Meet the XC Team
Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Zen priest, Rōshi | founder & senior fellow
Called “the most intriguing African-American Buddhist” by Library Journal, Rev. angel Kyodo williams was made for these times. She has been bridging the worlds of transformation and justice since her critically acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace was hailed as “an act of love” by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, and “a classic” by Buddhist pioneer Jack Kornfield.
Her work, Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love & Liberation, is igniting communities to have conversations necessary to become more awake and aware of what hinders liberation of self and society. Rev. angel applies wisdom teachings, embodied practice, and is a leading voice for Transformative Social Change. Known for her willingness to sit with and speak uncomfortable truths with love. Rev. angel notes, “Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters”.
KG Martinez | they, them | chief of strategy
KG is well-seasoned in the cultivation of transformative team culture and human eco-systems. They have 10+ years in organizational development, strategic planning, organizing, coaching and supervision, and project management. Their commitment to generative emergence draws out the juiciness in individual people who are engaged in collective work. This is the magic they bring to Transformative Change. Founder of Nepantla Navigations LCC, KG is a Colorado based movement worker, artist, writer, weaver, alchemist, bruja, mama, singer, gender non-binary mixed race/mestizx (brown/white), and nepantlera.
Amanda Grant | she, her | chief operating officer
Amanda (she/they) is an ex-college athlete, a seasoned brand and growth leader across corporate, political, start-up, and non-profit industries, a HeartMath™ Certified Organizational Trainer, Mindfulness Meditation teacher, and a Certified Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher. With an insatiably curious spirit, Amanda’s passion lies in cultivating exceptional experiences that enhance human potential and fuel societal transformation for the benefit of all sentient beings. In her spare time, Amanda can be found studying something new or somewhere in nature frolicking with her beloved dog, Tashi. https://linkedin.com/in/amandagrant
Simona Linda Coayla-Duba | she, her | executive assistant
Simona Linda Coayla-Duba (she/her) resides on the land of the Quechua peoples or Urubama, Peru. She is a graduate of the Environmental Studies department at Naropa University and enjoys weaving webs of community resilience and uncovering pockets of joy wherever she can. In addition to being Chief of Staff to Rev angel Kyodo williams, Simona is the Community Coordinator for Earth Holder Community, Inc. an environmental justice initiative within the Plum Village community following Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. She is a trail-runner, rock-climber, tea-drinker and aspires to be a good ancestor.
S.Rae Peoples | she, her | fundraising coordinator
S. Rae is currently based in Lafayette, IN where she serves as an assistant director of the Black Cultural Center at Purdue University. She has over 25 years of experience serving in leadership roles focused on social justice in the arts, education, political, and nonprofit sectors. She is in the final stretch toward completing her PhD in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change at the University of the Virgin Islands. She is currently researching the protest resignations Black women and gender anti-Black racism at Predominantly White Institutions in U.S. higher education.
Anastasia Higginbotham | she, her | content + donor engagement
Anastasia Higginbotham’s frequently banned children’s book, Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness (Dottir Press, 2018), invites white children to tune into their instincts about racial justice, grow wise and make history, by dismantling whiteness in themselves first, and everyplace else, next. Her other books confront divorce, death, sex, queerness, and healing from abuse. Higginbotham makes them by hand on grocery bags using collage and other discarded items, demonstrating a way to make something whole and beautiful from what’s broken or in pieces. For 30 years, she’s written speeches, letters, and other materials to cultivate nonprofit donor relationships and her writing on whiteness has been featured in The Atlantic. She teaches full impact self-defense in New York City and parents two sons.
Aundrea Veney | she, her | interim managing director
Aundrea Veney is an award-winning speaker, Amazon bestselling author, transitional life coach, mindfulness meditation facilitator, certified embodied social justice practitioner, executive training instructor, certified in chakra clearing, reflexology practitioner, and licensed Femme! Instructor. With a background in business management and extensive experience in leadership, operations, and program management, Aundrea has built a career spanning multiple industries, including corporate, government, and non-profit sectors. She has served in high-level roles such as Change Management Specialist, Director of Operations, and Compliance Manager, overseeing strategic initiatives, process improvement, and large-scale project management.
Greta Zeqo | she, her | operations assistant
Greta (she/her) is passionate about supporting others, and fostering connection. Born in Albania and raised in Boston, she carries a deep appreciation for resilience, growth, and community. With a certification in Substance Abuse Counseling, & having completed her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training & Pilates Teacher Training, she is dedicated to helping others cultivate balance—physically, mentally, and emotionally. An avid baker and lover of all things creative, Greta finds joy in nourishing both body and soul. When she’s not working, you’ll find her chasing the sunshine on a hike or at the beach, experimenting with new recipes, or diving into a new hobby that sparks curiosity and joy.
Freelancers
Sheila Lactao | virtual assistant – lead & ops assistant
Sheila Lactao brings a varied wealth of knowledge to business owners and entrepreneurs who wish to grow and scale up. Always curious, Sheila relishes the challenge of learning new software or applications and as technology changes, she is one of the first to adopt and embrace new skills.
Ma. Rae Suzanne Macaranas | virtual assistant – lead admin and personal assistant to rev. angel
Maria is always eager to learn and take on new challenges. She thrives on communication and enjoys connecting with people. She began her career as an admin assistant in a construction firm and later worked as a digital virtual assistant, gaining valuable experience in organization and management. With a degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Technology Livelihood. Passionate about exploring the internet and expanding her skill set, Maria continuously seeks new opportunities to grow and adapt in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Irish Reyes | virtual assistant – creative
Irish loves to learn new things and get in on the action. Whether it’s learning how to navigate the financial world or helping businesses grow, she’s always looking for a challenge.
After starting out in the banking industry, working 3 years for a major bank in the Philippines, she decided she needed some fresh air and took on the challenge of freelancing. Now, she’s working with clients ranging from small businesses to large enterprises who want to optimize their marketing strategies—and she’s still learning new things daily!
Afshan Kiran | virtual assistant – admin and chat support
Afshan is a graduate engineer and choses freelancing as a passion to explore the world through the internet and grow her skills. Each day she is gaining knowledge of different things working with XC. In everyday life, Afshan loves to be friendly, meet people and get a strong bond with them. She especially likes to spend time with her family. Afshan enjoys eating, outings, shopping, wearing traditional dresses, and learning cultural language.
Rajen Shrestha (Raz) | virtual assistant – software project
Rajen Shrestha, a tech assistant, specializes in testing and documenting newly purchased apps. In addition, Raz also assists with administrative tasks as needed, contributing to efficient operations.
Fedelito Recillo | virtual assistant – finance assistant
Fed worked for over eight years at the oldest bank in Southeast Asia, where he developed strong Excel and Google Sheets skills. Since 2015, he have been actively involved in the freelancing industry, specializing in research, data entry, and lead generation for various businesses. His diverse skill set allows him to adapt quickly to different industries and deliver high-quality results. Additionally, He is a crypto investor with a keen interest in blockchain technology and digital assets, staying ahead of emerging trends in the financial and tech space.
Sikander Mann | Web and Software developer
Sikander is a web developer. He spends his whole day, practically every day, experimenting with PHP, WordPress, and JavaScript. Sikander builds websites that delight and inform. He is always curious, and he enjoys work that challenges him to learn something new and stretch in a different direction. Sikander does his best to stay on top of changes in the state of the art so that he can meet challenges with tools well suited to the job at hand. In addition to their in-house work, they wrote a variety of articles on development for publications. He enjoys what he does and always enjoys sharing tidbits with others.