Our Team

Derek

Derek is a Japanese American whose expertise ranges from managing projects to the administration of entire organizations. He is fluid in money management, marketing, and interpersonal relationships. He is someone who believes that we as a people can and must do better for and by Mother Earth and has actively worked to make this world a better place for all of our Relatives. Derek has worked for many organizations utilizing many of his skills, which include but are not limited to: Greenpeace; The Road to Athabasca; Climate Solutions; Cascadia Climate Collaborative; Salish Sea Cooperative Finance; YES! Magazine; Seattle Good Business Network; Web Collective. Derek has a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Zarna

Zarna is a community organizer of Indian descent who has worked on housing justice, economic justice, climate justice, racial justice, and gender justice. She has been part of multiple organizations such as SAFE in Seattle, Rising Tide Seattle, and Women of Color Speak Out, and has worked on such campaigns as Shellno, Break Free PNW, Zero Hour, and the Zarna Responds video series. She is a well-known organizer and trainer in anti-patriarchy and mentors groups on dismantling patriarchy and internalized oppression. She leads a decolonizing yoga group with the permission of her spiritual elders and facilitates spiritually healing spaces. She is a writer, a public speaker, a documentary filmmaker, and a dedicated youth mentor. She has a BA from Cardiff University in English Literature.

 

Patch

Patch is a southerner, born and raised in Flowery Branch, GA. They moved to PDX in 2014 out of wanderlust. In 2016 they were politically activated by the organizing at Standing Rock and trekked to South Dakota to try to help.

In 2018 they joined the OccupyICEPDX movement. This is where they met their PDX community including FTP’s Yolotli X. Patch began attending many protests and community events with their new comrades, showing up to help with mutual aid in different local groups. They joined a mutual aid group called Solo Collective, helping to organize Solo Collective Abolitionist Meals. 

 

In 2020 they joined an organization called SymbiosisPDX, where they grew their skills in organizing, conflict resolution, transformative justice, and neighborhood action collectives.They are most proud of the work they did helping to organize Symbiosis Hub and Resource Exchange (SHaRE). They are continuously working to learn and spread knowledge around Land Back, decolonization, and transformative justice.


Dante

Dante is an artist, designer, and strategist exploring social and interpersonal transformation. He lives in Seattle San Francisco. Working at the intersection of visual design and narrative strategy, he’s dedicated his life to collaborating with communities in building a better world. Today, he’s a trainer-practitioner with the Center for Story-based Strategy, consulting in the growth of a number of projects and focused on developing infrastructure for what comes next. Before, he co-founded the worker cooperative Story 2 Designs.

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