Sara was born and raised in San Francisco and has spent the last ten years in education and community-based organizations. She is passionate about social justice, educational equity, and challenging dominant narratives about race, identity, and language. She is currently a doctoral student at San Francisco State University. Her research includes critical mixed-race studies, teacher identity development, and racial identity development. When not at work or in school, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband and three cats and is a big fan of Bay Area sports.
SARA MARCOPULOS-RIBERAL
Keemia Shariati graduated from UCLA with a BS in Biochemistry and then attended the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. The Bay Area has always been home for her, so she is really excited to be back in her hometown of Walnut Creek and to continue building upon her knowledge and clinical skills at UCSF. During her pre-dental and dental school days, she helped establish and co-manage Dentists on Wheels, a non-profit organization based in Pittsburg, CA that provides free dental services and access to community resources to uninsured adults in and around Contra Costa County. As an NHSC scholar, she is super passionate about serving the underserved, including those with complex healthcare needs and various socioeconomic barriers.
KEEMA SHARIATI
DVA PANELISTS
Dr. Narlikar obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Stanford University and carried out postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School. She has been a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF since 2003. Dr. Narlikar studies how the folding and compartmentalization of our genome is regulated to generate the many cell types that make up our body. Her laboratory has pioneered the application of sophisticated biophysical approaches to study the mechanisms of macromolecules that regulate genome organization. Through these studies they are learning (i) how nanoscale molecular motors use chemical energy to cause mechanical disruptions in the packaged genome, (ii) that the smallest unit of genome folding, a nucleosome, acts akin to a dynamic receptor rather than a static packaging unit and, (iii) that liquid-liquid phase separation processes can help organize and sequester large regions of the genome. These types of discoveries from the Narlikar laboratory are changing textbook descriptions of genome packaging and suggesting new avenues to tackle diseases caused by defects in genome organization.
DR. GEETA NARLIKAR
Christine Wong, Global Co-Chair of Morrison Foerster’s Litigation Department, focuses her practice on investigations, white collar criminal defense, and cross-border compliance matters. Christine draws on her unique background as an internal advisor and as a federal prosecutor in advising companies, boards and executives in a variety of matters that present significant legal and reputational risk – including white collar criminal and regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and related civil litigation. She also provides ongoing compliance advice (for example, antitrust, anti-bribery and corruption, conflicts of interest, etc.) to corporate clients. Christine also has an active trial practice and has tried both criminal and civil cases. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, where she teaches Civil Trial Practice.
CHRISTINE WONG
Crystal, with 15 years of dedicated service at Morgan Stanley, has taken a courageous leap to follow her heart. She now devotes her energy to two ventures close to her heart: CECloset Family Concept Shop and Otelier, her minimalist skincare brand. Her unwavering determination drives her to personally select unique products for CECloset and create effective skincare solutions for Otelier. This journey underscores her commitment to realizing her dreams and delivering exceptional products to the community. She has also co-founded a female founder committee - Echoher, hoping to establish a community where female founders come together to connect and provide mutual support.
CRYSTAL CAO
DVA WORKSHOP LEADERS
Gina Mariko Rosales is an events enthusiast, self-proclaimed efficiency nerd, experience curator, and nonprofit advocate. She is the Founder & Chief Experience Officer (CEO) of Make it Mariko, as well as the Co-Founder & Event Producer of the well-known UNDISCOVERED SF Creative Night Market in SOMA Pilipinas. Prior to founding Make it Mariko, Gina spent 10 years doing corporate & nonprofit event planning, administration, and operations including 7 years working for Google, most recently as the Head of Marketing Events for Google X. Gina’s mission is to curate magical, meaningful moments for the community while amplifying the voices of creatives of color. She is committed to curating creative, inclusive, and diverse spaces in the events industry, to challenge the status quo, and pave the way for a new generation of event experience curators.
GINA MARIKO ROSALES
Tomicia Blunt is a cultural theorist and marketing professional from San Francisco, CA. She is the founder of Close Connections, a card game company that fosters connection and community through conversation. She has experience working in marketing across various industries such as Tech, Finance, PR, and the nonprofit space. Her work leverages data to craft narratives and create products that create impact for people and their surrounding environments.
TOMICA BLUNT
Dana Spencer is the Sr Director of Business Integration for the Learning & Skill Development team at Genentech. In this role, Dana oversees and leads the development and implementation of training programs and initiatives across the commercial, medical and government affairs teams. A healthcare veteran with more than 25 years in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, Dana is known for her passion for patients, drive for results and ability to lead change. She has won numerous awards and received the Women of Color in Pharma (WOCIP), Trail Blazer award on behalf of Genentech. She serves on the Board of Directors for The Genentech Foundation, Genentech’s private charitable foundation and The Genentech Political Action Committee as well as, Genentech’s Diversity and Inclusion Board of Directors. Dana is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of Northern Illinois University, majoring in Cardiac Rehabilitation. She received a Master of Divinity degree (summa cum laude) from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. Dana’s in-depth knowledge of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, along with her work in ministry, places her at the intersection of community and health.
DANA SPENCER
Christine Winoto is an inspiring and accomplished leader, with a deep commitment to transforming the healthcare industry through innovation and investment. As the Founder and Executive Director of the UCSF Rosenman Institute and Founding Partner of Medtech Venture Partners, Christine has decades of experience in operations, strategic planning, business development, and venture investment driving growth and success in the healthcare sector. Christine’s leadership and vision have contributed to the health technology innovation ecosystem, and she continues to inspire and lead with her dedication, intelligence, and passion. Christine’s contributions to the healthcare industry have been recognized by her selection as one of the most influential women in San Francisco Bay Area business in 2020. She holds an MBA from Erasmus University in the Netherlands and a BS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
CHRISTINE WINOTO
Provide Advocacy and Care to All (PACA) aims to amplify youth voices in advocacy spaces by providing them with the resources to launch initiatives that target issues they're passionate about. We host a summer opportunity where we have two groups of youth. Mentors, who are trained by the Leadership Team, lead workshops on project planning. Advocates, who are paired with a Mentor, develop project plans that tackle social justice issues in the Bay Area. We host a networking event during our summer program where youth can meet successful and accomplished youth advocates and learn from their experiences. We also host a grant pitching workshop where Advocates have the opportunity to present their project ideas to a panel of grant funders and receive feedback to improve their projects before actually applying to grants. By the end of our program, we hope that the youth we reach gain the confidence to use their voices to advocate for the change they want to see in their communities.