SparkPoint Summit 2025 - Speakers

Erika Acosta

Senior Workforce Manager, Community Action Marin (CAM)
Maximizing Impact: The Synergy of Job Development and Financial Coaching

Erika Acosta joined Community Action Marin in May 2022 as a Workforce Coordinator. Prior to this role, she spent eight years working in an afterschool program for the Napa County Office of Education, an experience that inspired a passion for helping individuals navigate their career and educational journeys. Even before formally stepping into workforce development, she was already informally guiding others on their paths to becoming educators in the K-12 system.

At CAM, she coordinates and manages workforce programs that assist disadvantaged community members. She finds great fulfillment in empowering individuals to unlock their potential. Everyone can develop their skills and achieve their goals with the right tools and resources. She enjoys working alongside participants as they discover their strengths and build confidence.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and running, always looking for ways to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Gabriela Alemán

Philanthropy & Communications Manager, Mission Asset Fund (MAF)
Strengthening Immigrant Community Resiliency

Gabriela Alemán is the Philanthropy & Communications Manager at Mission Asset Fund (MAF) in San Francisco, CA. She is dedicated to fostering equity-focused initiatives that advance the self-determination of communities.

Tarecq Amer

Assistant Director, West Oakland Job Resources Center
Maximizing Impact: The Synergy of Job Development and Financial Coaching

Tarecq Amer is Assistant Director at the West Oakland Job Resource Center (WOJRC). He has over 20 years of experience community economic development, in which he led sector research and implementation projects throughout the United States. At WOJRC, Tarecq has played a critical role in creating regional training programs that lead to careers in union-dense industries. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Davis.

Cristian Avila

Program Analyst
Maximizing Impact: The Synergy of Job Development and Financial Coaching

Before joining United Way Bay Area, Cristian Avila, spent time in the San Antonio, TX at St. Mary’s University and United Way San Antonio Bexar County where he spent time building out program evaluations with community agencies and area foundations as well as giving lectures about Community-Based Program Evaluation and statistical methodology. Now, he is currently the Program Analyst for SparkPoint where he applies his knowledge of data analytics and evaluation to the Bay Area.

Heather Bettini

Assistant Vice President of Programs, Community Action Marin
Maximizing Impact: The Synergy of Job Development and Financial Coaching

Heather Bettini grew up in Marin County and is passionate about advancing social justice and equity so everyone has the opportunity to reach his/her full potential. Heather is Community Action Marin’s Assistant Vice President of Programs, and in this capacity, she leads the implementation of whole family and community services; economic justice; workforce development; benefits enrollment; and food and climate justice, all of which mitigate economic disparities in the community. Part of her work focuses on bridging resource gaps for low-income families who are unable to make ends meet, largely due to the rapidly rising cost of living in Marin County.

Prior to working at Community Action Marin, Heather led a national pilot project administered by the Center for Law and Social Policy and the American Association of Community Colleges, which demonstrated that when low-income students accessed public benefits, they realized greater success in school and in their careers. Heather earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences with a focus in Cross-Cultural Studies, and minors in International Relations and French.

Heather has worked with the United Nations Environment Program in several capacities in Kenya, Germany and South Korea. Heather was a Peace Corps Master’s International student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where she earned a Master of Public Administration in International Management degree while serving as a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize City, Belize”

Lisa Cox

Program Specialist – Free Tax Help, United Way Bay Area
Thriving Together: Navigating Realities in a Shifting Environment

Lisa Cox is a firm believer in the power of people, community united in a cause, and volunteerism. She currently serves as a Program Specialist on the Free Tax Help Team at United Way Bay Area. Lisa is an Enrolled Agent and has worked in tax and accounting for 30+ years. She got involved with United Way’s work initially as volunteer and recently joined as staff to support the free tax help movement that United Way organizes locally throughout the Bay Area.

Shanan Danley

S.O.A.R. Program Director & Retention specialist/A2mend Advisor at Solano Community College
Empowering Communities: Supporting Re-Entry Individuals, Transitional Youth, and Seniors

Shanan Danley is an accomplished education, justice reform, and business management leader. He currently serves as the Director of Juvenile Justice and the SOAR program at Solano Community College, where he is dedicated to empowering students and fostering their academic and personal success. He also serves as the advisor for the A2MEND program, focusing on African American students’ educational and leadership development.

As a U.S. Army veteran and licensed ASE-certified smog technician, Shanan has a diverse professional background that includes extensive experience in automotive management and project management. His passion for equity, access to education, and community empowerment drives his work. He has secured substantial grant funding for justice-impacted programs and is a dedicated mentor to students

As President of the Ethnic Minority Coalition, Shanan continues to advocate for transformative education, systemic change, and inclusive opportunities for marginalized communities. His career reflects a deep commitment to leadership, advocacy, and positive social impact.

Laura Escobar

Vice President – Safety Net Services, United Way Bay Area
Thriving Together: Navigating Realities in a Shifting Environment

Laura oversees United Way Bay Area (UWBA) programs related to basic needs and emergency services in our community. She directly coordinates all aspects of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) and oversees our Housing Justice Initiative and the 211 program. For the past 30 years, she has managed the multimillion-dollar grant making portfolio in federal EFSP funding in eight Bay Area counties for approximately 125 food, shelter, and rental assistance agencies. Laura also acts as a liaison with the Santa Clara Emergency Assistance Network (EAN) and coordinates UWBA grants for disaster response and recovery work, such as COVID-19 and Wildfire Relief Funds. She currently serves on the San Mateo Housing and Community Development Committee which oversees the federal Community Development Block Grant and affordable housing funding; the San Mateo Community Action Agency Board which allocates State Community Services Block Grant funding (CSBG); and the Solano County Tri-Partite Board which also allocates CSBG funding. Laura began her 35-year career at UWBA in their Helpline Call Center as a Homelessness Prevention Specialist, helping families navigate food, shelter, and rental assistance resources in their local communities.

Levon Gibson

Aging and Family Services Administrator, City of Fremont
Empowering Communities: Supporting Re-Entry Individuals, Transitional Youth, and Seniors

Levon Gibson is the Aging and Family Services Administrator for the City of Fremont, bringing a wealth of experience in aging services, adult protective services, and nonprofit leadership. Prior to his current role, Levon served as the Division Manager of Adult Protective Services (APS) for Contra Costa County, where he oversaw critical interventions and support for vulnerable adults. His journey in APS began in Washington State, where he worked as both a frontline staff member and Supervisor, developing comprehensive services focused on prevention, advocacy, and quality-of-life enhancements for older adults (60+), dependent adults (18-59), low-income seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Beyond public service, Levon has experience in the nonprofit sector, working with organizations that support youth, families, and veterans. He also managed a caregiving agency dedicated to serving seniors and adults with disabilities, reinforcing his commitment to holistic and person-centered care.

Levon holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master’s in Aging Services Management from the University of Southern California. When he’s not advocating for older adults and their families, he enjoys spending time with his spouse and two sons and listening to music.

Nicole Harden

Vice President, Economic Success, United Way Bay Area
Igniting Change: Transforming Lives with Guaranteed Basic Income Programs

Nicole Harden leads the Economic Success work at United Way which includes the SparkPoint, Youth Workforce, and Free Tax Help programs. Nicole began her United Way career in 2014 as a Program Specialist for the SparkPoint program. Since then, she has worked in numerous roles leading to her current position. Nicole is driven in this work by her belief that the communities we serve are not broken, that they are creative, resourceful, and whole, and that we are here to work alongside of them in building community. Nicole believes that it is essential to work with community to address systemic challenges and in 2019, launched the SparkPoint Ambassadors program to better integrate community voice into programmatic, grantmaking, advocacy, and fundraising efforts. Prior to her work at United Way, Nicole worked for 10 years in corporate international finance and made the shift to non-profit work by serving as an AmeriCorps Public Ally for Shelter Network, now Life Moves, where she focused her learning and professional development in non-profit management. She graduated with the 2011 class and began her non-profit work as the inaugural Career Coach for SparkPoint Contra Costa. Outside of work, Nicole is a licensed foster parent, serves on her kids School Site Council (SSC), and busies herself chasing her three school-age boys and husband of 18 years around soccer fields and basketball courts and dragging her 90lb pit bull out of bed to exercise.

Tessa Henderson-Brown

Associate Dean of Equity and Director of SparkPoint CCSF Basic Needs Center, CCSF
Thriving Together: Navigating Realities in a Shifting Environment

Dr. Tessa Henderson-Brown is the Associate Dean of Equity and oversees the Office of Student Equity (OSE) at City College of San Francisco. In addition, Dr. Brown is the Director of SparkPoint CCSF Basic Needs Center, AANAPISI, AANHPI Student Achievement Program (AANHPISAP), Guardian Scholars & HARTS Programs to name a few of the programs and initiatives she leads. Dr. Brown is also a San Francisco native, CCSF, SFSU, & CSU East Bay alumni who has over 28 years’ experience in the California Community College System and in the field of education with a foci in student services as a Counselor, Professor, Coordinator, Director, and currently as an Administrator in Student Affairs.

Dr. Brown’s equity-mined leadership statement embodies her purpose and calling to this work grounded in equity, advocacy and servant leadership centering minoritized student populations. Equity-minded Leadership is a commitment to examine systemic inequities impacting the discourse of minoritized students in higher education with urgency and investment. By disrupting and dismantling barriers in our infrastructure, while visibilizing, humanizing, and elevating access to equitable educational opportunities and resources which holistically support student persistence, completion, and success. Leveraging data, illuminating student assets, narratives, and lived experiences, while meeting students’ basic needs, financial well-being, and economic mobility. Ensuring as a collective of race conscious educators to take onus, accountability and make transformational change within our institution to better serve our students, their families, and the community.”

Kathryn Lum

NAMI Alameda
Uplifting Workplace Wellness

Prior to working at Community Action Marin, Heather led a national pilot project administered by the Center for Law and Social Policy and the American Association of Community Colleges, which demonstrated that when low-income students accessed public benefits, they realized greater success in school and in their careers. Heather earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences with a focus in Cross-Cultural Studies, and minors in International Relations and French.

Wonda Kidd

Credit & Financial Services West Oakland Job Resource Center/SparkPoint Oakland
Maximizing Impact: The Synergy of Job Development and Financial Coaching

Wonda understands firsthand the power of financial literacy and the impact a strong credit profile can have on one’s life. Her personal experience has fueled her passion for educating others on how to improve their credit scores and take control of their personal finances. With over 12 years of experience, Wonda has helped countless clients build a secure financial foundation by guiding them through the five key factors that influence credit scores. She ensures her clients recognize that credit scores affect more than just loans and credit card approvals—they can also influence job opportunities, rental applications, and insurance rates.

Wonda works closely with her clients to develop personalized budgets and savings plans, both of which are essential to long-term financial stability. She has successfully assisted individuals with low or no credit in achieving homeownership and provides strategic advice on reducing expenses and leveraging available financial programs. Committed to empowering her clients, Wonda strives to equip them with the knowledge and tools necessary to achieve financial independence and long-term success.

Alina Kwak

Administrator, Fremont Family Resource Center
Igniting Change: Transforming Lives with Guaranteed Basic Income Programs

Alina Kwak, MSW/MPA, received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications from New York University and a dual Masters in Social Work and Public Administration from Columbia University.  Alina joined the Fremont Family Resource Center (FRC) as the Deputy Administrator in 2018 overseeing operations including budget and contract administration and was appointed FRC Administrator on January 1, 2023 overseeing the FRC collaborative.  Prior to joining the FRC, she served as a Management Analyst II in the City Manager’s Office after joining the City of Fremont in 2013.  Alina has over 19 years of experience in local government beginning her career as an Analyst at the City of San Jose in the San Jose Housing Department working in the affordable housing production and rehabilitation teams as well as grant management.

Darryl McDavid

Program Manager, Bay Area Community Services
Igniting Change: Transforming Lives with Guaranteed Basic Income Programs

If trauma can’t be avoided, it must be transformed. Growing up in the foster care system, Darryl McDavid learned this lesson long before he could put it into words. As a quiet and introspective observer, he spent much of his childhood watching the world move around him. He quickly understood that if he didn’t take control of his own narrative, the weight of his experiences could pull him into an even darker place.
Despite limited guidance and resources, he maintained a 3.0 GPA and pursued higher education at California State University, East Bay. During his time in college, he realized he couldn’t outrun his past. Instead, he had to confront the deep traumas of his childhood—separation from family, psychological abuse, and the pervasive feelings of isolation.

Today, he’s dedicated his career to helping others confront their pain and transform it into power. He knows firsthand that many foster youth try to bury their experiences, some find ways to cope, but few discover how to use those experiences to build better futures. It’s become his life’s mission to show others, especially young adults, that they can take control of their narratives, turning pain into a foundation for growth and empowerment.

Liat F. Meitzenheimer

United Way Bay Area Ambassador, President of Fresh Air Vallejo
Empowering Communities: Supporting Re-Entry Individuals, Transitional Youth, and Seniors

Liat retired after working for 39 years for the Federal Government (Social Security Administration). Liat has been retired for 12 years but is still active in my community, Vallejo CA. She have been involved in several groups and organizations mostly focused on social justice.

Her most recent work has been with the Vallejo Housing Justice Coalition which advocates and educates on affordable housing, tenant protections and alternative housing models such as the Community Land Trust. They are currently working on a city ordinance for just cause evictions and rent control which we were able to work into the City’s Housing Element.

Liat serves as the President of a non-profit – Fresh Air Vallejo which is an educational organization working on protecting Vallejo’s environment and promoting environmental justice. Liat currently serve as an Ambassador for the United Way Bay Area. Some of her other civic and social justice work includes:
–Executive Committee – Environmental Justice/Housing with the NAACP Vallejo Branch 1081
–Past Board member/chair of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District board.
–Past Board member/chair of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.
–Past executive committee/steering committee for the City of Vallejo Participatory Budgeting Committee
–Past Chair/member – Vallejo Alcohol & Tobacco Policy Coalition which worked to reduce and prevent harm from alcohol and tobacco in the community.

Jordan Mickele-Niemoeller

Staff Attorney International Rescue Committee, Northern California
Strengthening Immigrant Community Resiliency

Jordan Mickele-Niemoeller is a staff attorney at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Jordan oversees the Afghan legal service program in IRC’s Oakland office, where he provides legal assistance to newly arrived Afghan parolees, refugees, and special immigrant visa holders. Jordan holds a J.D. with a concentration of international law from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and has been admitted to practice law in California since 2022.

Freddy Molina

Financial Coach and Educator, City of Fremont
Strengthening Immigrant Community Resiliency

Born in San Francisco and raised by hard working immigrant parents who had limited access to financial education, Freddy Molina witnessed firsthand the struggles many immigrant families face in making ends meet. As a young adult, this experience ignited his passion for financial education and empowerment.

Freddy began his career in finance as a consumer banker at one of the largest banks in the country, where he worked closely with individuals and businesses to establish banking relationships. His expertise grew as a senior premier banker, where he gained deep knowledge of business underwriting guidelines and banking regulations. With this insight, he helped his clients navigate borrowing, saving, and building financial stability.

Determined to bridge the financial literacy gap in underserved communities, Freddy volunteered to educate families at Searles Elementary School in Union City, CA, through a partnership with SparkPoint, a United Way Bay Area initiative. Recognizing the urgent need for accessible financial education, he transitioned to SparkPoint Fremont, part of the City of Fremont’s Human Services Department. In this role, he works directly with individuals and groups, helping them increase savings, eliminate debt, and master credit—empowering them with the financial tools to build a more secure future.

Mona Masri

California Director of Strategic Initiatives, Economic Security Project
Igniting Change: Transforming Lives with Guaranteed Basic Income Programs

Mona Masri is the California Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Economic Security Project. Mona’s work focuses on advancing key strategies around direct cash payments including Guaranteed Basic Income and tax credits as effective strategies to reduce poverty, increase economic security and address the affordability crisis at the state level.

Mona works in California to advance key policies to expand, modernize and ensure more inclusive access to tax credits such as the California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Young Child Tax Credit. Her work also involves collaboratively engaging with community partners to develop and advance policy solutions that address monopoly power and corporate concentration in the state to ultimately build more public options and reduce the harmful impacts on all Californians.

Mona has over 25 years experience in advancing asset building and preservation for low-income communities of color by lifting up intersectional issues related to the racial and gender wealth gap including housing, entrepreneurship, social determinants of health, occupational segregation and guaranteed income. Mona has a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from USC. She lives in Oakland (on Ohlone land).

Sonia Ochoa

Program Director, The Neighborhood Initiative
Maximizing Impact: The Synergy of Job Development and Financial Coaching

I am passionate about helping others, and my work with On The Move has enabled me to pursue this passion. My goal is to empower individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and help them become leaders within our community. Empowering communities and families is essential for driving positive change.

Lisa Passadore

Program Manager and Analyst, NAMI Alameda County
Uplifting Workplace Wellness

Lisa Passadore is a dedicated community service professional with a strong background in social work and public service. She currently serves as a Program Manager for NAMI Alameda County and is transitioning into a new role as a 911 Emergency Dispatcher for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

With over 15 years of experience as a social worker and eligibility worker for Santa Cruz County, Lisa has spent her career advocating for and assisting diverse communities.
A Bay Area native, she has lived in Santa Cruz, San Jose, Fremont, and Oakland, gaining a deep appreciation for the region’s unique culture and communities.
Outside of work, Lisa is passionate about dogs, rock climbing, scuba diving, and sushi—always seeking new adventures both on land and underwater.

Peggy Rahman

President, NAMI Alameda County
Uplifting Workplace Wellness

Bio coming soon.

Maria Segarra

Lead Attorney II, Jubilee Immigration Advocates
Strengthening Immigrant Community Resiliency

As an immigration advocate, Maria strives to create a space where her clients are seen and heard, and where they are an equal partner in their legal process.

Maria represents immigrants who are applying for status through family petitions or as survivors of crimes and domestic violence in her current role at Jubilee Immigration Advocates. Prior to joining Jubilee in 2019, Maria worked at Tahirih Justice Center and API Legal Outreach. At Tahirih, Maria assisted immigrant women and children fleeing violence. At API Legal outreach, Maria defended tenants in eviction matters, assisted petitioners seeking restraining orders for their protection and represented survivors of trafficking and sexual assault in their application for immigration relief.

Maria provides free legal consultation to students and their families at Skyline College and at Cañada College.

Maria obtained her law degree from Berkeley Law in 2010. She speaks fluent Tagalog.

Monica Strauch

Senior Manager – Public Policy, United Way Bay Area
Thriving Together: Navigating Realities in a Shifting Environment

Monica Strauch (she/her) is a Senior Manager of Public Policy at United Way Bay Area, working with community-based organizations, civic leaders, and elected officials to build a more equitable Bay Area.  Monica leads the organization’s policy efforts in the North Bay and oversees UWBA’s “rapid response” process in responding to emerging needs regionally and at state and federal levels.  With a focus on building collective power to shape policies and systems, Monica seeks to build broad coalitions, demystify confusing policy processes, and make advocacy more accessible.  In previous roles, Monica worked on several successful campaigns to increase access to and funding for homeless services and affordable housing at United Way of Greater Los Angeles and with the Our Future Los Angeles coalition to create the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA).

Juan Salinas

UWBA Ambassador
Igniting Change: Transforming Lives with Guaranteed Basic Income Programs

Born and raised in the East Bay, Juan transformed his life after overcoming incarceration and addiction. Now a student at UC Berkeley majoring in Rhetoric and Public Policy, Juan is preparing to open a restaurant and nonprofit to support individuals reentering society from the justice system. With three associate degrees from Laney College and a passion for giving back, Juan is deeply involved with United Way Bay Area and formerly incarcerated student groups, shaping his mission to empower and uplift his community.

Simone Tureck Lee

Director of Housing and Economic Mobility, JBAY
Empowering Communities: Supporting Re-Entry Individuals, Transitional Youth, and Seniors

Simone Tureck Lee has dedicated over two decades to advancing the well-being of transition-age youth who have experienced California’s foster care system. Beginning her career within foster care, mental health and youth development in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Simone transitioned to statewide advocacy and systems-change in 2009 when she joined John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY). Simone served as the Executive Director of the Alameda County Foster Youth Alliance from 2014 to 2016, before returning to JBAY where she now leads the organization’s housing, health, and economic mobility initiatives. Simone has successfully championed millions of dollars in state investments in housing for youth who have experienced foster care or homelessness, along with key policy reforms. Simone was born and raised in the Bay Area and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley, with a concentration in Management and Planning.

Apollonia Williams

United Way Bay Area Ambassador
Thriving Together: Navigating Realities in a Shifting Environment

Apollonia Williams is a loving wife and mother of 2, who strives to facilitate change through encouragement, support, personal development and reflection. Apollonia has been serving as an Ambassador for United Way Bay Area since 2021. Apollonia also serves as a member of the Family Advisory Committee within the Alameda County Public Health Department where she helps promote and advocate for healthy and thriving communities for families: pregnant women, mothers, fathers and children. As an Alameda County resident, Apollonia Williams aspires to be a well-known Inspirational Speaker and to close the gaps within her community as well as others.