I help communities activate their collective power through structured, story-rich, and people-first plans that align vision, talent, and momentum toward just and joyful transformation. Community Activation Plans >
PLACE + COMMUNITY
As a community engagement expert, I’ve sat through too many poorly facilitated meetings, dot-ocracy exercises, and long planning processes that ultimately led nowhere—just another shiny report collecting dust on a shelf. That frustration pushed me to forge my own path: one rooted in real activation, iterative practices with built-in feedback loops, and a focus on collective action over groupthink or vague wishmaking. My approach centers lived experience, cultivates leadership from within communities, and translates participation into tangible outcomes that people can feel, build upon, and trust.
PROJECTS
|
Fiesta Del Oro Street Breakfast
The Fiesta del Oro Street Breakfast brought together over 1,600 people to share a communal meal right on the main drag of Santa Ana. Inspired by a historic photo from the 1930s, the event was a living reenactment that blended nostalgia with civic pride. It served as a powerful moment of unity—bringing together neighbors from all walks of life around long breakfast tables. The event’s success led the City of Santa Ana to invite us to recreate it again as a centerpiece of their official sesquicentennial celebration.
|
|
Santa Ana Media Summit
The Santa Ana Media Summit was created to strengthen our community’s ability to tell its own stories. At a time when narratives were dividing neighbors and identities were being flattened into sides, we convened a space to build media skills, explore shared and distinct experiences, and bridge divides. The summit brought together over 40 local editors, publishers, bloggers, podcasters, and storytellers to share tools, insights, and perspectives on how Santa Ana is portrayed in Orange County media—and how we can shape that story from the ground up.
|
|
Reconnect South Park –
Communications & Outreach Plan I created the communications and outreach plan for Reconnect South Park, a community-driven initiative to reimagine SR-99—the highway that divides the South Park neighborhood. My work provided a clear, actionable framework for engaging over 1,000 residents, grounded in equity, narrative justice, and community voice. The plan included communication values, outreach team goals, demographic research, digital and physical engagement strategies, and a timeline to guide implementation. I also designed the architecture for inclusive community meetings and contributed case studies from the 11th Street Bridge Park and Tremé to inspire local action. The plan laid the foundation for a participatory process rooted in memory, connection, and future possibility.
|
|
Let’s Talk About Placemaking
We supported the Canadian Urban Institute by co-authoring the Outcomes chapter of their national placemaking report, helping define the measurable impacts of place-based work across Canada. Grounded in the scholarship of Setha Low and Seth Kaplan, we helped shape a framework that connects placemaking to outcomes such as social cohesion, belonging, economic vitality, and democratic resilience.
Our contribution included identifying relevant indicators, incorporating a place typology lens, and providing U.S. and global best-practice case studies to complement the Canadian examples. This work helped translate values into actionable outcomes that communities, funders, and policymakers can use to guide future place-based investment. |
|
ECO-CIVC CONNECTOR
WEAVER OF PEOPLE, PLACE & POSSIBILITY |
|