Facilitators' Bio Page Two
Laksmi Lagares’ purpose is to help people realize they are more than their environment or conditions predispose them to be.
Laksmi is a Civic Leader, C Level Strategist, owner and Principal Consultant at Lagares Consulting. Her firm supports impact and partnership needs of private and public sector companies, schools/ universities, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Her career includes; 15yrs experience in all aspects of Business Development and Public Relations within: Civic Engagement, Tech, Education, Social Justice, Finance, Advertising and Marketing. She is the curator of Application versus Theory workshops, which have been featured at college campuses across the U.S. including Mills College, UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University. She is a subject matter expert in Diversity and Inclusion with an emphasis on race and equity and her communications styling, crosses cultural and socio economic divides; translating needs to create strategy supporting mutual wins. Laksmi is a Hive Global Leader, Co-Director of New Leaders Council Oakland, a key planner of Oakland’s Breaking the Silence Town Hall; an initiative of Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw and the African American Policy Forum, acknowledged by the Obama Administration; and Host Committee member of a three part workshop series facilitated by Dr. Monique Morris, author of Pushout. Currently, Laksmi is a Business Development Manager at Cynergy Professional Systems. At Cynergy, she is building out the Healthcare Technology vertical with a focus on government contracts.
Laksmi is a Civic Leader, C Level Strategist, owner and Principal Consultant at Lagares Consulting. Her firm supports impact and partnership needs of private and public sector companies, schools/ universities, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Her career includes; 15yrs experience in all aspects of Business Development and Public Relations within: Civic Engagement, Tech, Education, Social Justice, Finance, Advertising and Marketing. She is the curator of Application versus Theory workshops, which have been featured at college campuses across the U.S. including Mills College, UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University. She is a subject matter expert in Diversity and Inclusion with an emphasis on race and equity and her communications styling, crosses cultural and socio economic divides; translating needs to create strategy supporting mutual wins. Laksmi is a Hive Global Leader, Co-Director of New Leaders Council Oakland, a key planner of Oakland’s Breaking the Silence Town Hall; an initiative of Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw and the African American Policy Forum, acknowledged by the Obama Administration; and Host Committee member of a three part workshop series facilitated by Dr. Monique Morris, author of Pushout. Currently, Laksmi is a Business Development Manager at Cynergy Professional Systems. At Cynergy, she is building out the Healthcare Technology vertical with a focus on government contracts.
George Y. Pearson, P. A-C, B.S. Founder and Host of Education is the best Medicine a 501(c) 3 non-profit that uses a combination of media and community forums to provide education and information in a changing world. He believes we can “provide light to a very dark world” and “if vision is the art of seeing things yet unseen we all are truly visionaries”
George has comprehensive experience in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic and acute medical problems in diverse/multicultural populations. He provides education, prevention and counseling with diverse, multicultural populations and supervises, evaluates, counsels and trains clinical staff. Specialty area of experience in ages 20-90yrs of age. George holds a National Certification for NCCPA.
George has comprehensive experience in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic and acute medical problems in diverse/multicultural populations. He provides education, prevention and counseling with diverse, multicultural populations and supervises, evaluates, counsels and trains clinical staff. Specialty area of experience in ages 20-90yrs of age. George holds a National Certification for NCCPA.
Stephisha Ycoy-Walton is a multifaceted leader at the intersection of education, finance, and community advocacy. With over a decade of experience as a licensed investment advisor, she holds six state and federal licenses, including those from the Department of Insurance, FINRA, and NMLS, and she has helped hundreds of families establish solid financial habits. Stephisha is the Director of Recruitment for Education Justice Academy (EJA) and a Financial Literacy Educator at The Freedom School in Deep East Oakland, where she teaches 10th graders. As a testament to Stephisha's commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders, she recently received the Rachel Willis-Henry award for Parent of the Year.
As the newest member of Oakland's Budget Advisory Commission, Stephisha is committed to being a catalyst for growth and stability for the city of Oakland. Stephisha, openly LGBTQ and married for over a decade, draws from her diverse background as a retired professional basketball player and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate from California Polytechnic University at Pomona, where she attended on a full-ride basketball scholarship. Born and raised in Vallejo, she now lives in Oakland, CA.
Stephisha's professional expertise is matched by her unwavering commitment to education and equity. As a parent volunteer organizer with Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA) and a board director for Education for Change Public Schools (EFC), she champions initiatives to ensure every child has access to quality education and resources. In her role as a financial literacy educator, she hosts workshops empowering individuals aged 13 to 65 to achieve financial independence. Stephisha's advocacy extends beyond education to broader social issues, confronting the reading and math crises, advocating for gun violence prevention, and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, embodying hope and empowerment for underserved communities.
Stephisha Ycoy-Walton is a multifaceted leader at the intersection of education, finance, and community advocacy. With over a decade of experience as a licensed investment advisor, she holds six state and federal licenses, including those from the Department of Insurance, FINRA, and NMLS, and she has helped hundreds of families establish solid financial habits. Stephisha is the Director of Recruitment for Education Justice Academy (EJA) and a Financial Literacy Educator at The Freedom School in Deep East Oakland, where she teaches 10th graders. As a testament to Stephisha's commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders, she recently received the Rachel Willis-Henry award for Parent of the Year.
As the newest member of Oakland's Budget Advisory Commission, Stephisha is committed to being a catalyst for growth and stability for the city of Oakland. Stephisha, openly LGBTQ and married for over a decade, draws from her diverse background as a retired professional basketball player and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate from California Polytechnic University at Pomona, where she attended on a full-ride basketball scholarship. Born and raised in Vallejo, she now lives in Oakland, CA.
Stephisha's professional expertise is matched by her unwavering commitment to education and equity. As a parent volunteer organizer with Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA) and a board director for Education for Change Public Schools (EFC), she champions initiatives to ensure every child has access to quality education and resources. In her role as a financial literacy educator, she hosts workshops empowering individuals aged 13 to 65 to achieve financial independence. Stephisha's advocacy extends beyond education to broader social issues, confronting the reading and math crises, advocating for gun violence prevention, and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, embodying hope and empowerment for underserved communities.
In Community & Service,
Stephisha G. Ycoy-Walton
As the newest member of Oakland's Budget Advisory Commission, Stephisha is committed to being a catalyst for growth and stability for the city of Oakland. Stephisha, openly LGBTQ and married for over a decade, draws from her diverse background as a retired professional basketball player and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate from California Polytechnic University at Pomona, where she attended on a full-ride basketball scholarship. Born and raised in Vallejo, she now lives in Oakland, CA.
Stephisha's professional expertise is matched by her unwavering commitment to education and equity. As a parent volunteer organizer with Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA) and a board director for Education for Change Public Schools (EFC), she champions initiatives to ensure every child has access to quality education and resources. In her role as a financial literacy educator, she hosts workshops empowering individuals aged 13 to 65 to achieve financial independence. Stephisha's advocacy extends beyond education to broader social issues, confronting the reading and math crises, advocating for gun violence prevention, and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, embodying hope and empowerment for underserved communities.
Stephisha Ycoy-Walton is a multifaceted leader at the intersection of education, finance, and community advocacy. With over a decade of experience as a licensed investment advisor, she holds six state and federal licenses, including those from the Department of Insurance, FINRA, and NMLS, and she has helped hundreds of families establish solid financial habits. Stephisha is the Director of Recruitment for Education Justice Academy (EJA) and a Financial Literacy Educator at The Freedom School in Deep East Oakland, where she teaches 10th graders. As a testament to Stephisha's commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders, she recently received the Rachel Willis-Henry award for Parent of the Year.
As the newest member of Oakland's Budget Advisory Commission, Stephisha is committed to being a catalyst for growth and stability for the city of Oakland. Stephisha, openly LGBTQ and married for over a decade, draws from her diverse background as a retired professional basketball player and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate from California Polytechnic University at Pomona, where she attended on a full-ride basketball scholarship. Born and raised in Vallejo, she now lives in Oakland, CA.
Stephisha's professional expertise is matched by her unwavering commitment to education and equity. As a parent volunteer organizer with Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA) and a board director for Education for Change Public Schools (EFC), she champions initiatives to ensure every child has access to quality education and resources. In her role as a financial literacy educator, she hosts workshops empowering individuals aged 13 to 65 to achieve financial independence. Stephisha's advocacy extends beyond education to broader social issues, confronting the reading and math crises, advocating for gun violence prevention, and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, embodying hope and empowerment for underserved communities.
In Community & Service,
Stephisha G. Ycoy-Walton