Leadership

Paulina Artieda (She/Her/Ella)

Executive Director

With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Paulina is a driven and self-directed Creative Thinker that has focused her career on delivering solutions for multicultural communities, as well as helping clients connect with audiences in relevant and meaningful ways.

Paulina attended the University of Texas at Austin and her leadership skills stem from various roles, including: Creative Director, Bilingual Marketing Consultant, Digital Strategist and Design Thinking Coach. As Executive Director of The New Philanthropists, she leads all efforts in making nonprofit boards more diverse and inclusive. She is passionate about elevating the discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion among leadership circles and in helping add more seats at tables where representation is crucial. Paulina is a Leadership Activist who also has served as a CASA of Travis County advocate for over 4 years, is a scholar at life and passionate about mentoring and philanthropy.

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Mando Rayo

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Mando Rayo is the producer at IDENTITY, a production network focused on bringing shows to life that reflect BIPOC stories, experiences and represent an inclusive, accurate portrait of America.

Mando's experience is deep-rooted in Latinx communities. Mando is a digital story-teller and uses his Latino identity to inspire and build bridges through his multicultural marketing agency, Mando Rayo + Collective and his writings. From working with Laredo Taco Company/7-Eleven Inc., Beef Loving Texans, KLRU-TV, PBS Austin, Whataburger, Austin Film Society, People en Español y más, Mando shares stories through food, culture, documentaries and digital platforms. Mando is the producer and co-author of 'The Tacos of Texas book (UT Press) & docu-series with ITVS IndieLens Storycast/PBS Digital Studios and has been featured on Bon Appetite Magazine, The Food Network, NPR, The New York Times, SXSW and El Rey Network. Mando is also the co-founder of The New Philanthropists, a nonprofit organization working to bring more people of color to serve on nonprofit boards.

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Andrea Herrera Moreno

Board Chair

Andrea is the executive director of Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering which focuses on increasing students from underrepresented groups that choose engineering careers. In addition, she has over ten years of experience in the fields of community development, positive youth development,

and out-of-school programs for social impact organizations. Andrea is from Mexico City and grew up internationally across three continents. Everywhere she lives, she seeks opportunities that merge her passion for collective action and her professional focus. Currently, she sits on the Co.Lab Community Makers Advisory Council and the TEA Executive STEM Committee. Andrea holds a B.A. in international political economy with a minor in Latin American Studies from Colorado College. She is passionate about reimagining our systems and is therefore ecstatic to pursue a Data, Economics, and Development Policy MicroMasters from MITx.

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Jen Pavich

Board Chair

Jen Pavich, MA, PCC is an Executive Coach & Facilitator who has held leadership roles in corporate, education, and nonprofit organizations. Jen has served on several nonprofit boards, including as board co-chair for both YWCA of Greater Austin and WoMN ACT (formerly the Minnesota Women's Consortium).

Jen spent her teenage years in Austin and was thrilled to finally return in 2015. Her experience in advocacy and policy work has enabled her to take part in conversations about economic and gender justice, equity, and anti-racism for over 15 years.

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Damián Pantoja, MS

Board Secretary

Damian is a focused, determined, and dedicated practitioner with experience in strengthening relationships between partners and causes in order to meet common goals.

Born and raised in the Montopolis neighborhood, he is a proud Del Valle alumnus and native Austinite. Damian comes from an immigrant family and is grateful for his upbringing, which include all of the sacrifices his family endured so that he and his siblings had access to a good education. His family taught him early on the importance of community, and after college he was inspired to move back home and give back to the community that raised him. As a Trustee of the Del Valle ISD School Board, Damian has learned that it takes both professional expertise and lived experience to make good decisions for the district and community. As a leader in education, he strives for an inclusive instructional experience that bridges the gaps of a diverse student body. With a Master of Science in Communication, and a concentration in Leadership, Damian streamlines operations, addresses barriers to basic needs, and is working towards increasing the quality of education in his district. He is a skilled communicator, and his leadership focuses on cultivating results and building meaningful relationships. His personal goal is to help the most vulnerable communities reach their success.

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Sierra Randall

Board Treasurer

Sierra Randall is a dedicated educator, researcher, and fundraising professional. Recognizing the power of community engagement from an early age, she completed her first grant project at the age of 16 after securing $50,000 from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

to oversee the creation of a website for her small hometown in Nebraska. Specializing in Applied Sociology, she graduated with a bachelor's degree from Bard College at Simon's Rock in 2013. Sierra has gone on to work with various social advocacy and affordable housing organizations, including Foundation Communities, the Willa Cather Foundation, and Multicultural BRIDGE. As part of her ongoing commitment to community leadership, Sierra serves as a board member for Capacity Catalyst and Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center and sits on the Strategic Advisors Committee for the Intersectional Professionals Network. She currently works as Director of Development at Jeremiah Program Austin.

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Kali Adams

Board Member

Kali is a strategic and proactive leader who drives program and systems-level change grounded in social justice, community building, and a person-centered approach. A lifelong public servant, Kali has focused her career on eliminating homelessness locally and across the state of Texas.

Being born, raised, and shaped by Austin, Kali is deeply passionate and committed to helping transform our city into a better, stronger community for all of its people. Kali previously served on the board of the YWCA of Greater Austin, including two years as board co-chair. She holds a B.A. in International Development and Social Change and an M.A. in Community Development and Planning from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Kali is an avid nature enthusiast and animal lover who’s always down to chat about gardening, share favorite local hiking spots, or swap adorable pet photos.

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