Who We Are

Favianna Rodriguez

Favianna Rodriguez is the co-founder and President of The Cultural Engagement Lab and The Center for Cultural Power, a national organization investing in artists and storytellers as agents of positive social change. She is an award-winning artist, cultural strategist, and social movement leader who has partnered with national organizations and progressive advocacy groups to design effective cultural campaigns. In addition to being the visionary behind the Migration Is Beautiful art and narrative, Favianna embodies the perspective of a first-generation American Latinx artist with Afro-Peruvian roots. Her art and praxis address migration, economic inequality, gender justice, and climate change, boldly reshaping the myths, ideas, and cultural practices of the present, while confronting the wounds of the past. A strategy advisor to artists of all genres, Favianna is regarded as one of the leading thinkers and personalities uniting art, culture, and social impact, collaborating deeply with social movements around the world. Favianna also helps lead cultural strategy design and investment by helping to organize the philanthropic sector, with a focus on foundations addressing gender justice, racial justice, climate change and cultural equity. Favianna’s projects include creating art for Ben & Jerry’s Pecan Resist, partnering with Jill Solloway to create 5050by2020, collaborating with #TimesUp Entertainment, and facilitating immersive artist delegations to the US Mexico border. She is a recipient of the Robert Rauschenberg Artist as Activist Fellowship for her work around immigration and mass incarceration, and an Atlantic Fellowship for Racial Equity for her work around racial justice and climate change.

Tara Dorabji

Tara Dorabji (she/her) is a writer, storyteller, mother, filmmaker, and cultural strategist at The Cultural Engagement Lab. Her work focuses on themes of militarization, sexual violence, and generational love and is published in Al Jazeera, Tayo Literary Magazine, Huizache, Good Girls Marry Doctors (Small Press Distribution Best Seller), All the Women in My Family Sing, Center for Asian American Media, Mutha, and Chicago Quarterly. She is the recipient of a 2019 Arts Commission from the San Francisco Arts Commission. Her first film, Here Still, a short documentary on torture in Kashmir was an official selection at the Jaipur International Film Festival. Her career is dedicated to amplifying stories that are often found at the margins. She served as the Development and Communications Director at Youth Speaks, Co-Deputy Director at Streetside Stories, Program Development Director at GreatSchools, and on the Board of Directors at Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation.

Alexis R. Posey

Alexis R. Posey is a social justice advocate with nearly fifteen years of experience in political strategy and advocacy. Alexis has worked on multiple issue areas, identifying the intersections between drug policy, HIV/AIDS, poverty, reproductive justice, and criminalization through a liberation lens. Alexis enjoys building community with Black women and people of color of all experiences through conversation, food, dance, and karaoke.

Alejandra G. Ramirez

Alejandra G Ramirez (she/her) is an Artist, Arts Educator, and Arts Administrator from Salinas, CA. An advocate for arts and cultural equity, she holds a Bachelors in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining Cultural Power, she served as the Engagement Manager at Intersection for the Arts, Co-Director at The Marigold Project, Community Representative for the De Young Museum, Museum Coordinator at The Mexican Museum, Special Exhibition Coordinator at the Monterey Museum of Art, and as an Arts Educator at the Museum of Children’s Arts and the Oakland Leaf Organization. Some of her fellowships include: ArtEquity BIPOC Leadership Circle Cohort Member (2021), New Leaders Council Fellowship (2020). Alejandra also serves as Program Coordinator at the Cultural Engagement Lab, our 501c(4) sister advocacy organization. During her free time, she loves exploring hidden gems of the Monterey and SF Bay Area, growing her pencil collection, visiting her family while they work at their strawberry farm, and watching virtual concerts because she misses attending live music events in person very much.

Krystle Edwards

Krystle (she/her) is an imaginative and inventive self-starter whose passion is strategic partnership, designing and planning for programs that ignite change and amplify stories. She is experienced in helping to develop and cultivate creative portfolios, experiential activations and engagement strategies that promote joy or empower those historically dis-invested and marginalized. Her analytical lens, imagination and desire to contribute to society have led her to show up as a visionary and thought leader with innovative ideas and ability to cultivate relationships and see possibility everywhere Krystle’s experience developing systems to strategically manage-community informed events, campaigns, partnerships, impact strategies and neighborhood health portfolios has allowed her to break silos, amplify stories of those historically marginalized, learn, and guide teams with generosity of spirit and strength of conviction. A strategic thinker, Krystle has displayed an ability to translate and manage both qualitative and quantitative business and creative goals; while considering capacity planning, process, systems, people, goals, objectives and KPIs. In her free time she designs & curates eclectic pieces that are a nod to her NYC, Black and Afro Caribbean culture, acts as an event stylist and planner, is DIY crafter and is a ginger and Hibiscus lover.