Judi (she/her) is a creative systems thinker and human-centered design practitioner who is optimistic about a more inclusive future where decision-making rests in the hands of the many, not just the few.

As Co-founder & Managing Partner, Judi co-designs immersive, accessible learning experiences with clients and partners to bring more collaborative problem-solving tools to individuals and institutions. Judi was brought to this work by a passion for turning theory into practice, and rethinking how public and nonprofit services are designed so that they truly benefit those they are intended to serve.

She brings a design strategy background in education and community development, over a decade of experience in social innovation, and a graduate education in public administration and policy to the work of CivicMakers. A seasoned facilitator, Judi has supported learning in diverse contexts, from graduate-level courses, to co-design sessions with women business owners in Kenya, to virtual trainings in human-centered design with municipal staff at all levels.

Judi is grateful to live, work and play in her beloved adopted city of San Francisco. When she’s not designing curriculum or nerding out with her clients about long-term strategies for change, she can be found doing the same thing with her friends; she thinks facilitation is a hobby.

Cristelle (she/her) is a planner, facilitator and community engagement practitioner with an eye toward transforming harmful systems and centering lived experience. She came to this work through a firm belief that those impacted by a decision should play a central role in making that decision.

As Manager Partner at CivicMakers, Cristelle guides project teams, designs effective and inclusive engagements, and leads collaborations with clients, peers and community members. She brings 10+ years experience and expertise in project management, public participation and collaborative problem solving across sectors with a multi-disciplinary background spanning urban planning, affordable housing development, nonprofit program management, education and online services.

She has facilitated engagements at many scales, from City Council retreats to large public workshops and intimate co-design sessions. Her work spans disciplines, from homelessness, workforce development, land use planning, active transportation, climate action planning, economic development, digital privacy and public health.

She lives in Oakland, CA with her husband and daughter. Together they enjoy making up new languages, singing songs, hiking in the redwoods, and impossible home improvement projects.

As Design Researcher, Leah (she/her) ensures key decisions are informed by those who will be most impacted by the outcome. Whether it’s for a project, a workshop or a training, Leah translates research findings and jargon to relatable terms and brings people in as collaborators. She is passionate about de-centering her role as a designer by creating meaningful opportunities for people to participate in the design process.

The human-centered design process can feel uncertain and unstructured. With 3+ years as a designer in the public sector context, Leah helps to chart the course from understanding lived experience to defining the problem space and identifying solutions. Drawing on her background in linguistics and organizational management, she examines the underlying structures, processes and mindsets that make the difference between intended outcomes and real impact.

Leah lives in San Francisco where she spends most of her time admiring/fretting over her plants, listening to audiobooks, and wandering the aisles of her local hardware store.

Brittany (she/her) is a third generation Bay-Area resident. She has organized communities within the Mission District of San Francisco for four years. Organizing with and for community organizations and boards such as USM (United to Save the Mission) and formerly with the Impact Hub of San Francisco. Currently she is the Operations Manager and Project Facilitator for CivicMakers.

Brittany attended the University of California, Davis, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2014. After graduating she decided to move back to the Bay Area as she wanted to focus her skills on advocating for and sustaining under-resourced populations in the Bay Area, specifically within the BIPOC community. Her previous and current work has focused on defining organizational missions and goals through larger group facilitations, aligning career pursuits with purpose, and supporting company development through administrational work. Some of her volunteer work has also included preserving the arts and artists within the Bay Area and overall advocacy work for BIPOC communities. She has also specialized in event production producing local events for projects such as MAPP (Mission Arts Performance Project) and fundraising events for La Diaspora.

Currently Brittany resides in San Francisco and in her free time she enjoys studying and celebrating her rich and beautiful culture particularly through dance and song. She is passionate about people and having difficult, and sometimes uncomfortable, conversations that help to build bridges.

Eva (they/them) supports CivicMakers’ public outreach, engagement, community-based research, and bilingual facilitation. They hold a BA in Sociology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and are a native speaker in English, Spanish, as well as fluent in Portuguese and French, and intermediate in Italian.

After spending several years working in arts and education, such as autobiographical story-telling with Latinx newcomers in San Francisco, toddler art, and youth murals, Eva focused their work on supporting San Francisco’s most vulnerable population: unhoused, marginally housed, and survivors of sexual assault. Eva learned anti-oppression framework, trauma informed lens, harm reduction practice, DEI, and de-escalation skills through their work in San Francisco at Hospitality House, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, Mission SRO Collaborative, the Mission’s first Navigation Center, the Youth Program of the LGBT Center, and San Francisco Women Against Rape. As Director of Community Initiatives at Clarion Alley Mural Project, they led an initiative of stakeholder engagement and partnership building, resulting in increased safety and a certificate of honor by the Supervisors Office for the fight against transphobia.

Eva brings a unique lens with their multi-cultural background, trauma-informed work, and experience providing professional development training in Communication, Gender Diversity Equity & Inclusion and Conflict De-escalation. They are exceptionally talented at ensuring that anyone who speaks with them feels respected and has a seat at the table.

In their free time, they bring music and drag art to venues in San Francisco and beyond, including Freight and Salvage and Stern Grove.

Kyle (he/him) has focused his career in operations, strategy, growth management, and implementation design. He has national and international experience with nonprofit and private entities, and is passionate about improving social and human systems. At CivicMakers, he is a Project Manager, working across a range of sector projects.

With experience in business ownership, grant management, fundraising, and program implementation, he’s gained a diverse set of skills while managing a range of projects and serving regional communities. Kyle has worked with city departments, advocacy organizations, social service agencies, and social venture funds to engage underrepresented voices in creating meaningful solutions that improve livelihoods.

Kyle lives in San Francisco and enjoys spontaneous trips, exploration in many forms, and expanding his music library through live shows. He believes the best things in life come through getting comfortable in the uncomfortable.

Julian (he/him), as an Associate in Operations, supports critical business operations at CivicMakers – this includes reviewing and organizing internal assets while providing support on a variety of internal strategic projects. He has a deep passion for helping people through communication, teaching, and understanding. He believes interpersonal relationships are one of the most important ways we can improve ourselves and the world we live in.

He brings an analytical approach to human-centered design. The combination of understanding people through psychology, while also using quantitative data to provide an extra layer of information, is instrumental in coming to the best possible solution for stakeholders in the program.

Julian was born and raised in San Francisco, California;  attending high school at St. Ignatius and college at San Jose State University. He grew up playing football and lacrosse, which he continues to coach today.

As a design researcher at CivicMakers, Chris (he/him) loves solving problems, is energized by ambiguity, and is driven to help design products and systems that empower.

He believes people, including and especially those who have a limited voice in society, should have more opportunities to shape their lives and what surrounds them.

Chris brings experience working with non-profit organizations, government agencies, and businesses in both urban and rural contexts – working alongside mayors, farmers, artists, engineers, social workers, cowboys, and others to help co-create products and services. A native of the Bay Area, he was also a long time resident of Green River, Utah, a small rural town surrounded by desert and sky, where he co-led a design-driven non-profit organization called Epicenter.

Originally from Daly City, Chris now lives in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond. There, he enjoys eating fancy croissants, park walks in the fog, and rediscovering The City after a long absence.