Inspirational Presenters
Kiana Simmons - What policy changes will Black Lives Matter protests bring to San Jose? (Joining us from Spain)
Kiana Simmons is the president and founder of HERO Tent (Human Empowerment, Radical Optimism) that was created during the global pandemic and shortly after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. HERO Tent sustains fighters for social justice and systemic change, supporting BLM, the 7,000 unhoused in San Jose, immigrant rights, and everyone neglected by government. HERO Tent takes care of our neighbors who need help through service projects such as Feed the Block, a hot breakfast program on Saturday mornings that feeds about 400 people every week.
Ander Etxeberria - What can the Mondragon cooperatives teach us about workplaces owned and run democratically?
Ander Etxeberria has been the head of Mondragon’s cooperative outreach program for the last five years. Prior to assuming his current post, Etxeberria worked as Personnel Manager for eleven years at the Ikerlan Technology Center, another cooperative of the Mondragon Corporation. Before that, he worked in a training position for seven years at the Mondragon Corporate Center. He studied Technical Engineering at Mondragon University (Arrasate/Mondragón) and Sociology at Deusto University, Bilbao.
Dominique Walker - Should homeless squatters have a first right of refusal to purchase cooperative housing?
Dominique Walker lives in Oakland where she co-founded the School of Social Justice & Community Development. After earning a B.A. in Sociology from Tougaloo College in Mississippi, she returned to Oakland in 2019 and became homeless while working full time. She co-founded Moms 4 Housing with other black Moms to draw attention to the shocking number of homeless families while hundreds of corporate owned homes lay empty. Moms 4 Housing started a movement to claim those homes for the community with the first occupied house being purchased by the Oakland Community Land Trust for conversion into a shelter for houseless mothers.
Nick Brana - Are third parties strengthened or weakened since Biden barely beat Trump?
Nick Brana is founder and National Coordinator of the Movement for a People’s Party (MPP), the rapidly growing movement for a new progressive political party in the United States. With nearly sixty thousand members and interviews in more than a hundred mainstream and independent media outlets, MPP is building a coalition of labor and progressive organizations for a nationally viable party for working people. Nick was the National Political Outreach Coordinator with Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. He went on to become a founding member of Our Revolution and its first Electoral Manager. MPP plans to run candidates for office in 2022.
Venus Jones - Local poet, author, actress, Mosaic Silicon Valley Fellow, TEDx speaker, professor & host of Soulful Journey transform our souls heading into 2021.
Venus Jones is a current Mosaic Silicon Valley Fellow and an accomplished actress and MTV intern. As a writer and poet, she has published three books and four albums. A former TEDx Speaker, she was awarded “Most Inspiring Solo Performance” at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. Her one act play “Race and War” is a workshop tool for courageous conversations. Her poetry app dedicated to Kwanzaa has been downloaded in 90 countries. Called “Langston Hughes in the form of a black girl” by his family, she has also served as a Professor of Communications. She’s the host of Soulful Journey and coaches empathic leaders who need to make an impact on the page and stage. Visit http://venusjones.com.
Human Rights Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award: State Senator Jim Beall
During his 40 years in public office, Hon. Jim Beall has been an innovative leader beginning on the San Jose City Council where he created the first Housing Department to fund more affordable housing projects. As County Supervisor, California Assemblyman, and State Senator he has left an indelible mark locally and statewide. Jim Beall served on the Metropolitan Transportation Committee for over 20 years working tirelessly on the BART extension to Santa Clara County and was one of the first in California to successfully pass a half-cent sales tax, to help build Highways 85, 101, and 237.
His landmark legislation includes the Santa Clara County Children’s Health Initiative; AB 12 extending benefits for foster care youth from the age of 18 to 21; Audrie’s Law and SB 926 helping ensure justice for victims of sexual abuse; SB 192 that created the Mental Health Services Fund; SB 1 that increased transportation infrastructure funding by $5.4 billion annually; SB 3 that authorized $4 billion in bonds for affordable housing and veteran homeownership programs; SB11 and SB29 to improve mental health/de-escalation training for peace officers, and SB12 to establish at least 100 youth drop-in centers to treat the mental health needs, regardless of insurance or immigration status.
Jim has been a lifelong champion and advocate for open spaces, green energy, healthcare, youth, low-income families, foster youth, mental health, immigrants, and the disabled. His hobbies including reading non-fiction and lapidary. He and his wife Pat have been married for more than 30 years. Senator Beall has two stepsons.
2020 DECKS HONOREES
Democracy: South Bay Progressive Alliance
SBPA is a diverse and inclusive coalition of individuals, communities, and organizations focused in the South Bay, particularly the City of San Jose. SBPA works to elect corporate-free candidates, to enact progressive policies, and to build institutions and a society that are based on democracy, equity, cooperation, compassion and sustainability. SBPA states that ‘We the people' need a fundamental shift from a profit-focused society to a people-focused one to bring social justice to our communities and true representation in our government.
Equity: Tha Hood Squad
Tha Hood Squad is a street organization, founded in East Palo Alto, with the mission to empower the community to protect and serve itself. JT, the founder, has run an urban farm to grow food for the people for 4 years, and to teach others to create their own sustainable food supply. During this time Tha Hood Squad has been essential in raising awareness to issues of police brutality, corporate sponsored police terrorism, the human rights violations of ICE, and the need for community to rise in power rather than be ruled in fear.
Cooperation: Smart Yards Cooperative:
Smart Yards is a sustainable landscaping cooperative that in 2020 celebrates five years of sustained results. The democratically run business advances collaborative and regenerative economics and promotes sustainable landscaping. It fosters urban biodiversity with regenerative, ecological, vegetable, and beautiful outdoor living spaces that imitate nature with functions, optimization of water and energy use, and many other benefits. Activist and environmentalist Elizabeth Sarmiento has been the driving force behind the Smart Yards Cooperative.
Kindness: SOLO Fund Volunteers Maureen Fox, Anna Santana, & Molly Madden
Maureen Fox is a retired lawyer and granddaughter of immigrants, glad to help those seeking refuge and opportunity.
Anna Santana is a high school Spanish teacher in the Santa Clara Unified School District and an instructor for the Saturday Academy Program, where she teaches migrants and recent arrivals. With a B.A. in Spanish and Sociology from San José State University, she was the recipient of SJSU's 2016 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award. She also has a master's degree in education and a single-subject teaching credential from Stanford University. Anna is a proud daughter of immigrant parents and a proud granddaughter of a bracero.
Molly Madden is the Founder of the RedHen Collective, a feminist, cooperatively owned wine import and distribution company. She describes herself as a singer, dreamer, cooperative-builder, regenerative economy facilitator, and duendecita traviesa. Raised in Montana, she hopes to someday live on a ranch in Chiapas, México.
Sustainability: Chris Lepe
Chris Lepe is the Principal of Mariposa Planning Solutions, where he helps communities and regions grow into more equitable, healthy, sustainable, and connected places. Chris has spent almost 20 years contributing to the advancement of social equity and environmental protection, including his prior 15 years at TransForm, a regional transportation and land use non-profit advocacy organization.