Gabriela Galicia is currently serving as the Executive Director at Street Level Health Project in Oakland, California. She grew up in Southern California the daughter of immigrant parents, in a predominantly Latino low income, low resourced, immigrant and people of color community. Through personal experiences in this environment, she came to understand the barriers and inequities that these communities face at a very early age. Gabriela is the first of her family to graduate from college, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in December 2009 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a minor in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Chicano Studies. During her time in college she continued to find her passion in community organizing and working to advocate for issues such as immigrant and workers’ rights at both the local and state level, and other issues and policies affecting the most vulnerable.

Since 2010, she has worked in different capacities and roles at Street Level Health Project. Prior to her role as Executive Director, she served as the Immigrant Rights and Empowerment Program Manager for 6 years, leading and developing the street outreach program, fostering relationships with the Oakland Day Laborers through growing and evolving community building activities. She has overseen advocacy and organizing efforts at the local and state level through participation at different coalition tables that advance the rights of immigrant workers. She pioneered and developed the now-established Oakland Workers’ Collective (day laborer program) that creates a safe and empowering space for day laborers and low wage workers. She has established long-term partnerships that employ innovative programming specifically tailored to this community that is culturally and linguistically responsive. As a result of her tireless efforts, this program has gained visibility and recognition, becoming the singular long-term city-recognized day laborer program in Oakland, and the only day laborer program recognized by the AFL-CIO on the west coast. Her passion and drive to continue to do this work is fueled by the everyday injustices that these communities face. Gabriela strives to continue to build a safe haven for the most vulnerable, elevating their voices and developing programming which places these impacted communities in a position where they can participate with efficacy and power.

Recently, she has had the honor to have been selected as one of 18 women to participate in the first cohort of the Leaderspring Women of Color 2020 fellowship program. The purpose of the Women of Color LeadStrong Fellowship is to elevate and strengthen the vision, voice, power, and leadership of women of color working for social and racial equity and justice in the social sector. Gabriela is excited for this opportunity to continue growing by participating in a healing, generative, learning environment.

 gabriela@streetlevelhealthproject.org