Meet The Staff
Jason Stroman
Jason Stroman is a counseling specialist with over 30 years of experience inspiring future leaders through various professional and volunteer positions. Prior to mentoring staff and program participants, fostering community partnerships, organizing TBF programming and facilitating collaborations, Jason spent several years as a Senior Technician for QuantumClean Global Technologies, a leading process tool and parts cleaning provider for the semiconductor industry. As a mental & behavioral health counselor, Jason worked nearly a decade supporting youth in residential treatment facilities. Jason studied Psychology & Sociology at Washington State University, where he also played football and joined the historically Black Greek-letter organization Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Serving as Director of Education for the fraternity’s Oregon Alumni chapter, Omicron Theta Sigma, he previously served two terms as Chapter President during which time he helped establish The Blueprint Foundation. Jason is a member of Mannahouse Church and has served as a bus driver for its outreach ministry. When not working or engaged in community service, Jason enjoys cooking, traveling, exploring the outdoors, watching movies, college football, and spending quality time with family.
Ayanna Nance
As Workforce Director of the Connecting Canopies Program, Ayanna will focus on the economic empowerment, professional growth, and development of our future Black, BIPOC leaders of the world. Ayanna has a background in youth enrichment and civic engagement within culturally specific nonprofit organizations in the Portland Metropolitan area. She firmly believes in being the change she wants to see in the world and is committed to doing the work to get there. Ayanna is very excited to be a part of such an amazing team and organization and is looking forward to what the future holds for her at The Blueprint Foundation.
Voni Young
Born in Portland, raised in Atlanta, and back in the PNW—Voni is a mother of two who has always been about building connections, opening doors, and making sure people feel seen, heard, and ready to chase big opportunities.
Her background in business ownership and coaching has shaped her ability to connect with people and offer real, personalized support. She’s passionate about helping individuals—especially underserved communities—explore life and career paths they may not have believed were possible or were told they didn’t belong in. She is committed to creating access to workforce opportunities that lead to generational stability and longevity. She’s also dedicated to making sure young Black people receive the resources and representation they deserve.
Voni believes in being the change she wants to see. She’s committed to showing up with care, compassion, understanding, and representation—helping the next generation feel empowered to reach their full potential and do it boldly and unapologetically.
Mason Martinez
Mason Martinez (she/they) is a published Latinx writer born and raised in New York City. They received their BA in Creative Writing and Literature from SUNY Purchase. They are deeply passionate about highlighting their youth and culture through storytelling, weaving in the environment, and how it has shaped them and their communities. After spending a year traveling the United States, Mason found a home in Portland and strives to give back to the community that has welcomed them so kindly. In their off-time, Mason enjoys visiting National Parks (with the ambitious goal of hitting them all), hiking, volunteering, creating art, and spending time with the people they love.
Chea Liwaru
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Chéamera Liwaru (she/her), known to most as Chéa, moved to Portland, Oregon, to embrace a lifestyle that blends city living with a love for nature. She earned her BA in English from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which laid the foundation for her strong communication and leadership skills. Chéa's passion for serving her community, especially youth, led her to The Blueprint Foundation, where she became a mentor in 2022. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, painting, and exploring new hobbies like archery and rollerskating. Chéa is deeply dedicated to being a positive resource for her community and empowering others to thrive.
Marshawna Williams
Marshawna Williams is a dynamic strategist, educator, and community builder dedicated to creating pathways for youth and reimagining how institutions serve people. Rooted in Portland, Oregon, she blends her expertise in education, leadership development, and organizational strategy to help communities thrive from the inside out.
With a background spanning higher education, nonprofit management, and affordable housing, Marshawna brings a bold, human-centered approach to everything she does—whether she’s leading strategic planning workshops, coaching emerging leaders, or building sustainable systems that empower organizations to deliver lasting impact.
Her commitment to youth isn’t just professional—it’s personal. Through every role, she works to ensure young people have the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to lead, learn, and dream big. She is deeply invested in community, always seeking ways to spark connection, collaboration, and care.
When she’s not weaving strategy or mentoring, Marshawna loves reading (especially love, leadership and memoirs), hiking through mossy forests, discovering new coffee shops with friends, cooking soulful meals, playing board games, and dancing badly just for fun. She believes joy and rest are as essential to leadership as vision and grit.
A believer in collaboration, culture, and community care, Marshawna continues to challenge norms, spark innovation, and create space for joy and accountability in leadership.
Khan Tung
Khan Tung is an immigrant and refugee from Myanmar/Burma. Since moving to Portland in 2015, Khan has worked with the City of Gresham as a natural resources intern, Bilingual intern at Johnson Creek Watershed Council, Project Zero intern at Columbia Slough Watershed Council, and Environmental Educator with Portland Parks & Recreation and now with the BluePrint Foundation as the workforce program assistant.
Khan is also involved in his community by being the youth leader for the past 4 years. He loves working with youth, and youth development is one of his passions. He got his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Portland State University. In his free time; he likes to hike, canoe, stand up Paddle Board, and explore nature.
Lashay Gates
Lashay Gates has been a part of The Blueprint Foundation since she was a freshman at Roosevelt High School. Lashay graduated in 2021, and is now a Biology major at Portland State University. She also started and manages a clothing business based on the idea of loving yourself for who you are as a person and embracing it. She loves the outdoors and helping her community as well as being a part of a great organization like Blueprint. Lashay strives to be the face of a successful young Black woman so other young Black people can see a representation of themselves and know that success is possible.
Davineekaht White Elk
Davineekaht uses he, they, she pronouns and identifies as Two Spirit. Born and raised in Portland, OR, Davineekaht enjoys hiking outdoors, tending to land, and walking with their partner and little dog, Sunny. Davineekaht likes to relieve stress by making beaded jewelry and sewing regalia from their Indigenous culture.
In their junior year at Portland State University, Davineekaht is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Native American Nation Studies and Environmental Science, along with a certificate in Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge.
Davineekaht serves on the Metro Equity Advisory Committee (EAC) and the Northwest Indigenous Food Sovereignty Alliance (NIFSA). They have graduated from the Center for Diversity and Environment Leadership Program with over four years of experience in environmental education. Their work experiences have deepened their commitment to advocating for BIPOC communities within the environmental sector, and they believe that everyone should have access to the outdoors and opportunities to learn from nature.
Davineekaht brings their cultural ecological and restoration knowledge. They are passionate about protecting the environment for future generations and encouraging sustainable stewardship practices while deepening our connection to Mother Earth.
Joshua Joseph
My name is Josh, also go by Jay. Either works for me and my journey with Blueprint began when I was 15 and have been involved ever since. It is amazing to see and acknowledge the growth of this organization and it feels like both a full circle and an honor to get the opportunity to pay it forward to the next generation. When I am not with Blueprint, I enjoy spending my time at the gym playing basketball, taking long walks or going on a nice hike, or playing the bass. Looking forward to my personal development with Blueprint as well as witnessing the upward trajectory of an organization.
Caylah Dillard
Caylah (they/she) is an undergraduate student at Portland Community College planning to major in Marine Biology and Environmental Science upon transfer. While growing up in Southern California, despite not having access to many outdoor spaces, Caylah developed a deep passion for the environment around them and understanding how we as people connect with and impact it. Closely witnessing the effects of long-term drought and wildfires firsthand pushed them even further, eventually inspiring them in their choice of study. Through mentoring with The Blueprint Foundation, they hope to be able to give the encouragement and guidance they were looking for when they were younger and first expressed interest in environmentalism. In their free time, Caylah enjoys traveling, thrifting, working on creative projects, reading and getting outside as much as possible.
Josh Cauthen
Joshua Cauthen is an Environmental Professional in the Portland area. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2022 after graduating from the University of Virginia. He has been a mentor with Blueprint since the start of 2023 and loves to see Black joy in nature.
Nicole Allen
With over 15+ years of professional experience working in the field of education as a director, coach, and mentor - Nicole Allen (she/they) has dedicated their life's work and mission to the service of people. Nicole's passion is to empower marginalized communities, as they are often limited in access to diverse opportunities to learn and grow. To Nicole, when we heal communities, we allow for a world that reflects greater innovation, collaboration, understanding, and ultimately abundance.
In 2019, Nicole stepped into the role of Rootworker and Healer, following in the footsteps of their ancestral heritage. In 2020, they started a nature-based wellness business, Through The Trees Collective (T3C), where they use natural healing methods to assist and mentor BIPOC individuals on their personal journeys towards healing and 360 Wellness (the balance of the mind, body, spirit, soul, and psyche). This looks like large, outdoor engagement events, ritual + healing circles, and 1-on-1 wellness mentoring.
Jamila Wilson
Jamila K. Wilson began her professional career as an Americorps volunteer with City Year Greater Philadelphia after graduating from the University of Missouri - Columbia with a BA in Political Science in 2001.
She moved to Louisiana to support the recovery and rebuilding efforts of New Orleans after the hurricanes of Katrina and Rita through City Year Louisiana, and later as a high school English teacher at John McDonogh High School in the NOLA Recovery School District. During her time there she worked with community organizers to serve as a founding adult supporter of the Fyre Youth Squad, an organization of New Orleans youth who advocated for better quality schools in New Orleans after the disasters.
Over the last twenty five years she's worked in nonprofit management, youth leadership development, and workforce development in green infrastructure. Currently Jamila serves as the director of Disaster and Climate Resilience with United Way of the Columbia Willamette.
Jamila’s passion for investing in human capital is rooted in the global liberation movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, “I believe in democracy for and by the people. The people must be confident in their innate leadership abilities and strive to restore a harmonious relationship with the planet and all of her inhabitants.
Jamila is also a trauma informed certified yoga teacher and currently studying to become an acupuncturist at the People’s Organized for Community Acupuncture (POCA) Technical Institute in Portland, Oregon.
Jamila’s greatest achievement is being the mother of a vivacious 6 year old superhero, Sofia EllaZora.
Gabrielle Liwaru
Gabrielle Gaines-Liwaru, a.k.a. Ms. Gabby, is a certified educator with a BS in Education and Art Endorsement from University of Nebraska and an ESL Endorsement from Concordia University. Ms. Gabby celebrates being a wife, mother, and grandmother. On her journey, she has been committed to mentoring and educating students in her home, in the classroom, in her teaching artist workshops, and anywhere in the community she belongs to. An advocate for social justice, Ms. Gabby has led sessions on art activism and civil rights/EDI education for youth programs, in Nebraska and Oregon. Additionally, she has coordinated art productions with the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, trained and facilitated with the Anti-Defamation League, worked as a facilitating consultant with Minnesota Humanities Center, and designed and implemented many youth and adult workshops on anti-racism/cultural empowerment. Overall, Ms. Gabby is dedicated to nurturing youth potential and holistic wellness for building a better future.
Sharif Liwaru
Sharif Zakir Liwaru is the director of Equity and Family Partnerships for Northwest Regional Education Service District (ESD). He has nearly 30 years of professional experience in equity roles, including most recently as the Equity and Inclusion director for Multnomah ESD and the Regional Director of Equity Initiatives and Partnerships for the Cascade Alliance for Equity. Liwaru is a family man. He and his wife Gabrielle have three children and a grandson. He is a life member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc, a service-oriented organization. As an enduring and dedicated mentor, he has volunteered in youth and community serving organizations for decades.