Eloísa Guerrero, Project Coordinator, Spanish Tutor, and Translator
Eloísa Guerrero comes from a resilient Latinx family. As a Latina, Eloisa found it critical to attain a higher education, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. Eloisa, worked hard to gain an education because she has experienced firsthand hostile environments caused by systemic oppression, and knows how difficult it is for minorities to have access to spaces of belonging.
Eloisa is committed to support communities who have been historically excluded, and has ample experience supporting organizations in providing communities most impacted by systemic inequities access to services, culturally responsive support, and resources.As a bicultural and bilingual woman of color, Eloisa understands the importance of changing the oppressive systems and working to break cultural, linguistic, and generational barriers.
Eloisa founded Communicate in Spanish to help remove language barriers because she believes communication is a critical factor to beginning the healing process and creating mutual understanding. Language helps to share experiences and narrow the distance between the self and the other and thus fostering a community of WE, a step toward belonging.
She joined the Equity First Consulting team early 2021 and is committed to help change systems to reconstruct equity-driven structures.
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Jenny Levine-Smith, Equity & Justice Educator, Coach, Writer, Organizer, Consultant
Jenny Levine-Smith grew up among activists, organizers, and teachers who shared a passion for racial, economic, gender, language, religion, LGBTQ+ justice in both our private and public spaces. As a white, Jewish woman and the granddaughter of refugees, Jenny has ancestral experience with state-sponsored violence and personal experience with the protective cover of whiteness in America. As an educator working primarily with Latinx youth, Jenny witnessed how institutions in this country work together in an attempt to strip Black and brown youth of agency, culture, and language, as well as how powerful and resilient these children and their families are. She left the classroom committed to working with People of Color who are working to deconstruct and transform these systems.
Jenny is a co-founder of the Healdsburg Equity Initiative, a multi-racial, grassroots group of parents, teachers, and community members, which has been working to transform the Healdsburg School District towards equity and belonging.
Jenny led the 'Raising Anti-Racist Children' parenting class at Congregation Ner Shalom, and served on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Task Force at Sonoma Country Day School, as well as on the Education Committee of Los Cien. Jenny served on the board of the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County from 2014-2020, and most recently as the CMOSC Board President, following terms as Secretary and Vice-President.
She is the former chair of the Early Childhood Education committee for Corazon Healdsburg, which works to expand access to preschool for Latinx and low-income families, and continues to consult with Corazon in a variety of ways. Jenny does consulting work as well to support People of Color and anti-racist white folks who are seeking or sitting in political office and for those who are seeking the attention and action of those who hold power.
Jenny is committed to a multi-racial, intersectional, Critical approach to building power and enacting system transformation, led by the voices of the folks who are most impacted by systemic injustice.
Nayeli Bernal, Community-Based Research and Evaluation Consultant,
Nayeli Bernal is the daughter of Leticia (retail worker and the world’s best cook) and Mario (delivery driver and heartwarming teller of stories), and the granddaughter of Amelia & Pedro and Octavio & Edelmira (agricultural workers in the western state of Michoacán, México). She is a descendant of powerful Purépecha and Afro-Mestizo peoples who demonstrated grit and resistance in the face of a violent colonial history in Latin America. Nayeli is also the mother of Tristán, Mateo, and Amelia and the life partner of Julio. She immigrated to California from México at the age of eleven and became the first in her family to attend and graduate from college while undocumented. A DACA recipient today, Nayeli is the founder and principal at Papalotl Consulting, LLC and a Project Director at the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.
Nayeli is a community-based research and evaluation consultant with 19 years of experience
working with organizations on program evaluation, strategic planning, and assessments of assets and needs. Her work focuses on research and action efforts that center and uplift the power of community wisdom. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UC Berkeley; a certificate in English/Spanish Translation from the National Hispanic University; and a Master in Public Health from San Francisco State University. Nayeli believes her lived experiences as an immigrant deeply guide her work to advance racial and social justice.
Her recent work includes the United Philanthropy Forum’s Racial Equity Capacity Assessment of Philanthropy Serving Organizations, the Barr Foundation’s Climate Portfolio Grantee Racial Equity Capacity Assessment, the Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania Racial Equity Exploration, the South San Francisco Commission on Racial and Social Equity, the San Francisco Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Strategic Plan and Evaluation, the Berkeley Public Health Department Racial Equity Organizational Assessment, and the Alameda County Community Health Services’ Racial Equity Action Plan.
Nayeli Ramirez, Graphic Designer
Nayeli Ramirez is a first generation college graduate, with a B.S. in Graphic Design from the California State University of Sacramento and an A.A. in Humanities from Santa Rosa Junior College. She was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. at the young age of three years old and was raised most of her life in a small town called Healdsburg in California. From her youngest moments, Nayeli always demonstrated an affinity and love for the arts. Drawing, animation, poetry, creative writing and many other artistic activities were her driving force. She always found a way to incorporate art into her studies.
As an introvert, Nayeli sometimes found herself in situations where she was by herself. However, she filled those moments with art, drawing, and writing. She created an intimate setting where she could just sit down in front of a blank canvas or paper and express herself. Eventually, she discovered that her illustrative skills were perfect for graphic design, could just sit down in front
of a blank canvas or paper and express herself. Nayeli could finally use her skills and love for art to help others and make lasting impressions on everyone who saw her creations.
Nayeli currently works at a locally owned sign shop in Sacramento as a graphic designer, production specialist, and installer. In addition, Nayeli is a freelance graphic designer and proud team member for Equity First Consulting. The support from Ana and her wonderful team have helped Nayeli feel so proud of the work she helps create, knowing that the work the team does together helps create a new and better path for everyone’s future.