Meet our Core Team!
Supriya Golas
Executive Director
Supriya left big tech to support the communities and environments being impacted by the growing wealth disparity across the Bay Area. She began volunteering with UCP in 2021 and believes deeply in fighting on behalf of underserved communities, especially within one’s own.
After moving to Oakland, California in July 2020, Supriya became increasingly concerned about the state of the Bay Area, one of the most expensive regions in the world yet marked by extreme inequality between the richest and poorest populations in the country. At the time, she was pursuing her MBA at UC Berkeley Haas but found herself unable to focus on anything other than the growing crisis around her. The rampant disregard for unhoused residents and the illegal dumping on encampments deeply troubled her. She felt compelled to take action for the most vulnerable and to help restore dignity to unhoused communities across the East Bay.
In her free time, Supriya enjoys exploring the outdoors with her pup, playing scrabble, cooking up a storm, and listening to funky music.
Lee Heward
Director of Operations
Lee Heward is our Director of Operations. He started as a volunteer upon moving to Oakland from Ohio in 2022. Giving back to our community and helping those in need is something he highly values and that motivates him every day.
Lee wouldn’t be where he is today were it not for the support of family, friends, and institutions who never gave up on him. He believes everyone should have the opportunity to become the best version of themselves and that motivates him in his work at UCP.
In college Lee studied physics and astronomy, then Japanese pedagogy in grad school, having spent 9 years living in Japan.
In his free time he enjoys reading books & manga, hiking, and travel.
Lee is very excited about the future of UCP and all the initiatives we have planned to make the Bay Area a better place. Please reach out to him at lee.h@urbancompassionproject.org with any questions you may have regarding volunteering, mutual aid distribution, and cleanups.
Meet our Staff!
Eliza Drinker
Partnerships & Events
Eliza grew up in Oakland and strives to make positive contributions to her hometown. Community driven, she has been profoundly affected by working with UCP and is excited to be a part of further nurturing the organization.
She is heavily involved in the local DIY event space and likes to plan elaborate food gatherings with her friends. Eliza has worked as a software engineer and educator and is a sculptor and cake-maker.
Isidra Myricks
Programs Lead
Isidra Myricks brings a unique blend of creative design, organizational savvy, and deep empathy to the Urban Compassion Project, where she thrives on turning complex operational challenges into smooth, welcoming, and high-impact community solutions.
She is an expert Event coordinator, designer and community advocate who holds a Master of Arts in Early Childhood and Special Education from Metropolitan College of New York and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Hampton University. Specializing in large-scale event logistics, budget optimization, and meaningful partnerships, Isidra’s leadership background includes serving as an academic program Dean, professional organizer, and education consultant.
Outside of her professional work, Isidra is fueled by a love for the arts and creative expression. As an avid home chef, music enthusiast, dancer, and lifelong Broadway fan, she has a natural eye for storytelling and visual design, bringing an intentional sense of joy, harmony, and bright energy to every project she touches.
Meet our Board!
Paige Voorhees
Secretary
Paige Voorhees is a Bay Area native and proud Oakland resident who has been a dedicated volunteer with Urban Compassion Project since 2021, helping support its mission to connect community members with their unhoused neighbors through compassionate service.
She is an estate planning and tax attorney at the San Francisco-based law firm of Sideman & Bancroft, where she advises individuals and families on preserving wealth and planning for the future, bringing her legal expertise and deep community commitment to her role on the board of directors.
Ethan Choy
Treasurer
Ethan supports the organization's financial health and long-term sustainability and is proud to support UCP's work in fostering compassion and connection across Oakland and the Bay Area.
Ethan Choy is a native of the East Bay and practices law with a focus on state and local tax controversy matters. His work has included service with public agencies and community-focused organizations, shaping his commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship.
John Geleynse
Member at Large
John Geleynse is a Canadian-born technology professional who recently retired from Apple after 25 years, concluding a 40-year career in tech. John loves new ideas, electronics, aviation, EVs, modern farming, the trades, sustainability, recology, heavy equipment, and other fascinating advancements that power our world, move things forward, and improve people's lives.
At Apple, John served as Senior Director of Technology Evangelism, helping to shape the experience of third-party developers on Apple’s platforms, encouraging app developers around the world to build innovative and well-designed apps. He played a pivotal role in leading the annual Worldwide Developer Conference and managed and co-hosted the prestigious Apple Design Awards, which recognized excellence in software innovation and design. Much of John’s career was focused on people, and his commitment to and care for others now extends beyond the Apple developer community as he dedicates his time and energy to mentoring, advising, supporting, and helping with interesting ideas and opportunities.
Meet our Committee Members!
Jeremy Castro
Compassion Threads Committee Lead
Jeremy Castro was born in Oakland, raised in Alameda, lives in Oakland. He was raised to be rooted in his CHamoru & Italian heritage and was surrounded by a huge family tree. Jeremy is a by-product of the dope eras that came before him, and when he puts his mind to something, he’s down to go beast mode and make shirt happen for the community. He’s currently learning to play his first instrument ever because “music is a great way to spread some love. So are t-shirts!”
Crystal Lord
Compassion Threads Committee Lead
Crystal Lord is a healthcare professional and community advocate with a passion for service and giving back. She is actively involved in volunteer efforts throughout the Bay Area, supporting initiatives that address food insecurity and provide essential resources to underserved communities. She is excited to serve on the Compassion Threads Committee and help further its mission of providing free clothing with dignity, compassion, and care.
Soumeya Kerrar
Compassion Threads Committee Lead
Soumeya was born and raised in San Francisco, and currently resides in Oakland. Growing up in the Bay Area, she witnessed the various forms of inequality that exist in the area which drove her to give back through volunteering and service. After living in Southern California for graduate studies and work, she returned to the Bay Area in 2025 and settled in Oakland, where she was drawn into the city's vibrant and community-oriented culture. Outside of her work as a Data Scientist, she sought out opportunities to be more involved in the local community and joined UCP as a volunteer in 2025. She was deeply moved and inspired by UCP's work and is grateful for the opportunity they have provided to get involved through direct action. She is excited to watch the organization continue to grow and positively impact the community through Compassion Threads.
Sonia Bain
Distribution Committee Lead
Sonia is a current college student and future high school history teacher! They got involved with UCP after being given the choice to do community service as a final. Meeting the UCP team brought great joy, as well as a sense of further purpose and commitment to community for them. They dove right into helping out with distribution soon after discovering UCP, and after seeing how accessible the cleanups were, started joining those as well! Since then, they attend as many volunteer opportunities that they can and have even recruited their mom to join!
Sonia is known for being super social in the UCP WhatsApp chat, mainly with the use of silly gifs!! This was actually a trait that has been “rehabilitated” in a sense, since they were in high school when the lockdown happened. Since they were still in a period of social development, that put a dent in their outgoing personality. However, being a volunteer since the fall/winter of 2025 has made them come out of their shell and become more social and attend more outings with new friends from UCP. Sonia is very grateful for the extremely positive impacts that UCP has had on their life and the community and friendships formed through the organization!
Guadalupe (Lupe) Vazquez-Duenas
Cleanup Committee Lead
Lupe was born and raised in Oakland, CA. He joined Urban Compassion Project because he was tired of seeing all the illegal dumping in Oakland. Seeing so many social media posts about UCP inspired him to join a cleanup last year in August 2025. Ever since then, he has been a consistent member who is dedicated to helping make Oakland a better and cleaner place
His parents were immigrants from Mexico and he is a first generation college student. He went to UC Berkeley and graduated back in 2021 with a B.A in History and a minor in Education. Lupe is a huge movie buff, he loves spending his free time either reading, watching TV shows, or playing video games.
Pete Babb
Grants Committee Lead
Pete moved to Oakland in 1998 from the east coast and immediately felt that it was the place to put down roots. The whole Bay Area felt like it was brimming with opportunities, and the vibes were exactly what he was looking for to start his post-college life. Once he got situated, he started his career as a writer and editor and has plied his trade in both the publishing and tech industries.
Oakland has been an amazing place to be, and he’s motivated to give back to his home city of the past 25-plus years. Pete was raised on the importance of applying your talents toward boosting your community, so he took an interest in grant writing as a way to do that. He writes grant proposals and letters of interest to help UCP gain additional funding to continue its mission.
Pete is a longtime DJ and record collector, and he enjoys gardening and playing basketball when he’s not wordsmithing.
Kirill Yantikov
Web Team
Kirill Yantikov began volunteering with the Urban Compassion Project with the goal of connecting with his community. What started with showing up at weekend cleanups grew into a consistent commitment to community care, operational excellence, and long-term impact.
Kirill oversees the systems that keep UCP organized, visible, and scalable, from volunteer coordination tools to the digital platforms that support community engagement. He continues to work hands-on in the field while building the technical foundation that helps UCP grow and serve more communities across the city.
Amanda Tyler
Events & Partnerships Committee Lead
As an Oakland resident and mother of three, Amanda is deeply drawn to UCP’s dedication to serving underserved communities and restoring dignity to those often overlooked. She is especially inspired by UCP’s commitment to making Oakland more beautiful, clean, and cared for, and believes that every child deserves to grow up in a city that feels safe, healthy, and full of possibility.
Amanda is a brand strategist and marketing advisor who has spent her career helping organizations tell clearer, more meaningful stories. After years working across technology, culture, and emerging industries, she has become increasingly focused on using her skills in service of work that feels grounded, local, and human.
In her free time, Amanda loves cooking for her family and friends, designing and improving her home, spending time outside with her kids, and finding beauty in small, everyday details.
Team up with UCP
We are dedicated to improving the lives of the unhoused, not just in Oakland and the Bay Area but way beyond. Your involvement with UCP helps in building a future where homelessness isn’t a life sentence. Please volunteer, donate, and spread the word. UCP is committed to a better, more compassionate tomorrow. We envision a world where everyone, regardless of their current circumstances, has access to a life of safety, dignity, and self-sufficiency.