Adriana Caldera Boroffice
YWCA Silicon Valley – Chief Program Officer, Healing and Justice (Chief Executive Officer)
Adriana heads the YWCA programs that address gender-based violence. She has held a variety of leadership roles at the YWCA and other agencies in the field. She serves on the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Council, and as a Board Member for the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. Adriana received a BA in Sociology (with an emphasis on law and society) and a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. She also received her MA in Public Administration from San Diego State University.
When not working: Adriana enjoys reading, trying out new recipes, binge-watching TV shows, exploring local parks with her family and chasing her two year old son everywhere.
SVN Project Idea: Pilot a Domestic Violence High Risk Response Team. Currently, there is limited system coordination in our community that provide real time support services to survivors of domestic violence.
I was blessed with a son in October 2017. The process of bringing him into the world changed me in a profound way. I still maintain a deep desire to continue work in the gender-based violence space; but now I work in that space with an even deeper urgency to make the world a better place for my son; and to ensure that as he grows up, he continues the cause for a violence free world.
Kelly D. Chau
The Health Trust – Senior Vice President of Programs
Kelly leads The Health Trust’s direct service programs with extensive experience in the behavioral health and human services field. Prior to joining The Health Trust, Kelly served as the Director of Wellness Services at Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI). Kelly was the past Chair of the Vietnamese Reach for Health Coalition (VRHC), a coalition of 19 Bay Area organizations and community members and was also a community advisory board member of KQED. She holds a BS in Psychology from Santa Clara University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University.
When not working: Kelly enjoys outdoor adventures such as hiking, biking, and exploring the vibrant Bay Area arts and culture scene.
SVN Project Idea: Develop a diversity, equity, and inclusion program for The Health Trust.
Currently, many of my duties occur in the background. I am working towards a healthy balance of back-of-house tasks while duly dedicating my time to showcase leadership in a manner that will be influential to others, and promote genuine interest and action for others to participate in nonprofit services.
Julia Cinnamon
City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley – Individual Giving Manager (Development Director, Repair the World)
Julia oversees the cultivation of individual donors for City Year. She is also an involved lay-leader in her Jewish Community and currently serves as President of the Young Adult Board of Silicon Valley Jewish Family Services, BBYO advisor, and Resident/Founder of the Silicon Valley Moishe House (a community of Young Adult Jews that put on 84+ peer-based events each year for 1,400+ local Jewish Young Adults). Julia received her BA in Political Science and Psychology from Rutgers University.
When not working: Julia enjoys painting, hiking National Parks, pretending her cat Oliver is a person, exploring with friends, and doing Improv in San José with her ComedySportz Minor League family.
SVN Project Idea: Establish a stronger partnership between AmeriCorps and private universities (starting with Stanford University) to transform public awareness and interest in National Service.
I am a middle-child which means, in my eyes, that I enjoy bringing groups together and being social. As my family and friends would say, I can talk to a wall! I am passionate about educational equity and am eager to connect with peers in my sector.
Roberto Gil
Sacred Heart Community Service – Director of Self-Sufficiency Programs (Director of Organizational Development at Sacred Heart Community Service)
Roberto leads a wide range of programs including youth and adult education, domestic violence support, employment and asset development, and the La Mesa Verde urban gardening and food justice network. His work involves pushing for more equitable systems in Santa Clara County and in the San Jose Unified School District. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer for LEAD Scholars at Santa Clara University. Roberto holds a BA degree in Psychology from San José State University and a MA in Educational Leadership and Administration from Santa Clara University.
SVN Project Idea: Create a long term strategic plan to move the programs in my department from being a transactional service that is provided by staff and volunteers (that mostly come from outside the community) to one that is transformational – where community members directly affected are working side-by-side with staff and volunteers to run the programs.
When not working: Roberto enjoys bike riding, spending time with close friends, family and his beloved dachshund, Boris Bean. He enjoys attending all of his daughters ballet and jazz performances and exploring new places with his family.
My goal of becoming an nonprofit ED is rooted in my personal journey. My parents migrated to the US from Mexico with an elementary education and experienced much of the hardship that many immigrants that are low-income in this country face. I am the exception from my hometown in the Central Valley where you were more likely to drop out of HS than to graduate. My difficult and joyful experiences are my drive to be a leader.
Erika Laguna
Downtown Streets Team – Manager of Program Operations
Erika oversees the program operations of Downtown Streets Team in 15 cities across Northern California. Erika is a first generation Mexican-American business professional. After more than 20 years scaling multiple companies in the banking industry, Erika made a radical career change after doing pro-bono work with Downtown Streets Team. Meeting clients and assisting them in the removals of their barriers left a lasting impression on Erika that influenced her to pursue a career in the non profit field.
When not working: Erika is fan of country music and romantic comedies, and when Erika is not sitting on the sidelines cheering on her son Erik at his soccer and football games, she is often hit with the travel bug and loves to explore new places with family both near and far.
SVN Project Idea: Expand our organizational capacity to better serve non-English speakers with more training and resources for our staff.
I was born and raised in San Jose, and have seen firsthand the changes the city has gone through, seeing so many of my friends and family forced to leave the Bay Area due to the increased cost of living. Being a single mom to a ten-year-old little boy pushes me to work hard, but more so, to do meaningful work so it instills in him to do the same.
Brandon Lawrence
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley – Supervising Housing Attorney
Brandon leads the direct service housing program for the largest legal aid provider in the South Bay. He is an experienced tenants’ rights attorney that has worked at several Bay Area agencies. Brandon has a BA in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University and a JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
When not working: Brandon enjoys hiking, watching reality television, reading a good book, and trying out new restaurants/wineries/breweries with friends.
SVN Project Idea: Explore the possibility of a Trial Project at the Law Foundation for tenants with eviction cases. Currently, there is no program available in Santa Clara County to provide counsel for jury trials when tenants are being evicted.
I want to be a more compassionate, understanding leader who is not afraid to push people to their greatest potential.
Machelle Locsin
Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley – Chief Development Officer
Machelle heads the fundraising team at the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley. She brings over 20 years of experience working in non-profits, with expertise in special events, operations, management, and community engagement. Her previous leadership roles include the Senior Director of Major Gifts at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and Major Gifts Director at the American Cancer Society. As a resident of San Jose, she is an enthusiastic volunteer for the American Cancer Society, and is an active Rotarian where she serves on the Board of Directors.
When not working: Machelle enjoys reading, yoga (but mostly laughs at herself the entire time), and pretending to be a wine connoisseur. She married into a large family and enjoys spending time with dear cousins, nieces and nephews, and her two kids!
SVN Project Idea: Conceive and execute a 2 year plan to bring our Resource Development Department from a foundation level to a mastery level in the areas of infrastructure, planning, and strategy. This is critical to prepare the organization to launch a Comprehensive Campaign or Endowment Campaign.
I seek to become a focused, intentional leader that can clearly communicate a vision and inspire and relentlessly mobilize a team to achieve that vision.
Saul Ramos
SOMOS Mayfair – Director of Programs (Co-Executive Director, SOMOS Mayfair)
Saul oversees the programmatic strategies that supports the leadership development, community organizing and early literacy of incredibly strong, inspiring and resilient families in Mayfair. In addition to his career with Somos Mayfair, Saul has also held positions at a foundation and a school district. He is the son of immigrants, cannery and farm workers, and is a first generation college graduate. He earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
When not working: Saul spends a good chunk of his free time bouncing between magical worlds, playing pretend games with his beautiful 4 year old son; he daydreams with traveling adventures, which some do become a reality at least twice a year; and he is an avid listener of Latin American and Spanish literature during his daily commute.
SVN Project Idea: Strengthen our solidarity with other ethnic-based organizations in the South Bay by sharing our organizing tools, approaches and lessons learned to increase capacity in non-Latino immigrant communities.
I thrive in work that demands both a personal transformation and incites systemic change in the face of the many historical inequities plaguing our institutions.
Claudine Sipili
Director of CityTeam @ Work
Claudine oversees the San Jose and Oakland CityTeam @ Work locations. She develops and implements programs to help optimize employability and provide opportunities for clients to earn a living wage and find stable housing. In addition to her management role, Claudine works directly with clients individually to empower them, foster their career interests, and launch them into career paths that were once out of reach. She also serves on the boards of the Santa Clara County Continuum of Care (CoC) and Destination: Home. Claudine was born and raised in American Samoa. Before her nonprofit career, she served in the United States Navy and the Army National Guard.
When not working: Claudine enjoys road trips to explore quaint towns and finding the coolest, most unique, independently-owned coffee shops and coffee roasters. Her number one hobby is learning about and drinking coffee. For Claudine, it is Jesus first, coffee second, and everything else falls somewhere below that.
SVN Project Idea: Build a non-profit social enterprise that has a primary goal of hiring people with barriers to employment that CityTeam is already serving in its various programs.
Having experienced addiction and homelessness first-hand, I have a passion for being an active part of the solution for ending homelessness in the Silicon Valley. I am an ordinary human serving an extraordinary God and it is from this perspective that I carry out my daily duties at CityTeam.
Savonna Stender
Pivotal – Coach Supervisor (Director of Coaching Programs at PIVOTAL)
Savonna serves youth and families involved in the foster care system, both directly as a social worker and as a supervisor for coaches who support high schoolers and young adults to realize their academic and career goals. She has worked in both nonprofits and the Department of Family and Children’s Services. She has a BS in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Utah and a MSW from San Jose University.
When not working: You can usually find Savonna writing with a pen from her fountain pen collection, playing softball with her adult league, or riding her bike with her toddler in tow.
SVN Project Idea: Develop a new and better-integrated process for rolling out the career readiness/internships component of our model.
I am committed to staying in San Jose where I grew up to serve families in my community. As the first in my family to attend college and have access to the doors that were opened because of it, I have a mission for supporting youth to persist in academics, vocation, or career readiness.
Bryan Tomlinson
Breakthrough Silicon Valley – Associate Director of College Access Program
Bryan directs his agency’s efforts to help disadvantaged students gain entrance to four year colleges. He was born and raised in the Bay Area, attending high school in San Mateo County. After earning a dual degree in History and Geography from U.C.L.A., Bryan joined Teach for America (TFA) in 2012. As a TFA corps member, Bryan taught three years of 9th grade science in the rural community of Ferriday, Louisiana. After leaving the classroom, Bryan earned his M.A. in Education from Stanford University, and served as a tutor and advisor for College Track East Palo Alto.
When not working: Bryan is, above all else, a loyal and passionate fan of the Warriors, Giants, Sharks and 49ers (even though he’s kinda out on the NFL). Among his other likes are dogs, video games, dad hats, sneakers, Disney, Netflix, a good fiction book, Christmas, Hawaii, sandwiches and his fiancee Ashley. Among his dislikes are spiders, planes, when people don’t use their turn signal, mealy apples, lots of sports teams, country music and the dark.
SVN Project Idea: Develop a “College Readiness Bootcamp” for our program alumni, to take place the summer before their freshman year of college.
I never want to lose the student-facing component of my work, because kids truly embody the best of humankind and I consider it my greatest honor to work with them through the process of self-reflection and aspiration.
Regina Celestin Williams
First Community Housing – Director of Housing Development (Executive Director
SV@Home)
Regina is responsible for securing funding for and managing the design and development of affordable housing. Previous to joining FCH, Mrs. Celestin provided consulting services to several East Coast municipalities around economic development and green initiatives. Regina grew up in the Bay Area, and received her BA in Urban Studies from Stanford University and a MA in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
When not working: Regina loves chasing my 4-year old around the house while holding her newborn; watching TV shows with her husband; watching professional tennis (in-person or on TV); buying fresh produce from farmer’s markets around the Bay Area…and getting sleep, if possible.
SVN Project Idea: Lead my team in creating a tool for evaluating prospective sites that is objective, inclusive, and beneficial for our organization. We especially need to quickly determine feasibility, political will, and community support in a small window of time that the acquisition opportunity is present.
I see the great need for Silicon Valley Next and had even attempted to bring like-minded women of color together on an informal basis last year. I want to be a leader that empowers others to problem-solve the challenges that they face professionally and personally.
Facilitators
Curtis Chang
Founder and Lead Facilitator of Silicon Valley Next LinkedIn
Curtis leads Consulting Within Reach, a firm serving nonprofits and government in strategic planning, marketing, fundraising, and other consulting services. Clients have included multiple MacArthur “Genius Grant” winners, the U.S. State Department, Stanford University, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and hundreds of community based nonprofits. Curtis has won national recognition from the Obama White House for innovative work in the social sector. He holds faculty appointments at Duke University and American University. Curtis graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. summa cum laude in Government, and is a past winner of a Rockefeller Fellowship.
When not working: Curtis enjoys hosting parties with his wife Jody, doing crossword puzzles, playing Pickleball, and learning to play the piano in his middle age (as repentance for short-sightedly resisting lessons when he was 9 years old).
Kris Starr-Witort
Executive Coach and Co-Facilitator of Silicon Valley Next
LinkedIn
Kris is an executive and leadership coach who helps mission-driven leaders and managers amplify their impact, and align what they do in the world with what matters most to them. Prior to her role with Silicon Valley Next, Kris spent nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector serving in a variety of roles focused on hiring and growing leaders, and cultivating cultures that center equity and belonging. Some of the organizations where she did this work include Project Inform, James Morehouse Project, Education Pioneers, Teach for America and Beyond 12. Kris holds a Masters in Social Work from U.C. Berkeley. She is a Professionally Certified Coach, consultant, and facilitator for Consulting Within Reach.
When not working: You might find Kris shuffling around her three kids, cooking, hiking in the Berkeley hills, participating in an impromptu dance party, enjoying a warm cup of tea, or jumping in a cool river.