Social justice growth
Organizational growth
Individual growth
People will support what they create. The same is true of learning. We aim to elevate what is known by inviting in the wisdom of the group and then stretching beyond the known with scaffolded learning.
We are each unique. We invite people to come to learning spaces as their full, integrated selves. We engage the whole person in learning and meet them where they—by honoring and inviting in their unique perspectives, strengths, gifts, knowledge, and emotions.
The process is the journey and the destination. We intentionally elevate process as the cement that builds along the way.
Big change happens in small steps. Big changes come as the result of focus, iterative small experiments, and structured reflection. We approach learning with an assumption of, and planning for, implementation and reflection.
Ashley Jaime
Ashley (she/her) was born and raised in Bellflower, California. Ashley is a first-generation college graduate and the eldest daughter of Mexican parents who immigrated to the U.S. in their youth for a better life. She graduated from the California State University, Long Beach with a major in Human Development and a minor in Communication Studies. Once she graduated college, she and her family moved to Arizona in 2015. Ashley has worked for several non-profits over the last 7 years where she’s worked with unaccompanied minors in short term shelters, licensed and trained foster parents through an adoption agency, and now works at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project (FIRRP) in the Children’s Program where she collaborates with other passionate advocates to provide free legal services to unaccompanied minors in the state of Arizona. Ashley accepted a position at FIRRP as a Managing Legal Assistant in 2021. She currently manages a team of bright legal assistants who do amazing work. Ashley is passionate about advocating for those whose voices may not always be heard and for those in underserved communities. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring Arizona’s beautiful landscapes, cooking, caring for her indoor plants, and spending time with her partner and three fur children.
Cesar Lopez
Cesar works to build spaces for community members to collaborate and grow together as director and co-facilitator of SEEDS Community Agriculture in Nogales.SEEDS is developing the SEEDS farm for community engagement and education, developing local school garden programs and creating an agricultural apprentice program at Santa Cruz Farm. He was a participant in the last cohort of the Community Leadership Accelerator where he learned valuable skills in personal and organizational empowerment. As part of the CLA teaching team he hopes to continue learning and supporting personal and collective growth.
Emmanuel Morales
Born, raised and well rooted in the Sonoran Desert, Emmanuel finds inspiration in creating resilient communities via regenerative design practices, community healing and cohesion, culturally appropriate food systems and self-determination. A core member of the Flowers and Bullets Collective, the Language Justice Collective and former core member of the Tucson Cooperative Network. This, along with over ten years of service in building capacity in the community, has helped him develop abilities such as clear communication, patience, deep listening with empathy, meeting facilitation and Spanish interpretation. A founding member of the Tucson Rainwater Harvesting Cooperative, the first immigrant-owned and immigrant-led cooperative business in Arizona that will serve as a model for empowerment. has now helped him gain real-life understanding of the different challenges and tools necessary for creating egalitarian and resilient structures for the benefit of the collective. Some of these being collective decision-making, transformative justice practices, active listening, developing a mission, vision, values and supporting emergent community leaders.
With a personal mission to cultivate skills that support immigrant and indigenous communities in their efforts to attain food sovereignty, land access and economic prosperity, it is equally important to him to regenerate the health and biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert. Certified in permaculture, Indigenous sustainable communities design, water harvesting and soil food web research he brings a unique lens of land stewardship that honors nature as it nourishes the body and spirit of those living in it. Currently working at the community food bank of southern Arizona in coordinating and supporting a cooperative and vibrant network of small farmers and backyard growers.
Medina Dixon
Medina brings over 15 years of working in Human Services field, as a medical assistant, Intake Specialist, Resources Specialist and Coordinated Entry Lead, and now the program Manager over Entry Point and Diversion Services for The Human Services Campus in Phoenix. Medina has been an integral partner in creating and expanding resources and trainings to not only staff but to partner agencies throughout Maricopa County. Medina’s expanded knowledge along with her ability to work with the homeless population has gotten her praise and recognition throughout the valley and state. Medina Graduated Magna Cum Laude receiving an Associate Degree as a Medical Assistant from Everest College in Phoenix Arizona. She as trainings and certifications in Racial Equity, Violence Interruption, Domestic Violence, Respect in the work place: Diversity, Inclusion, and bullying. Motivational Interviewing, Conflict Resolution, Effective Communication, Mental health and First Aid, Effective Decision Making, Trama-informed Care, Leadership for New and Mid-Level Managers and Organizational Bias and Discrimination.
Bryn Jones, MA, JD, CPIC, CEQA
Bryn (she/her) helps individuals, leaders, and organizations build momentum for change in their lives, organizations, and communities. In doing so, she draws on her background in social justice and conservation work, an education in law and policy, professional training and certification in coaching, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and facilitation, a long career as a leader in the nonprofit sector, and from a desire to help build compassionate, healthy and resilient communities. Through coaching, consulting, facilitating, and thought leadership, she helps people and organizations lead and live with intention, wisdom and heart. She is also a mother of two little boys who give her the incentive to live up to the person they believe her to be and be an active agent for positive change in the world.
Sarah Griffiths, MFA, PCC, CEQP
Sarah has been working as a consultant and coach for 20 years. She is a facilitator of change who works at the systems, organization, and individual levels to design, facilitate, and support change processes. She draws on her knowledge of strengths-based approaches to change and her background in education, whole systems facilitation, professional development and non-profit organizational development. Sarah is also a professional certified coach and EQ Practitioner. She co-created the Community Leadership Accelerator with Bryn. She is the mother of two grown children and has recently relocated from Tucson, where she spent the last 17 years, to Edinburgh, Scotland.