OFC's staff and dedicated interns work with dozens of partners in community-based organizations, along with deeply committed subject matter experts from our own community, to provide support, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ families and children in the Bay Area and beyond.
Mimi Demissew, MBA
Executive Director
Mimi comes to OFC with an extensive background in organizational development and strategic planning, having dedicated over two decades to sexual and gender minority advocacy in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Prior to joining OFC, Mimi led the Pride Center of Maryland as Executive Director, and helped launch a social entrepreneurship in 2008, on whose board she continues to serve. She also serves on the board of a smaller nonprofit that focuses on education and family planning in Baltimore. Mimi is passionate about aligning her professional skills to support the work of organizations that promote social equity and racial justice. A native of Virginia and longtime resident of Baltimore, Mimi and family now call Oakland home.
pronouns: she/ her/ all
email: mimi@ourfamily.org
Aidan Parisi
Programs Intern
pronouns: they/ them
email: aidan@ourfamily.org
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Anne Pinkney
Development & Data Coordinator
Anne is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College with a major in History and a minor in Hispanic Studies. Upon graduation, she was the recipient of the Hannah T. Croasdale Award, which honors the graduating student who has made the most significant contribution to the quality of life for women at Dartmouth. Anne found her entry point into the work through sexual violence prevention and response, and has since found deep meaning organizing as part of a mutual aid collective and towards collective liberation. Anne loves gardening, knitting, and being amongst dear friends. An aspiring lifelong learner, she organizes, alongside others, a collectively-led political education study group.
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pronouns: she/ her/ all
email: anne@ourfamily.org
Georgia Lewis
Programs Intern
Georgia is Bay Area born and raised. She completed three years of school at Bucknell University, where she studied Spanish and Sociology while also playing on their varsity water polo team. After her 3rd year, she decided to transfer and is currently between schools. She loves spending time with her family, taking naps in the sun, and endorphins. While she's not sure what her future has in store for her, she knows she wants to make a positive impact on her community and to never stop learning.
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pronouns: she/ her/ hers
email: georgia@ourfamily.org
Isabella Santoro
Development Intern
pronouns: she/ her
email: isabella@ourfamily.org
Jojo Wool-Baum
Development Intern
JoJo is a third year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in history and hoping to attend law school after graduating. On campus, JoJo is an executive team member for the student legal clinic, which provides underserved members of the Bay Area with their legal options. She also is a notetaker for the disabled student's program, is involved with the Berkeley Jewish community, and is active within the Berkeley student cooperatives, acting as a manager for the all non-male co-op, Hoyt Hall. Outside of school, JoJo loves learning about science, specifically cell biology, and can be found listening to podcasts, reading books, and caring for her pet fish (who recently had babies!).
email: jojo@ourfamily.org
Karlon Zee
Family Programs Coordinator
Karlon brings over eight years of diverse and direct community work experience to OFC. As a teen, he honed his understanding of power and privilege at the Social Justice Academy (SJA) at San Leandro High School. He also completed the San Leandro Teen Police Academy through the SLPD and received “Best Communication Award”; a year later, he completed the District Attorney Justice Academy (DAJA) in Alameda County at Hayward City Hall. In the Metro College Success Program at San Francisco State University for Child Adolescence & Development, Karlon was able to gain additional direct work experience through a semester-long internship through EDvance and Jumpstart.
email: karlon@ourfamily.org
Krystal Dawn Peak
Communications & Outreach Specialist
Krystal Peak spent the first 12+ years of her career working in business and technology journalism. The lion’s share of her time was spent writing and editing for the San Francisco Business Times and hosting several keystone annual business events. She helped launch the San Francisco Business Times’ first ‘Business of Pride’ publication, and worked at the Sacramento LGBT Community Center as their first community engagement and marketing manager leading up to its most financially successful Pride events. Krystal also spent five years focused on marketing, public relations and communications for high-growth technology companies headed into their next phase of growth.
Krystal holds a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University. She lives in Oakland with her wife and baby.
pronouns: she/her
email: krystal@ourfamily.org
Pauly Pagenhart, MA
Communications Director
Pauly, a life-long East Bay resident, brings more than twenty years’ experience as a writer, teacher, public speaker, editor, and program administrator to OFC. Across all their work—whether at UC Berkeley, or BlogHer, or writing online as Lesbian Dad—Pauly has focussed on strengthening understanding across seeming barriers of difference, and using authentic connection and communication as critical paths toward social justice. Pauly holds a B.A. in English/ Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.A. in American Studies/Feminist Studies from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Pauly has been an appreciative member of the OFC community since becoming a parent in 2004.
prounouns: they/them
email: pauly@ourfamily.org
Shareena Clark Ascher, MFA
Family Programs Director
Bio coming soon!
pronouns: they/them
email: shareena@ourfamily.org
Shari D'Aguilar
Family Programs Coordinator
Shari is dedicated to serving those who serve our community. As a veteran and queer POC, her focus is on staff morale and supporting all of OFC's teams.
Shari has helped homeless individuals obtain housing and employment as a case manager at Life Moves – Maple Street Shelter, and cultivated her administrative skills in the Human resources department of a Los Angeles-based insurance company. As Operations Assistant for Conscious Capitalism Los Angeles, she helped link socially and environmentally conscious businesses together.
pronouns: she/her
email: shari@ourfamily.org
Summer Wiseman
Education Intern
Summer is a 4th year at San Francisco State University as a Child and Adolescence Development major with a minor in education. She works for the Jumpstart program, which places SFSU students with preschoolers in low income schools for support throughout their school year. Outside of college, she is a volunteer at The Little School in downtown SF, working alongside children with disabilities. After she graduates in spring 2021, Summer plans to get her masters in Child Life and become certified to work in a children’s hospitals as a Child Life Specialist. In her free time, Summer enjoys dancing, working out, and exploring the rest of the Bay Area!
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pronouns: she/her
email: summer@ourfamily.org
Rick Oculto, MA
Education Manager
Rick collaborates with educators and school administrators to create safe and LGBTQ-inclusive schools. An accomplished speaker and presenter, Rick has conducted trainings for thousands of students, educators, and youth workers focusing on diversity, harassment, gender stereotypes, and other LGBTQ issues.
Formerly the Youth Service Coordinator at Billy DeFrank LGBT Center in San José, Rick developed programs that addressed LGBT youth issues and created the first transgender youth support group in the area.
Rick holds a dual B.A. degree in Psychology and Spanish from Seattle University in Washington and a Master of Arts Degree in Social Welfare at UC Berkeley specializing in management and planning. He lives and games in San Francisco and frequently visits his family in the South Bay.
pronouns: he/him
email: rick@ourfamily.org
Yessica Orantes
Programs/ Communications Intern
Yessica is a recent graduate from California State University, Long Beach. She received a Bachelors in psychology, along with a minor in child development. She hopes to work with children and youth in the nonprofit sector. Her professional interests include LGBT studies, and mental health. She has volunteered and interned for many organizations including the YMCA, where she interned as a staff member, and Step-Up Tutoring, where she tutored young children one on one in various subjects. In her spare time, she likes playing the piano, and spending time with friends/family.
pronouns: she/her
email: yessica@ourfamily.org