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Team

Staff

Nour Elkhattaby Strauch, Executive Director

Nour Elkhattaby Strauch is a community organizer and facilitator from Casablanca, Morocco, currently living in Western Massachusetts. Nour has been organizing and facilitating YES! Jams since 2012, including the Middle East Leadership Jam, the Northeast Changemakers Jam, the Men Raised as Men Jam and others. He is now starting a new adventure as …

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Nandita Batheja, Community Learning and Partnerships

Nandita Batheja (she/they) is the Cultivator of Community Learning and Partnerships at YES! A can’t-even-pretend-to-fit-in-a-box-er, Nandita is a facilitator, artist, question-asker and community weaver who works across sectors, advocating for justice, liberation and creative being. They believe imagination is crucial to change-work and that play is freedom’s underdog…

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Surendra Harsh, Communications and Branding Manager 

Surendra Harsh, originally from the picturesque city of Dehradun, India, known fondly as DavBhoomi, the Land of Gods, brings a wealth of expertise to the realms of communication and brand strategy. With a rich background in writing, creative design, website development, and PR content creation, he excels in crafting…

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Joanie Smalley, Operations Manager

Joining the team in July 2015. She brings with her a passion for supporting people. This passion took her to Australia in 2008, where she studied Holistic Kinesiology, earning a diploma from the Australian College of Complementary Medicine, in 2010. Today, she has a Holistic Kinesiology practice based in Oakland, CA. Prior to moving to Australia…

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Board & Advisors

Alia Lahlou, Board Chair

Alia grew up in Morocco and is constantly moving through different spaces looking to learn andunlearn, to grow, and to love. She has a master’s degree in international relations but has learnedeverything she knows outside the classroom. …

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Austin Willacy, Secretary

Austin is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who has toured extensively throughout the U.S and Europe as a member of The House Jacks, a multi-award winning a cappella rock band currently featured on The Sing Off on NBC and on Monday Night Football on ESPN. He is the director of ‘Til Dawn, Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella…

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Phoenix Michele Bissonnette Robbins, Treasurer

As a teenager, Phoenix Michele volunteered for peace in Russia, and studied ecological and spiritual communities around the globe. In 1994, at age 18, she joined “YES!”, with which she toured the United States speaking to more than 50,000 students in high school assemblies. In 1998, she became a founding partner in YES!’s birth as an independent…

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Frank (Byrd) Phoenix, Board Member

 

Frank (Byrd) Phoenix is a Professional Engineer turned philanthropist. In 1999, after 24 years in the environmental business he set up a family foundation with assets from a company his grandfather started in 1917. He has served as President of the foundation ever since, supporting people and organizations working for systemic and cultural change. Today Byrd strives…

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Eliza Ramos, Board Member

Eliza Ramos is a facilitator, leadership coach, and the founder and Curriculum Director at Circles International. CI supports social justice leaders and organizations to cultivate wellbeing and prevent burnout. Their work focuses at the intersections of wellbeing, leadership development, and diversity, equity and…

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Angela Sevin, Board Member

Angela is a white, cis female, rural educated, middle class raised educational consultant, facilitator and visual artist. Passionate about racial equity and stewarding the world we inhabit, she works holistically in collaboration with cutting edge leaders, developing solutions with and for resilient communities. After earning a graduate degree in…  

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Ocean Robbins, Advisory Member

Ocean Robbins is a father and a husband; a gardener and a dancer; a million-view TEDx speaker and best-selling author; and co-founder and CEO of the million-member Food Revolution Network. Born in a log cabin and raised on food his family grew in their garden, his work is rooted in a health-conscious family legacy. Ocean’s journey from founding the nonprofit YES! at age 16…

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Manuel, an elected official in San Jose/Silicon Valley, envisions the transformation of the public square in our communities and an emerging 21st Century politics that is whole, generative, and personally transformative. His career is in public policy and administration, working with city managers, elected officials, and nonprofit agencies. Currently, Manuel is writing a book entitled The Reconciliation of Love & Power, which is about integrating principles of the spiritual quest with public leadership, politics, and the public process.

“I’m excited to serve on the YES! board because it partners with young changemakers in a global network that is ever vibrant and emergent.  YES! makes a difference by the way it brings heart and soul wisdom into its creative connections with young leaders.”

Alia is grew up in Morocco and is constantly moving through different spaces looking to learn andunlearn, to grow, and to love. She has a master’s degree in international relations but has learnedeverything she knows outside the classroom. She is based in New York City and works as a freelance facilitator and consultant engaging individuals and groups around the world to achieve more connection, honesty, and depth. Alia is passionate about conflict transformation, freedom and identity, honesty, and joy.

Austin is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who has toured extensively throughout the U.S and Europe as a member of The House Jacks, a multi-award winning a cappella rock band currently featured on The Sing Off on NBC and on Monday Night Football on ESPN. He is the director of ‘Til Dawn, Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella group and has facilitated over 35 youth retreats, as well as four Leveraging Privilege for Social Change Jams for YES!. He donates his musical talent to a wide range of educational, social and environmental organizations.

“As we get busier and busier, ever briefer exchanges pass for communication. Given the extent to which we are adept at not fully listening to one another, YES!’s work is more vital now than ever.  I am thrilled to be able to support an organization that exists to host and create spaces wherein people communicate truthfully, deeply and fearlessly, because it will take nothing short of that to reshape the world we are living in into the world we want it, and need it, to be.”

Angela is a white, cis female, rural educated, middle class raised educational consultant, facilitator and visual artist. Passionate about racial equity and stewarding the world we inhabit, she works holistically in collaboration with cutting edge leaders, developing solutions with and for resilient communities. After earning a graduate degree in Experiential Education, she helped start and run several small democratic schools, co-designed the groundbreaking Pathways to Resilience re-entry project and directed the Green Life environmental literacy and self-sufficiency peer education program at San Quentin. She co-designs and leads white affinity workshops with her colleagues at Beyond Separation to address social and racial equity using systems and design thinking and experiential modalities.  

“The commitment that YES! has to personal and collective transformation through awareness and relational skill building is undeniable and so needed in our world today! I am happy to support and join with the work of YES! to nurture resilient changemakers who will powerfully address the social and environmental issues of our time and help to bring restorative practices to our communities.”

Joyous is a singer-songwriter, budding herbalist, circle facilitator, and youth educator. A founding member of Thrive Choir in Oakland, CA, Joyous delights in vocal harmonies that uplift spirits, and ignite social movements. Joyous completed a B.A. in American Studies with an emphasis on Race and Ethnic Studies from Wesleyan University, and went on to work in youth development and restorative justice in middle and elementary schools for many years. Ever-pursuing dreams and a multitude of passions, Joyous is now working on her debut musical album, and thrilled to share her nature and heart inspired melodies with the world soon. 

“I am so thrilled to deepen with the YES! Jam community by being a part of the YES! board. At my first jam, theArts for Social Change Jam, I made friends that I believe will last a lifetime. The community connections built during Jams are so deeply impactful, and tap into a core intention I hold for my life– to co-create spaces for authentic sharing, deep listening, mutual growth, support, and upliftment. I’m honored to build with this organization and all the humans and hearts involved.”

Vincent is a small farmer and entrepreneur dedicated to connecting values, action and fun in the field. He has run a successful vegetable farm in Seattle, started an all-organic, all-local soup business, become a night sky tour guide, sailed thousands of miles on a classic wooden boat, and most recently, grown heirloom grain in California. When Vincent is not growing and processing heirloom grain, he can be found building high-tech boats dedicated to climate change research.

As a teenager, Phoenix Michele volunteered for peace in Russia, and studied ecological and spiritual communities around the globe. In 1994, at age 18, she joined “YES!”, with which she toured the United States speaking to more than 50,000 students in high school assemblies. In 1998, she became a founding partner in YES!’s birth as an independent non-profit organization and co-directed the organization with her beloved, Ocean, until 2006, when she left to give her time more fully to homeschooling/unschooling her twins with autism, exploring her musical path, growing her family’s garden and to the deep reflection and inner work that were calling to her. In 2010, as Ocean stepped back from YES!, Phoenix stepped forward as Managing Director.  Now, she is honored to be serving in this role with the YES! community.

Tracy is joining the YES! team as our Development Advisor. Tracy is a nonprofit serial entrepreneur who has started and worked with others to build over 18 non-profits and multiple foundations. She is a donor activist and legacy advisor to many older and next generation family members, through her work with Inspired Legacies. Tracy is a long time fan and supporter of YES!, and aims to raise with others over a billion dollars for social justice during her lifetime.

(August 28, 1981 — February 12, 2019)

Served on the YES! Board for 1.5 years.  She was raised between the Bay Area and Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Her bi-cultural upbringing had a strong influence in her beliefs and values and how those manifested through her work in the world. She had been engaging with young leaders to address the problems in their own communities by supporting the development of youth-led social enterprises through the Youth Impact Hub in Oakland. She served on the Board of The Hood Incubator and was a Steering Committee member of Oakland’s Youth Ally Alliance. 

(March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993)

Founder of United Farm Workers and a leading voice for the rights of farm workers in the United States and the rights of migrant workers worldwide, learned of YES!’s vision in 1990 and was inspired enough by our vision to lend his name on our board of advisors and to offer his love and blessing.  His life and legacy are a source of profound inspiration to YES!, and we are deeply grateful to honor his memory through our work.

(July 1, 1912 – November 5, 2000)

Founder of Earth Island Institute, Friends of the Earth, League of Conversation Voters, and The Sierra Club Foundation, led the campaign to save the Grand Canyon and helped to establish the national wilderness preservation system.  He was a supporter of YES! from our beginnings in 1990, participating in multiple board meetings, and speaking at our five YES! events and press conferences.  At the 1996 World Youth Leadership Jam, guest presenter David Brower was asked what gave him hope for our planet’s future, and he responded: “This Jam and the young leaders here are what give me hope for our future.  To overcome the challenges facing our world today, young people must take the future into their own hands.  What inspires me most about this camp is that these young people are not working with false idealism.  They are organized and practical in implementing positive programs that are really making a difference.  And as of this Jam, they are working together.”

(August 23, 1970 — October 31, 1993)

An Oscar award-winning actor whose performances touched hearts and inspired imaginations, River also had a deep commitment to animal rights and sustainability.  Indeed, he looked at his career as having value insofar as he could leverage it to make a difference in the world.  His family was among the first major financial supporters of YES!’s work, and his siblings and mother have continued to support YES! in the years since his passing.  River’s life and work were among the many inspirations for YES!’s Leveraging Privilege for Social Change program.

Nour Elkhattaby Strauch is a community organizer and facilitator from Casablanca, Morocco, currently living in Western Massachusetts. Nour has been organizing and facilitating YES! Jams since 2012, including the Middle East Leadership Jam, the Northeast Changemakers Jam, the Men Raised as Men Jam and others. He is now starting a new adventure as Executive Director of YES!, and hopes to continue growing the impact of this organization that works with social changemakers at the meeting point of internal, interpersonal and systemic change to co-create thriving, just and balanced ways of life for all.

Prior to moving to the U.S, Nour worked mostly in the fields of informal education, community development, human rights, peace-building and socio-economic integration of at-risk youth and women from disadvantaged neighborhoods in Casablanca. He is the former president of a youth-led NGO called Neighborhoods Association Idmaj, and was the Deputy Director of Sidi Moumen Cultural Center (since then renamed Boubker Mazoz Community Center). Nour has also worked with many other notable non-profits in Morocco and beyond including LifePath, Seeds of Peace, CorpsAfrica, Casablanca-Chicago Sister Cities, and others. He is a former member of the National Administrative Council of Amnesty International Morocco, and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

As a storyteller, organizer, and facilitant educator, Jovan has been working for years in the practice of building Beloved Community through the practice of radical witnessing. He currently makes home in Atlanta, Georgia, by way of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Haiti. After 21 years being incubated in the North, he began to make his way back towards the beloved Caribbean.  

As a part of the “Beyond Borders: Peoples of the Caribbean and Latin America” radio collective that broadcasts weekly, a regional organizer at Project South, a Ph.D student at Georgia Institute of Technology, or most important a member of his communities, Jovan works tirelessly to design elements both analog and digital to bring community closer together. Whether in the South of the United States, or the greater Caribbean, Jovan’s current work focuses on transformational change by building tools for open and honest dialogue and radical democratic governance by community. As a photographer interested in education, a facilitator working to protect memory, and an engineer interested in the long term sustainability of his community, Jovan brings a particular focus to developing group practices and midwiving our most radical dreams into existence. You can reach them at jovan[at]yesworld.org

Joining the team in July 2015. She brings with her a passion for supporting people. This passion took her to Australia in 2008, where she studied Holistic Kinesiology, earning a diploma from the Australian College of Complementary Medicine, in 2010. Today, she has a Holistic Kinesiology practice based in Oakland, CA. Prior to moving to Australia in 2008, Joanie worked for eight years as an assistant in the Executive Offices at Pixar Animation Studios. You can reach her at joanie[at]yesworld.org

Nandita Batheja (she/they) is the Cultivator of Community Learning and Partnerships at YES! A can’t-even-pretend-to-fit-in-a-box-er, Nandita is a facilitator, artist, question-asker and community weaver who works across sectors, advocating for justice, liberation and creative being. They believe imagination is crucial to change-work and that play is freedom’s underdog. Traveling between the worlds of education, nonprofits, artist residencies and decentralized movement spaces, Nandita has followed a life-long desire to tend to these questions: How do we build ecologies of right relationship and spiritual bravery in our relationships, actions, systems and creations? What is it to live the world we are dreaming, to every-day-it into existence? What is transformation, and how is it wound up with alchemy, healing, justice, grief and love? These questions and more are what guided Nandita to YES! and their current work in the world. Nandita has been jamming since 2015 and has been a facilitant for the U.S. Arts for Social Change Jam since 2016. Jams continue to be one of their greatest sources of support, transformation, growth, wild learning and blessed challenge. In addition to Jams, Nandita studies and practices the somatics of living, aging & dying to help herself and others navigate these tumultuous times. Outside of YES!, Nandita works with individuals, groups and organizations to support personal/collective healing, conflict transformation, leadership development, and finding new ways forward. She also facilitates with Equal Justice USA, leads InterPlay, and recently co-founded (with two other Jammers!) the Stingray Virtual Artist Residency – an international community art residency that encourages individuals to stand strong in their not-for-capital creative intelligence, and to mutually support each other’s artistic journeys. Currently based in San Diego, with roots reaching to New York, India, Indonesia, the-in-between and the sky, you can reach Nandita at nandita[at]yesworld.org

Joy George (she/her) focuses on Collective Wisdom and Communications at YES!  Born and raised in the Bronx as the daughter and sister of Nigerian diaspora, Joy has found herself at the intersections of love, transformation, restoration, human rights and social change in her work and activism. After graduating from Swarthmore College with BA in Political Science and Black Studies, Joy also works in the state of Maine at Mindbridge and the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine where she is working towards planting and watering the seeds of restorative culture. While at Swarthmore, Joy co-founded and organized the Womxn’s Leadership Summit, as well as the restorative, healing and transformative justice rooted program Communities of Care. Her work in Maine continues to build upon a vision in a larger arc towards liberation: this currently looks like shaping Community Coalitions where restorative culture can be organized around, as well as conducting research around racial trauma, healing modalities and resilience building. Joy’s journey includes the 2019 North America Leadership Jam, 2020 North East Changemakers Jam, & 2021 Re-Storying Justice Jam, and many other spaces where she continues to find herself blessed with radical healing, truth and community. She now adds breath to the Education Transformation Jam as a co-facilitant, as well as Raise Your Voice Labs as a team member. Joy considers herself a student of Octavia Butler, Prentis Hemphill, Mariame Kaba, Iya Funlayo Woods-Menzies, and countless other Black and African siblings walking in the radical existence of cultivating right relationship with joy. Joy most enjoys connecting with African diasporic arts, culture and religion, learning about herbs and flowers, looking at stars, traveling, dancing, writing, and laughing deeply with friends. You can reach her at joy[at]yesworld.org

Elias Serras, Associate, is an organizational consultant, event producer, and facilitator who is passionate about systemic transformation. He works with a variety of communities and practices that are grounded in creative resilience, intercultural collaboration, and ecological wisdom. Having spent part of the past decade living and learning in radical Eco-Communities around the world, he is always seeking ways to apply lessons learned on the fringes to more mainstream and urban contexts. He has also followed interests and done work in the realms of Men’s Work, Rites of Passage, Mindfulness and Humanistic Psychology.  Originally from upstate New York, he has lived in many places picking up stories and perspectives. During free time, Elias can be found getting lost in the woods, jamming out on the piano, or reading a book in his hammock. He has made home in Western Washington state for about 6 years and lives on a small island near Seattle. Elias has found a deep love for the trees, mountains, rivers, and peoples of this region. You can reach him at elias[at]yesworld.org

Frank (Byrd) Phoenix is a Professional Engineer turned philanthropist. In 1999, after 24 years in the environmental business he set up a family foundation with assets from a company his grandfather started in 1917. He has served as President of the foundation ever since, supporting people and organizations working for systemic and cultural change. Today Byrd strives to see the Earth through a new and ancient lens, to see the Earth and all life as sentient, Sacred Beings. And he strives to connect with the Earth and the other than human world using prayer and ritual, by connecting with the ancestors, approaching the other than human world and the ancestors with great humility and respect and a deep, deep longing for a just and more beautiful world.

Ocean Robbins is a father and a husband; a gardener and a dancer; a million-view TEDx speaker and best-selling author; and co-founder and CEO of the million-member Food Revolution Network. Born in a log cabin and raised on food his family grew in their garden, his work is rooted in a health-conscious family legacy. Ocean’s journey from founding the nonprofit YES! at age 16 to leading a global food revolution movement, embodies his commitment to healthy people and a healthy planet. Ocean is on a mission to transform our food system, drive down the chronic disease epidemic, and mobilize food revolutionaries worldwide to be part of the solution.

Eliza Ramos is a facilitator, leadership coach, and the founder and Curriculum Director at Circles International. CI supports social justice leaders and organizations to cultivate wellbeing and prevent burnout. Their work focuses at the intersections of wellbeing, leadership development, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

During a previous career in social work, Eliza witnessed a high rate of fatigue and burnout, and realized that burnout prevention was crucial in order to sustain any social change movement. Eliza believes that leaders thriving is our greatest asset; in order to create lasting change, a trauma-informed and healing-centered approach must be prioritized as a leadership skillset, and is a skillset that can be learned and cultivated by every leader working toward social justice.

Prior to CI, Eliza was a strategy consultant for various social impact organizations in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, India, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, and has developed mental health and community engagement programs for organizations such as Global Health Corps, Partners in Health, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and UNICEF.

Eliza holds an M.P.H. from Harvard University and an M.S.W. from Columbia University, and holds additional certifications in mediation and conflict resolution, and Reiki. Originally from Beaverton, Oregon, Eliza currently resides in Oakland, California, and enjoys being part of the bay area’s arts, activism and healing communities.

Surendra Harsh, originally from the picturesque city of Dehradun, India, known fondly as DavBhoomi, the Land of Gods, brings a wealth of expertise to the realms of communication and brand strategy. With a rich background in writing, creative design, website development, and PR content creation, he excels in crafting compelling narratives and engaging audiences across various digital platforms.

Over his distinguished career spanning nine years, Surendra has established himself as a stalwart in the development sector and corporate social responsibility (CSR) arena. His adept management of diverse projects, both large and small-scale, underscores his commitment to driving impactful initiatives aligned with organizational objectives. Collaborating with influential figures such as Kamla Bhasin, Jayesh Bhai Patel, crea, and Prakhar Bhartiya, Surendra has honed his skills and enriched his perspectives on critical issues ranging from gender equality to environmental sustainability. Currently serving as the Communications and Branding Manager at YES!, Surendra leads efforts to enhance organizational communication strategies, both internally and externally. His role involves amplifying brand visibility and fostering strong relationships with stakeholders, alumni, and partners to maximize impact and alignment with the organization's mission. Surendra views YES! as akin to Hogwarts, a place where he encounters fellow "wizards" on a transformative journey, overcoming challenges and embracing a vibrant community of kindred spirits. Beyond his professional endeavors, Surendra is a captivating storyteller, weaving narratives that captivate and inspire. For those eager to connect or collaborate, he welcomes outreach at surendra[at]yesworld.org, psurendra969[at]gmail.com and +91 8954586999 (Call and WhatsApp).