Sakeenah El-Amin ★ Founder
“Girls of color have everything that they need to become the women that will lead this country to a more balanced and just place—as educators, we just have to create the container. “ This is what motivates Sakeenah— working with young folks keeps her connected to her highest self.

Sakeenah started her journey in public interest law and realized quickly that legal remedies were not enough to effectuate substantive change. After graduating from law school, she turned from law to education and has never looked back. Since then, she has had the privilege of teaching high school students the beautiful complexities of US history and leading several youth development programs.
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Sakeenah defines herself as a visionary and an initiator; she saw the need for Girls Taking Up Space (GTUS) and created it. She is so grateful for all the people that have wrapped their arms and hearts around GTUS to bring it to light. When Sakeenah is not working with young folks, you can find her oil painting, spending time in the redwoods, running into large bodies of water, and writing short essays. 

Zavi Smith ★ Head Instructor
Zavi attended camp for the first time when she was ten years old. That one week made her feel more capable, confident, and connected than she had ever felt, and she knew that she wanted to do work that would help others feel the same. Zavi began her service career in elementary school, as a Kindergarten Mentor, Cafeteria Helper, and AAA School Safety Monitor. Now, she is an experiential educator who thrives on a mix of mentoring, facilitating, and project management. Zavi helps youth do their best, whether that means finishing a 10 mile hike, improving grades, or amplifying their voices.
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​She has 15 years’ of experience in youth service and programming. She's worked for The Mosaic Project, Naturebridge Yosemite, Radical Monarchs, and Girl Scouts of Greater LA. Zavi is from Southern California where she grew up reading, rollerblading, and going to concerts. Her passions include healing, living joyously, and liberation for all. In her free time you can find her making costumes, doing crossword puzzles, and (pre-covid) throwing eco-friendly parties in Oakland, California. 

Jewel Collins ★ Instructor
Jewel is from the small state of Rhode Island, but has big dreams of supporting young girls of color to take up space in the world. “No matter where in the world you are, I want young girls of color everywhere to see themselves in a positive light and share that light with the world. “Jewel has over 10 years of experience in direct service work related work, case management, event coordinating and serving as a mentor and a facilitator working with marginalized children and youth.

​Jewel received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from The University of Rhode Island 2013, and has received her graduate degree in Human Services from Wilmington University 2019. In her free time Jewel loves listening to music and podcasts, dancing, and traveling! 

Meha Davé  ★ Yoga Instructor
Meha is a certified professional coach, yoga teacher, facilitator, and organizational development consultant who focuses on supporting collective healing and liberation that centers communities of color. As a former youth empowerment professional and counselor for children, youth and families, she is experienced in working with individuals and communities impacted by trauma and prioritizes bringing a holistic support approach that integrates the wisdom of mind, body, and spirit. Meha offers yoga teachings as a way for folks to build caring connection with themselves, access the wisdom of their bodies, and practice liberation here and now. She invites yoga practitioners to bring their full selves to their practice, while holding their experiences with compassionate presence and inviting them into their own abundance and power.

​Meha enjoys focusing on building a sense of safety and accessibility in yoga classes, which cultivates an environment for participants to make deeply nourishing choices for themselves including rest, play, challenge, exploration and joy. Meha’s journey as a queer South Asian woman and yoga teacher has been about accessing her ancestral, somatic, and creative wisdom to (re)claim space and stand in her power in service of a vision for collective healing and empowerment. She brings this vision to all that she does. 

Elizabeth D Foggie ★ Dance Instructor
Elizabeth is a visual artist, ritual performer and writer based in Oakland, Ca. Her artistic work centers the stories of Black and Indigenous women through the lens of everyday human experience both past and present, real and fiction. An entrepreneur for 10+ years, Elizabeth runs her own digital media company, Foggie Media, which offers website, social media and consulting services to super small businesses emphasizing strategy and visual design.
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In 2016, she established her arthouse The People's Studio to serve as an artistic meeting place for BIPoC artists to navigate, access and define the arts industry for themselves. Most recently, she co-founded the Augusta Savage Fellowship for BIPoC (with an emphasis on Black Womxn) artists in securing fully subsidized art studio space. In her spare time, Elizabeth focuses on aligning her life with Indigenous values, developing her spiritual practice, and encouraging the next generation to become the most free and empathic human beings they can be. To learn more about her latest projects, join her email list at www.elizabethdfoggie.com. 

Hân Ngô ★ Program Coordinator
Hân graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2019 with a B.A. in Politics (concentration in theory). Hân is interested in re-imagining frameworks and pedagogy in education that makes space for: Art, creative writing, storytelling, literature outside of the standard curriculum, and critical theory. She believes that the outdoors is a vital space for healing and self-care, and hopes to carry this in her future work with students, especially youth of color! Currently, Hân is pursuing a path in teaching and gaining meaningful experience through working with Girls Taking Up Space.

Hân loves to lay out a big beautiful blanket on grassy fields or on sandy beaches to listen to music, eat yummy food, and dive into a book. At her more daring moments, she will pick up creative projects or embark on a backpacking trip.