PWR PANELISTS & WORKSHOP LEADERS
ALIYA CHISTI
Aliya Chisti was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2020. She is the first-Muslim woman to hold an elected position in the history of San Francisco. She was born and raised in San Francisco and is a graduate of San Francisco’s public schools. Aliya is an educator, advocate, and policy analyst. Her deep commitment to education stems from her experiences overcoming barriers to pursue her academic dreams. She is a former educator and has over a decade of experience working in schools or on policies that impact schools. She also has experience in advancing policies to improve educational equity at the local and federal levels. She earned an M.A. in Education Policy from Columbia University, where her thesis emphasized the need for higher education reform to reduce the student debt burden on college students. In 2016, Aliya was nominated by the U.S. Department of State as a Fulbright Scholar to teach English and study higher education policy in North Macedonia. She holds a B.S. in Nutrition Science from the University of California of Davis.
ERINA ALEJO
Erina Alejo (they/them/siya) is a cultural worker, artist, and arts administrator. Centering care, cultural preservation, and anti-displacement resilience, Erina's projects develop long-term collaborative relationships with micro communities– from students, to families, tenants, service workers, and organizations. They work in grantmaking at Stanford Arts and collaborate with organizations like SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District. They are a third-generation San Francisco renter with family, and have work acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Erina prefers to surf at dawn, pending conditions.
WANDA M. HOLLAND GREENE
Wanda M. Holland Greene, currently serving as the Head of School at The Hamlin School in San Francisco, is a highly regarded figure in the realm of education. Her leadership is characterized by a mission-driven commitment to best practices and innovation in the education of girls and young women. With a career spanning 32 years, Holland Greene has been a steadfast advocate for issues such as mental health, anti-racism, and gender equity, earning her national recognition and respect as an experienced leader in the field. Before assuming her role at Hamlin in 2008, Holland Greene spent 11 impactful years as a senior administrator at The Park School in Brookline, MA. Her journey in education began in New York City at The Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School and continued at The Chapin School, where she served as a teacher and the school’s first Director of Student Life. Holland Greene's dedication extends beyond her daily responsibilities at Hamlin, as she actively participates in various leadership positions, including Vice-Chair of the Columbia University Board of Trustees. Her multifaceted approach to life is reflected in her diverse interests, such as Mary Oliver poetry, literature by women of color, SoulCycle bike rides, and travel adventures with her spouse and sons, providing moments of rejuvenation amid her commitments to the education profession.
MINA KIM
Mina is Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of ACELYRIN, INC., bringing more than 20 years of experience across a range of industries including synthetic biology, immunotherapy, renewable energy, and aviation. Most recently, Mina served as Chief Legal Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Zymergen, Inc. At Zymergen, Mina built the legal team including corporate & SEC reporting, intellectual property, litigation and employment, compliance, regulatory, public policy, and sustainability. She also led the company’s corporate strategy and business development teams as well as the 2021 IPO process and later sale to Ginkgo Bioworks. Mina previously served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and General Counsel at Atara Biotherapeutics, and General Counsel at Sunrun where she led the 2015 IPO. Earlier in her career she was Vice President, Legal at BBAM, LLC and General Counsel of Fly Leasing, Assistant General Counsel at William-Sonoma, and an Associate at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell. She holds a BA in history from Dartmouth College and a JD from Harvard Law School.
SALLY MATSUISHI
With over 20 years of nationally recognized work in education, Sally is honored to have spent her career serving marginalized youth and families. After earning and BA from Vassar College and her MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Sally began her career producing anti-racist educational film and TV. Wanting to be on the front lines of the fight for educational equity, Sally founded Next Generation Scholars. As its Executive Director, she created pathways for first-generation college students into higher education, wrote anti-racist curriculum, and created a BIPOC teacher training academy. Today, she is the Director of National Youth Program for Beyond Differences where she nurtures youth activists to serve 9,000 schools reaching 4,500,000 students across the nation. Her programs have become models for education justice organizations and schools across the globe. Sally is the proud descendant of Japanese American Incarceration survivors, fruit packers, and social justice activists. She and her family live in the Bay Area where they love watching Bong Joon-ho movies, eating burritos from Taqueria San Jose, and taking selfies with their two small dogs.