About Us

Engage to Change is a Black, woman and queer owned collective that centers voices of color, draws strength from indigenous wisdom and uplifts the lived experiences of BIPOC folks. Our goal is collective liberation and we collaborate to imagine and build a world that doesn't exist yet.

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Rakeem Washington

(he/him/his)
CO-OWNER AND FACILITATOR

I regularly seem to find myself at intersections. Intersections of systems. Intersections of identities. Intersections of ideas. I'm most comfortable in the pause that is required at any intersection in life. Trying to figure out which way to head next: left? right? straight-ahead? u-turn?

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I'm less comfortable with the movement, or the transition, so to speak. But over time, I've also learned that growth only happens in movement. We created Engage to Change to help others find their way into movement. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to lend my voice into spaces that help human beings push through discomfort on the way to new understandings and ideas. Anti-racism and anti-oppression work demands action. And personal growth demands the same. I spend most days in the figurative "Engage to Change Laboratory" preparing new ways to share ideas and concepts in the hope that they resonate with others. Recognizing that healthy individuals create healthy communities, which in turn birth healthy individuals. As a kid, NE Portland offered many subtle life lessons on race and I try to pull those life experiences into all of my work. Outside of the laboratory, I'm a proverbial introvert, spending time at home and with family--following in the action they lead.

Kasia Rutledge

(she/her/hers)
CO-OWNER AND FACILITATOR

I used to be really worried about doing anti-racism work with groups. I was terrified I would make a mistake, that I would not know when I didn’t understand something, that I wouldn’t have the right words to say and that at worst that I would do harm to the people I was working with.

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Then I started an exercise of writing at the top of my notes for the training that day, the list of things I was scared of. “People will think I am an expert but I don’t know what I am doing.” “What if I say the wrong thing?” What if I have to call someone out or into a conversation?” Then I would take a deep breath, root myself and think of the anecdote to my fears. And it was always some version of “Make mistakes publically and do it with humility, vulnerability, humor, and resilience. And then learn, give yourself grace, be accountable in community, grow and get back at it.”

Hank Lemley

(they/them/theirs)
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

My brain has a magnetic compulsion towards structure big and small. In my role as Director of Operations at Engage to Change, I utilize my love of efficiency and organization through behind-the-scenes work expanding the capacity of the ETC team.

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I believe that justice requires evaluating (and re-evaluating) the everyday systems we involve ourselves in and that justice will never be achieved unless our structures are fundamentally changed for the better. We must lead with race. We must lead with the big picture. Yet, we can’t leave the details behind. Outside of work, I consider myself a polymathic hobbyist, always picking up something new. At the time of this bio’s writing, I’m currently deep in the weeds with rock tumbling and manual knitting machines from the 1970s.

Vashti Nikuosokhan

(she/her/hers)
ADMINISTRATOR

My mother taught me to question systems, to question authority, but to especially question my beliefs and the beliefs of others. For better or for worse, she taught me that my character development would never be over. I believe the same is true for us as a culture, as a society. I am drawn to anti-racism work because it is not a given that we will improve as a culture or a nation, in fact, if we are complacent, we may slip back. There are many out there that yearn for growth but are unsure where to go next. Anti-racism work provides a path.

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In my role as an Administrator at ETC, I hope to better myself and look at the pieces of myself that I normally turn away from. I hope to aid the people I work with so that they may help others who also have some truths to face. I am moved by the kindness and openness of my co-workers. I am continuously surprised by their genuineness and their humility. Their care of others and lack of judgement is awe inspiring.

Outside of work, I care about the people in my life, and they are the most important part of my world. I seek stronger bonds with them and others. I love to travel, camp, hike, and eat things that scare me. One different thing about me: I didn’t celebrate my first Christmas until I was about 25 years old, and Christmas still makes me nervous. I guess I just never got the hang of it.

Vania Lucio

(she/her/ella)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

I believe that we can all grow, unlearn/learn new things and use past experiences to become better people. I am involved in anti-racism training because it is imperative to engage folks in meaningful conversations about their values, beliefs, actions/inaction and support them in paving a path through which they can acknowledge harm done, how they caused harm and how they can move from acknowledgement to being actively anti-racist.

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It is important for people to know that they can and should grow to not only be better but do better. What I hope to accomplish in my role is to support as many people as I can to move towards reflection on their values, beliefs, actions/inaction and acknowledge any harm they have caused or are causing. I want to help folks move in a direction of being actively anti-racist and truly taking a step back and uplifting BIPOC folks in the workplace and in their personal lives. What inspires me in this work is those of us (BIPOC) who are willing to engage in often hurtful conversations to support people in becoming better human beings. It is not always our job to do this but we are here because we believe in reflection, acknowledgement, growth and taking action. Outside of work I like to hike and be an avid anime watcher and manga reader.

Roberta Phillip-Robbins

(she/her/hers)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

I am drawn to anti-racism training, coaching, and facilitation because I believe that the pathway to a just society is through individual work and increased self-awareness. Try as I might to dismantle and re-orient systems through an equity-driven approach to public policy work, my life experience has confirmed that Peter Drucker was right when he said “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

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How we do the work is more important than the work itself, or why we are driven to do it. In my role as consultant with ETC, I hope to support folks working in organizations whose missions will manifest an equitable world where all people can thrive. I believe that honesty is foundational, even if it leads to messiness and confusion. I admit that I am inspired by that confusion because it usually leads to meaningful growth, which, if supported, can unlock systemic change.

I am first and foremost a scientist, a passion that led me to teach high school Biology and Chemistry before attending law school. My love of science shows up all the time, in the form of fascination and deep respect for the natural world, something I love to share with my two young daughters.

Chris Williams

(he/him/his)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

I am a lover of stories. The work that ETC does aligns with my core beliefs about myself and the world I choose to be a part of. Antiracism work is a part of my story and I believe this work has become increasingly relevant and important in this fast-moving society we currently live in.

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I want to share my story with the people I engage with and I want the people around me to engage with me by sharing their story. By working with ETC I hope to help create an environment where people can learn from the experiences of others and understand just how deeply connected we all are to each other, how our stories are all connected. This is why I incorporate the power of storytelling into everything I do. I am inspired by anyone who is brave and secure enough to reflect and make course corrections when necessary in their lives and inside of their communities. I also love to laugh and have a rich depth of appreciation and respect for humorous individuals. I am 1/3 of the improv group Broke Gravy and I also coach individuals and lead group workshops centered around storytelling and community building.

Briana Linden

(she/they)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

I love learning. My path has had all kinds of wild detours and spin-offs but at the core was learning. The reason I engage in anti-racism work is because I want to learn more. About myself—my own responses and inner culture—but more fervently I want to learn from others, from other stories, from other perspectives. From folks and movements that are pushing us towards a more interesting, more diverse, more connected, more authentic future.

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The white privilege I benefit from keeps me safe but it also keeps me, and all of us, in the dark. We lose out on BIPOC joy and wisdom. We lose out on innovation and leadership from those who will change this world for the better. I’ve worked in the arts and with arts education non-profits and schools for the past 25 years. I’ve seen that when we reimagine archaic ways of doing things so that they can include and celebrate all people, it’s better for all— not just those who haven’t been given the opportunity to shine, but all of us. In my role as a facilitator and consultant for ETC, I hope to bolster the love of learning that is inherent in us all to support the important work of grappling with oppression so that we can create a brighter, liberated future, together.
This love of learning comes in handy when I’m exploring the woods or imagining far away places with my two curious and spirited children. The act of parenting has been my greatest teacher so far.

Hugo Gonzalez Venegas

(he/him/él)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Robin Eisenbach

(she/her/hers)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Ever since I was a child, I always asked Why? Why is this like this? This inquisitiveness has manifested into a desire to never stop learning and growing as a human. In my current role as an attorney for a non-profit in New York, I assist children arriving alone at the US Border seeking asylum, but more importantly, listening to the stories of these kids and asking why they are arriving at the border alone.

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I am lucky to have been facilitating large and small group workshops for eighteen years. Facilitation has taken me all across the country, and I am very thankful for that. I have been leading conversations on equity and inclusion for the last fifteen years. Familial experiences of marginalization, a deep value of justice, and my commitment to service drive me in this work.

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I am dedicated to having conversations about race and anti-racism across political-difference that are nuanced and complex, and I believe that our ability to reach one another “across the aisle” is critical to our ability to collectively heal and thrive.

When I am not working, you can find me volunteering for Clackamas County’s Search and Rescue team and practicing jiu jitsu at 10th Planet Portland. I also love to take pictures, see live comedy shows, and spend time with my friends and family.

Want to join the team?

Tell us about your experience and learn about the opportunities we have available.

Employment

Engage to Change is a Black, woman and queer owned collective that centers voices of color, draws strength from indigenous wisdom and uplifts the lived experiences of BIPOC folks. Our goal is collective liberation and we collaborate to imagine and build a world that doesn't exist yet.

Rakeem Washington

(he/him/his) CO-OWNER AND FACILITATOR

Kasia Rutledge

(she/her/hers) CO-OWNER AND FACILITATOR

Hank Lemley

(they/them/theirs) DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Vashti Nikuosokhan

(she/her/hers) ADMINISTRATOR

Vania Lucio

(she/her/ella) CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Roberta Phillip-Robbins

(she/her/hers) CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Chris Williams

(he/him/his) CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Briana Linden

(she/they) CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Hugo Gonzalez Venegas

(he/him/él) CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Robin Eisenbach

(she/her/hers) CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

Want to join the team?

(he/him/his)
CO-OWNER AND FACILITATOR

(she/her/hers)
CO-OWNER AND FACILITATOR

(they/them/theirs)
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

(she/her/hers)
ADMINISTRATOR

(she/her/ella)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

(she/her/hers)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

(he/him/his)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

(she/they)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

(he/him/él)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR

(she/her/hers)
CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR