MEET OUR TEAM
Our work is about our stories, our stories come from our people, and our people are what make Equity Institute a team of passionate advocates for educational equity.
-
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SHE/HER/ELLA
Born in El Salvador and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Karla Vigil serves as the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Equity Institute. Karla ensures ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, and communications systems. Additionally, she’s a strong advocate for recruiting, developing, and supporting historically underrepresented education professionals.
-
CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER
HE/HIM
Carlon is the Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder of Equity Institute. In his role, he oversees organizational strategy, internal operations, and implementation of Equity Institute’s educator pathway program. Carlon is an avid reader and lifelong learner who spends much of his time exploring topics related to social science, history, and leadership.
-
CHIEF OF STAFF
SHE/HER
Katya was born in Mexico, grew up in California, and has chosen to serve in Rhode Island since 2017. She oversees the development and execution of all policy and research projects as well as organizational evaluation processes. Katya believes that all students deserve a high-quality education regardless of their zip code and she strives to develop an equitable education system throughout the country.
-
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATOR PATHWAY PROGRAMS
SHE/HER
Arryana was born, raised and taught in the Bronx, NY where her experiences on both sides of the public school system have developed her ideas and philosophy around education and ways to engage the BIPOC community in systems that have historically marginalized their voices. She oversees the development of instructional content and materials used to support aspiring teachers as they obtain their certification through our educator pathway programming. Arryana’s goal is to help build innovative methods for educating communities of color outside of K-12 institutions.
-
PROJECT LEAD
THEY/THEM
T was raised in the rural Central Valley of California, where they honed their pen as a poet and cultivated their advocacy for BIPOC communities, migrants, and LGBTQIA+ communities. They spent five years as an educator in South Central Los Angeles where they grew their commitment to liberatory and equitable education, and dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. As Training and Content Manager, they lead equity trainings for school districts across Rhode Island.
-
PROJECT LEAD
SHE/THEY
Clare was born and raised in Southern California. After six years as a middle school teacher in Los Angeles and Providence, they learned to engage with education as a process of humanization—that everyone has the capacity for and right to self-knowledge, voice, choice, and community. In their spare time, Clare likes to read and write absurd stories and exercise their green thumb. As Training and Content Manager, they facilitate professional development on topics of equity for schools and districts across the US.
-
PATHWAY SPECIALIST
SHE/HER
Swetha (sway-tha) is an enthusiastic advocate for schools as spaces for community, leadership, and change and for meeting people where they are at. Swetha cares deeply about building strong infrastructure and professional supports for educators from historically marginalized backgrounds to best advocate for themselves, their students, and their colleagues. She supports the development and management of Equity Institute’s educator pathway program in Philly. In her free time, she plays Carnatic (South Indian Classical) violin around the country and enjoys exploring Philly.
-
DESIGN LEAD
SHE/THEY
Sophie “Fi” Engel was born and raised in Connecticut and spent her early adulthood in New Mexico. She is a designer, illustrator, and maker. She is assisting the team with visual content and the display of information in engaging, accessible, and exciting ways. Sophie believes design is a way to cultivate self resiliency and promote anti-oppression ideology. When not working she can be found drawing or sewing with her cats Cowboy and Little My.
-
PATHWAY SPECIALIST
SHE/HER
Karla Castillo is a former early childhood educator and passionate advocate for education. She graduated from College Unbound, where she dedicated her studies to understanding how to create inclusive learning environments that celebrate diversity and meet the unique needs of every student. Karla firmly believes in the transformative power of early childhood education. She has spent her career working to ensure that every child has access to high-quality education, regardless of their background.
-
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
SHE/HER
Amarah Gray is a recent graduate of the Brown University Urban Education Policy Program. She joined the Equity Institute as a data analyst for the TA2BA team where she found a love for social impact work and community engagement. In the future she plans on beginning her research regarding the socialization of Black girls in the K-12 school system and obtaining her doctoral degree.
MEET OUR BOARD
We pride ourselves on the exceptional leadership and expertise of our board members. Each individual brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, guiding our strategic vision and fostering our success.
-
Retired Financial Advisor and Business Manager
-
Director of Programs and Grantmaking at Cambridge Community Foundation
-
Owner & Entrepreneur, Sapo Body Sponge
-
AG Group Consulting/Principal & Founder
-
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
-
CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER
MEET OUR CONSULTANTS
We understand the value of expertise and diverse perspectives when it comes to delivering outstanding results. That's why we have assembled a team of highly accomplished consultants who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
-
Financial Consultant from Wallace Consulting
Dirk Wallace was born in Jamaica and has been a Rhode Island resident for the past fifteen years. Dirk brings over a decade of experience in financial management and advisory. At the Equity Institute, he provides a strategic, high-level approach to the organization’s finance and accounting needs. He works closely with the CEO, CIO and Chief of Staff to develop and implement strategic plans and goals that support the organization’s mission and vision to maximize returns on operations. Dirk is also a husband, father of two children, and active member of his faith community. In his spare time he is a musician, pool player, and food enthusiast.
-
Training Consultant from PLEE
Ramona has been a parent advocate for over 10 years primarily working with families of students with disabilities within the school system and other systems of care.
-
Marketing & Communications Consultant
Tanya is a writer, editor, translator, artist, educator, community builder and consultant based in Washington, DC with a passion for family stories and social change.
-
Training and Curriculum Development Consultant from Corajus
Michaela Pommells believes that in order to end racism, patriarchy, and all forms of oppression, we must cull together creative energy to build new, resilient, anti-capitalist, community-controlled institutions that achieve revolutionary justice. She is passionate about eradicating development-induced-displacement, achieving gender equity, and educating towards collective transformation and radical healing. In her free time, she enjoys woodworking, reading, and spending time with her three children and partner.