Staff

Jennifer Ahn

Executive Director

Jennifer Ahn (she/her) is the Executive Director at Lead by Learning, where she oversees organizational strategy to develop adult learning cultures that support...

Full Bio

Sarah Sugarman

Senior Director

Sarah (she/her) believes in the power of learning communities that honor educators’ professionalism, where colleagues supportively challenge each other to hone their practice in service of equitable outcomes...

Full Bio

Malia Tayabas-Kim

Director of Programs

Malia (she/her) is a proud Oakland native and is a product of the Oakland Unified School District. Growing up in a family of educators, she chose to give back to...

Full Bio

Nina Portugal

Director of Visibility and Community Engagement

Nina (she/her) is passionate about students, equity, and continuous improvement. Nina spent 9 years teaching High School English, 7 of which in Oakland Unified School District focusing on...

Full Bio

Mahru Elahi

Lead Program Facilitator

Mahru (she/they) supports the building of inquiry communities centered around collectivism, transformation and equity. Mahru began her educational career in 1998, teaching English and Social Studies...

Full Bio

Brooklyn Joseph

Lead Program Facilitator

Brooklyn (she/her) is a Lead Program Facilitator with Lead by Learning and is passionate about coaching, innovative teaching, and life-long learning.  Born and raised...

Full Bio

Nhi Truong

Lead Program Facilitator

Nhi Truong (she/her) is deeply invested in working with educators and students to use education as transformative tools to liberate ourselves and the world. She is an OUSD...

Full Bio

Charley Brooks

Lead Program Facilitator

Charley (she/her) is a Lead Program Facilitator with Lead by Learning, where she works in service of transformative adult learning grounded in commitments to justice, inquiry, and research.

Full Bio

Huyen Nguyen

Administrative Assistant

Huyen Nguyen (she/her) is a recent graduate of Cal State East Bay with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing Management. She’s a creative,...

Full Bio

Kailani Moran

Executive Assistant

Kailani (she/her) is Executive Assistant at Lead by Learning. For over a decade, she has held roles supporting creative business leaders in the literary, interior design, and construction fields, primarily...

Full Bio