Our Team
Meet the team working to make California a more equitable, affordable, and livable state.
Staff
Meet the team
Kayla Acosta-Galvan
Creative lead
Kayla is a Southern California-based digital designer who began her journey with public policy while studying Urban Studies at Loyola Marymount University. She holds an MFA in Production Design and is certified in human-centric UX design. In 2020 she became involved in local housing policy as a planning commissioner, and since then volunteers her time with transportation advocacy organizations. Kayla is excited to combine her design technology and housing advocacy experience to make California a more affordable and inclusive place to live. She enjoys exploring the secret staircases of Los Angeles, relaxing in her favorite Costa Mesa coffee shop, and convincing her family and friends to go camping with her.
Muhammad T. Alameldin
Senior Policy Advisor
Muhammad T. Alameldin is the Senior Policy Advisor at California YIMBY, where he leads research efforts and helps shape the organization’s legislative and regulatory priorities. He leads California YIMBY’s long-term policy planning, including the development of its five-year legislative agenda. His work focuses on advancing bold, data-driven solutions to California’s housing crisis—looking beyond zoning to address deeper barriers to housing production. Prior to joining California YIMBY, Muhammad was a Policy Associate at UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation, where he authored multiple papers and helped influence housing policy across local, state, and federal levels. He also served as an advisor to BuildCasa, a leading prop-tech startup, advanced internship access on Capitol Hill through his work at Pay Our Interns, and tackled racial and economic inequities at the Greenlining Institute. Muhammad currently serves on the boards of the Casita Coalition and the Rockridge Community Planning Council. His expertise and insights have been featured in a variety of publications from The Atlantic to the White House. Outside of housing policy, he enjoys traveling, playing beach volleyball, and watching anime.
Saad Asad
Communications Manager
Saad Asad is a Communications Manager at California YIMBY. Prior to joining California YIMBY, Saad was the volunteer lead for communications and advocacy at the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego, where he led local grassroots organizing for pro-housing policies. Previously, Saad launched and marketed software products at organizations such as U.S. Digital Response, ChartHop, Utmost, and Quid. Before tech, he consulted on marketing strategy at a boutique firm. On weekends and weeknights, you might find Saad doing improv comedy, yoga, or watching theatre.
Jordan Panana Carbajal
Government affairs manager
Jordan was born in Independencia, Lima, Peru, and migrated at the age of four to Sonoma County, California. He started his career in public service during his time in college, where he interned in Washington D.C. for Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-5) and had the honor of also interning for Majority Leader Senator Mike McGuire in the State Capitol. After graduating from college, Jordan was selected to participate in the highly competitive and prestigious Jesse M. Unruh Assembly fellowship program for the Office of Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber. After Dr. Shirely Weber was appointed to become California’s first Black Secretary of State, Jordan joined the office of then Assemblymember Rob Bonta, now Attorney General of California. Most recently, Jordan worked for the Office of Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair, Mike Gipson. During his time in the Legislature, Jordan successfully staffed legislation relating to Health and Labor, served as the Consultant of the Select Committee on Infectious Diseases, and served as an advisor on several keys committees and policy issues, including Housing, Transportation, Banking and Finance, and more. Jordan is a proud transfer student from Santa Rosa Junior College, where he also served as the Student Body President, representing over 20,000 students. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Chicana/Chicano Studies at the University of California, Davis.
Misti Clark-Holt
Manager of Operations and Culture
Misti oversees internal operations and culture at California YIMBY. Prior to joining, she served as a seasoned survivor advocate and board member at the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. Misti managed teams, programs, and grants focused on emergency shelters, transitional housing, and the Housing First initiative. Her work has contributed to California’s efforts to combat domestic & sexual violence, human trafficking, and child abuse, aiding agencies in providing vital resources and support to survivors. Outside of her work, Misti enjoys traveling and discovering new destinations.
Robert Cruickshank
Director of digital strategy
Born and raised in Orange County and educated at UC Berkeley, Robert brings over a decade of digital strategy and campaign experience to California YIMBY. He studied the history of San Francisco in a graduate program, and taught at colleges in the Monterey area. Robert then worked as Public Policy Director for Courage Campaign, Senior Communications Advisor to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, and led digital campaigns at Democracy for America and Demand Progress. When he’s offline, Robert likes to sail, watch his son play soccer, and explore the West Coast via transit.
Maiya De La Rosa
Senior Distributed organizing Manager
Maiya De La Rosa has a unique background of communications, advocacy and grassroots organizing. Most recently, she was a senior analyst for the Strategic Initiatives team at Physicians for a Healthy California where she was responsible for strategic communications, project management, research and providing overall operational support for projects. Prior to that, Maiya was an organizer for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte where she collaborated with stakeholders, local elected, city officials, and community partners in her region to expand and protect access to quality, affordable health care and continue the fight for reproductive justice. Her work included developing a “first of its kind” local sound ordinance in the State of California that would prevent the use of amplified sounds within one hundred feet of health centers to stop harassment of patients trying to seek care in the city of Sacramento. She has also been a writer with the Capitol Morning Report, where she provided concise, concrete information about events relevant to California politics, collaborated with legislative staff to keep up with any changes to Members’ offices, and summarized state reports and candidate and committee filings. Maiya received her master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California and her Bachelor of Arts in political science and Chicanx studies from the University of California, Davis. Outside of work, you can find Maiya trying new coffee shops in the area, showing off her dog Tiny to anyone who will pay attention, and spending time with friends.
Max Dubler
POLICY MANAGER
Max leads California YIMBY’s ADU policy development. He holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA, where he wrote his thesis on local SB 9 implementing ordinances. Before going into planning and housing policy, Max spent a decade working in the downhill skateboarding industry as a photographer, videographer, writer, designer, and sponsored rider. He still skates. Max lives in San Francisco, where he has visited every single BayWheels bike share station.
Aaron Eckhouse
LOCAL and REGIONAL Policy Programs Director
Aaron Eckhouse has spent six years at California YIMBY promoting policies to create more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive communities. He now leads work on engaging pro-housing local elected officials and supporting better implementation of state housing policies. Before working at California YIMBY, Aaron was a traveling prosciutto salesman, a YIMBY volunteer, and an organizer on the Obama reelection campaign. Aaron lives in Oakland where he enjoys the bounty of California as seen in the farmers market, the beauty of California as seen on hikes, being near his niece, and East Bay Bike Party.
Nolan Gray
Senior director of legislation and research
M. Nolan Gray is the Senior Director of Legislation and Research for California YIMBY and a professional city planner. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in city planning at UCLA. Gray currently lives in Los Angeles, where he serves on the North Westwood Neighborhood Council. He is a widely published author, with work appearing in outlets such as The Atlantic, Bloomberg Citylab, and The Guardian.
Brian Hanlon
PresIDEnt and CEO
Brian co-founded the California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund (CaRLA) in 2015, which sues cities that violate state housing law. CaRLA’s novel impact litigation strategy yielded victory against Berkeley, lead to the drafting of SB 167, generated enormous press coverage for the YIMBY movement, and put scofflaw cities on the defensive across the state. Prior to co-founding CaRLA, Brian spent 10 years working for the US EPA and the US Forest Service. When he’s not fighting to expand housing affordability and access, Brian can be found cycling in the East Bay hills.
Emily Jones
Campaign & Coordination Manager
Emily started her career in politics with grassroots housing advocacy while a student at UC Davis. After completing her degree in political science, Emily interned with the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division in the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC, before returning to California to focus on California policy issues. She served in field management positions for several local and national campaigns before turning her attention to communications and campaign management. Most recently, Emily worked as a Public Affairs Associate with Dewey Square Group’s Sacramento Practice, supporting a variety of campaigns related to housing, land-use, water rights, homelessness, and more. In her free time, she can be found reading, playing board games, cuddling her cat, or exploring California’s natural beauty.
Matthew Lewis
Director of Communications
After a ten-year career as a broadcast and print journalist, Matthew moved into advocacy communications with a focus on environmental justice, energy policy, and climate change. From 2008 through 2012, he was Director of Communications for the ClimateWorks Foundation, an international philanthropic effort launched by the Hewlett and Packard Foundations to support global pollution-reduction and clean energy policy efforts. During his tenure at ClimateWorks, he co-founded Climate Nexus, a New York-based media and communications firm focused on climate science. In 2012, he was recruited to join Next Generation, where he helped manage campaigns related to early childhood health, poverty alleviation, climate policy, and clean air. He also co-lead the Risky Business Project, an effort to quantify and communicate the economic risks of climate change in the U.S. Matthew is a YIMBY homeowner who believes there’s plenty of room on his block for more neighbors.
Leonardo Madera-Zamora
data & development associate
Leo draws his experience from the non-profit and political realm. Prior to joining California YIMBY, Leo worked at American Leadership Forum – Mountain Valley Chapter as a member support analyst. During the 2018 California election cycle, he interned for Kaufman Campaign Consultants, assisting with NO on PROP 5. Shortly after, he interned with Sacramento Self-Help Housing as a community engagement intern. There he helped local groups to combat homelessness in neighborhoods throughout the Sacramento region. This LA area native gets inspiration and motivation from his immigrant community. He strives for a more equitable and inclusive California for all. Leo graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. international relations and sociology.
Gloria Magallanes
Project Manager
Gloria draws on her experience working directly with unhoused populations. After completing her B.A. in Global Health, she provided conflict resolution training and services to homeless and immigrant shelter residents in San Diego County. She channeled her interest in community-centered work in her past roles as a policy research fellow at the Latino Policy and Politics Institute and a non-profit leadership intern at StepUp. She is passionate about creating equitable systems, catalyzing inclusive action, and building resilient communities. In her free time, Gloria can be found reading, window shopping, or listening to true-crime podcasts. She holds a Master of Public Policy degree from UCLA.
Eduardo Mendoza
Metropolitan Abundance Project Research Associate
As Policy Director for the Livable Communities Initiative, Eduardo Mendoza brings a wealth of experience in urban planning and a deep commitment to equity and inclusivity. Based in Los Angeles, Eduardo has actively contributed to shaping cities that work for all residents, regardless of background. His involvement spans across multiple organizations, including serving on the board of Abundant Housing Los Angeles, and formerly chairing Inclusive Santa Monica. Eduardo’s expertise is grounded in his Master’s degree in Planning from USC’s Price School of Public Policy, and his hands-on experience includes roles in Santa Monica Forward, the Parking Reform Network, and the Palms Neighborhood Council. As a demographer, he has collaborated with institutions such as the Children’s Hospital Foundation, Lucile Packard Foundation, and Haynes Foundation. With a strong belief in teamwork and community-driven solutions, Eduardo’s work has been featured in publications like Cityscape and Slate Magazine. In his free time, you might find him advocating for transportation equity or engaging in discussions on the future of urban living.
Brooke Pritchard
Legislative aDVOCATE
As the Legislative Advocate, Brooke Pritchard brings a strong grassroots housing background and three years working in the California State Legislature. With a genuine passion for affordable housing for every Californian, Brooke Pritchard continually devotes her time in grassroots advocacy within the Yolo-Sacramento area. She has honed skills and expertise in the State Legislature as both a Jesse M. Unruh Fellow and as a Senate staffer. Throughout her career, Brooke has had the privilege of collaborating with diverse teams and mentors, from writing committee analyses to staffing key legislation to assisting the Senate Majority Leader on the Senate Floor. Brooke believes in the power of teamwork and collective effort to drive meaningful change. In her free time, Brooke enjoys visiting her local movie theater or finding new places to enjoy California’s beauty.
Gordon Singh
Director of finance and administration
Born in Guyana, South America, Gordon migrated to the United States, specifically, Brooklyn, NY. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Baruch College and then went on to get his MBA in Taxation at Baruch as well. His passion for doing philanthropic work, and concern for the basic human rights of human beings as well as for uplifting others is evident by his 20+ years of financial leadership in the non-profit sector including Amnesty International USA, the Food Bank For New York City, and Volunteers of America. When he isn’t working, he loves travelling the world exploring and experiencing different cultures, nationalities, eating local dishes, forming friendships, and trying see the world from the perspective of others.