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Meet The Team
Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez
Executive Director
Sasha (she/they) is an Afro-Indigenous, non-binary immigrant and the Executive Director of Somos Familia, a Bay Area-based organization dedicated to building leadership in Latinx families and communities to create a culture where people of diverse genders and sexual orientations can thrive. With over a decade of experience in education organizing, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and family engagement, Sasha brings deep expertise in coalition building, transformative justice, and bilingual program development. Sasha is a former Senior Parent Organizer at the Parent Leadership Action Network and served as Coalition Coordinator for the Bay Area Coalition for Education Justice. Sasha has led initiatives across East Oakland schools, mobilized families for systemic change, and trained hundreds of parents, youth, and educators. At Somos Familia, Sasha has expanded culturally responsive programming, implemented healing-centered support groups, and strengthened partnerships with schools, grassroots collectives, and statewide networks. Sasha has also worked closely with LGBTQ+ families, transmasculine leaders, and Spanish-speaking immigrant parents to build resilience, leadership, and care-centered policy advocacy. Sasha is a proud auntie, a salsa-dancing volunteer in their niece’s classroom, and a firm believer in joy as a form of resistance.
(510) 878-8990
Maria Velazquez
Family Leadership Coordinator
MarÃa (she/her) brings over 15 years of experience in personal and organizational leadership development to her role as Family Leadership Coordinator at Somos Familia. With a degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Human Potential Development, and certifications as an instructor and coach, MarÃa is deeply committed to uplifting Latine families through education, emotional support, and empowerment. She is an expert facilitator in soft skills training, specializing in emotional intelligence, teamwork, women’s empowerment, effective communication, conflict resolution, self-esteem, stress management, resilience, and intelligent optimism. Her compassionate leadership style is grounded in her extensive work leading focus groups and support circles that center healing and improving quality of life. At Somos Familia, MarÃa guides programming that builds trust, strengthens family bonds, and creates safe, inclusive spaces where LGBTQ+ youth and their families can grow and thrive together.
Collegiate Interns
Gabriel Oropeza
Our dedicated student interns at Somos Familia bring fresh perspectives and energy to the team. They assist in various projects, gaining hands-on experience in community advocacy and non-profit operations. Their contributions are invaluable in supporting our mission and fostering a more inclusive community.
Collegiate Interns
Gabriel Oropeza
Our dedicated student interns at Somos Familia bring fresh perspectives and energy to the team. They assist in various projects, gaining hands-on experience in community advocacy and non-profit operations. Their contributions are invaluable in supporting our mission and fostering a more inclusive community.
Monica Canas
Community Educator in
Health & Human Rights
Monica (she/her) is a Salvadoran trans woman with a deep passion for both academic and popular education. Her journey in education began in 2013 in El Salvador’s basic public school system. From 2015 to 2019, she continued her commitment to education through her work with a secular NGO. In 2020, her path led her to an LGBTQ+ organization, where she discovered her calling as a human rights defender. From 2020 to 2023, she championed the rights and well-being of her community through advocacy and education. In November 2023, she began a new chapter in the United States—a country she believes God guided her to—and she now continues her dedication to human rights work, with a focus on health, trans and non-binary community support, and HIV prevention.
Mackena Weber
Youth Organizer
Mackena(she/they/ella/elles) is a queer Latine intern and undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, intending to graduate in 2028 with a B.A. in Political Science. A recipient of the California State Seal of Civic Engagement, she has consistently been interested in political movements, education, and activism across time and space. She has made contributions as a staff writer at UC Berkeley’s chapter of Her Campus and a political science research apprentice in the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. Mackena aims to emphasize the role of student voice and action, utilizing our various identities and experience, in meeting community needs. She believes in a liberatory vision for a just world that can engage, empower, and celebrate us all.
