BCLI Class of 2026

Latifah Abdullah is a North Richmond resident and advocates to ensure her community has a seat at the table. Drawing on her corporate background in legal compliance and governance, she works with community organizations, regulatory agencies, and elected officials on land use, hazardous materials, and sustainability issues affecting North Richmond. As Community Engagement Manager for Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm and a member of the North Richmond Municipal Advisory Council, Latifah fights to position residents as legitimate stakeholders in decisions that shape their neighborhood.

Mana Contractor is an Oakland resident committed to racial equity, food security, and arts access. Since moving from India five years ago, she has contributed to Community Kitchens, Cantare, and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music. Inspired by the transformative power of community-led initiatives, Mana combines her experience in these programs with growing advocacy skills to advance equitable solutions and amplify community voices across the Bay Area.

Hope Dixon is the Integral Basic Needs Coordinator at Contra Costa College and a proud first-generation college graduate who earned their communications media degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2014. Their own struggles with housing and food insecurity during college fuel their commitment to building mutual aid networks and basic needs resources for students today. Hope was recently elected chair of Richmond’s Community Crisis Response Program Advisory Board, where they continue to advocate for community-centered support systems.

Bryant Duong is a Program Officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Bay Area, managing the Housing Development Training Institute (HDTI) and HUD Section 4 capacity-building programs. He supports community-based developers, faith-based organizations, and emerging housing leaders statewide to expand California’s pipeline of affordable housing practitioners. With experience bridging local government and nonprofit partnerships, Bryant is committed to strengthening institutional capacity and cultivating leadership within underrepresented communities advancing housing justice.

Zachary Frial is the Social Development and Policy Coordinator at the South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN), advocating for environmental justice, community planning, language access, and tenant and worker rights. A PhD student in urban and cultural geography at UCLA, Zachary’s research examines the contradictions of racial equity in San Francisco’s urban governance—bringing academic rigor and grassroots organizing together to challenge systems and advance community power.

Jazmin “Jaz” Gonzalez lives in her hometown of San Mateo and works with the City of East Palo Alto’s Housing Division through the Partnership for the Bay’s Future Fellowship. She leads housing policy initiatives focused on tenant protections, preservation, and anti-displacement strategies. Drawing on her background in philanthropy and organizational development, Jaz is driven by her commitment to racial and economic equity and to building community power for housing justice across the Bay Area.

Anne Gormley is an educational therapist, advocate, and student in Alameda. After losing her son to gun violence, she channels her grief into creating positive change and dismantling systemic inequities—especially for her BIPOC granddaughter. Through her work in education and community service, including her role on the Alameda Health System Homeless Health Center Co-Applicant Board, Anne fights to build systems where every child can thrive with dignity and opportunity.

Auriel Hill-Banks is an Oaklander living in El Sobrante who earned her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from UC Berkeley. As a mama, chef, coach, and environmental justice organizer, Auriel brings deep curiosity and empathy to her work facilitating community healing through authentic storytelling, food, and kinship. She’s an organizer for a Just Transition campaign led by Communities for a Better Environment in Richmond, where her early life experiences drive her commitment to advocacy, organizing, and research.

Eric Jordan is a lifelong Richmond resident and passionate advocate for community empowerment. Through his work with grassroots organizations including Safe Return, Reimagine Richmond, and Rubicon Programs, he has built the skills, relationships, and vision to mobilize community members, influence policy, and foster healing and justice. Eric focuses on police accountability, holistic mental health responses, and budget transparency, bringing collaborative spirit, deep local knowledge, and unwavering belief in community-led change.

Tracy Mathews is a Berkeley resident, mother of three, and retired social worker dedicated to housing justice. She currently serves as a resident commissioner for the Berkeley Housing Authority and is an active member of the Resident United Network, a statewide coalition empowering affordable housing residents to advocate for stronger protections and policies. With a background in psychology and sociology from California State University, East Bay, Tracy brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work. As a disabled resident and passionate advocate, she fights to ensure that housing systems serve the communities they’re meant to support.

Andre Nguyen is a proud public school graduate and UC Berkeley alum committed to equity and community empowerment. His career spans international nonprofit work supporting survivors of trafficking, service as a Congressional staffer, and extensive experience in project management and entrepreneurship. Now with Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department, Andre brings his diverse skills and a commitment rooted in empathy, inclusion, and compassion to drive community-centered change in housing justice.

Cathasach O’Neill-Dinning lives and works in West Oakland, where they’ve spent over 20 years in the bike industry as an advocate, educator, mechanic, and distributor. As bike department head at the Crucible, they combine hands-on expertise with a commitment to making cycling accessible and empowering communities through two-wheeled transportation. They earned their BA from San Francisco State University.

Yana Ross is a tribal citizen of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria who grew up on the historic Graton Rancheria. Her mother is Coast Miwok, Southern Pomo, and Mishewal Wappo, and her father was first-generation Canadian. She anticipates graduating from Santa Rosa Junior College in May 2026 with four associate degrees in Art, Communications, Native Studies, and Natural Resources before transferring to Dominican University in San Rafael to pursue a BA in Social Justice—bringing Indigenous perspectives and lived experience to her advocacy work.

Jasmine Sozi is a sister, comrade, community organizer, and world builder. Born to Ugandan immigrants and raised in the San Fernando Valley, she now calls Oakland home. As Board President of the Bay Area Community Land Trust and Restorative Economics Organizer at Restore Oakland, Jasmine builds power with tenants, small businesses, and worker cooperatives. Guided by lineage, lived experience, and community, she fights for a people-centered economy where housing is a human right and labor is dignified.

Lyndsay Wright is a lifelong Ashland resident and community advocate. Her commitment to speaking up began in high school, when she shared her story as an LGBTQ+ youth with her peers. Today, she’s fighting to protect her mobile home park after its acquisition by Harmony Communities, regularly delivering public testimony at local meetings. In 2025, she participated in My Eden Voice’s leadership program, strengthening her skills as a voice for her neighborhood.

Filiberto “Fili” Zaragoza is a campaign organizer at Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) in East Palo Alto, where he grew up. Since joining YUCA after graduating high school in 2021, he’s developed organizing skills while fighting for his community. A recent Mountain View resident, Fili draws his passion for advocacy from witnessing social injustices in East Palo Alto and across the Bay Area. He plans to continue his education while building his career in community organizing.