Staff Archives - Grassroots Global Justice Alliance

Raisa Abdeen

Assistant to Deputy Director Raisa Abdeen (she/her) comes to the GGJ team as the Assistant to the Deputy Director after working on the language interpretation team for the International School of Feminism in 2021. In addition to her language justice...

Arely Diaz Loza

Logistics Coordinator Arely Diaz (she/her) is a queer 26 year old from Chumash and Tongva land (so-called Los Angeles, California). She has called Pokanoket, Wampanoag, and Narragansett land (so-called Providence, Rhode Island) home for over seven years, where she lives with...

Celina Lee

Communications Organizer Celina Lee (she/her) is a communications specialist who works with grassroots groups to build power in people of color, Indigenous, and low-income communities. She grew her roots in the environmental justice movement as the communications director at Alternatives...

Kereknaan Fiannaan

Resource Development Organizer A migrant and third-culture kid originally from Nigeria, Kereknaan (KK)’s global perspective was formed early in her life and has shaped her approach to social justice to this day. Shortly after her time studying Sociology and International...

Bridget Brehen

Director of Resource Mobilization Bridget Brehen (she/her) is GGJ’s Director of Resource Mobilization. She currently lives in Ohlone Lisjan territories (Oakland) and comes to GGJ from the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala/NISGUA, where she spent 15 years...

Rucha Chitnis

Communications Director rucha [at] ggjalliance [dot] org Rucha Chitnis joins the team of GGJ as our very first director of communications. She’s a photojournalist, an emerging award-winning filmmaker and a narrative nerd committed to amplifying the wisdom and solutions from...

Kitzia Esteva-Martinez

Grassroots Feminisms National Organizer Kitzia (they/ theirs) is originally from Mexico. Their family migrated to the U.S. due to environmental racism in their home town that devastated their nephews’ health. They come from a movement family that has supported movement...

Margaret Kwateng

National Green New Deal Organizer Margaret Kwateng is the National Green New Deal Organizer at Grassroots Global Justice, where she is working with members to build toward a regenerative feminist economy. Prior to joining GGJ, Margaret worked for years as...

Siwatu-Salama Ra

DemilitaRISE Organizer Siwatu is a mother and organizer who was born and raised in Detroit. She grew up in the environmental justice movement, and served as the co-director of East Michigan Environmental Action Council. In addition to her work locally...

Aimee Inglis

ITR Communications Coordinator aimee [at] ittakesroots [dot] org Aimee Inglis joined as the Communications Coordinator with It Takes Roots in April of 2020. Aimee previously worked for nearly a decade at Tenants Together, the California statewide renters’ rights organization and...

Nico Udu-gama

ITR Operations Associate nico [at] ittakesroots [dot] org Nico Udu-gama comes to the It Takes Roots family as Operations Associate after years of providing language justice interpretation work to ITR and other movements. He draws his political education from his ancestors,...

Anne White Hat

Grant Writer anne [at] ggjalliance [dot] org Anne White Hat is a member of the Sicangu band of the Lakota Nation. She is a direct descendant of Chief Hollow Horn Bear and the proud mother of three children, founding member...

Mai-Stella Khantouche

ITR Program & Administrative Coordinator mai-stella [at] ittakesroots [dot] org Mai-stella Khantouche joined as the It Takes Roots Operations Coordinator in January 2020. She comes out of one of the member organizations of both Grassroots Global Justice and Right To...

Ramón Mejía

Anti-Militarism National Organizer Ramón Mejía is from Dallas, Texas. At the age of 18, to support his family, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and in 2003 participated in the initial invasion of Iraq. This experience led to self-reflection, converting...

Ana Orozco

National Organizer ana [at] ggjalliance [dot] org Ana Orozco joined the GGJ team in June 2017 as the National Organizer for Feminisms and Gender Justice programs. Prior to joining the GGJ team, Ana worked in the field of environmental and...

Yahaira Carrillo Rosales

Administrative Coordinator and Assistant to Deputy Director Yahaira Carrillo Rosales joined the GGJ team in 2019 as Operations Coordinator. She identifies as a queer mexicana chingona and calls many places home. Organizing for social justice through community, policy & creative...

Sunyoung Yang

Political Director Sunyoung Yang is the Special Projects Coordinator, a newly formed position to support GGJ’s overall membership and program development initiatives. Prior to GGJ, Sunyoung worked close to a decade at the Labor/Community Strategy Center(LCSC) and Bus Riders Union...

Sha Grogan- Brown

Deputy Director Shaun (Sha) Grogan-Brown, Deputy Director for Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ), considers himself a “plumber for the movement,” ensuring the collaborative fundraising models and logistical & administrative infrastructure necessary for grassroots organizing to happen. He has worked to...

Samudra Kiné Weerasekera Randazzo

Logistics Organizer Samudra became GGJ’s radical intern in 2019 and has since joined the team, working out of the SF Bay Area where she grew up in a internationalist movement family, which helped shape her commitment to grassroots global justice. She volunteered with GGJ at...

Randy Jackson

ITR Organizational Development Coordinator randy [at] ittakesroots [dot] org Randy Jackson is a long-time strategist, organizational development facilitator, organizer, fundraiser and overall organization builder seeking solutions to the issues of racial, economic and climate justice. Prior to becoming the Development...

Mariana Mendoza

It Takes Roots Program Coordinator mariana [at] ittakesroots [dot] org Born and raised in Mexico City, currently living in Los Angeles, Mariana brings experience in community and youth organizing, grassroots project development, narrative strategy, curriculum development, popular education and facilitation....

Kelly Archbold

Assistant to Executive Director Kelly Archbold joined the GGJ team in January 2018 as the Executive Assistant to Cindy Wiesner but has loved and worked with GGJ for many years. In 2015, she helped with logistics prep for the It...

Jaron Browne

Organizing Director Jaron Browne is the Organizing Director, supporting the organizing team and leadership of GGJ members across our areas of work. Since joining the GGJ team in 2015, Jaron has been building out GGJ’s Just Transition, climate justice and anti-militarism...

Jade Daniels

Communications Coordinator jade [at] ggjalliance [dot] org Jade Daniels joined the GGJ team October 2018 as Communications Coordinator after working with the GGJ and It Takes Roots team on Solidarity to Solutions week. They are a community member, journalist, an...

Cynthia Oka

Director of Development & Feminist Research cynthia [at] ggjalliance [dot] org Cynthia Oka rejoined the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance team in 2018 as Development Strategist, after formerly serving in the roles of Administrative and Logistics Coordinator and Executive Assistant to...

Cindy Wiesner

Executive Director Cindy Wiesner, a 30-year veteran of the social justice movement in the U.S. and internationally, is the Executive Director of the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ) and Grassroots Global Justice Action Fund (GGJAF). She helped co-found the Climate Justice Alliance and has been active in...

Angaza Laughinghouse

National Organizer for Anti-Militarism Programs angaza [at] ggjalliance [dot] org Angaza Laughinghouse, is a North Carolina-based organizer and attorney. He received his B.A. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and his J.D. from North Carolina Central...