As a Two-Spirit Trans person who has immigrated twice, I come to AMRF having lived many lives. My path has been anything but linear. I have worked as a freight train conductor, a farmer, a mediator, and a nonprofit director. Today, I bring the lessons from each of these experiences into my work. My spiritual foundation is rooted in the Danza Mexica tradition—an ancestral practice that is both movement and spiritual discipline. It connects me to my roots, sustains my resilience, and grounds my work in a lineage of cultural reclamation and community healing.
My commitment to housing justice is deeply personal. As a young person, I experienced chronic housing instability, an experience that ultimately motivated me to help create housing resources for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) communities. In 2021, I had the honor of serving as the inaugural director of Our Trans Home, San Francisco’s first transitional housing program for the TGNC community. In 2022, I co-led the opening of the Taimon Booton Navigation Center, the first TGNC-specific shelter and navigation center in the nation, named in honor of a Two-Spirit youth I supported who passed away during the pandemic. Taimon’s loss profoundly shaped my mission and strengthened my commitment to working at the intersections of race, gender, substance use, and crisis response.
Today, as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Homelessness Oversight Commission, I advocate for those too often left behind: BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals, youth, elders, and people navigating the transition from incarceration. I am deeply grateful to be part of the AMRF team, a foundation pushing the boundaries of equitable, trust-based philanthropy. It is truly a dream to provide the kind of support I once needed to our grantees and to uplift leaders who are building care, healing, and a true sense of belonging in our communities.