OUR TEAM

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tauheedah Shakur

Tauheedah Shakur is a Black Muslim Woman that received her Bachelor’s from California State University-LA in Pan-African Studies. She has been organizing since she was 13 and she is now 25. Tauheedah is the author of a poetry book entitled, "Hide and Seek". As a child in the foster care system who has also been affected by mass incarceration, her poetry about the War on Drugs was her way of making sense of the world.

Jose Gallegos

Currently incarcerated, but that does not define Jose. He is a talented, LA-based organizer, writer, artist, and advocate for the rights of system-impacted people, young people, and low-income communities of color.

Felicia Carbajal

Felicia (they/their/theirs) is a Los Angeles-based queer Latinx organizer, strategist and social entrepreneur with over two decades of movement building experience within intersectional communities. As a formerly incarcerated person, they know first hand the failings of the injustice system and actively work to dismantle all systems of oppression. They’re a sought after public speaker and thought leader on the subjects of equity, economic development, marijuana/cannabis and intersectional community building. Felicia is the Executive Director of LA-based The Social Impact Center, and they serve on the advisory boards of Cage-Free Cannabis, Chama Roots Collective and Black and Pink. They love their wife, life and freedom.

Vincent James

Vincent James (he/him/his) is a Los Angeles native, cannabis advocate, and social worker for those without homes. For the past 3 years, he has been providing emergency medical attention and supervision to the unhoused. He has participated in numerous community give-aways and food drives, as well as other initiatives to combat poverty. The Cage-Free project furthers his fight for criminal justice and drug policy reforms, which are some of the leading causes of poverty today.

Adam Vine

Adam Vine (he/his/him) co-founded Cage-Free Cannabis and its non-profit arm, Cage-Free Repair. The Cage-Free project builds on his career at the intersection of advocacy, media, and politics. Criminal justice reform and drug policy reform have been his core areas of focus since 2012. He has coordinated youth-led protests in Los Angeles, mentored high school students in Washington, DC, and produced campaign ads for non-profits and progressive candidates, among other things. He's been a cannabis consumer and patient for more than 20 years.

Andrew Epstein

Andrew Epstein (he/his/him) has been an activist and organizer against the War on Drugs for over 20 years. He has volunteered at needle exchange centers in New England, reported on the effects of Plan Colombia in rural Colombia, served on the board of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, and helped establish National Expungement Works. Andrew has always seen art and media as a way of commenting and combatting long held stigmas about Drug Users. While attending Amherst College in 2001 Andrew conceived of "The Day of No Joe" to draw attention to the hypocrisy of America's drug laws and consumer habits. Andrew currently produces content for TV & Film and has produced media in support of marijuana decriminalization, voting rights, and gun violence prevention.

Savina Monet

An artivist and strategist, Savina has been involved in large-scale projects influencing change for social justice in the cannabis industry. As co-founder and executive director of Cannabis Workers Coalition, Savina is responsible for the vision, strategy, and fundraising efforts for CWC as it expands across the state. 

Delaram Ahmadyveasi

Delaram is a first generation Angeleno, who, for over a decade, has worked as an organizer, lobbyist, and representative for humanitarian causes, ranging from local to international campaigns. Her professional experience beyond the community expands to working in finance, operations, nonprofits, academia, corporations, and cooperatives. As a native of Los Angeles, she spends her free time creating community programming and taking adventures into the wilderness.

Traz Co

Traz Co is a dedicated and community-driven individual with a strong focus on operational excellence and strategic planning. With almost 7 years of experience in the cannabis industry, Traz brings unparalleled skills and a diverse set of expertise. They currently serve as the Operations Manager at Cage Free Co-Op, where they spearhead the organization's processes to ensure efficiency and growth. 

Our founders ascribe to the values expressed by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), and we continually strive to hold ourselves accountable to communities of color and other grassroots organizations grounded in those communities. 

About SURJ:

SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability.

SURJ’s role as part of a multi-racial movement is to undermine white support for white supremacy and to help build a racially just society.

That work cannot be done in isolation from or disconnected from the powerful leadership of communities of color. It is one part of a multi-racial, cross-class movement centering people of color leadership.

Therefore, SURJ believes in resourcing organizing led by people of color, and maintaining strong accountability relationships with organizers and communities of color as central part of our theory of change.

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