BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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President
Teresa Goodwin
Teresa Goodwin lives in Oakland with her husband and daughter. She is a Regional Director for HPA Architecture and manages the Oakland office for the firm that specializes in the design of industrial buildings. Teresa attended the University of Nevada Reno and holds a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. She is a licensed professional engineer and architect in California. She brings to uu previous board experience including serving as Past President for the East Bay chapter of CREW, Commercial Real Estate Women and as a current board member of NAIOP, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. Teresa will leverage her detail orientation and leadership experience on the uu board while staying focused on her personal mission to create opportunities to learn and grow.
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Treasurer
Sean Lindy
Sean Lindy grew up in an economically challenged section of Peoria, IL. As the only child of a single working mom, he attributes his success to the determined will of his mother and the family and community support she received. Sean received an MBA from the University of Illinois and worked for Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, MI. During his time in Benton Harbor, Sean was involved with several social impact programs. He was transferred to Brazil with Whirlpool, where he later helped create the award-winning ACE accelerator in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A recent transplant to the Bay Area, Sean brings these skills and experiences to uu in recognition of his mother and the belief that a well-timed helping hand can permanently change the trajectory of a family.
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Secretary
Candice Uyloan
After earning her B.A. in Marketing and spending much of her early career in Southern California, Candice has made the Bay Area her home on and off since 2007. Seeking community, she joined urban university’s Board of Directors in 2019 after discovering urban furniture & boutique in her neighborhood. Compelled by the moms’ stories, she seeks to leverage her skills to connect with the local community and support urban university by volunteering on the Fundraising Committee and serving on the board. Candice lives in Oakland with her husband.
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Belinda Jackson
Belinda was born into a military family and traveled extensively from birth to high school. Although not a native, she considers California her home state and has had roots here since the late 70s. Her entire career has been dedicated to public service, having worked a combined 43 years between Solano County and Contra Costa County social services. Her passion for helping others, particularly those experiencing poverty or homelessness, carries over into her personal life as well. Belinda joined the uu board in June 2024 and is looking forward to helping the organization continue its mission
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Herb Liberman
Herb Liberman’s career involved 16 years as a teacher, school administrator, and Superintendent of Schools. Herb’s business experience includes 23 years in executive-level positions in manufacturing, computers, printing, and office furniture. He worked 17 years as a consultant working with startups, small businesses, and businesses on a growth plan. Areas of expertise involve finance, loans for businesses, sales and marketing, human resources, and buying and selling a business. Herb has started numerous nonprofits and served on the Board of Directors of many nonprofit organizations.
STRATEGIC ADVISORS
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Rochael Adranly
Rochael Adranly is a visiting professor at Harvard Law School where she teaches Law, Justice and Design. She is also co-owner of Ikaros Greek Restaurant in Oakland, CA. She is a former Partner and Executive Director, Ventures at IDEO. She is, by background, a commercial attorney and served as General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer at IDEO for many years. She has been a lecturer at UC Berkeley Law, an adjunct professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, a guest lecturer at Duke University School of Law and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. Rochael is an angel investor, notably with Sequin and Greenwood Bank. She is an artist in her own right with works in photography, writing, documentary filmmaking and visual art (drawing and paintings).
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Dr. Hiram Santisteban
A transformative, culturally grounded leader with a proven track record of combining Western education, hard skills, and lived experience to transform intergenerational trauma, adversity, oppression into a profound force of love, healing, and strength. A multidimensional teacher and doer who helps grassroots organizations thrive by leading from a place of strength, values, and sound strategic vision. A passionate bridge builder who brings internal and external stakeholders together to develop strategic plans, organizational infrastructure, and culture shift to deliver extraordinary results. Demonstrated strengths in: Non-Profit Management Government Administration Strategic Planning Product Development Policy Analysis Program Integration Leading Diverse Teams Human Resources Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Conflict Resolution Reorganization/Restructuring Evaluation & Outcomes Compensation & Benefits Healthcare Administration Organizational Training Financial Modeling Risk Management Crisis Management Sales Management Cash Management Efficiency Analysis Information Technology & Interoperability Database Management Fundraising Grant Management Multi-Media Marketing Public Relations International Affairs Environmental Planning Indigenous Healing Practices
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Kim Yant
Kimberley is urban university’s retail guru. Armed with over 20 years’ experience in retail merchandising working in the buying offices at Macy’s West and Pottery Barn. Previously, she worked for Cost Plus World Market as the Vice-President of Home Merchandising, responsible for the leadership of merchandise development and procurement of furniture, lighting and storage. At a young age in Sacramento, Kimberley watched her sister and friends struggle through teenage pregnancy, poverty and domestic abuse. She saw that these young women would never find a way out of the poverty cycle based on current public assistance programs. They needed a program that could interrupt the cycle and provide them a new path. Many years later, walking down Grand Avenue Kimberley came across the newly opened Urban Furniture store. She began volunteering at Urban Furniture and helped to open Urban Boutique bringing her knowledge of business and retail operations to the organization. She is a proud advisor to the urban university Board of Directors.