CURRENT STAFf
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Nayelli Gonzalez, Interim Executive Director (part-time)
An alumnus of Berrett-Koehler Foundation's inaugural Action Learning Fellowship in 2018, Nayelli is delighted to serve as the Interim Executive Director of the Berrett-Koehler Foundation and help advance its mission of supporting changemakers in co-creating a world that works for all. Nayelli is also the Founder & CEO of CreatorsCircle, a resource hub that connects diverse youth with opportunities to create a life of purpose and impact. Throughout her 20+ year career, Nayelli has worked on pioneering sustainability and social innovation programs with startups, nonprofits, small businesses and Fortune 100 companies in the education, sustainable business and social impact spaces. A trained journalist with an MBA, she also writes about sustainable business and social impact trends for a variety of publications. |
Board of Directors
Cheri-Leigh Erasmus (Board Co-Chair), serves as the Global Director of Learning at the Accountability Lab, a nonprofit organization aimed at building a new generation of active citizens and responsible leaders around the world. She has spent more than a decade in the international higher education and international development arenas. Through her work in leadership development, she’s conceptualized and implemented leadership and skills development curricula for emerging leaders geared for careers in both the private and public sectors. In her current position, she oversees AL’s learning and impact as part of a team working with young leaders who are finding innovative ways to hold governments accountable in Nepal, Pakistan, Liberia, Nigeria, Mali,Niger, Mexico, South Africa and Zimbabwe 
Jonathan Fong is a photographer and filmmaker, with an eye and ear for beautifully capturing the stories, spaces, and faces of social impact organizations. He strives to put himself out of business by empowering all communities to compellingly tell their own story through photography and video. In addition to projects with the University of California to mentor unlikely student filmmakers, he has presented at numerous conferences for the higher education sector. As a member of the Full Circle Fund giving circle, Jonathan supports local non-profits with systems thinking and strategic planning. For these contributions, he was honored as ‘Emerging Leader of the Year’ in 2015 and with a ‘Community Spirit Award’ in 2016. Jonathan also manages the Jack London Square Farmers Market in Oakland. 
Anna Barrett's quest is helping people make choices that allow us to honestly face our flawed world and still find joy in our lives. Anna is a licensed psychologist (NY and CA) who has worked in schools, healthcare, research based consulting, Fortune 200 companies, and not for profit organizations. Anna contributes abilities to break complex situations into manageable chunks, not sugarcoat, leverage clients’ resilience, and make data conversational. |
Peggy Holman, Author and consultant, employs dialogic practices to turn passivity into participation. Her award-winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity provides a roadmap for tackling complex challenges. In The Change Handbook, she and her co-authors profile 61 processes that enable diverse groups to create their desired future. As cofounder of the nonprofit, Journalism That Matters, she has contributed to a movement towards inclusive, engaged, and generative journalism. Through its periodic convenings of the “whole system” of journalism, she has helped to cultivate a journalism community of practice that is committed to journalism which supports communities and democracy to thrive. 
Cecily Victor is an artist in the field of convening. As we are always in relationship with one and another, and we hear each other into being, Cecily is devoted to creating relationships of trust between peoples. She creates safe spaces for people to gather and communicate in ways that allow their best selves to emerge and shine, so they can serve the community and acknowledge the masterpieces that they are. Coming to the US as an immigrant, for the first seven years Cecily learned how to live here. For the next eight, she taught over 2000 new immigrants from over a hundred different countries how to transfer their skills from their home country to corporations, nonprofits and communities here. This priceless experience of being understood by people from all over the world empowered her, and she knows that it is in communicating authentically with self and others, is how peace, prosperity, and a better world begins for all. Cecily joins forces with people and organizations that serve community. 
Renée L. Bradford is a dedicated scholar, academic, and seasoned peace practitioner and Ph.D. candidate in Leadership and Change at Antioch University. Her cutting-edge research explores the intersections of contemplative practices and racial justice activism within digital spaces. Beyond the academic realm, Renée has successfully cultivated a thriving virtual global community comprising over 500 participants. This community actively engages in community contemplation and fosters cross-cultural relationships. Her multifaceted background and demonstrated ability to connect research to real-world impact make her a valuable addition to the board. Renée's passion for fostering positive change resonates with the foundation's commitment to social justice and collective well-being. |
Past Staff & Board Members
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Lisa Ito served as the Foundation's Operations Manager. Prior to her service on the Foundation she enjoyed working as an Assistant Buyer and Project Manager in the home furnishings industry for ten years and as an Estate Manager for five years. Becoming a mother made Lisa realize how important it is to join with others to make a difference. After volunteering at her children's schools over the years and more recently with an organization helping refugees, Lisa wanted to be more consistently involved in an organization that works to make sure more voices are heard in this ever changing world.
Yi Zhang is a spacemaker and artist who co-creates experiences of curiosity, connectedness and possibility. Often this takes the form of designing and facilitating learning journeys and educational programs for changemakers from around the world. Yi is also a licensed coach through the International Coach Federation, and serves as a mentor coach and trainer through the Academy for Coaching Excellence. In addition to coaching social change leaders in their mission-based work, Yi also supports people to deepen their own creative and spiritual practices that help us all draw from the deep wells of our imagination and wholeness.
When addressing Yi in third person, please use first name only (i.e. “Yi”) or they/them pronouns. Outside of designing learning experiences or coaching, Yi can usually be found in the studio making books or painting and always with extra washi tape to share. |
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Steve Piersanti is founder and senior editor of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Prior to founding Berrett-Koehler in 1992, Steve served as president of Jossey-Bass Publishers. He began his career at Jossey-Bass in 1977 as a promotional copywriter then served as marketing director, editor, editorial director, and executive vice president before becoming president in 1989.
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Shilpa Jain serves as the executive director of YES!. YES! works with social changemakers at the meeting point of internal, interpersonal and systemic change, and aims to co-create a thriving, just and balanced world for all. Shilpa spent ten years as a learning activist with Shikshantar: The Peoples’ Institute for Rethinking Education and Development based in Udaipur, India.
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Paul Wright is principal of WrightWork Communications, with a focus on business, work processes and communication. A former lawyer, his interest lies at the intersection of sustainability, innovative problem-solving, and complexity. Paul is also a guest professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, where he teaches intensive courses twice a year.
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Maren Showkier is a writer, editor, teacher, and yogini whose work is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations unleash their full potentials. Maren is the co-author (with Jamie Showkier) of Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment (Berrett-Koehler, 2008). She earned a BA degree in journalism from Arizona State University and an MA in Human and Organization Development at Fielding Graduate University.
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Julie Winkle Giulioni has spent the past 25 years improving performance through learning. She’s partnered with hundreds of organizations to develop and deploy innovative training products that are in use worldwide. Julie is well known and well regarded for her creative, one-of-a-kind solutions that consistently deliver bottom-line results. Since co-founding DesignArounds 14 years ago, Julie has run the west coast operations, leading multi-disciplinary teams that create award-winning electronic and instructor-led training. Previously, she was director of product development for AchieveGlobal, one of the world’s largest commercial training companies. During her career, Julie has received numerous awards including: Ten Best Training Products Award from Human Resource Executive Magazine, LGuide’s Editor’s Choice Award, and awards from CINDY, JOEY, and AFTRA. Julie is the co-author of the Amazon bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees. Want and a respected speaker on a variety of topics.
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Dr. JuanCarlos Arauz is founding executive director of E3: Education, Excellence, & Equity which focuses on issues related to immigration, youth, and education. He is a sought after speaker, trainer and expert in the delicate topics of 21st century education, immigration, and Black/Brown male youth development. Featured in a documentary that focuses on contemporary civil rights activists, he is also an adjunct professor at Dominican University.
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Amber Flame, Former Operations Coordinator,
is an award-winning writer, teacher, slam poet, performer, singer, and composer. Flame’s original work has garnered artistic merit residencies and has been published and recorded in diverse arenas, including a full-length poetry collection, Ordinary Cruelty, published in 2017. She performs regularly on musical, slam and literary stages, and works as an activist and organizer. |
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Annie-Rose London, Former Executive Director, is an organizer and social justice facilitator who seeks to create raucous experiences of joy and pleasure to counteract systems of dehumanizing oppression. Her passion is creative leadership and transformative group facilitation for thriving and equitable organizations. She has called herself an organizational consultant, a performer, an activist, an arts educator – today she calls herself happy to meet you! Annie-Rose works with progressive organizations and community groups as an equity trainer, conflict mediator and creative strategist. She has served as the executive director of Berrett-Koehler Foundation, is the founder and principal at True Life Consulting, and currently facilitates leadership development and creative practice in partnership with E3 (Education, Excellence, and Equity), The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, yes! World, and Earth Activist Training Social Permaculture Trainings. http://www.annieroselondon.com/
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Tuquynh Tran, Former Operations Coordinator, is highly organized and has a keen eye for streamlining and implementing processes to make systems more efficient. She comes from a mechanical engineering background, where working in a manufacturing environment for the first part of her career has taught her a lot about how to make operations lean. Tuquynh has an in-depth knowledge of identifying systemic issues to help transform teams, as well as individuals within organizations, to solve their own operational issues in a collaborative manner. In addition to working at BK Foundation, Tuquynh currently serves as a facilitator for an Interpersonal Dynamics course at Stanford’s Graduate Business School and their Continuing Education program.
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Marielle Amrhein, Former BKF Executive Director, is an educator, young leader, and writer. She has spent over eight years designing and facilitating transformational peace education and leadership experiences for underserved youth in NYC, SF Bay Area and India, through the non-profit organizations Global Kids, American India Foundation and Stepping Stones Project. She has been a Facilitator for the Interchange Counseling Institute year long training program, and the YES! Arts for Social Change Jam, and holds a certification as a Mindful Diversity Facilitator through Stirfry Seminars & Consulting. She has been active in human rights, economic justice and racial justice movements as an organizer and brings a range of experience in non-profit management, storytelling, relationship building and leadership. Marielle formerly served as the Executive Director of the Berrett-Koehler Foundation and has since become a Board Member. She lives in Oakland with her partner Karim and their new baby.
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Kerline Astré, Former Director of Advancement, Kerline joined the BK Foundation team in October 2015 as Director of Advancement. Before joining the BK Foundation, Kerline has enjoyed a rich career as an organizational development coach or as she terms it “Chief Stress Reducer”, to a number of Bay area organizations and nearly a hundred NPOs on the east coast. Her voice has been invited into many conversations in the world of social equality as a leader and active participant in local politics, the 2007 United States Social Forum, and numerous other agencies and events. She is a writer, a performance poet, and self-appointed gate-keeper of “good honest journalism” among many titles and hats. She has three children and resides with her partner, Kristian Astre in San Leandro, CA.
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Mila Baker (August 24, 1945 – June 23, 2017) was associate professor, academic chair and director of the M.S. Human Resource & Organization Development program and interim director, M.S. Management & Systems program at New York University – School for Continuing & Professional Studies. She had over 20 years experience in leadership roles in large multinational organizations. She held an MA and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Organizational Behavior. She was a leading scholar and author in the field of organizational development and an enthusiastic philanthropist.
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Y’Anad Burrell is a native San Franciscan and the Founder & CEO of Glass House Communication, a premier boutique company that specializes in public relations, event planning/design, fund development, fundraising, marketing and Board Governance training. Y’Anad has close to 10 years in the legal field as an Intellectual Property Litigation Paralegal and is certified in the field. Y’Anad is very interested in Diversity and Inclusion issues and serves on several Boards, including Board VP for the California Diversity Council, SF Chapter, Commissioner for Arts & Culture Commission of Contra Costa County and President-Elect for the Public Relations Society of America, SF Chapter.
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Sharon Jordan-Evans, president of the Jordan Evans Group, is a pioneer in the field of employee engagement and retention. She is the co-author of two bestsellers, Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em and Love It, Don’t Leave It. Sharon is a certified executive coach and sought-after keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies.
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Todd Larson, Director of Technology Support Services at California College of the Arts, believes in the value of servant leadership. As a musician, artist and educator, he is passionate about the power of art to bring together diverse communities for positive change. Todd has worked with nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis and the Bay Area to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning through collaboration, space design and technology. He has served on the board of Leonardo’s Basement, an inventive workshop for exploring the potential of curiosity and risk taking to create engineering, art and technology projects. He is the founder of Basic Food Group, an experimental music collective, and has held leadership roles at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and California College of the Arts.
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Terrence Park served on the Board. Terrence is chief operating office of Justice & Health (J&H), a NGO founded by students and alumni at Harvard. J&H’s current mission is to provide tuberculosis treatment and food aid in rural regions of North Korea. Terrence is a 2015 M.S. biostatistics candidate at Harvard and plans to pursue medicine afterwards. He is a young, emerging leader and excited to be a part of this thriving organization.
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Jamie Showkeir (August 16, 1952 – August 16, 2015) was a BK Foundation Board Member. He was a founding partner of Henning-Showkeir & Associates, Inc., whose aim is to support individuals, places of work and communities in becoming more humane, meaningful and productive. He was a skilled teacher and consultant and a popular media source having appeared in dozens of leading publications. Jamie co-authored Authentic Conversations (2008) and Yoga Wisdom at Work (2013). Jamie left a legacy of authenticity, depth and joy.
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Jesse Stoner, Director of Strategic Partnerships, served as interim executive director during the startup period. Co-author of international bestseller Full Steam Ahead: Unleash the Power of Vision, translated into 21 languages, and founder of Seapoint Center for Collaborative Leadership, she has worked closely with leaders in hundreds of organizations worldwide using collaborative processes that engage the entire workforce in creating their desired future.
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