Capacity Building Initiative
Becoming an Antiracist Organization

Initiative Overview
Is your organization ready to figure out what it really means to be an antiracist? Sign up for the workshops that best meet your needs, choose from one of our many modules, or put them all together for a comprehensive organization-wide DEI initiative. We understand that organizations face competing needs—if you are grappling between your budget, staff time, and variances in your staff readiness to engage in equity work, Be the Change’s modular approach allows you to tailor the plan that’s right for your organization and get started today!
This four-part framework was designed by studying the psychodramas that have unfolded in conversations about race, bias, and inequity over our 20 years of coaching and consulting.

Packages for Organizations
Ready to Build an Equitable Workplace?
Capacity Building
Our training spaces require courage.
They invite vulnerability.
They hold the possibility for profound transformation.
About The Trainers

Sangita Kumar
Principal & Founder
Sangita Kumar (she/her) is the design architect behind our “Becoming an Antiracist Organization” series. She is a results-based organizational development consultant. Her expert facilitation is dedicated to the empowerment of individuals and our communities. Sangita’s experience over 15+ years includes 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. She is learning to ride her electric bike around Oakland on Ohlone land.

Jae Maldonado
Director of Training and Business Development

Fong Marcolongo
Director of Training and Capacity Building
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.

Franklin Hysten
Trainer/Coach

Russell G. Jones
Trainer/Coach

Rooben Morgan
Trainer/Coach

Jenjii Hysten
Trainer/Coach

Aminta Steinbach
Director of Climate , Culture, & Equity
Aminta Steinbach (she/her) infuses her expertise in shaping climate, culture & equity practices across all our offerings at Be the Change, where she’s been a leader for 8+ years. In her previous 20 years working with young people, Aminta has been a Program Coordinator, Youth Leadership Instructor and Program Director. Aminta majored in Community Studies, has studied Recreational Program Design and is a Certified Self Defense Instructor. Her areas of expertise as a capacity builder include Cultural Responsiveness, Health and Safety Awareness and Community Building. Aminta has a black belt in Kung Fu, and when not working you can usually find her kicking and punching her way to a more peaceful world. She lives in Berkeley on Ohlone land.

Lauren Martinez
Manager of Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Initiatives
Lauren Martinez (they/them) makes every event we host pop with music for the movement! As Manager of Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Initiatives, Lauren’s presence makes everything move smoothly and with care. They are currently pursuing both a Master’s of Social Change and Master of Divinity at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA- known for being the “most progressive school in the United States.” With a background in Education and Youth Development, Lauren is dedicated to standing with people, especially youth of color through spiritual embodiment and a social justice healing lens. They live in Berkeley on Ohlone land.

Makaena Durias
Production Engineer + Zoom Host
Makaena (she/they) joins Be The Change Consulting as a part time specialist in technology platforms like ZOOM and Google Apps. In her role, she ensures BTCC client’s have a positive user experience during a training session and supports the needs of clients pre and post session. Her past experiences working at the Kindergarten Readiness Study at Oregon State and with Portland Parks & Recreation have influenced her commitment to working to improve the lives and educational opportunities of youth and individuals in underserved communities. She earned her Bachelor in Spanish and Philosophy from Oregon State University and currently lives in Corvallis, Oregon. She is also an avid writer and singer.

Naima Porter
Zoom Host
Naima Porter (she/her) is an art student from Los Angeles, California, who has been studying photography at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City for the past two years. After deciding to take a leave of absence from school due to COVID-19, Naima joined with BeThe Change Consulting as a Zoom Host to provide a successful and comfortable learning environment during training sessions. Naima spends most days utilizing her creativity through different art forms, tending to her garden, and spending time with loved ones.

Carlee Adamson
Trainer/Coach
Carlee partners with a cadre of educators, coaches, and leaders who have engaged the Trauma Literacy framework and embody its principles in their work.
Organizations Trust Us
Hundreds of organizations trust Be the Change to train their teams.
Here are just a few


















Lisette Ostrander
Director of Education at Beyond Differences
Sarah Wan
Executive Director at CYC
Priscilla Parchia
Program Manager, Expanded Learning
Ay'Anna Moody
Director, Social Impact & Generation Thrive
Rodd Lee
Assistant General Manager, External Affairs
Erin Gutiérrez
Director of Learning & Development
Ariana Bayer
Manager of Family Programs
Pam Connie
Jill Nielsen
Felix Caraballo
P. Marcia Brown
Deanna Grant-Curtis
Carla Williams-Namboodiri
Profesora de Inglés y Humanidades, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional Middle School English and Humanities Teacher
Mei Ann Teo
Assoc Artistic Director, Director of New Work, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
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I am the Director of Education for Beyond Differences. I worked with Fong in the late summer/ fall of 2020. Fong coached me as I prepared to launch an educator cohort series in NYC and FL for close to 70 educators. My primary goals were to build an intentional learning community, support Read More
Lisette Ostrander
Director of Education at Beyond Differences
When developing capacity for my team of 100+ staff, Be the Change Consulting is our go-to organization. Whether I need guidance for our newly hired direct service staff or non-profit veterans from our leadership team, I trust in BTCC to offer the groundwork to address all our needs. They Read More
Sarah Wan
Executive Director at CYC
We have been using the Building Intentional Communities Curriculum for a decade now and continue to come back for more curriculum, more PD, and support. We have continued, renewed, and recommended BTCC’s services because they are exactly what our communities need. Thoughtful, communal, Read More
Priscilla Parchia
Program Manager, Expanded Learning
This year we were excited to partner with Be the Change Consulting, Hellman Foundation and the Walter & Elise Haas Senior Fund to launch a virtual training series just as the pandemic hit and the shelter in place order was announced. We wanted to offer relevant and responsive training and Read More
Ay'Anna Moody
Director, Social Impact & Generation Thrive
Dynamic…diverse…engaging…extraordinary…innovative…inclusive. Those are just a few terms that describe Be the Change Consulting.
Their team of highly skilled professionals, exceptionally led by Sangita Kumar, assisted BART with extensive outreach and in-depth engagement with Read More
Rodd Lee
Assistant General Manager, External Affairs
Be the Change Consulting has been a key partner over the years providing training and support that tends to both content expertise and humanizing processes. The workshops are engaging, thought-provoking, and grounded in the latest academic research, and I most appreciate that their facilitators Read More
Erin Gutiérrez
Director of Learning & Development
Participating in Be The Change Consulting’s Antiracism capacity building series has supported tremendous growth for me professionally through the development of an anti-racist perspective and actions, from big picture project goals and assessments all the way down to how our team opens Read More
Ariana Bayer
Manager of Family Programs
Excellent and I attend a LOT of these training sessions. Well organized. Clear and courageous content.
Pam Connie
I really appreciated the hands on skills at the end of the session.
Very engaging and extremely informed – presented material in an accessible and interesting manner.
I would recommend at least 3 hours for this training.
Jill Nielsen
It’s a different facilitation style that you have but I can see how it works. It’s a much more human experience, rather than a student teacher discussion. I’m impressed.
Great Job.
Felix Caraballo
Thank you for demonstrating your passion: Be The Change; was evident. I appreciate the copy of the PP.
P. Marcia Brown
I love this organization. Their curriculum is some of the best I’ve ever used! Tried and true.
Deanna Grant-Curtis
I adapted the Lemonade activity from your Ice Breakers and Team Builders to Build Social-Emotional Skills for my advisory yesterday. Used the watering pot like a spin the bottle. After saying something they wanted to wash away from the week, they sprinkled water onto the classroom plants. I ❤ Read More
Carla Williams-Namboodiri
Profesora de Inglés y Humanidades, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional Middle School English and Humanities Teacher
I am taking away the way that capitalism and racism are inextricable in causing our micro and macro aggressions against each other. I’m sitting deeply with how the sense of urgency stems from perfectionism and also how it perpetuates how we treat each other as cogs in the wheel instead of Read More
Mei Ann Teo
Assoc Artistic Director, Director of New Work, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Appreciate y’all Aminta & Thomas! I wish we could combine our collective superpowers in facilitating.
Anonymous
It was really helpful to have to say the actual words. Because it highlighted an issue that could have easily been glossed over- Thank you group.
Anonymous
Thank you all for an amazing learning experience.
Anonymous
Thank you so much. These strategies are really helpful and actionable!!
Anonymous
Thank you for this extremely enriching experience!
Anonymous
Thank you for a great session. This has been really informative and helpful.
Anonymous
Thanks y’all. I am leading a capacity building cohort of 49 orgs. I am definitely going to share your info with them and explore with the foundation partners funding options for this work. Thank you!!!!! Love all of it 🙂
Anonymous
Facilitating techniques are great. They are great!
Anonymous
From The Blog

How To Support Racial Equity in the Workplace
The recent racial justice movement in our country gave particular light to injustices caused to black, brown and indigenous communities. This gave rise to organizations everywhere asking themselves – are we racially inclusive? Where do our workplace practices create disproportionate stress on my non-white staff? To help organizations reflect on these questions, we launched our Becoming an Antiracist Organization initiative.

What’s Behind Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Work?
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work begins by acknowledging different types of diversity, and what causes the difference. Most of our Becoming an Antiracist Organization trainings begin with our trainers introducing ourselves by sharing a way that we have been perceived as “different” or “diverse” from the dominant culture.

The Uncomfortable, Liberating Journey to Antiracism with Diversity Equity and Inclusion: Beyond the BLM Statements
Many organizations have shown interest, curiosity and even an openness to bring in diversity, equity and inclusion consultants to conduct a training or two. Most of us know that a statement by itself is performative and changes nothing in practice. Staff from small to large organizations and companies are demanding change, not statements.

How to Update Your Old Diversity and Inclusion Training Program For 2022
At Be the Change, we have been iterating on our approach to training and consulting design. We ask ourselves: what does it take to go from an organization that sees itself as welcoming to an organization that fosters belonging.
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