meet our
Advisory Board
Bio
Patty Narváez-Wheeler is a DEIJB strategist, social worker, instructional designer, and the founder of Practica Consulting — a Pacific Northwest-based practice dedicated to expanding capacity for equity and belonging in organizations and communities. She is also, by her own proud description, a Mama and a Nicaragüense.
Bio
Samantha is a distinguished professional hailing from New Orleans, LA, renowned for her extensive expertise in training and technical assistance, facilitation, grants management and project management within the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. With a career spanning over two decades, Samantha has become a dynamic consultant, providing strategic leadership and operational advice to a broad spectrum of organizations.
Latinx Community Partnerships Strategist, Multnomah County Health Department
Bio
Alexis Ball (she/her/ella) identifies as bicultural (Latina and white) and as a social worker with a deep commitment to racial equity, multi-level systems change, and building relationships with those most impacted to inform her work. She is currently the Latinx Community Partnerships Strategist in the Multnomah County Health Department where her focus is on strengthening relationships with and among culturally specific organizations and community health workers to address the social determinants of health. She previously served as Equity and Inclusion Manager for the City of Beaverton for almost 9 years. Before her time in the public sector, Alexis worked in community based organizations focused on furthering racial and social justice initiatives in health care, education, and advocacy with immigrant and refugee communities. She also spent several years working with a Latin America solidarity organization to lead educational programs on the impact of US policy, in partnership with civic organizations and rural communities in southern Mexico. Alexis has a Master of Social Work from Portland State University.
Bio
Hai is a native Oregonian and proud Vietnamese-American. He loves connecting people, ideas, & resources - and has been weaving through the worlds of business, art, and politics for over 20 years. He founded a boutique business consulting firm in 2022 to support small businesses recover from the pandemic and previously worked strategically with global Fortune 10 to 100 C-suite executives.
Hussein Al-baiaty
Bio
I’m a speaker, author, and brand strategist. I built my first business while in college and, for over a decade, ran a profitable business with loyal customers, but struggled to break out of the pack in my industry. I had talent, skills, and a story, but no clarity. I was chasing everything, trying to be for everyone, and wondering why nothing was working.
Bio
As Justice Funders’ Senior Director of Innovation, Mario partners with philanthropy and field practitioners to design, pilot and scale both innovation and collective action that advances social movements through our Movement Commons Lab. Mario comes to the organization via Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school), where he served as a 2016-2017 Civic Innovation Fellow, as well as Guidestar, where he held the position of Entrepreneur-in-Residence. He is the founder of the movement-building technology platform, Giving Side.
at Power California
Bio
Bio
Alexis Braly James is an educator, strategist, and culture builder with over a decade of experience helping organizations align people, purpose, and performance. As the Founder and CEO of
Construct the Present, a certified B Corporation, she leads teams through data-driven and human-centered approaches to workplace culture, equity, and leadership development.
With a Master’s in Teaching and an MBA, Alexis blends the art of learning with the science of systems. Before launching Construct the Present, she spent years in operations and data analytics, studying what truly changes behavior and builds belonging inside organizations. Her work now sits at the intersection of equity and efficiency, helping leaders translate values into measurable, lasting impact.
Whether designing equity audits, leading executive retreats, or training teams nationwide, Alexis remains grounded in one belief: when people feel seen, systems work better.
Bio
Teresa L. Gonzalez is a nationally recognized executive leader, social impact strategist, and organizational change practitioner with more than 25 years of experience advancing racial, economic, and social justice across nonprofit, philanthropic, grassroots, and public sectors.
Throughout her career, Teresa has helped organizations build sustainable infrastructure, strengthen leadership, mobilize resources, and deepen community impact. She has raised and stewarded more than $150 million in philanthropic and government investments, led organizations with budgets up to $22 million, and helped distribute over $120 million in direct assistance to communities during times of crisis. Her work spans fundraising, organizational development, strategic planning, coalition building, policy advocacy, and movement leadership.
Teresa currently serves as Senior Director of Live Free California and National Affiliate Growth for Live Free USA, where she supports faith-rooted, Black-led, and system-impacted organizations working to advance healing, safety, democracy, and justice. She previously served as Executive Director of Design Impact and National Site Manager with the W. Haywood Burns Institute, both national nonprofit consultancy firms, and as Executive Director of Centro Legal de la Raza, where she led significant organizational growth while championing the rights of workers, tenants, immigrants, and families.
A first-generation college graduate and systems-impacted leader, Teresa brings a unique combination of lived experience, executive and board leadership, and movement-building expertise to her work. She is known for helping leaders align self interest and values with strategy, build authentic relationships with diverse partners, and secure the resources necessary to sustain transformative social change.
Teresa holds a Master of Science in Community Health and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico and serves as Board President of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. She is deeply committed to helping values and purpose-led leaders cultivate authentic donor relationships, secure transformational investments, and build the resources required to advance bold social change.
Bio
Bio
Alexis Braly James is an educator, strategist, and culture builder with over a decade of experience helping organizations align people, purpose, and performance. As the Founder and CEO of
Construct the Present, a certified B Corporation, she leads teams through data-driven and human-centered approaches to workplace culture, equity, and leadership development.
With a Master’s in Teaching and an MBA, Alexis blends the art of learning with the science of systems. Before launching Construct the Present, she spent years in operations and data analytics, studying what truly changes behavior and builds belonging inside organizations. Her work now sits at the intersection of equity and efficiency, helping leaders translate values into measurable, lasting impact.
Whether designing equity audits, leading executive retreats, or training teams nationwide, Alexis remains grounded in one belief: when people feel seen, systems work better.
Bio
Teresa L. Gonzalez is a nationally recognized executive leader, social impact strategist, and organizational change practitioner with more than 25 years of experience advancing racial, economic, and social justice across nonprofit, philanthropic, grassroots, and public sectors.
Throughout her career, Teresa has helped organizations build sustainable infrastructure, strengthen leadership, mobilize resources, and deepen community impact. She has raised and stewarded more than $150 million in philanthropic and government investments, led organizations with budgets up to $22 million, and helped distribute over $120 million in direct assistance to communities during times of crisis. Her work spans fundraising, organizational development, strategic planning, coalition building, policy advocacy, and movement leadership.
Teresa currently serves as Senior Director of Live Free California and National Affiliate Growth for Live Free USA, where she supports faith-rooted, Black-led, and system-impacted organizations working to advance healing, safety, democracy, and justice. She previously served as Executive Director of Design Impact and National Site Manager with the W. Haywood Burns Institute, both national nonprofit consultancy firms, and as Executive Director of Centro Legal de la Raza, where she led significant organizational growth while championing the rights of workers, tenants, immigrants, and families.
A first-generation college graduate and systems-impacted leader, Teresa brings a unique combination of lived experience, executive and board leadership, and movement-building expertise to her work. She is known for helping leaders align self interest and values with strategy, build authentic relationships with diverse partners, and secure the resources necessary to sustain transformative social change.
Teresa holds a Master of Science in Community Health and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico and serves as Board President of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. She is deeply committed to helping values and purpose-led leaders cultivate authentic donor relationships, secure transformational investments, and build the resources required to advance bold social change.
Stay in the loop.
Patty Narváez-Wheeler
Samantha Bickham
Hai Ninh
Hussein Al-Baiaty
Jordan Thierry
Alexis Ball



