Our team designs community-rooted solutions that drive change — and build power.

Our People

Andrew Saephan

  • Andrew Saephan is a designer and creative based in Oakland, California. He holds a B.A. and a B.S in Landscape Architecture and Forestry with a minor in Sustainable Environmental Design from the University of California, Berkeley.

    He draws inspiration from the many diverse experiences and cultures he grew up with in Oakland, CA. His aesthetic and design philosophy often alludes to the rough serenity of the inner city – grass growing in the cracks of oil stained concrete streets as the sun sets in the still urban air against the skyline of telephone poles and apartment buildings. He always tries to incorporate this emotion and thought into his work. He aspires to contribute to making the world a better place through sustainability, design, and justice. 

    Andrew is also very interested in food, food systems, urban and natural landscapes. In his free time, catch him exploring the world through food and travel, one step and bite at a time.

Brytanee Brown

  • Brytanee Brown has built her career on one simple principle: people first. She is the person who is always thinking about people throughout every step of the planning and implementation process. She has had tremendous success throughout her career because she centers people, especially the healing of racialized people through the lens of transportation, arts & culture, and economic development. She has worked to create just mobility outcomes for communities, enact change that responds to their mobility needs and lived experience, and make government accessible for folks that have long been locked out of decisions that impact them.

    Before starting her own consulting practice, Brytanee launched several regional and local initiatives. She has complementary work experience in the fields of health equity and affordable housing and has led community engagement projects focused on addressing racial disparities. This unique experience has honed her ability to design comprehensive and crosscutting transportation-related programs, projects, and policies, build coalitions, and deeply understand how vital it is for transportation infrastructure to create healthy communities and connect residents to economic opportunity. She is a McNair Scholar, Next City Vanguard Alum, and daughter of the Black Feminist movement. She has spoken and moderated panels for the American Planning Association, PolicyLink Equity Summit, National Association for City Transportation Officials (NACTO), SPUR, North American Bikeshare Association, among others. 

    At this moment she is happy to be alive and free, feeding her entrepreneurial spirit, and taking care of her plants.

Damneet Kaur

  • Damneet Kaur is an Operations Manager dedicated to creating inclusive, efficient systems that empower teams and foster a sense of belonging. With expertise in operations, project management, and human resources, she brings a community-driven approach to streamlining processes and enhancing employee engagement. Her work spans roles in education, social impact, and nonprofit organizations, where she has successfully implemented initiatives that improve workflows, strengthen team connections, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

    As a first-generation Punjabi Sikh woman and poet, Damneet combines creativity and empathy to uplift underrepresented voices in every space she enters. Beyond her professional work, she is a passionate educator and artist who hosts poetry workshops and events to bring people together. Inspired by nature and indigenous living practices, she finds joy in helping others discover personalized systems for success. Damneet’s ultimate goal is to create workspaces where individuals feel valued, empowered, and equipped to thrive.

Jennifer Hayes

  • Jennifer Hayes brings nearly two decades of experience in strategic communications and program implementation, helping create tools and frameworks that embed equity at the core of every decision and initiative. She partners with clients to ensure program strategies, processes and communications are clear, accessible and impactful. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to thoughtful and inclusive engagement, Jenny works to foster collaboration, support community-led solutions and uplift equity-focused narratives. 

    She has worked extensively across the environmental, nonprofit, governmental and energy sectors and excels at designing large-scale engagement programs that resonate with communities and drive lasting change.

    When she’s not crafting transformative strategies, Jenny is likely planning her next adventure—40 countries and counting!

Katherine Stubbs

  • With a background in public policy, economic & business development, and community impact, Katherine Stubbs has worked in philanthropic, non-profit, government, and private consulting sectors, all of which have been toward her vision for an accessible, inclusive, and liveable future for all—regardless of zip code. 

    Her work has focused on increasing economic  opportunity, mobility, and visibility to low-to-moderate income communities  through small business support, grantmaking, and advocacy. While at The Alliance for Community Development, she worked to scale local economies by providing technical assistance, access to capital, and resources to entrepreneurs of color and immigrant entrepreneurs in San Francisco and Oakland. Previously, she led community engagement and travel demand management programs to better meet the needs of transit-dependent residents for Sonoma County Transportation Authority.

    She cares deeply about advancing transportation equity and mobility justice, particularly for marginalized communities. She’s excited to join emergent labs as an innovative thought partner and to collaboratively create more accessible and culturally-relevant mobility programs.

Ranjani Gupta

  • Ranjani Akula Gupta believes that strong operations are the foundation of thriving communities. She ensures that every impactful initiative is built on efficiency, sustainability, and thoughtful execution. Throughout her career, she has streamlined processes, optimized systems, and developed operational strategies to help mission-driven organizations grow and create lasting impact.

    Her experience spans healthcare, corporate strategy, and nonprofit leadership, always with a focus on equity, accessibility, and organizational excellence. She has led strategic planning, operational excellence, and people engagement at Stanford Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente. At Citigroup, she managed business transformation and compliance initiatives, leading high-performing teams to drive operational improvements.

    Beyond her corporate experience, Ranjani is committed to community leadership and advocacy. She supports initiatives that promote personal growth, family-focused programs, cultural education, and social connection. She holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration.

“You have to cultivate relationships with people who can see more than you and who can see differently than you, so that together your co-imagination becomes something that actually works for everyone.”

— adrienne maree brown