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There’s a better way to create meaningful social change.
Our Team
Senior Practitioners
Megan Joseph
Founding Senior Practitioner
Megan Joseph, MA is the founding director of Impact Launch (www.impactlaunch.org), a collective of social impact professionals that support individuals, teams and collaboratives to work effectively for equitable and sustainable outcomes in organization, policy, systems and community change. Megan has worked hands on for over two decades with social impact organizations and multi-sector collaboratives to design and facilitate leadership development, culture change, organizational capacity building and project design.
Most recently as Executive Director of Rise Together, a multi-county initiative to cut poverty in the Bay Area, Megan implemented a 250-member coalition for policy and systems change, addressing issues of employment, affordable housing and early childhood education for critical populations. As Director of Community Organizing for the United Way of Santa Cruz County she founded and supported multiple sustained initiatives, including the Santa Cruz County Youth Violence Prevention Task Force and the Community Corrections Partnership Community Engagement Task Force. Megan was recognized with the 2015 National Community Indicators Consortium Emerging Leader award for her work using community indicators as a catalyst for change to reduce youth violence.
Megan has practiced Radical Transformational Leadership for a decade with Monica Sharma, and over the last 10 years launched two leadership programs, Leadership for Community Transformation Santa Cruz County and Leadership for Equity & Opportunity Bay Area which together has trained over 1,500 leaders to design and implement equitable and sustainable social change projects. She has also served as faculty at JFK University. Megan earned an MA in Consciousness Studies from JFK University and an MA in Criminology, Law and Society from UC Irvine.
Shebreh Kalantari Johnson
Founding Senior Practitioner
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Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson currently provides professional grant writing, organizational development/strategic planning, facilitation, and program management services to agencies working in the areas of public health, education and social services. Her work over the last two decades has brought multi-sector partnerships together to address complex social justice issues such as substance use, mental health, homelessness, youth development, immigration and more. Shebreh’s work has generated increased investment and funding in the community, innovative projects, and health focused local policies. Shebreh has secured over $30 millions in grant funding over the last 15 years for Santa Cruz to address a range of issues such as immigration rights, mental health and substance use, juvenile justice reform and youth homelessness.
Shebreh has been practicing the Conscious Full Spectrum Response framework since 2013. She has also supported the training of hundreds of other leaders through the Leadership for Community Transformation Central Coast and Leadership for Equity and Opportunity Bay Area. Shebreh currently serves in leadership roles including as a commissioner for the Central California Alliance for Health Board, Board member for the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, Board member for the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, and Dignity Health Community Advisory Board’s Community Giving Body. Shebreh was elected to the Santa Cruz City Council in November 2020.
Shebreh received her B.A. in Psychology and French/Francophonie Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and a Masters in Social Work from San Jose State University. She is a mother of two boys, is married and lives in Santa Cruz California. Shebreh is a native of Iran and has lived in Santa Cruz, CA for over 20 years. She strives for equity and compassion in her work and in her every day.
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Robyn McKeen
Senior Practitioner
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Robyn McKeen has worked for over fifteen years managing social service programs, multi-sector coalitions, and systems change initiatives along the West Coast, including the greater San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle area. She currently supports the expansion of integrated behavioral health and social emotional learning within the Santa Cruz County education system. Robyn has held leadership positions in the areas of homelessness, information and resources, and children and youth development. As the Coordinated Entry Director, she led the strategic planning and implementation process of Santa Cruz County’s homeless coordinated entry system to redesign the assessment and referral process countywide.
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Robyn is a Senior Practitioner with Impact Launch. She has practiced the Radical Transformational Leadership framework since 2013, designing and implementing multiple initiatives for equitable and sustainable social change. As a practitioner coach, she has supported the training of hundreds of leaders through the Leadership for Community Transformation Santa Cruz County and Leadership for Equity and Opportunity Bay Area. Robyn earned her BA in Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is committed to fostering compassion and dignity through all aspects of her work and life.
Dr. Monica Sharma
Founder of Radical Transformational Leadership, Advisor
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Monica Sharma, trained as a physician and epidemiologist, worked for the United Nations more than twenty years. Currently, she engages worldwide as an international expert and practitioner on leadership development for sustainable and equitable change. She works with United Nations, universities, management institutions, governments, businesses, media, and civil society organizations. She is the Tata Chair Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. She has published and presented over 250 articles in journals and international forums. Monica Sharma created and uses a unique response model based on extensive application—a conscious full-spectrum model—which is for simultaneously solving problems, shifting systems, and creating new patterns sourced from individual inner capacity and transformational leadership. This model has generated sustainable results worldwide. Monica is the author of Radical Transformational Leadership.
Practitioners
Annabelle Berríos
Practitioner
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Annabelle Berríos (she/her) is a social impact consultant working in the SF Bay Area. A practitioner of Dr. Monica Sharma’s Radical Transformational Leadership (RTL) model for the past 8 years, Annabelle is deeply invested in supporting values-based leaders to advance equitable outcomes while simultaneously deepening relational trust. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she moved to the mainland to attend Boston College and Boston College Law School, where she was a recipient of the Public Interest Law Foundation Award. She later obtained a Master of Arts in East West Psychology at the California Institute for Integral Studies, where she focused her studies on the parallel process of individual transformation and social change. Fluent in English and Spanish, Annabelle has nearly two decades of experience in formal and informal responses to interpersonal and systemic harm, ranging from criminal law to restorative justice.
Mireya Gomez-Contreras
Practitioner
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Mireya is an intuitive collaborator and a skilled cultural interpreter, convener, and facilitator. Born in Watsonville, she has been deeply engaged in movement building to uplift her diverse community since she was young. Mireya was the Director of Employment Programs at Community Action Board Santa Cruz County, established and managed the first Day Worker Center on the Central Coast, and has served on the Watsonville Parks & Recreation and Planning Commissions. As Deputy Director of the Santa Cruz County Arts Council, Mireya stands to uplift and equitably resource artists and arts organizations across our county. She is a mom of two littles and loves to get her hands dirty in her vegetable garden.
Silvia Guzman
Practitioner
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Hola my name is Silvia Guzman. I stand for Love, Compassion and Joy, for myself and all others.
I live, work and play out of East Oakland CA. I am a mother of 3 beautiful beings. I came to the US at the tender age of seven. I quickly learned I was the communication link between my parents and THE system. Since then I've used my personal experiences to develop myself professionally and impact the work I do today. Becoming an Interpreter, hosting and coordinating Parent led spaces along with community education and organizing in the areas of healthy food, healthy homes, policy, and civic engagement are my focus. My stand is my core. These values have connected me to myself, my family, community and the work I do, deepening my roots and love for my city while building stronger relationships both personally and professionally.
Michelene Moayedi
Practitioner, RTL Impact Program
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Michelene has served as Executive Director of her local public school district foundation since 2016, bringing to the role her years of executive experience and community service in education. Michelene is a graduate of the Marin Leadership for Equity and Opportunity program and has been practicing the tools in her work for equity in arts education and student wellness. Michelene graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and started her career in Silicon Valley and the UK as a high-tech sales engineer. Seeking change, and greater purpose, Michelene pivoted to a career in culinary arts and teambuilding. As a small business leader, Michelene initiated and completed the B Certification process ensuring the company met the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Since 2013, Michelene has been a mentor for cancer caregivers through the nonprofit Imerman Angels. Michelene lives in Marin County with her husband and two teenagers. Michelene is driven by her values of compassion, fairness and joy
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D'Angelo Paillet
Practitioner
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D’Angelo Paillet, MBA (he,him) is a Social Services Division Director for the Public Assistance/Employment and Training branch of Social Services for Marin County’s Health and Human Services. He stands for diversity, respect, equity and awareness. D’Angelo has over two decades of experience working in the social services field. D’Angelo began his career in Marin County as a Senior Clerk and has worked his way up to Division Director of the Public Assistance/ Employment and Training branch. He currently coordinates the Marin Leadership for Equity and Opportunity Alumni Alliance in Marin County, California. D’Angelo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management with a minor in Social Action and Community Change, and a Master of Business Administration from Dominican University of California. He thrives on building community collaborations and discovering how to work with community partners. D’Angelo believes in being client focused, service oriented, and flexible.
Kaki Rusmore
Practitioner
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Kaki Rusmore works with leaders, organizations and communities to solve complex issues and move to the next level of impact. With over 30 years experience, Kaki provides support for nonprofit management and leadership, collaboration and change leadership, and is a pioneer in cohort-based capacity building programs. She developed and facilitated several successful leadership development programs in the US and Latin America. She led the Center for Nonprofit Excellence of the Community Foundation for Monterey County for over a decade, where she developed multiple programs to strengthen nonprofits and bring positive change to local communities.
Developing respectful partnerships, Kaki supports partners and clients to advance their dreams and goals and be prepared for future challenges. Kaki is English/Spanish bilingual and focuses on cultural humility, creativity and courage in her allyship. She is deeply committed to equity, compassion and the flowering of everyone’s full potential. Kaki works with individuals, organizations, collaborations, foundations, government and social enterprises to build a sustainable, caring and equitable future. Kaki holds a Masters of Education with a focus on non-formal adult learning/popular education and economic development, and an undergraduate degree in regional planning. She provides consulting, facilitation and coaching services.
Danita Taylor
Practitioner
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Danita Taylor has worked in the public sector of her community for over two decades. Her commitment to addressing inequities and changing systems began as an advocate in early education. She has broadened her reach in the community to address other social justice issues as the Community Outreach Lead for Solano HEALs, as a founder of the Solano County Equity Collaborative, a Commissioner on the Solano County Juvenile Justice Commission, and the founder and chair of the Solano County Employment and Eligibility Committee. In these roles Danita addresses disparities in infant and maternal mortality, reviews creates and changes policies and practices in Health & Human Services, addresses youth and the justice system and a host of community lead initiatives. Danita has facilitated health and racial equity trainings for hundreds of government employees, commissioners, community members law-enforcement and community based organizations. She utilizes tools from multiple practices including Radical Transformational Leadership , to inspires others to have courageous conversations to move into action.