Rise East partners have developed a governance structure to create shared accountability for the initiative, ensure effective implementation oversight, and advance the success, scalability, and sustainability of Rise East. 

Specifically, the role of the Rise East Governance Team, is to:

  • Review and approve annual budgets and scopes of work for Rise East partners

  • Review quarterly Rise East progress reports about strategy, implementation, and financial standing

  • Review annual independent evaluation reports

Rise East is a collective impact partnership where power and decision-making are shared equally across stakeholders with diverse experiences and skill sets, including resident, nonprofit, and system leaders.

The Rise East Governance Team brings together the public systems, philanthropic, and business expertise of Oakland Thrives’ existing Executive Team with the deep community resident and lived experience of Rise East’s Steering Committee to make strategy and investment decisions. The Governance Team makes decisions using a consensus approval process, requiring discussion and collaboration across all members.

The Rise East Governance Team

Co-Founder and Director of Parent Liberators, The Oakland REACH

  • I’m Keta Brown, Co-Founder and Director of Parent Liberator/Family Success Coaches at The Oakland REACH, where we are committed to empowering parents to lead change. I have the honor of leading a team of incredible coaches who support both student academic success and the well-being of parents. I believe true change must be driven by the people who live in the community.

    East Oakland has shaped me in every way—personally and professionally. I’ve lived through and witnessed the challenges our families, especially Black families, face every day. But I also draw strength from our resilience, from the struggles and the triumphs that have brought us this far. As a mother, my family is my greatest pride and joy, and they fuel my commitment to this work.

    My personal call to action is clear: families must be seen as partners. Their voices matter—and they must be heard. I’m focused on building strong partnerships with other organizations and using data not just for tracking progress, but for accountability. I know that real collaboration is what it takes to create lasting, meaningful change in East Oakland. My power lies in making thoughtful recommendations that truly improve the lives of Oakland families.

Adjunct Professor of African American Studies, Merritt Community College; Community Organizer

  • My name is Nehanda Imara and I have been an Oakland resident for more than forty years, living in Deep East Oakland for half of that time. I am an activist, organizer, educator teaching African American and Environmental Studies at Merritt College, where I created the first Environmental Racism/Justice course at the Peralta Community College District.  East Oakland has sharpened me as an organizer – it’s where I’ve built relationships and critical community networks. I worked with organizations like Communities for a Better Environment, East Oakland Building Health Communities and the East Oakland Black Cultural Zone.

    My activism is based within the notion of power building through liberation education. I believe the people, residents and community leaders have the power to change systems that harm us – from environmental racism, disinvestment in our schools and economic harms in terms of housing and the general well-being of our neighborhoods.

    In 2014, I ran for Oakland City Council, opening doors for more progressive women to lead. I walked into this undertaking, not because I wanted to, but because I was asked to by resident leaders, community members, and grassroot organizations. My work inside and outside of Oakland and the classroom is rooted in the belief that when some of our most marginalized communities are uplifted, we are all uplifted. A fund fact about me: I love to cook for family and friends, and I’ve traveled to over 10 African countries, as well as parts of the Caribbean and Central America. I plan to travel to all places in the world that our people live, thrive and make positive change.

Superintendent, OUSD

  • I have been your Superintendent since the 2017-18 school year and I look forward to working with our staff and families to ensure a joyful educational experience for our students.

    Oakland is home to me.

    I was born and raised in East Oakland, attended Montclair Elementary and Montera Middle schools, and have spent almost my entire professional career working at OUSD.

    For more than 25 years, I have developed my skills as both an educator and administrator and served students in several capacities including: elementary school teacher; middle school assistant principal; elementary school principal; Director of Talent Development; Associate Superintendent for Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction; Network Superintendent and, most recently, as Interim Deputy Superintendent. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead OUSD educators in service of young people right here in my hometown.

    I know we have work to do before every student in the District reaches their full potential. As an Oakland native, I have seen firsthand the strength of this community and the dedication of our educators. The time is now to turn our good intentions into strong results. Together, we can transform OUSD from a school district showing areas of improvement and pockets of success to one that is known for consistent excellence and equity, transparent and honest communication, and quality schools in every neighborhood.

Oakland Educator and Native

  • I am Lamar Hancock and I serve as an Ethnic Studies teacher at Coliseum College Preparatory

    Academy in East Oakland. Looking back on my East Oakland high school journey, It was filled with invested teachers and support staff who were focused on ensuring that I grew both personally and academically. From this, I was able to develop rapport with stakeholders and community members which carry over into the community I currently serve. And too, to return to East Oakland with the opportunity to teach young people and interact with alumni that are now colleagues further enhances my growth and development as an educator. It’s a full-circle experience. I walk this walk and talk like a lion. I work to make our children not afraid of anyone when it comes word to word. I, (along with others) train them in the art of the gift of gab so they have a seat at table. I’ll gab with the best of them just so I can chill and be me. And that’s why I love this art of teaching, because I appreciate every practitioner of it. Whether I agree with them or not, I know where they’re coming from. The children want to be heard, they have something to say, there’s something they noticed, they just want to be understood. I love this brand. As I move further into the future, celebrating the future of Oakland, I ask others who wish to celebrate them to make one incredible memory for themselves, and/or somebody else.

    Fun fact!

    In my spare time, I love to do street photography.

Network Superintendent, OUSD

  • I am Dr. Sabrina "Bri" Moore, born and raised in Oakland, where I experienced firsthand how the educational system failed Black students like me. Today, I serve as a Network Superintendent for Oakland Unified School District, overseeing 16 TK-8 schools and working every day to ensure no child faces the barriers I once did. East Oakland shaped my purpose—it’s where my roots and passion for educational justice took hold. In response to the literacy inequity I faced, I founded 3Ls The Academy: Literacy, Leadership, and Liberation.

    Our work starts “one neighborhood at a time,” beginning in Deep East Oakland, where we are transforming outcomes for Black children through culturally grounded literacy programs. What I love most about Oakland is our legacy of resistance—from the Black Panthers to today’s fierce community advocates who refuse to let our youth be left behind. I’m proud of our city’s enduring resilience and unwavering fight for justice.

    My personal call to action is simple but urgent: close the literacy gap for Black students by using proven strategies like my Radical Literacy Framework, which has shown a 91% success rate in literacy mastery. I believe I have the power to disrupt systems that have historically failed our children and build new ones that affirm their brilliance. This work is deeply personal to me because the same challenges still exist decades later—and I’m determined to be part of the change.

    A fun fact: My work has received national attention, including an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show!

Vice President of Programs, The California Wellness Foundation


  • Lori A. Cox is vice president of programs at The California Wellness Foundation. She has 30 years of notable success working on behalf of communities, individuals, families and at-risk children. Her career, which has spanned the non-profit and government sectors from direct service to state and federal policy development and implementation, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to forging productive working relationships that engage residents as active partners in creating healthy, thriving communities.

    Previously, Cox served as the Director of the Alameda County Social Services Agency, leading the County’s largest agency serving nearly 400,000 residents per month. Her agency oversaw critical safety-net programs such as Child Welfare, Adult Protection, Cal Fresh (formerly food stamps), In Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Medi-Cal eligibility, and other cash aid programs. She was appointed to this role by the Board of Supervisors in July 2011. In her 25+ years with the Alameda County Social Services Agency, Cox has led the design and implementation of several highly successful programs and innovative approaches including contracting approximately $100 million per year to community serving organizations.

    She has been involved in volunteer or appointed leadership roles with organizations including the Bay Area Social Services Consortium/Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management at UC Berkeley, the County Welfare Directors Association of California, First 5 Alameda County, and the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority, among others.

    Cox holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master of science degree in counseling psychology from California State University, Hayward.

Regional Vice President of External and Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente

  • As the Regional Vice President for External and Community Affairs at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, Yvette Radford is accountable for the organization’s Community Relations Program, Regional Government Relations, and $1.2 billion Community Benefit/Community Health portfolio.

    In this capacity, Yvette’ leads Kaiser Permanente’s community-based efforts to address health inequities by improving the conditions of health in underserved communities. This includes addressing some of the most pressing needs facing Northern California communities including: COVID-19 response and recovery, the affordable housing and homelessness crisis, health and behavioral health care access, building a diverse health care workforce, and expanding economic opportunity for all.

    She also co-leads Kaiser Permanente’s national community health equity initiative to leverage the organization’s resources, partnerships, and influence to help end discriminatory institutional systems and public policies that perpetuate racial inequities. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Yvette spent many years working for the California State Legislature.

    Yvette represents Kaiser Permanente on several boards and commissions. Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the California Volunteers Commission in 2014, where she was re-appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and is currently the Commission’s Vice Chair. Yvette is also a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Foundation, one of the country’s largest community foundations, and the Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat Learn Play Foundation. She also serves on the board of California Women Lead and is an advisory committee member on Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Gun Violence Research and Education.

Student and East Oakland Native

  • My name is Nasira Seals. I am a member of the Rise East Steering Committee and an incoming college freshman with deep roots in East Oakland. Growing up here, I inherited a legacy of civic responsibility that continues to guide my actions and ambitions. East Oakland taught me that community care is not just an idea—it’s a practice, embodied in everyday acts of resistance and love. I’m proud to come from a place where the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense not only organized free breakfast programs, but also redefined what it meant to nourish a generation beyond food. I see that same spirit in places like the Eastmont Transit Center, where a once-forgotten space now pulses with life—from pop-up vendors to roller-skating events, driven by the will of the people. Through Rise East, I hope to help ensure that community voices shape our future—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a mandate. I believe transformation must be rooted in equity, transparency, and authentic relationships. That’s why I advocate for open communication, cultural preservation, and making sure every neighbor knows not just what’s changing—but who’s behind it. My call to action is to make this kind of initiative—with inclusive leadership—the standard, not the exception. I believe in the power of youth-led, community-grown change, as that has historically been the inception of meaningful progress in our city. Fun fact: I have a deep interest in big-city transportation systems.

Councilmember, City of Oakland

  • Kevin was elected to represent Oakland City Council District 6 in November of 2022. Kevin was born and raised in East Oakland, California as the son of two Oakland Unified School District employees. He graduated from Oakland High School and attended Laney College and College of Alameda. Kevin then transferred to San Francisco State University where he earned a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning. After graduating from San Francisco State, Kevin attended California State University, East Bay, earning a Master’s in Public Administration.

    In November 2020, Kevin was elected to represent Area 2 for the Peralta Community College District, which includes all of East Oakland. While on the Peralta Board of Trustees, Kevin advocated for funding for student housing and worked closely with his colleagues to ensure that the district navigated the global pandemic. During his tenure with Peralta, Kevin orchestrated cross-sector partnerships with Peralta Community College and Oakland community-based organizations to enhance educational opportunities

    Kevin served as a commissioner for the Alameda County Public Health Commission for over three years. In his role, he worked with the health department to address emerging health needs and reduce homelessness. Previously Kevin served as the Director of Housing for an anti-poverty organization, working directly with community members to explore creative ways to address the rising rent and build affordable housing. Kevin continues to partner with non-profits to address illegal dumping and blight in Oakland. Kevin served as the President of the California Association of Black School Educators. He is also a proud father to his son Elijah, a second-generation Oaklander.

CEO, Tipping Point Community

  • Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Sam Cobbs moved to the Bay Area in 1991 and has been fighting poverty by working to create economic opportunities for individuals ever since. In January 2020, Sam became CEO of Tipping Point Community, a leading philanthropic organization that finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions in the Bay Area. Since being at the helm, Sam has expanded Tipping Point’s approach by pairing effective direct service grantmaking with policy work to disrupt the conditions that hold poverty in place.

    Having experienced poverty first-hand, Sam understands the combination of resilience, resourcefulness, and support that is required to live in a region that has become known worldwide for its high cost of living. When Sam speaks about his personal story, he is quick to acknowledge that it wasn’t only grit that led him to where he is now, but also a healthy dose of luck. Sam has made it a lifelong quest to help take “luck” out the equation so everyone has an opportunity to prosper.

    Over the past 25 years in the nonprofit sector, Sam has built a track record of designing and implementing programs with clear outcomes for California’s most vulnerable populations. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Sam served as Chief Executive Officer of First Place for Youth, where he helped grow the organization from a budget of $1.9 million to $28 million. Under his leadership, the organization’s impact increased significantly—from serving approximately 600 youth in one location in 2006 to being a national program operating throughout the state of California and four other states.

    Previous to his tenure at First Place for Youth, Sam served as Director of Program Services at Larkin Street Youth Services where he opened San Francisco’s first emergency shelter for young adults, and assisted in the design and implementation of two of the nation’s most innovative housing programs for youth. He also served in leadership positions at Juma Ventures and the Boys & Girls Club of Oakland.

    Today, Sam is a member of the Board of Directors for SPUR, Stupski Foundation, and New Profit. He was a recipient of the Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellowship from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, and was named a Social Innovator of the Year by the Ballard Center at Brigham Young University. A seasoned thought leader, Sam has published articles in publications ranging from the San Francisco Chronicle, to the San Francisco Business Journal, and the LEAP Ambassador network.

    Sam started his college career at Laney College before transferring to and graduating from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling with an emphasis in organizational development.

    In his free time, he enjoys cooking for family and friends and rarely hitting a golf ball straight.