the Global Fund for Women where she implemented a cloud based paperless accounting system. She graduated from Mills College with honors earning a B.A. in Economics.

Gennie was born in Pennsylvania, she moved to Berkeley as a one year old and has been an East Bay resident ever since. In her free time, she enjoys decluttering and organizing the home she shares with her husband and two children and exploring all the vegan food options the Bay Area has to offer.