ALF Insights Faculty
LEAD FACULTY
Jenny Niklaus, MA, LMFT
Jenny began her career at Community Solutions with women and children who were victims of violence, continuing that work for a decade, first with the YWCA of Santa Clara County and then Support Network for Battered Women. After having a tremendous impact in the field of ending violence against women and children, Jenny joined the leadership staff at Sacred Heart Community Service and Catholic Charities. This work eventually led to her becoming the CEO of HomeFirst where she led the agency for a total of six years.
Jenny is currently the primary facilitator for impact groups on race equity, housing, climate change and philanthropy. She is also overseeing the organization’s community facilitation offerings. Jenny is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XXIV.
Contact: jenny@alfsv.org
FACULTY
Shiloh Ballard
Shiloh Andrade Ballard is the Executive Director of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, an organization that works to improve the community and environment through the everyday use of the bicycle. She has spent 20 plus years in the nonprofit sector working for labor, environmentalists, and business, a diverse set of sectors that have helped to hone her ability to understand many perspectives. Prior to joining SVBC, Shiloh oversaw the housing, land use, and transportation policy portfolio for Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a high-tech business trade association. What Shiloh enjoys most is playing any type of role that brings folks together to accomplish good collectively. When not living life joyfully by bike, Shiloh expresses her love through food for people who deserve to be nourished and pampered. Shiloh is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XXVII.
FACULTY
Demone Carter
Demone Carter is an award-winning Hip Hop artist, creative catalyst, and non-profit administrator who works to foster equity across race and class in San Jose. Currently he is the Director of Community Engagement for Sacred Heart Community Service where he leads the effort to engage volunteers and change the narrative about poverty in Silicon Valley.
From 2014 to 2019 Demone was the Program Manager for the School of Arts and Culture’s Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI). In this role he was tasked with leading a cohort-based arts leadership program for arts professionals of color deeply engaged in Silicon Valley’s arts, culture, and entertainment sectors. Demone is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XXXVI.
FACULTY
Megan Fluke
Passionate and dedicated, Megan Fluke has spent over 20 years contributing to environmental advocacy and nonprofit leadership, leaving an indelible mark on the communities she serves. Megan believes everyone's ability to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles and create positive change. She saw this first hand in the campaign to protect Coyote Valley in San Jose, and she played a pivotal role in the effort, resulting in policy changes and the acquisition of 7,400 acres of open space and farmland.
During her decade-long tenure as the Executive Director of Green Foothills, Megan facilitated the organization’s strategic planning process, designed systems for strategic plan implementation, and documented the theory of change for both the organization and the individual advocacy and community building programs.
FACULTY
Akemi Flynn
Akemi has over 25 years experience working for equity and multi-cultural community building in Silicon Valley. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of PACT: People Acting in Community Together, a multi-faith, multi-racial organization leading grassroots community organizing for racial and economic justice.
Akemi is excited to bring her experience and relationships working with leaders from the non-profit, philanthropic, public policy, corporate, business, faith and cultural communities to serve as ALF’s Network Weaver. Akemi is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XXVII.
FACULTY
Darcie Green
Darcie Green is a lifelong resident of San Jose and brings with her 20 years of community activism and public policy experience. Darcie is the Executive Director of Latinas Contra Cancer which exists to create just and equitable access to health and healthcare for the Latino community around issues of cancer.
Darcie is a nationally certified Patient Advocate. Prior to entering the nonprofit and healthcare sectors, Darcie worked as a field representative in the CA State Legislature where she helped to address many public policy issues affecting the residents of San Jose, with a particular emphasis on access to health and quality public education. Darcie is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XXVIII.
FACULTY
Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews
Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews is the principal of The Prophetic Foundry, LLC, a consultancy co-creating wisdom, resources, and futures at the nexus of spirituality, healing, and justice. Most recently, he was the Deputy Director and Chief Faith Officer for Faith in Action (formerly PICO National Network). For seven seasons, he hosted the Prophetic Resistance Podcast, where he engaged a diverse community of spiritual leaders in conversations about cultivating communities of belonging and sacred resistance to injustice.
Rev. Mathews is a senior fellow with Auburn Theological Seminary in New York and the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley (Class XLI). He is also a co-editor of Trouble the Waters: A Christian Resource for the Work of Racial Justice.
FACULTY
Jason C. Reynolds
Pastor Jason has received multiple awards and recognition for his leadership from a variety of organizations, such as the California Legislature Assembly and the African American Community Service Agency.
Pastor Jason earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Arts in Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has also received a certificate from the Executive Education program at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Jason is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XXXIII.
FACULTY
Suzanne St. John-Crane
Suzanne joined American Leadership Forum in March of 2016, having been through both Classic Class XXV and the inaugural Urbanism Class XXXIV. St. John-Crane has worked in community media for the last twenty-four years, having served as the founding executive director for two community television stations in the Bay Area including CreaTV San Jose.
Suzanne was named one of Silicon Valley’s 100 Women of Influence in 2012 by the Business Journal and currently serves as Board Chair of ALF National. She has served on the boards of Rotary San Jose, the Silicon Valley Organization, National Alliance for Community Media and is the Chair Emeritus for HomeFirst.
FACULTY
TANJA POWERS
Tanja Powers is an executive leadership coach and non-profit board member. She has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, with significant leadership roles in sales, marketing and access. In her most recent role at Genentech, she led the U.S. ophthalmology business, launching the blockbuster Vabysmo and managing a +2B P&L.
Tanja has led large organizations, significant change initiatives, product launches and commercialization strategies. She spent a significant amount of her career focused on U.S. payers, negotiating product coverage and leading the account and marketing teams responsible for product access. Tanja has direct therapeutic experience in Ophthalmology, Virology, Urology and Gynecology. She is passionate about creating, growing and supporting high functioning teams and is known for her empowering approach and ability to collaborate across complex organizations. Tanja is an ALF Senior Fellow from Class XLII.