Esperanza is a daughter of East Oakland, California, and Black activist parents. She is the first woman of color to lead a 501c3, 501c4, and PAC collaborative civic engagement formation focused on mobilizing progressive voters of color in the United States and has built a solid reputation as a savvy electoral strategist, seasoned political organizer, and civic engagement innovator.  After working in philanthropy as the Chief Strategic Officer for the Groundswell Fund where she developed and led a $5.4M capacity building program for reproductive justice organizations across the country, she decided her leadership was better served at the intersection of social justice and electoral power building and philanthropy. In 2017, she founded Dancing Hearts Consulting (DHC). ​ After six years of leading DHC, heading up the We Count Oregon campaign, learning and redefining the power building possibilities of Ballots Building Power, designing and implementing c4 capacity building, and redesigning and redirecting dozens of social justice and philanthropic organizations, Esperanza visioned A New Hope Consulting.

Lauren is a people-centered and collaborative program leader, with a focus on developing and managing collaborative capacity-building efforts for grassroots organizations, grantmaking programs, and trust-based philanthropy as pathways to building power in communities. Lauren is a Senior Consultant with a New Hope Consulting, where she works directly with philanthropic organizations to support program strategy, design, and implementation, as well as with c4 grassroots organizations. Specifically, Lauren supports clients in strategic planning, landscape assessments, infrastructure and capacity building, grantmaking strategy, antiracist philanthropic practice, and power building through 501c3 and c4 funding. Prior to this, she served as the Senior Manager of Community Impact at United Way of the Columbia Willamette (UWCW) where she managed multiple fund programs, including the Oregon Census Equity Fund, a $9.5 million public-private fund to support Oregon’s hard-to-count campaign, We Count Oregon. While at UWCW, Lauren worked with community partners, philanthropic partners, and public agencies to develop impact programming across portfolio areas and bring UWCW into a central role as a backbone funder for the region. Lauren currently lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and 2-year-old daughter. She comes to Oregon after having lived in Florida and California, as well as for short periods in Central and South America. She holds a Masters of Public Health and a Masters of Arts in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida.

Jalissa, a dedicated community-centered organizer based in Atlanta, Georgia, thrives on nurturing, coordinating, and partnering with communities, grassroots organizations, and philanthropic initiatives. In 2017, she assumed the role of Vice President within her local NAACP chapter, while also co-directing the grassroots movement, Feminist Leaders for Reproductive Justice. Instrumental as a founding member of the Coalition to End the Death Penalty, Jalissa later played a key role in establishing the Independent Citizen Coalition—a proactive anti-racist group that champions equitable hiring policies within local schools and advocated for the representation of communities of color in redistricting efforts. Collaborating with the Social Justice Fund Northwest, Jalissa passionately amplified the voices and impact of BIPOC nonprofits in rural areas, ensuring they not only gain recognition for their essential work in majority-white areas but also secure vital funding. Her involvement in Climate Action stems from her endeavors with Resilience Hubs, coupling her expertise in racial equity with climate resilience. One of Jalissa's most impactful efforts included knocking on doors and rallying voters to support YesOn2 in Minneapolis—a pivotal campaign dedicated to transforming public safety. Through grassroots engagement and voter encouragement, she played a vital role in advocating for progressive change and community-driven solutions. Outside her professional commitments, Jalissa finds joy in hosting heartwarming dinners for friends and family, unwinding by the beach, or partaking in laid-back outdoor activities.