Our Team

Is What Liberation Looks Like

Our Story

Be the Change Consulting is a woman of color-owned and operated company. We specialize in equity & inclusion, youth development, organizational capacity building, and strategic planning. Rooted in Oakland, CA since 2012, Be the Change Consulting was sparked by the question- who ARE these systems working for?! And we got to work.

Sangita Kumar, principal & founder had experience working in social services, government agencies , a huge pharmacy corporation, nonprofits and even a financial company. Every environment she stepped in had something in common- folx were not feeling appreciated or being set up for success. Sangita was curious about the invisible rules that seemed to be in place and how to dismantle them. She studied organizational development to understand the design thinking process, trauma & somatics to discover how oppression shapes people, and professional coaching to learn what motivates behavioral change. These modalities fueled by social justice ideology are how Be the Change was born.

But without the brilliant minds and hearts of our exceptional team, our mission could not have gotten very far. Tanya Mayo, Owner & Operations has lived deeply in the world of art & activism with young people. She traveled with them internationally, mentored their entrepreneurship, and led them to believe in their highest expression of self through artistic rigor. Working with young people in this way was nothing less than life-changing.

When Tanya and Sangita decided to start a business together, they wanted to be women of color working in alignment with their dreams, earning their money, and supporting themselves financially. They wanted to build an organizational culture that didn’t replicate dominant culture but lived into the change they wanted to be.

Finding the right team members has been key to the success of Be the Change Consulting. Our consultants and full-time crew bring lived experiences across race, gender, ability, body size, and immigration status. We know these diverse perspectives make us stronger, more flexible, more capable, and better able to serve our clients.

Be The Change Team

Be the Change Consulting, LLC is a woman-owned and people of color-operated, racial justice-centered, full-service organizational development firm. We specialize in curriculum design, capacity building, strategic planning, and community engagement. Rooted in Oakland, CA since 2012, Be the Change Consulting was sparked by the question- who are these systems working for?!

and we got to work

How We Work

Be the Change Consulting is the real deal. We create brave learning spaces and catalyze change.

Here’s how:

  • Our process is intentional
  • We solve problems together
  • We teach by being and doing
  • We encourage cascading leadership
  • We combine theory with practice
  • We experiment and refine ideas

Finding the right team members has been key to the success of Be the Change Consulting.

Our consultants and full-time crew bring lived experiences across race, gender, ability, body-size and immigration status. We know these diverse perspectives make a stronger, more flexible, more capable, and better able to serve our clients.

Staff

Fong Marcolongo

Fong Marcolongo

Vice President of Youth Development and Education Initiatives

Fong (she/her/hers) is a bridge-builder, community capacity builder, and youth development advocate dedicated to supporting communities of color to lead their own transformations. Her expertise resides in the design/implementation of experiential human-centered learning, culturally competent youth leadership development, positive youth development trainings, experiential curriculum development and collaborative team management. She specializes in creating interactive visual frameworks for group collaboration and strategic visioning. Fong has over 15 years of working in the non-profit sector. Her passion is to support the youth development and education field to build the capacities of their leaders. Fong received her BS in Political Science and holds a Master’s in Global Affairs. When she is not working, Fong is propagating plants, stumbling on roller skates, and keeping up with her energetic 8-year old while catching moments of joy with her family.

Jae Maldonado

Jae Maldonado

Director of Business Development

Jae Maldonado is a people centric, strategic thinker, with over 15 years of demonstrated success in developing cross-sector programs that advance racial and gender equity. His unique experience as a transmasculine identified Latinx activist has enabled him to lead from the intersections of movements that center the experiences of those most impacted by institutional violence. In his role with Be The Change, Jae continues to draw from his extensive field experience to create spaces for self-care that support change agents with the physical, emotional, and mental strength to realize racial justice. Jae is a recipient of the 2017 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity and has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Seton Hall University. In his free time Jae enjoys walking his dog snoopy and contemplating the revolution.

Kelsey Rogoff

Kelsey Rogoff

Program Coordinator

Kelsey Rogoff is a passionate youth advocate and educator. As a proud Xicana and product of Boyle Heights, she honors her roots by championing equitable access to opportunities for youth who mirror the identities of her former students. Her experience as a high school teacher in East Oakland and past work in various youth development programs informs her role with Be the Change Consulting. As Program Coordinator, Kelsey partners with colleagues to ensure BTC’s training are a positive and impactful experience for all participants. She received her BA in Political Science with a minor in Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism from the University of Southern California and her MA in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University. In her free time, Kelsey coaches CrossFit and enjoys throwing weight around in the gym.

Lauren Martinez

Lauren Martinez

Manager of Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Lauren Martinez has worn many hats in the field of education and youth development. They have specifically coached basketball for over five years for UCLA recreation department, taught chess in an after-school capacity, and now are currently working for Be the Change Consulting as their Racial Justice Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager both the PM for the antiracist virtual public series and a facilitator for some of the offerings. They hold a BS in Psychology and Biology and are currently pursuing two master’s degrees, a Master of Social Change and Master of Divinity at “the most progressive seminary in the United States,” Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA. Their intentions are to remind people, in particular youth of color, through spiritual embodiment practices that center a social justice healing lens of their internal power and inherent worth whilst expanding communities understanding of ways to counter oppression and live an authentic life.

Sangita Kumar

Sangita Kumar

Principal & Founder

Sangita Kumar is a results-based organizational development consultant and facilitator dedicated to the empowerment of individuals and our communities. Sangita’s experience over the past 15 years ranges from coaching, professional development, strategic planning, program design, and curriculum development. Sangita holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Development, is a Certified Life Coach, and completed a two-year certification in Somatics and Trauma.

Shelley Kuang

Shelley Kuang

Manager of Consulting and Training Initiatives

Shelley Kuang is a multigenre artist and organizer. Before joining Be the Change Consulting as a Production Assistant, Shelley has worked as an educator enacting student-led college access programming, advising a youth-led dance team, and facilitating behavioral and mental health education. Later, she honed her mixed-methods data collection, analytic and production skills while working with an evaluations research firm. She received her BA in Human Development from UC San Diego. Shelley is the Alumni-in-Residence with Emerging Arts Professionals SFBA and volunteers with the Asian Prisoner Support Committee.

Consultants

Aminta Steinbach

Aminta Steinbach

Senior Trainer & Coach

Ebony Johnson

Ebony Johnson

Trainer

Ed Center

Ed Center

Senior Trainer and Coach

Franklin Hysten

Franklin Hysten

Trainer

Jenjii Hysten

Jenjii Hysten

Trainer

Lyn-Tise Jones

Lyn-Tise Jones

Trainer

Russell G. Jones

Russell G. Jones

Trainer

Serian Strauss

Serian Strauss

Trainer

you

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410 12th St. Ste. 200
Oakland, CA 94607
510.985.4152

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