STAFF                                                                                                  

Dana Harvey- Executive Director

Dana has spent the last decade in nonprofit management and development in areas of environmental justice, food security, education and economic development.  As the Executive Director of Mandela MarketPlace, Ms. Harvey guides the development and growth of Mandela as a small business incubator that sets an alternative model for building community health and wealth in West Oakland. She directs her organization toward a community-led food system that combines increased access to healthy foods, with economic development to build community health and wealth. Dana Harvey led a concerted campaign resulting in the June 2009 opening of Mandela Foods Cooperative to address Oakland’s longtime status as a food desert while empowering local residents to earn and learn.
  dana@mandelamarketplace.org

James Berk - Outreach Specialist

Also a lifelong Oakland resident, James Berk has been working with Mandela Marketplace since he was 16 years old.  He began as a participant in the CX3 project in 2006 and is currently a WYSE team leader, the outreach specialist for MMP, and a worker-owner at Mandela Foods Co-op.  Some of his responsibilities include managing the sales and finances for MFC as well as doing outreach for MMP both locally and nationally.

Although he has a large amount of responsibilities to fulfill, James stays motivated by his belief in the value of equality: that everyone should have access to the same resources.  Having to carry out a diverse amount of challenging tasks with very little training and experience has provided him with an opportunity to grow, overcome, and teach others.  Some of James' goals include empowering people to take responsibility for their lives and make decisions by educating them on the choices that are available to them.  When asked what he would like everyone to know about the food they eat, James responded: "That it's going to be one of the biggest factors determining how long you live."   jberk@mandelafoods.com

Yuro Chavez- Markets Coordinator and Warehouse Manager

Yuro is a San Francisco raised Guatemalan-American who has been living in the East Bay for ten years.  Starting out as a member of the WYSE team in 2007, Yuro is now the warehouse manager for Mandela Marketplace and is a worker-owner at Mandela Foods Cooperative.  Yuro also operates a produce vendor booth at the Farmer's Markets held at the North Oakland Senior Center and the Bancroft Senior Homes on a weekly basis.  In addition to his responsibilities at the warehouse, Yuro works with the Healthy Neighborhood Stores Alliance to bring fresh produce to marginalized Oakland communities.

Cesar Gonzalez - Produce Buyer cesar@mandelamarketplace.org

Luisa Alvarengo - Bookkeeping/Accounting - luisa@mandelamarketplace.org

Mariela Cedeño - Farmer Outreach and Operations Coordinator - mariela@mandelamarketplace.org 

Mariela was born and raised in Venezuela, and later migrated to California where she has now spent the majority of her life.  Having been born abroad, she has always been driven by a want to give back to our global community and has sought to expand her understanding and commitment to changing the pervasive global inequalities that force people to endure living in abject poverty

Mariela attended the University of California, Davis where she attained a B.A. in Economics with honors, and a B.A. in International Relations with honors.  She later went on to pursue a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies with an emphasis in Development at Vanderbilt University.  She has worked in various Non-profit Organizations focusing in the fields of economic development, human rights, international giving & volunteering, farm worker rights, and community development.

She is now the Farmer Outreach and Distribution Coordinator at Mandela Marketplace, and feels a very strong connection to the movement to support the entrepreneurial spirit of low-income residents and minority farmers in a way that creates thriving, sustainable, and healthy communities.

Leroy Musgraves - Nutrition Educator

Leroy is a master gardener and farmer who has been working with Mandela Marketplace and the West Oakland community since 2004. 16 years of farming and urban gardening experience make Leroy an invaluable asset to MMP and the West Oakland community. Mr. Musgraves holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Cal-State Los Angeles. He received his Certificate in Horticulture from the Agro-Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture Department of UC Santa Cruz in 1997.

YOUTH TEAM - WEST OAKLAND YOUTH STANDING EMPOWERED      

James Berk-Team Leader

Jamelah Isaac-Team Leader

Jamelah has been a member of WYSE for three years. Over that time we have seen her develop from a shy and intelligent young lady, into an outgoing and intelligent young woman.  She graduated from Excel College Preparatory High School in May 2010 and is currently attending City College of San Francisco.  Jamelah recently took a trip to Serbia, where she participated in a student exchange program and other sightseeing activities.  Her more recent work with the WYSE team includes taking a leadership position within the Healthy Neighborhood Store Alliance and the Just Food Initiative.

Ennis Jones- Team Leader

Mr. Jones has lived in Oakland his whole life and has been with WYSE for over a year now.  He has succeeded in creating a place for himself within MMP's programs, maintaining a leadership position in the Healthy Neighborhood Store Alliance, working shifts at the Mandela Foods Co-operative, and being a co-facilitator with Jamelah in the Just Food Initiative.  A highlight of his experiences so far with WYSE was participating in the California Youth Convergence Conference with Ashoka in Sacramento.  Ennis is a very artistic individual, drawing and writing poetry in his free time. 

Alshea Mitchell - Team Leader