Kiara was born in San Francisco, CA and has lived in various cities around the Bay Area. She has resided in North Richmond for over a decade and received a B.A in Theatre, Film, and Digital Production from UC Riverside. Kiara joined Urban Tilth in September 2022 in a newly established position as a Just Transition Organizer. She is passionate about how humans can heal our relationship with the natural world. Outside of work her special interests are learning about proper mental health care, sewing, and writing.

Rafa is one of two of the Just Transition organizers at Urban Tilth. He is a North Richmond resident and was 12 years old when the explosion at Richmond Chevron refinery happened. This experience made Rafa interested in the Climate Justice field and understanding that racism, the housing crisis and extractive developments are all a climate issue. The organizing he does in Just Transition focuses on educating and fighting for a better future for his community where we fight the bad and build the new. In his free time you can find him out on the water kayak fishing, playing guitar or spending time with his family!