ThinkPlace West is dedicated to the transformation of systems for the betterment of people and the planet, with equity as the driving transformation value. We partner with change leaders and organizations that are passionate about equitable systems and equitable outcomes.
Michelle Carrillo - Executive Director (Del Norte County)
Michelle brings 15-years of expertise in non-profit, philanthropy, public health, and academia. As former Acting VP and Department Director at Humboldt Area Foundation & Wild Rivers Community Foundation, Michelle adeptly managed programs and grants. Notable is her role in spearheading the Building Healthy Communities Initiative in Del Norte and Tribal Lands, showcasing her prowess in catalyzing change that leveraged over $70million in funds. Her expertise in incubating innovative initiatives shines through projects like the Redwood Region’s Climate and Resilience Hub, epitomizing her ability to drive transformation. Michelle's leadership stands as a cornerstone for improved community outcomes, embracing holistic approaches that span systems, policies, and mindsets. Michelle’s role with RRRISE a co-project lead, co-facilitator, and she oversees the whole project.
Dr. Angela Glore - Senior Designer (Del Norte County)
Angela, an anthropologist, brings insight into human experiences and shaping systems. Former Executive Director of First 5 Del Norte, she blends anthropology with community-centered design thinking. Joining ThinkPlace West, she enriched projects with private foundations, Tribal governments, and national non-profits. Holding a MA and PhD in anthropology from Washington University, her work on human/plant interactions, social movements, and belonging is documented in academic journals and conferences. Angela is the lead facilitator for the whole RRRISE project including training, meetings, and insight gathering.
Lulu Mickelson - Senior Designer (Humboldt County)
Lulu is devoted to creating just and compassionate communities. Her experience spans tackling racial housing segregation, uplifting women entrepreneurs, and facilitating inclusive participatory processes that honor community members as experts and leaders. With a background in human-centered design and grassroots community organizing, Lulu's work centers on joy, collective healing, and challenging traditional power structures. She has directed housing security efforts at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, managed COVID-19 emergency funds, and now aids community organizations as an independent facilitator. Lulu also engages in the Landecker Democracy Fellowship, propelling equitable policy creation and launching "The People's Dreaming Collective" to reimagine local governance. Lulu is a consultant and facilitator for Humboldt County and co-leads research and insight gathering in the county for the RRRISE Project.
Steven Williams - Graphic Designer (Oregon)
Steven, Visual Designer, Web design, technical support, research & development, project planning and management, professional training, video editing, virtual meeting support, capable of learning quickly and teaching what he learns, making tech understandable to people with low tech literacy. Steven excels in creating accessible digital experiences and is deeply committed to designing with differently able to create equitable access. Steven leads technical support, file management, and graphic design for the RRRISE Project. (Oregon)
Leslie Tergas, MFA & MA - Director of Practice (Wellington, NZ)
Leslie, President of ThinkPlace West and Global Partner, has 25-years in design thinking, collective impact, and innovation expertise. Advocating for equitable, community-centered practices, she amplifies marginalized voices, fostering shared understanding and transformational outcomes. For RRRISE, Leslie ensures our project delivery aligns with ThinkPlace West’s values and practices.
Jen Dalton and Miles Gordon of Kitchen Table Consulting, Inc. (KTC) - Facilitation & Engagement Designers (Lake and Mendocino Counties)
Jen and Miles specialize in food systems and sustainable communities. They offer facilitation, leadership development, community engagement, logic models, training, research, and technical assistance. Their expertise lies in community food systems, empowerment, and collective impact collaboration, working at local, regional, and national levels. Highly networked, they connect with organizations like the National Farm to School Network and Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Jen and Miles are consultants and co-facilitators for Lake and Mendocino counties with RRRISE Project and they lead research and insight gathering in that region.
Roda Cotanay - Producer (Texas)
Roda is a driven project management professional with 15 years of combined project and grants management experience in non-profit and higher education settings. Deft in multiple projects-coordination, multi-sector engagement, budget management, and communication. As a program manager, at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, a large medical and academic research institution, and in her manager role with the advancement team at a regional community foundation, Roda has experience in supporting overall project management with multiple funding streams from Federal, State, and private philanthropic donors. She excels in create systems, tracking procedures, and protocols for both grantors and grantees. Roda co-leads project management for the RRRISE Project, including overseeing scheduling, timeline, and deliverables.
Isabel Sandoval - ThinkPlace Online support
Isabel passionately advocates for innovative, sustainable solutions within complex systems. As former Studio Lead in Senegal and current US Studio Lead for ThinkPlace East, she empowers individuals and communities through human-centered design, bridging gaps and championing equity across diverse cultures. Isabel provides online support for virtual and hybrid meetings and trainings, in addition to providing interpretation (English/Spanish) for the RRRISE Project.
Dr. Ursula Bischoff - Senior Designer (Humboldt County)
Ursula excels as an independent consultant, fostering multi-sector partnerships for workforce, economic development, education, health, and human services. Her work advances inclusivity and equitable outcomes for marginalized groups. Her role in regional CERF proposals and partnership mapping showcases her influence. Dr. Bischoff's expertise in Human-Centered Design and agile development has impacted literacy, job training, and career pathways programs. Ursula’s role for RRRISE is co-project lead and she oversees the timeline and deliverables for the project, in addition to writing insight reports.
Jen Rice, MA - Facilitation & Engagement Designer/ Equity Catalyst (Humboldt County)
Jen bridges expertise in Organizational Development, Natural Resource Management, and community development. Her work in Northern California includes co-creating the North Coast Equity Coalition and The Redwood Region Climate and Community Resilience Hub, integrating conservation, philanthropy, and multi-sector collaboration for equitable impact. Jen is a consultant and facilitator for Humboldt County and co-leads research and insight gathering in the county for the RRRISE Project. Jen is also the lead facilitator for equity training.
Jordana Baron - TP Online support
Jordana thrives in using design thinking to tackle pressing challenges, focusing on equity, empathy, and sustainability. With a background in global health, product management, and strategic design for Social Behavior Change (SBC), she is a genuine and empathic professional dedicated to radical collaboration for a more beautiful world. Jordana provides online support for virtual and hybrid meetings and trainings for the RRRISE Project.
Nicole Ja, MA, PhD - Senior Designer (Berkeley, CA)
Nicole champions human-centered design and innovation. As an Executive Education Faculty at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, she leverages her background in developmental psychology, leading workshops on design thinking. Nicole empowers community agencies to uncover untapped resources, fostering positive change through human-centered approaches. Nicole co-leads research and data analysis for the RRRISE Project.