Joe Sanberg is a progressive business leader and anti-poverty advocate.

As a steward of the movement to pass the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families in California, Joe founded CalEITC4Me, one of the state’s largest anti-poverty programs, which has put more than $10 billion back in the pockets of working families. He successfully led the charge to expand eligibility for the program to low-wage workers, young adults and seniors, who had previously been excluded from the tax credit. Then-California Gov. Jerry Brown’s top adviser Nancy McFadden called Joe the “spark” behind the state’s efforts to execute the new program.

He was raised by his mom in Southern California.

Amy Everitt serves as the President of Golden State Opportunity, a leading, California-based anti-poverty organization.

Prior to joining GSO, Amy spent nearly seventeen years working to ensure that everyone could have a family if, when, and with whom they wanted as the Vice-President of Special Projects at NARAL Pro-Choice America and as the State Director for NARAL Pro-Choice California. Amy launched NARAL's first, innovative, multi-level corporate engagement initiative to educate, engage, and mobilize the corporate sector to support reproductive freedom. Amy led, with other stakeholders, the unprecedented and historic Don't Ban Equality declaration that secured more than 360 CEO signatures in support of the business case for reproductive freedom. Under her leadership, California successfully regulated anti-choice fake women's health centers to hold them accountable for their false advertising.

Amy has worked on campaigns throughout California including Kamala Harris for San Francisco District Attorney, Kathleen Brown for Governor, San Francisco Supervisor Willie B. Kennedy, and numerous state assembly and senate races. While at the Democratic National Committee, she focused on redistricting, establishing the first Rural Caucus and electing Mark Warner Governor of Virginia, Jim McGreevy Governor of New Jersey, Kathleen Sebelius Governor of Kansas, Dave Freudenthal Governor of Wyoming and re-electing the North Dakota federal delegation in 2002.

Outside of politics, she lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for three years, serving as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce of HCMC and as a freelance journalist for the Vietnam Business Journal and the Vietnam Investment Review. Amy was also the Country Manager at the U.S. Trade & Development Agency for Southeast Asia, bridging business opportunities for American companies with infrastructure needs in developing countries.

Amy currently sits on the Board of the Center for Civic Engagement and is active with the Silicon Valley DemFems. Previously, she served as the Board Chair for Emerge California, Board Chair for the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Council, and on the Steering Committee for the Civil Rights Coalition of California.

She is a 5th generation Californian with deep roots in San Francisco and Newman, CA who attended UC Santa Cruz (BA, Politics) and UC San Diego, School of Global Policy & Strategy (MPIA). She currently lives in Burlingame with her three kids and, more often than not, with her nephew-dog, Eddy.

Dr. Angelo Farooq is an entrepreneur and the UC Riverside Director of Economic Development & Innovation. He also serves as Chairman of the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) and Vice President of the Board of Education for the Riverside Unified School District.

In 2019, Angelo was appointed to co-chair CA Treasurer Fiona Ma's Housing, Economic Development, Job Creation & Opportunity Zone Advisory Committee. He is also an appointee on State Controller Yee’s Council of Economic Advisors.

Born and raised in the Inland Empire, Angelo earned his Bachelor's Degree from UC Berkeley and his Executive Master & Doctorate of Policy, Planning & Development degrees from the University of Southern California. He lives with his wife and daughter in Riverside County.

Ana Grande is a first-generation Salvadoran American with an extensive background in community organizing, policy, and non profit management. She has worked in education access, higher education, and healthcare industries, with a keen focus on empowering children of color, women, and immigrants to achieve the American Dream. Ana is widely known for her role as the Statewide Campaign Director for the California DREAM Act, a role that permitted an exploration and love toward academia. Most recently, Ana served as the Academic Dean and adjunct professor at Mount St. Mary's University, and currently is the Executive Director at Program for Torture Victims.

Ana holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in Humanities, and is wrapping up her EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University.

Grande earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and government, and her master’s degree in humanities/humanistic studies from Mount Saint Mary’s College. She also earned her Doctorate of Education from Creighton University.

Cynthia V. Guerrero is a Partner at public affairs firm California Strategies and brings the highest caliber of expertise to her clients with unmatched advisory experience specifically relating to the technology sector. She provides clients with corporate strategy and public policy guidance, working collaboratively with them to achieve goals and overcome any crisis. Her 20-year experience in tech policy and finance has distinguished her as one of the well-known experts in the industry.

Guerrero advises world-renowned Silicon Valley companies on how to navigate the regulatory process, which often trails innovation, and provides valuable strategic counsel to Tech Startup companies looking to position themselves in California’s competitive technology sector. Her business and policy acumen also includes a deep understanding of the banking, finance, and investment securities industries, making her uniquely qualified to provide clients with keen insight on legislative, regulatory, and business challenges that directly affect the corporate bottom line.

Prior to joining California Strategies, Guerrero founded CG Consulting Group, Inc. in 2003 where she dedicated her time ensuring client success by strategically navigating the legislative process and overcoming regulatory hurdles at the federal and state level. Her previous work includes serving as the California Director for TechNet, the leading bipartisan network of CEOs that promotes the growth of the innovation economy, where she nurtured long-term relationships between technology leaders and policymakers at the state and federal level. She has also worked at the Rand Corporation and in the investment securities industry for top firms such as Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group, Barclays Global Investors, and Merrill Lynch.

Guerrero has her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis in Pre-Law and a minor in English Literature from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles. She graduated with a master’s degree in Public Policy specializing in Economics and International Relations from Pepperdine University and is currently enrolled at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Executive LEAD program. She serves on the Board of Advisors for Pepperdine University, School of Public Policy, the National Board of Directors for New Leaders Council, and the Board of Directors for Golden State Opportunity.

Ben Jealous serves as Executive Director of the Sierra Club. Previously, Ben served as partner at Kapor Capitol. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP where he doubled the organization’s budget, grew its online activist base by hundreds of thousands and increased its number of donors eightfold. In 2013, the Baltimore Sun named Jealous Marylander of the Year for his work on marriage equality, abolishing the death penalty and passing the DREAM Act. In 2018, he was the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Maryland.

Ben is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael P. Meehan is the President and CEO of Squared Communications, a leading boutique strategic communications and political consulting firm for the past 15 years. Meehan has worked with Fortune 100 companies, trade associations, nonprofits and political advertising groups and others and has executed crisis communications strategies and complex communications efforts for policy advocacy. He is also a Founding Partner at the Potomac West Group, a bipartisan public affairs firm that conducts campaign style coalitions for companies. Meehan is a guest lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Meehan was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Bush to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all U.S. media outlets. Meehan served as Chair of the Board of the Middle East Broadcasting Network, Radio Free Asia and Open Technology fund, serving 100 countries in 61 languages with a weekly audience of over 225 million people.

Meehan spent nearly 30 years working on Capitol Hill and on Presidential, Senate and Congressional campaigns, including the DNC, the DSCC and the DCCC. He appears regularly on Fox News’ ‘The Daily Briefing’ show.

Darrell A. Peeden is the co-founder and Vice President at SBX Youth and Family Services, a GSO grantee working to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing. Darrell previously served as Moreno Valley School Board President. He is also co-founder of Think Big Gaming, a social enterprise focused on investing in digital assets and providing economic opportunities in the virtual world economy. In 2016, he worked here at GSO as an Economic Justice Fellow.

An Inland Empire native, Darrell is a first-generation college graduate. Darrell started his college career at San Bernardino Valley College and finished with his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in public policy from UC Riverside.

Amy Everitt serves as the President of Golden State Opportunity, a leading, California-based anti-poverty organization.

Prior to joining GSO, Amy spent nearly seventeen years working to ensure that everyone could have a family if, when, and with whom they wanted as the Vice-President of Special Projects at NARAL Pro-Choice America and as the State Director for NARAL Pro-Choice California. Amy launched NARAL's first, innovative, multi-level corporate engagement initiative to educate, engage, and mobilize the corporate sector to support reproductive freedom. Amy led, with other stakeholders, the unprecedented and historic Don't Ban Equality declaration that secured more than 360 CEO signatures in support of the business case for reproductive freedom. Under her leadership, California successfully regulated anti-choice fake women's health centers to hold them accountable for their false advertising.

Amy has worked on campaigns throughout California including Kamala Harris for San Francisco District Attorney, Kathleen Brown for Governor, San Francisco Supervisor Willie B. Kennedy, and numerous state assembly and senate races. While at the Democratic National Committee, she focused on redistricting, establishing the first Rural Caucus and electing Mark Warner Governor of Virginia, Jim McGreevy Governor of New Jersey, Kathleen Sebelius Governor of Kansas, Dave Freudenthal Governor of Wyoming and re-electing the North Dakota federal delegation in 2002.

Outside of politics, she lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for three years, serving as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce of HCMC and as a freelance journalist for the Vietnam Business Journal and the Vietnam Investment Review. Amy was also the Country Manager at the U.S. Trade & Development Agency for Southeast Asia, bridging business opportunities for American companies with infrastructure needs in developing countries.

Amy currently sits on the Board of the Center for Civic Engagement and is active with the Silicon Valley DemFems. Previously, she served as the Board Chair for Emerge California, Board Chair for the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Council, and on the Steering Committee for the Civil Rights Coalition of California.

She is a 5th generation Californian with deep roots in San Francisco and Newman, CA who attended UC Santa Cruz (BA, Politics) and UC San Diego, School of Global Policy & Strategy (MPIA). She currently lives in Burlingame with her three kids and, more often than not, with her nephew-dog, Eddy.

Lindsay Cooper Martin is the Chief Operating Officer at Golden State Opportunity. With over 25 years of experience, Lindsay has served the non-profit sector in executive leadership and consulting roles. Most recently she was part of the founding team of ACLU California, a 501c4 organization focused on advancing and protecting civil rights and civil liberties in California, overseeing governance, finance, administration, legal, human resources, operations and organizational advancement.

As a consultant, her clients have included Grace Cathedral, Longwood Gardens, Kennedy Center, Museum of the American Revolution, the Studio Museum in Harlem, SFMOMA, and the Smithsonian. She also served as Deputy Director for the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio and the Director of Administration at the Hammer Museum at UCLA.

She has degrees in Political Science-Public Service and Art History from UC Davis where she was also an ArtsBridge Scholar teaching arts education in Title One public schools.

As the Director of Development at Golden State Opportunity, Ari plans, researches, writes a portfolio of foundation grants.

Prior to joining GSO full-time, Ari served as Principal of Breakstone Consulting providing grant writing, research, strategy, and fundraising services to clients across sectors. He previously served as Institutional Giving Manager at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Grant Writer at the Asian Art Museum, and Event Coordinator at Gladstone Institutes, among other positions.

Ari is from Berkeley, California, and graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a double BA in Anthropology and History. He has been an active participant in electoral and political organizing since 2012, particularly around progressive taxation issues. He enjoys gardening, cooking, walking around Lake Merritt, and hanging out with his young nephew.

Carmen Chang is the Director of Programs & Organizing at Golden State Opportunity where she leads our Campaigns team’s implementation and evaluation of our core programs including CalEITC4Me.

Prior to joining GSO, Carmen served as the Organizing Director at the California Immigrant Policy Center. She also worked for Katie Hill for Congress (2018), Hillary for America in Nebraska (2016) and Obama for America in Virginia (2008 and 2012) and Nebraska (2008). Carmen previously served in the Obama Administration at the Peace Corps and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Cameroon.

Carmen holds an MPA from George Mason University and BA in Political Science and Global Studies from UCLA. She lives in LA with her husband, young son, and pup. Carmen serves on El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Commission as Vice President. She loves the Lakers, Dodgers, world travel, and good food.

Jen Dodd is the Deputy Director of Programs at Golden State Opportunity where she leads implementation and oversight of our core programs including CalEITC4Me.

Prior to joining GSO, Jen served as Program Director at LifeMoves, where she developed, implemented, and oversaw programs to support medically fragile individuals experiencing homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara County. Jen also worked with the Institute for Human and Social Development (IHSD), a Head Start organization serving families throughout San Mateo County, and served as Administrator at Novelles Developmental Program.

Jen earned her MBA and BA in Psychology at University of California, Davis. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Esperanza (Espe) serves as the Director of Communications & Public Affairs for Golden State Opportunity where she oversees the communications team and develops effective communications and marketing strategies.

Prior to joining GSO, Espe served as Vice President for HPA Strategies where she helped clients tell their stories in unique ways through innovative communications, marketing, and public relations. She also worked with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) planning public and community relations programs for the Hetch Hetchy Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) and served as the director for Safeway’s northern California public affairs programs.

Espe earned her MA in International Affairs and Latin American Studies from George Washington University and her BA in International Relations and French from the University of San Diego. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Taylor Crotty is the Volunteer Manager at Golden State Opportunity where she leads the development and growth of our volunteer program.

Prior to GSO, Taylor worked in volunteer management for over eight years in Seattle and Los Angeles including at Open Arms Perinatal Services, Food Forward, and the International Rescue Committee where she engaged community members to support a variety of issues including immigrant and refugee rights, food justice and reproductive justice.

Taylor was born and raised in Los Angeles and holds a MSW from the University of Washington and a BA in International Studies from Boston College. She lives in LA with her rambunctious pup, Ham, and enjoys hiking and all things food related.

Denise is the Senior Manager of Finance & Administration at Golden State Opportunity, where she manages human resource functions for the GSO team.

Prior to joining GSO, Denise was the Senior Operations Manager at Schaffer&Combs, a search and strategy consultancy dedicated to the purpose driven sector. She’s also worked for ING, Banc of America Securities, and Liz Claiborne.

A longtime PTA member, Denise previously served as Board Financial Secretary, Board Treasurer, and Chair of DogFest, a fundraiser that raised $100,000 for her children’s elementary school. She’s also the Troop Leader and Treasurer of her daughters’ Girl Scout Troop.

Denise is a New Jersey native, who earned her B.S. in Business Administration from the American University in Washington, D.C. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and three daughters, their budgie, Kiwi, and their dog, Baxter.

Citlalli Lizárraga is the Executive, Administrative & Finance Associate at Golden State Opportunity where she manages the schedule of our President and assists our Operations Director.

Prior to joining GSO, Citlalli worked in nonprofit development for three years. She is a Northern California native and graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a BS in International Business.

Citlalli loves to help people and volunteers at the Alameda Community Food Bank. She enjoys traveling, finding new food spots and exploring nature areas in the Bay Area.

Cayla McCrae is the Designer and Web Manager at Golden State Opportunity where she manages our websites and designs all collateral materials for both GSO and our signature education and outreach program CalEITC4Me.

Prior to joining GSO, she spent eight years working in branding and communications at mission-driven organizations including the American Red Cross, Denim Day, and Doctors Without Borders. She specializes in design practices that are trauma-informed and human-centered, often working cross-discipline with organizers, educators, writers, developers, ethnographers, craftspeople and others.

Cayla is an alum of Art Center College of Design and UCLA’s Design | Media Arts program.

Vanessa Orozco is the Legislative Advocate at Golden State Opportunity.

Prior to joining GSO, Vanessa has worked in the political arena for several years in both the public and private sector. She most recently worked for an Assemblymember at the California State Capitol as a Legislative Aide. She is a Northern California native and graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration and a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies.

Vanessa lives in Sacramento with her partner and two cats, Toast and Bagel. She enjoys cooking, traveling, and all things outdoors.

Luis Ortiz is the Texting Administrator at Golden State Opportunity where he communicates with Californians about available public benefits and collaborates with the Distributed Organizing Manager to develop future texting campaigns. He previously served as a GSO Mobile Organizer and Rapid Response Organizing Fellow.

Born in Palmdale and currently living in Upland, Luis earned his M.S. in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona. He is a New England Patriots fan at heart and enjoys building gaming computers. 

Andy Rodriguez is the Senior Los Angeles Organizer for Golden State Opportunity, working with grantee organizations and elected officials in Los Angeles to promote CalEITC4Me and reduce poverty among California’s working families.

Prior to joining GSO, he was the Youth Development director at Bresee Foundation. Andy is experienced in non-profit management, with a track record of success in leading and directing community-focused initiatives in Los Angeles. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to social justice and has dedicated his career to improving the lives of those in his community through his work in the non-profit sector. With his expertise in community organizing and program development, Andy has made a significant impact on the organizations he has served, working to build stronger and more equitable communities throughout the city.

Ryan is the Digital Campaigner for Golden State Opportunity where he manages our data projects and digital campaigns.

Prior to joining GSO, he ran digital advocacy, fundraising and organizing campaigns for progressive, non-profit organizations for more than ten years.

Ryan earned a BA in Environmental Analysis from Pomona College. He lives in Oakland with his wife, his cats, and his dog and loves all things outdoors and urban gardening.

Jamie is the Social Media Strategist for Golden State Opportunity where she creates social media content and manages six accounts across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Prior to joining GSO, Jamie managed social media strategy and communications for San Joaquin Memorial High School and West Hills Community College District where she crafted award-winning social media campaigns. She also worked as a reporter for the Coalinga Recorder.

Jamie earned her MA in Strategic Communications from Washington State University, her BA in English from UC Berkeley, and earned a professional certificate in Digital Marketing from CSU Fullerton. She lives in Clovis and enjoys spending time with her husband, camping, and sampling new restaurants.

Ruben is the Policy Analyst for Golden State Opportunity. He supports our policy team across projects by compiling research, writing, and tracking relevant legislation.

Prior to joining GSO, Ruben worked for non-profit organizations, labor unions and the California State Legislature. He also organized workers to form unions and improve working conditions at the Port of Los Angeles, the Hollywood Entertainment District, and healthcare facilities, among other workplaces. In 2012, he led activities for President Obama's re-election campaign in Ashtabula, one of only seventeen Ohio counties that went blue that election year.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ruben earned an MBA at UC Davis, Masters of Theology at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, and BA in Political Science at UC Davis.

Andrea is the Senior Programs Coordinator for Golden State Opportunity. Our on-the-ground expert in Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley, she shares GSO’s work with the community and builds relationships to support robust organizing engagement across the region.

Prior to joining GSO, Andrea spent more than ten years organizing on economic justice issues across the country. She directed numerous field campaigns which helped pass progressive legislation and elect pro-worker candidates. Andrea also worked on large-scale digital campaigns including phone banking and peer-to-peer texting on issues such as public health and workplace safety.

Born and raised in Michigan, Andrea earned her BA in Political Science at Western Michigan University. She lives in Sacramento.

Emily is returning for her second term as Fellow Lead at Golden State Opportunity Organizing Fellowship. With the knowledge and experience gained from the program, she supports the SoCal team in texting incentives and volunteer recruitment. Before joining GSO, Emily worked as Front Office Specialist and Peer Advocate at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Pasadena. As a fierce supporter of reproductive rights, she lobbied in DC to democratize access to care. Emily hails from Knoxville where she studied Journalism and Cinema Studies at the University of Tennessee.

Jordan is the Volunteer Administration Fellow at Golden State Opportunity. Jordan was previously a Distributed Organizing Fellow and Policy Fellow, where he worked with the policy department in their pursuit of providing Californians with the services needed to find peace and thrive.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jordan graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Literature. He hopes to one day fully understand the full implementation of the arts as a means of substantially healing the wounds of the world.

Maria Manaog is from Chandler, Arizona but moved to the Bay Area in 2023. She is a recent graduate from Arizona State University with a M.S. in User Experience (UX). She specializes in qualitative research, mostly in tech for B2B software companies. However, she ultimately aims to work in Educational Technology or in the nonprofit world, creating valuable insights to create and improve solutions that more efficiently connect people in need to impactful resources. She also has experience in community outreach and event planning, specifically in Asian American/Pacific Islander initiatives in university settings. Maria also is the founder of her own art magazine (Club Rambutan), where she collaborates with creatives across the U.S. and beyond to spotlight work done by intersectional and intercultural artists.

Donna Nino is a 4th-year Sustainability Studies major at the University of Riverside, California. She is studying to receive a Bachelor of Science degree. Her previous experience includes working as an ambassador and community organizer for a non-profit organization that advocates for clean water and air in California, specifically in the Inland Empire and Central Valley. Donna’s future career goals include working with local non-profit organizations to improve the Inland Empire as a city and home to its families and individuals. She aims to use this experience and knowledge in community organizing and activism to impact the world around her positively.

Karina is a recent graduate of San Diego State University, holding a B.A. in Political Science. She is a highly organized and motivated individual with an interest in advocacy and policy work, particularly within the nonprofit sector. Karina’s personal experiences have spurred her passion for nonprofit work, understanding the incredible, life-changing impact that nonprofits can have on the lives of citizens. She aspires to create tangible policy changes and advances to equalize access to healthcare through affordability and insurance accessibility.

Elvira Rabadon is a student at University of California, Riverside and will be graduating this year with a Bachelors in Philosophy/Law and Society. She has been involved in the Legislative Advocacy Committee at ASUCR where she lobbied for various problems within the UC; issues including student's basic needs, inaccessibility of college education, financial aid reform and menstrual health equity. Last summer Elvira also helped in educating and helping the community of Los Terrones in Honduras in matters regarding family law- specifically domestic and child abuse through Global Legal Brigades. She is very passionate about tackling social injustices and ensuring people's basic needs are met by fighting for policy changes in the government.

Valorie Reyes, a first-generation college graduate from California State University, San Bernardino, holds a Bachelor's in Political Science. Aspiring to become an attorney, she envisions utilizing her skills to contribute to advancing social justice causes. Valorie is excited about her role as an Organizing Fellow with Golden State Opportunity, where she plans to apply her academic and personal background to address critical issues and create opportunities for marginalized communities.

As a first-generation college student, Vanessa graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz studying Philosophy and Politics. There, she actively engaged in campus organizing and student government, where she worked to build coalitions to increase higher education funding. Prior to joining GSO, she worked as the Campaign Organizer at Evolve CA, a Bay Area non-profit community organization, focused on reforming Proposition 13.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Vanessa is deeply committed to building relationships and improving the lives of working people. In her spare time she finds joy in women's basketball, exploring the outdoors, and indulging in her love for music.