People

Will Ochowicz

Chapter Lead

Bio

Will Ochowicz started Madison is for People in 2021. Will grew up outside of Milwaukee and went to UW-Madison. After college, he got a job, settled down, and stayed in the city. He's proud to say that he was married in one of Madison's beautiful parks. Will is passionate about making Madison better for everyone, no matter their income or ability. Will recently made the switch to be car-lite and bike as his primary mode of transportation. He also leads the Communications Committee for MifP.

Darrin Wasniewski

Chapter Lead

Bio

Darrin Wasniewski’s journey into building communities can best be described as iterative. What began as a desire to save old buildings in the German Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, evolved into a passion for fostering social connection and creating places for all ages and all abilities. He currently co-leads AARP Wisconsin’s Livable Communities efforts around the state in addition to being a partner in Grow Collaborative Consulting. As a volunteer, Darrin is a Global Walkability Correspondent for Pedestrianspace.org, a collaborative focused on advancing walkable communities around the world, where he leads international workgroups focused on Architecture & Urbanism and the Walkable Economy. In Wisconsin, his passion finds an outlet as a steering committee member of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin’s Active Wisconsin Network. Locally, in his home of Madison, he serves on the steering and transportation committees for Madison is for People, is a member of Downtown Madison Inc., participating on the organization’s transportation and economic development committees, and is a transportation commissioner for the City of Madison. Additionally, he maintains membership in the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, Congress for New Urbanism, American Planning Association, and YIMBY Action. Darrin is a non-fiction book junkie, soaking up a few a month, and an avid podcast listener. Be careful; he’ll talk your ear off about a current read or a podcast he just listened to.

Mary Pustejovsky

Chapter Lead

Bio

Mary Pustejovsky is passionate about livable cities for people. Biking is her primary form of transportation with 3 kids. She has lived in Madison since 2020 and prior to that lived in Austin and Chicago. In Austin, she was a board member for the Red Line Parkway Initiative as well as AURA, a land use and transit advocacy group. In her day job, she works in the nonprofit industry, focused on technology used by nonprofits for fundraising and operations.

Ian Jamison

Chapter Lead

Bio

Ian Jamison came to Madison 12 years ago as a student and never left. Moving to the “15-minute” Marquette neighborhood and going car-free in 2020 transformed his daily life. Now, as chair of the Transportation Committee, he advocates for policies that would give neighbors across Madison the same option. He is passionate about sustainability, affordable housing, public transit, and building strong, cohesive communities. His nine years in the healthcare industry sent him all over the world, and he loves sharing the great ideas he’s seen in other countries.

Mike Zenz

Chapter Lead

Bio

Mike Zenz first moved to Madison in 2004, but then did a stint in Washington D.C. for grad school. When he returned to Madison in 2015, he was shocked at how scarce and expensive housing had become. He is particularly interested in finding ways to focus local governments on the needs of both renters and home-owners when they are crafting community plans and policies. He loved the sort of transit oriented development he experienced when living in D.C., where he could walk to the subway and get anywhere in the city, and is excited that his neighborhood of Eken Park is turning into just such a place. He is also an avid watcher of Madison Plan Commission and Common Council meetings. Must See TV!

David Welton

Chapter Lead

Bio

David Welton was born and raised in Oregon. When he moved to Bend, he and his family rented a place, and saw firsthand what the rising costs and scarcity of available housing look like. David became interested in housing and cities because of how deeply they affect everything, from the economy to the environment and people’s emotional well-being. He works professionally as a software engineer.

Jim Roberts

Chapter Lead

Bio

Jim Roberts has been coming to Bend since the 1970’s. He’s seen it grow from a shuttered mill town into the wonderful city it is today. Jim helped start Bend YIMBY because he believes our great city can only grow and prosper if everyone who works here can afford to live here. He once accepted a beer from a developer. Once.

Kathryn Olney

Chapter Lead

Bio

Kathryn Olney is a retired attorney, gardener, and community activist. She serves on the Board of a statewide non-profit that raises money for legal services for low-income Oregonians, does pro bono legal representation, stewards a Little Free Library, and advocates for housing for all.

John Heylin

Chapter Lead

Bio

John Heylin is co-owner of Unofficial Logging Company, an axe-throwing bar in downtown Bend. He has an MBA from Presidio Graduate School and served 2 years in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. He serves on the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee, Core Area Advisory Board, and is a Board Advisor to The Father’s Group.

Tailor Glad

Chapter Lead

Bio

“Tailor Glad” is a student at OSU Cascades who spends their free time advocating for better housing policy and spreading awareness of Council action through meeting summaries they share for free on Substack (tailorglad.substack.com)

Kim Ely

Chapter Lead

Bio

Kim Ely is a scientist who studies the effect of environmental change on plants, and has a broad interest across the intersection of housing, transportation and sustainability. She believes that access to a safe and secure home is fundamental for the well-being of individuals and families, and the health of our entire community. She also serves on the City of Bend Transportation Bond Oversight Committee.

Brooks Stephens

Lead, Fairfax

Naveed Easton

Lead, Fairfax

Gillian Burgess

Arlington Strategist

Trip Hook

Lead, Alexandria

Bianca Benedi

Communications Lead

Peter Sutherland

Lead, Alexandria & Events Director

Phoebe Coy

Lead, Alexandria

Tim Huson

Lead, Arlington

Mostafa El Nahass

Lead, Fairfax

Joseph Schiarizzi

Primary Lead, Falls Church City

Alex Goyette

Primary Lead, Alexandria

Jason Schwartz

Primary Lead, Arlington

Joshua Booth

Lead, Fairfax

Dan Alban

Strategic Advisor & Co-Founder

Bio

Dan is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice and YIMBY Law board member. He lives in Ballston/Bluemont, Arlington with his wife. They enjoy traveling, hiking, dining out, live music and theater, and wine tasting in NoVA. @DanAlban

Jane Green

Regional Lead & Co-Founder

Bio

Jane is director of philanthropy operations at Food & Water Watch and a volunteer board member with the Alliance for Housing Solutions. She proudly rents in Courthouse, Arlington, with her husband and children. @janefgreen

Luca Gattoni-Celli

Founder Emeritus & Lead, Alexandria

Bio

Luca is a business researcher and recovered federal tax reporter. He lives in Alexandria West with his wife and children. They enjoy seeing friends, hiking, e-biking, and the stellar food in NoVA from around the world, particularly Pho 75 and Mediterranean Bakery. @TheGattoniCelli

Adrian Covert

Bio

Adrian lives in the West End with his wife and toddler. He became a part of the YIMBY movement because he wants Santa Rosa to be affordable for his son to start a family here someday.

Lauren Fuhry

Bio

Lauren lives across from Howarth Park in eastern Santa Rosa with her partner and two lazy dogs. She became a part of the YIMBY movement because she loves Santa Rosa and all the great local businesses here, and wants our city to affordably house workers of all kinds.

Peter Erickson

Bio

Born and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley in California, Peter has seen how severe housing crises can become. He believes in common-sense solutions to make housing more affordable (and walkable) for all Fort Collins residents. A faculty member at CSU since 2016, he owns a historic home in Old Town with his wife Zoey and baby daughter Ida.

Christopher Conway

Bio

Chris is a homegrown YIMBY born and raised here in Fort Collins. As a teacher, Chris believes we need to build enough housing so that his students can live in Fort Collins when they grow up.

Kate Conley

Bio

Kate is a long time YIMBY advocate who moved to Fort Collins with her Colorado native husband in 2021. She believes the housing crisis is a supply problem, and is an architect who specializes in affordable housing at all scales.

Kati Woock

Royal Oak Chair

Pranay Bhargava

Chapter Operations Associate

Housing Story

I lived in a rapidly changing neighborhood during my time in Chicago. I loved where I lived, but as the neighborhood got more attractive and in demand with every passing year, I couldn’t help but notice that some legacy residents could not keep up with the rising rents. The solution was obvious to me: if people want to move here, we need to make sure that we build enough housing for them to move into

Bio

Pranay first got involved in the pro-housing movement while living in Chicago. They believe that our cities can and should be available to people from all walks of life. As a co-Lead for Urban Environmentalists Illinois, Pranay projects a housing-and-climate-first message across Chicago and stays at the forefront of removing barriers to housing abundance and sustainable urban living. Pranay takes a data-backed approach to decision-making and is always looking for ways to optimize processes that further the movement. They have degrees in Marketing and Business Analytics from Indiana University.

Luchia Brown

Communications Chair

Housing Story

My story is two-fold. 1) I have two 20-something children who cannot afford to live in the town that they grew up in, and, 2) now that we are empty-nesters, we would like to move our of our giant house in to something smaller on one floor that allows us to stay in our community.

Frank Locantore

Vice President

Jonathan Pira

Treasurer

Anna DeWitt

Secretary

Abhinav (Abe) Kaul

Membership Chair

Matthew Larsen

Events Chair

Ryan Keeney

President

Chang Sun

SF YIMBY Volunteer

Sonja Trauss

Executive Director, Yes In My Back Yard

Housing Story

I moved to the Bay Area in 2011, looking for work. I found a job right away, but housing was another story. I was able to stay with my dad’s cousin in El Cerrito before eventually moving in with two roommates in West Oakland. By 2014, I had been working in the bay for 3 years, mostly as a high school math teacher, but I still didn’t have any savings. The combination of low pay, high rent, and high transportation costs trapped me. I even considered moving back to my parents’ house in Philadelphia, but I couldn’t afford to move. What was incredible about the situation was that everyone was unhappy - even higher income renters I met were unhappy with their housing situation. The only people who seemed to be winning in this were homeowners, and they were complaining too - about too many new neighbors. I felt that both personally, and as a region, we had nothing to lose. The current situation was miserable and untenable and it had to change. So I started organizing!

Bio

In 2014, Sonja Trauss started organizing pro-housing renters in the Bay Area while working as a high school math teacher. She is a founder of the YIMBY movement in California. As Executive Director of Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY), Sonja leads YIMBY Law, our legal arm. Sonja also facilitates community organizing for housing projects that are compliant with state housing laws to be approved by local governments. Under Sonja’s leadership, YIMBY Law has won nine lawsuits since 2019.

Courtney Porcella

Business Membership Manager

Housing Story

Today, I live one city away from where I grew up. When it comes to housing, my hometown is often vilified by my current neighbors – too many people, too many apartments, and not enough wealth aka “we don’t want to be the next Lynn.” But I view it as an example of how diversity both in population and housing typology enriches the fabric of our neighborhoods. After seeing just how fierce the opposition to housing is, I became a vocal YIMBY, advocating for density in the suburban city I call home.

Bio

Courtney has worked in the housing and real estate development space for five years. Before joining YIMBY Action, Courtney led the growth team at coUrbanize, a community engagement platform that empowers more people to have a say in what gets built in their neighborhood. She is also a frequent contributor writer, covering real estate development, green buildings, and of course, housing solutions. She is growing our membership of developers, architects, land use attorneys, and other key stakeholders in the building industry.

Jaclynn Garry

Operations Associate

Housing Story

Jaclynn is a former Bay Area science teacher, who transitioned into the YIMBY movement after contending with sky-high rents in her neighborhood. As a teacher she observed a harmful cycle for the neighborhood; excellent teachers were driven out of their homes in an effort to find more affordable housing in other school districts. As a teacher-leader, Jaclynn supported students and their families who also experienced the effects of housing scarcity. She became a YIMBY because she sees the housing shortage as a root cause of many of the issues we experience in education and in our neighborhoods.

Bio

Jaclynn brings a diverse background to her position at YIMBY Action. In her role as an Operations Associate, she draws on her extensive experience in teacher leadership and operations across various sectors including construction, logistics, and non-profits. In her capacity at YIMBY, she focuses on operations and project management to create a healthy and efficient organization that can better serve the pro-housing movement. She has a Bachelor of Science. from Wittenberg University and a Masters of Education Degree in Policy and Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Andrew Gothard

Associate Director of Chapters

Housing Story

While most people know Florida for its sandy beaches and seemingly unbelievable “Florida Man” stories, the Sunshine State–particularly South Florida–is also one of the least affordable housing climates in the country. Although Andrew and his partner were both working full-time as educators, it became clear that they could no longer afford to rent an apartment, much less to buy a home, anywhere within commuting distance of their jobs. So, they changed jobs, packed up, and moved over 200 miles north so they could afford a home where they could one day raise a family. Housing is a human right, and no one should have to uproot their lives to afford a home. These are the values that Andrew fights for every day as a member of the YIMBY team.

Bio

Andrew Gothard is a former labor organizer/union leader and higher education faculty member who joined the pro-housing movement after experiencing firsthand the impact of unsustainable housing costs in South Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in English in 2017 from the University of Miami and taught for six years at Florida Atlantic University. During that time, he also served as an organizer and elected union official with the United Faculty of Florida, the Florida Education Association, and the Florida AFL-CIO. Andrew comes to YIMBY Action with a great deal of experience in grassroots organizing, political advocacy, state and federal court litigation, and press relations.

Connor Riley

National Chapter Manager

Housing Story

In 2019, Connor was housing insecure and that motivated him to become an advocate for producing new types of housing, making housing affordable, and reducing barriers to new housing developments.

Bio

Connor became involved in advocacy as a teenage student with a disability. He required additional help and resources to thrive and this imbued in him a sense of service. After studying political science in college, Connor set his sights on electoral politics in 2018. Over several years, he worked at the local, state, and national level for campaigns and democracy-focused organizations. Connor became the youngest member ever elected onto one of his hometown’s political committees and joined the activists who helped pass a criminal justice reform act in 2020. Connor joined the pro-housing movement and YIMBY Action in order to make a difference in Denver, the city that he has fallen in love with. Everyone needs a home, so Connor is motivated to ensure Denver can accommodate all current and future residents! Connor received his Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science and Government from Hartwick College.

Gillian Pressman

Managing Director

Housing Story

I got mold sickness from living in a crappy apartment that was all I could afford on a nonprofit salary. I suffered for more than a year with stomach issues and panic attacks! No one should have to destroy their health to live near their job.

Bio

Gillian Pressman has spent her entire career in the nonprofit sector, leading fundraising and programs for a variety of direct service and advocacy organizations that all have focused on ending urban inequality. Prior to YIMBY Action, she was the Senior Director of Development at Peer Health Exchange (PHE), a national health equity organization. There, she led strategy and operations for the organization’s national and local fundraising teams. Prior, she was Executive Director for Massachusetts at Generation Citizen (GC), an organization that empowers young people to take political action in their communities. At GC, Gillian oversaw all fundraising, political advocacy, school and community partnerships, and programs for her region. In 2019, Gillian joined the YIMBY Action team, where she has increased the organizational revenue of YIMBY Action and Yes In My Back Yard by more than 8x. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Princeton University.

Amy Klein

Associate Director of Development

Housing Story

When a new development was proposed in my backyard (literally), I was very excited! It meant that I would be able to walk to a new gym, restaurants, healthcare, and we’d have a couple hundred new residents. I learned first-hand that my neighbor’s fear of traffic was enough for them to speak out against the development and new homes. This pushback reinforced my passion for creating communities that are welcoming to all and prompted me to start advocating!

Bio

Amy has over a decade of experience in fundraising, event planning, and marketing for nonprofit organizations. She has led development strategies for organizations focused on the livability of our cities including working on local food accessibility, small business development, and urban forestry. Most recently, she served as the Director of Development at Transportation Alternatives in New York City, advocating for better walking, biking, and public transit options for all. She holds a Bachelors in Communications from Edgewood College in Madison, WI, a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University, and an MBA from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

Pranay Bhargava

Volunteer Lead, Urban Environmentalists Illinois

Robert Spragg

Senior Lead, Urban Environmentalists Illinois

Jason Sanchez

Volunteer Chapter Lead

Bio

Jason Sanchez is a resident of Gainesville. He became lead for the YIMBY movement because he believes we need denser, more walkable, and more accessible housing for everyone.

Joshua Ney

Volunteer Chapter Lead

Bio

Joshua Ney is a father to three rad kids. He's played in a million local bands including Control Freak, Parallel, Nervous Systems, the French Horns, Brittle Stars and Crush 22. He's played in the local soccer league and currently spends his Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings playing ultimate frisbee. He also advocates for safe streets. He moved to Florida because of the housing shortage in Northern Virginia and he became a lead for the YIMBY movement because he believes we should have housing that fits within everyone's budget and needs. Not as mean as he looks.

Michael Sacks

Volunteer Lead

Housing Story

I'm a renter who dreams of living in a dense walkable community in California.

Bio

I am a housing and transit advocate. I grew up in San Diego and now I'm living in San Francisco.

McKenzie Merriman

Event Coordinator

Housing Story

I was born and raised in a Cleveland neighborhood filled with people dedicated to social justice. As this neighborhood has grown and developed over the years, I have witnessed first-hand the rift between longtime and new residents. I know the solution to our common problem is rooted in connectivity and collective action, rather than NIMBY negativity. I am grateful to be a part of this movement dedicated to abundant, affordable housing and inclusive, sustainable communities.

Bio

McKenzie brings a decade of experience in non-profit communications, programs and events to her role as the Event Coordinator for YIMBY Action. Her education and background has been rooted in her desire to build community through shared experiences. From managing galleries, to coordinating summer park programs, and facilitating virtual events for seniors, McKenzie’s previous work reflects her passion for gathering people in our collective pursuit of liberation. McKenzie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University and a Master’s Degree In Strategic Communication from Columbia College Chicago.

Adam Lamont

Volunteer Chapter Lead

Adam Theo

Communications Director & Co-Founder

Bio

Theo is a communications consultant and former Air Force Reserves veteran who previously ran as an independent candidate for Arlington County Board. He enjoys hiking, cycling, and is a sucker for any restaurant with an outdoor patio and string lights. @TheoForARL

Meghan Howard

Chapter Lead

Bio

Growing up in South Dakota and moving to the Twin Cities for college means I am a hardworking, midwesterner through and through! After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2004 - I spent a year in Seattle, Washington working in the great outdoors with EarthCorp, a non-profit specializing in reforestation and restoration work. Trail building in the mountains was my favorite! At the end of the program, I returned to Minneapolis to continue volunteering at various non-profits throughout the Cities. I began working at Feed My Starving Children in 2006. I worked in a number of roles however - my favorite position was creating and overseeing “The MarketPlace.” In this role I had the honor of connecting with artisans around the world to purchase and promote their beautiful, handmade items in order to create additional economic growth through fair, sustainable wages - especially for women. In 2017 I left FMSC to work with local, non-profit organizations to help them create online stores to promote their great work. At the same time, I pursued my real estate license which I've maintained for the past 6 years. I enjoy helping friends and family find houses throughout the Twin Cities. I believes housing is a basic human right. Joining the St. Paul Affordability Task Force and helping create the first YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) chapter in Minnesota are a few ways in which I hope to work towards sustainable, affordable and abundant housing for ALL in the Twin Cities and beyond.

Nichole Hayden

Chapter Lead

Bio

I'm a Twin Cities native who loves calling Minnesota home. I grew up in Plymouth and Richfield, spent my twenties in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and bought my first home in Columbia Heights. I now own my dream property in Andover that allows me to garden, grow apples, and support a robust pollinator population. From a young age, my single mother instilled the importance of giving back to people in our community. The value of each person and their right to be housed, fed, and clothed. Because simply, they are people and it's a human right. While attending college in Iowa, I engaged in grassroots organizing for a political campaign. I learned first hand the power of people uniting for a cause. I spent a summer in Baltimore living in an intentional community focused on nuclear weapon disarmament. I'm passionate about working with others to improve the greater good of the people in our communities. I worked in advising, coaching, and product operations for an education company downtown for 8 years. I loved the people I worked with and the students we served, but when the pandemic hit it was a turning point, a time to refocus my time and energy. I developed an interest in housing through my post college AmeriCorps service; a program that equipped high school youth with skills in home renovation while supporting community rehabilitation. This grew into a passion for guiding others through the home ownership process and teaching folx how to leverage generational wealth building through real estate. After getting licensed in 2020, I discovered the network professionals in this industry who are also passionate about housing affordability, housing as a human right, and ensuring accessibility to the stability of home ownership. When I'm not assisting clients or volunteering for community causes, you can find me walking a bear sized dog or enjoying live music at a local venue with my husband. I enjoy hiking, biking, birding and gardening. I also like to sponsor events or volunteer with organizations close to my heart. I believe we each have the power to weave the fabric of strong, interconnected communities that thrive, collectively.

Paige Kahle

Chapter Lead

Bio

I live with my two teenagers, their father, and a Shihtzu named Stella in St. Paul. We have happily been renting our home for 6 years. I work primarily in the Twin Cities region. Home has always been important to me - thinking about it, longing for it, and helping individuals and families build it. Before I was eighteen years old, I had lived in a dozen+ homes in various cities throughout the US. I learned first-hand how disruptive moving often is on a child, even when it’s within the same city, but especially when it’s cross-country. During my formative years, I lived in Mississippi with my mom where I witnessed blatant racial discrimination - from attending a mostly segregated parochial school to hearing stories from my mom about her childhood growing up in rural Mississippi to seeing Ku Klux Klan members "marketing" on street corners. As a child, I was horrified and confused by all of it. It's a feeling that has stayed with me decades later. My educational background is architecture and urban planning. While studying urban planning, I became interested in patterns of neighborhood segregation and how to create more integrated, inclusive neighborhoods. It is absolutely possible to create opportunities for more inclusive and racially diverse neighborhoods. There needs to be more education and outreach to the general public about why it’s important to create more affordable housing in ALL areas. And, to offer opportunities for grassroots involvement. I have been a Realtor for almost 20 years, and believe everyone in my industry should be vocal enthusiasts for the creation of more housing, especially the missing middle housing. In most instances, the real estate industry continues to advocate for private property rights, at the expense of real people’s lives. This is why Nichole, Meghan, and myself joined together to create a TC YIMBY chapter early in 2023.

Charlie Cavell

Chapter Lead

Thomas Yazbeck

Volunteer Chapter Lead

Sarah Pounds

Chapter Lead & Co-Founder

Grayson Orsini

Chapter Lead

Peter Mains

Chapter Lead

Paul Rice

Chapter Lead

Seth Quick

Chapter Lead

Tia Stone

Senior Manager of Membership

Housing Story

As a child of an all Black family, I grew up watching my family struggle to make their way out of West Las Vegas, the segregated Black community, and purchase homes in affluentneighborhoods. I’ve seen firsthand the redlining still happening in today’s real estate process. Las Vegas is also the number 2 fastest growing city in the country as people flee their cities in the post-pandemic economy. Las Vegas has not met the increasing demand for housing, allowing new residents with high incomes, many of whom are cash buyers, to sweep up homes in the neighborhoods with the most resources. This has caused a massive increase in home and rent prices, making it harder for locals to afford housing. New reports show the average person now needs to work 2.5 full time jobs to afford the average rent in Las Vegas.

Bio

Tia Stone joined YIMBY Action as the Senior Manager of Membership in June 2023. Her background is in community engagement, marketing, and volunteer management. Though new to the pro-housing movement, Tia has been in the thick of equity and justice-centered work as an organizer in the Black Lives Matter movement in which she worked on protest and policy organizing and coalition building around local cases and policies upholding police brutality. She also spent years in sexual violence and human trafficking work, working as a director for a local nonprofit where she became a certified Victim Advocate heavily focused on the importance of healing-centered and trauma-informed approaches to working not only in victim advocacy but all justice and equity work.

Ty Schmidt

Chapter Lead

Pat Pozzi

Volunteer Leader

Tatiana Morales

Volunteer Leader

Nathan Hagen

Volunteer Leader

Max Davis

Chapter Lead

Rudy Espinoza Murray

Board Member

Housing Story

After being laid off in 2020, my husband and I were unable to afford their apartment in Redwood City, CA. That experience got me interested in housing activism. Since then, I’ve written about housing and organized underrepresented communities to speak out for housing projects and increases in affordable housing.

Bio

Rudy joined the pro–housing movement after he and his husband faced housing insecurity in 2020. He quickly became engaged with his local YIMBY Action chapter, Peninsula for Everyone, by working to get endorsed candidates elected. In December of 2020, he officially joined YIMBY Action as staff and built YIMBY Action’s Marketing and Communications Department. His strategy elevated the YIMBY movement by growing and diversifying its membership as well as increasing small dollar donations. In 2021, Rudy served on the Redistricting Commission for San Mateo County and chaired the Redistricting Commission for Redwood City. His work led to the protection of two majority-minority districts in RWC. Rudy has a degree in International Agriculture and Rural Development from Cornell University and now serves as a Redwood City Planning Commissioner.

Vincent Woo

Board Member

Housing Story

I used to live in a below ground-level living room that always smelled of mold, for which I had the privilege of paying a couple thousand dollars a month for. I thought this was an unalterable fact of life until the early YIMBY movement coalesced, which I was all too happy to join.

Bio

Vincent has been a housing activist since 2014. He founded of CoderPad, a tool for remote, skills-based job interviews for programmers, and is now effectively retired.

Parag Gupta

Board Member

Housing Story

My parents were immigrants that worked hard to put a roof over our heads. Now that quintessential American Dream seems more and more out of reach for hard working folks across the country.

Bio

Parag Gupta is the Chief Program Officer at Mercy Housing, the largest US nonprofit affordable housing provider for families, seniors, and people with special needs. Providing affordable housing is the first step, and Parag oversees the wrap-around support provided to Mercy Housing’s residents. Parag has worked in coffee, education, solid waste, sanitation, and other industries with a focus of empowering communities across the world. He returned to San Francisco Bay Area to stand with folks seeking to make the community more inclusive. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughter where he attends public meetings and informs neighbors of pro-housing and pro-transportation initiatives.

Jeff Fong

Board Member

Housing Story

I first joined the workforce during the 2008 recession and spent the better part of a decade trying to find a foothold in the job market. Even after finding full time employment, I regularly worked an additional 20-30 hours a week as a Lyft driver to cover my cost of living. I eventually found stability, but I was lucky—and too many others were not.

Bio

Jeff has been active in housing policy debates for years, making the case for greater housing production and a revamped social safety net. He periodically writes about housing policy and politics. Jeff was formerly Vice President of Product at Postmates, an on-demand logistics platform. He now works at Hover, a technology firm that builds products for the home construction industry.

Jane Natoli

San Francisco Organizing Director

Housing Story

I moved to San Francisco for a job, but I also came here because it is the kind of city where I could be myself fully and without reservation as an out trans woman. I’ve made so many friends and watched them leave because it costs too much to live here.

Bio

Jane has been a YIMBY since 2016, when she helped found the chapter Grow the Richmond. In addition to serving on the YIMBY Action board, she serves on the boards of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the SF LGBT Center. She also serves on the Citizens’ General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee. Professionally, Jane is a Financial Crimes Investigator at Stripe, where she conducts anti-money laundering Investigations. Prior to that, she worked in the same capacity at Wells Fargo.

Ernest Brown

Board Member

Housing Story

When I moved from Atlanta to Oakland, my rent doubled at the same time as my number of roommates did. I see direct results of the failure to build enough housing in the growing number of neighbors who sleep in their cars, in the park, or in the doorways of buildings. Building more housing is not the only solution to addressing their needs, but it is an essential part of what we must do. I’m back home in Atlanta and to work to prevent Atlanta from experiencing the same crisis Oakland has.

Bio

Ernest is a current Board Member of YIMBY Action, and has been active in the YIMBY movement since 2017. Ernest also serves on the boards of Tech Equity Collaborative and the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund. He is a Senior Project Manager at Kaiser Permanente, where he supports the nonprofit’s strategy and partnerships. Ernest is a native of Atlanta, GA. He graduated from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics.

Nick Pinkston

Board Member

Housing Story

When I moved from Pittsburgh, PA to San Francisco at 25 to pursue my dreams, my rent tripled. I spent most of my savings, and it was hard to survive until I got on my feet. Since then, housing costs have more than doubled yet again, which would’ve made it impossible for me, were I 25 now. When I see people struggling on the street, I think about how close we all are to losing our homes. It reminds me daily that something must be done and that there is no time to waste.

Bio

In 2018, Nick fundraised to help Josh Harder (D) flip the CA-10 US House seat. Energized by this win, he turned his attention closer to his home of San Francisco. Having built a factory in the city, Nick knew firsthand the punishing impact of the local building regulations, and the burden that expensive housing and limited transit put on his production staff, not to mention most residents of the city. He got involved with YIMBY Action after seeing them effectively build a movement to make change. Nick brings his deep network in the tech and manufacturing communities into the movement to make better, more affordable, and equitable cities across America.

Anthony Dedousis

Board Member

Housing Story

After moving to Los Angeles, I quickly came to love my adopted home city, but found myself shocked at the region’s struggles with homelessness, traffic, pollution, and inequality. After realizing that these issues were all related to L.A.’s severe lack of housing, I decided that I wanted to be part of the solution to these challenges.

Bio

Anthony has been a leader in the pro-housing movement in Los Angeles since 2018, most recently serving as Director of Policy and Research at Abundant Housing LA. His work on housing reform has appeared on the op-ed pages of the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Streetsblog. Anthony is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Chicago MBA program. He is founder and CEO of Revival Homes, a startup that matches homeowners to financing and contractors for ADUs.

Andrea Cervone

Board Member

Housing Story

When I was serving as a council member in Clarkston I saw firsthand how neighborhood defenders can grind progress to a halt.

Bio

Andrea is a current Board Member of YIMBY Action, and joined the YIMBY movement when she was a council member in the city of Clarkston in 2017. Andrea is a campaign manager and political consultant who wants to help elect more pro-housing leaders across the country. She graduated from Georgia Southern with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a degree in Visual Art.

Rafa Sonnenfeld

Policy Director

Housing Story

In college, I learned my share of the rent for my room would be higher than the mortgage for my father’s home. It took me a year of checking listings every day to find an apartment in my price range: a moldy converted basement with an illegal kitchen that had dozens of interested renters: I called it home for six years, always worrying I’d have to leave my hometown. Despite being eligible for 10 years, my local housing authority couldn’t even add me to the rental assistance waitlist.

Bio

Rafa Sonnenfeld has been working in the housing sector since 2019, when he began serving on the City of Santa Cruz’s Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness. Rafa has experience working with local government and non-profit organizations that provide support for vulnerable populations experiencing the consequences of the national housing crisis. As Policy Director, Rafa uses his depth of housing policy knowledge to lead the strategic deployment of the YIMBY Action network to advance pro-housing policy. He focuses on policy prioritization, staff and volunteer management, coalition building and thought leadership, and legal team support. Rafa received his Bachelor of Science in Informatics from the University of Washington. Rafa also serves on the board of Recovery Cafe Santa Cruz, a non-profit that serves people suffering from homelessness, addiction, and other mental health challenges, and has served as a member of Housing for Health Partnership, and Housing Santa Cruz County.

Jae Garner

Marketing and Communications Director

Housing Story

In college, I struggled to afford to rent a bedroom despite the fact that I worked full time and had a supervisor-level position. Many times I had to rely on getting food from friends in order to afford to keep a roof over my head. After I graduated, I worked in communities where I had the opportunity to get to know many of my unhoused neighbors. Learning from them and relating to many of their stories motivated me to get involved in housing advocacy.

Bio

Jae Garner has been involved in housing advocacy for over four years. Starting as an advocate for ending homelessness, they worked with local organizations to support permanent supportive housing before finding the pro-housing movement and expanding their advocacy. Jae joined YIMBY Action staff in 2020 and currently serves as Director of Marketing and Communications. Their strategies have resulted in a 34 percent increase in YIMBY Action members, growing our people power and spreading awareness of the pro-housing movement. Jae has also been a main driver of YIMBY Action’s internal and external Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. They received their Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from California State University-Fullerton. Jae is also on the Board of Directors for Orange County LGBTQ+ Pride in California.

Leora Tanjuatco Ross

California Director

Housing Story

When I was working as a secretary in between undergrad and grad school, my income was $1,200 a month and my rent was $900. Things were tight! Then, my checks started to come in late from my boss, and I knew I had to get a second job. I did this, and it made things a little easier, but I developed an autoimmune disorder that I still have today, from the stress of trying to pay my rent. This is why I’ll be a life-long housing advocate.

Bio

Leora Tanjuatco Ross has been organizing for housing since 2015. Before YIMBY Action, she worked at the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo, where she focused on organizing people in support of affordable housing. Leora has also served as the president of the Peninsula Democratic Coalition, the oldest and largest Democratic club in Silicon Valley. When she’s near surface-level parking lots, she’ll point out that they could be homes to anyone within hearing distance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Media Studies from the University of Virginia.

Nikki Yang

Marketing Design Coordinator

Housing Story

Being born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, I grew up in the physical and social isolation that occurs in communities that are designed exclusively for single family homes and McMansions. With a lacking public transportation system connecting the LA area, traveling into and within the city easily takes an hour or more to travel across short distances. I’m a YIMBY because dense cities supported by robust public transportation systems should be a standard, not an aspiration.

Bio

Nikki Yang joined the YIMBY Action Marketing and Communications team in 2022. Previously, she worked in the sustainability sector in California advocating for environmentalism on college campuses as a Zero Waste Coordinator at UC Davis Sustainability. Nikki also worked at affordable housing non-profit Community Land Trust Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. As the Marketing Design Coordinator for YIMBY Action, Nikki supports graphic design and marketing work that increases awareness of our movement and attracts new members. Nikki earned her Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Environmental Design from the University of California, Davis. She is currently pursuing her Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.

Mariah Redfern

Marketing and Communications Manager

Housing Story

I’ve lived in several major cities and seen the impacts that the housing crisis has had on local communities. Living in cities with extremely high rates of homelessness has made me passionate about finding solutions to support people who are experiencing homelessness. YIMBY Action is the first organization I’ve found that fights for a future where everyone can have secure housing.

Bio

Mariah started working in advocacy in 2017 at a nonprofit geared toward youth social justice initiatives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Later, she supported digital marketing efforts for a White House Initiative and worked on projects for agencies such as USAID, the State Department, and several U.S. Embassies overseas. In 2022, Mariah joined YIMBY Action’s Marketing and Communications Department. Mariah leverages social media and email marketing to spread awareness about the pro-housing movement and help grow our people power! Mariah earned her Bachelor of Arts from American University in Public Relations and Strategic Communication.

Julia Teitelbaum

Digital and Design Director

Housing Story

I spent three years in the living room of a shared apartment and commuting three hours a day to have affordable rent. I spent a year living as a nomad to save on housing costs. Now, I consider myself lucky to have found an apartment with an unreliable refrigerator, leaking tub, and unresponsive landlord. I want housing abundance to give power back to renters and aspiring first-time homeowners!

Bio

Julia Teitelbaum has worked in design and technology for more than ten years. Julia designed digital products for companies including General Electric and Cisco. After volunteering with YIMBY Action for a few years, she joined staff in 2020, working to advance the YIMBY movement through her technology and digital design skills. Her work includes brand stewardship, service design, website management, data management, and automation. She holds a degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Information Systems & Human-Computer Interaction, with a minor in Communication Design.

Nolan DiFrancesco

Chapter Lead

Laura Foote

Executive Director

Housing Story

When I moved to San Francisco I worked in sales. My friends in the city all worked in retail, food service, and similar industries. We worked full time, but the cost of living was too high for us. I struggled for a while to find an apartment that I could afford on my own. Eventually, I realized that the housing crisis trapped people like myself and my loved ones because—despite the fact that we were working hard and earning money, it wasn’t enough for me to find a place to live.

Bio

Laura Foote became a housing activist in 2014, when she became one of the key founders of the YIMBY movement. As a Founder and the Executive Director of YIMBY Action, Laura has grown the organization into a thriving grassroots political organization with tens of thousands of activists. As of 2022, YIMBY Action has nearly 40 chapters in cities across the country. Laura is widely recognized as an authority on effective housing activism in the US. Her work building the YIMBY movement has been covered in Forbes, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, the book Golden Gates, and more.