Helping Young MomsUnlock Their Potential

Shine gives young moms the tools and resources they need to thrive as students and parents.

Our Team

Meet The Shine Team

Each and every member of the Shine team is dedicated to empowering young mothers and impacting multiple generations. Together, we bring decades of experience in youth and community services, social justice, and research and evaluation.

Becky Herrera

Office Manager, San Jose

Born and raised in San Jose Ca

Becky was a teen mom herself that had to overcome obstacles of raising a child at such an early age. With the support of family she was able to graduate High school with her class and attend college.

Becky joined Shine in March 2022 & has worked with non profit organizations for 10 years helping and serving the Bay Area communities. She loves working with young moms & their babies.

On her free time she spends time with family and being outdoors.

Rosita Figueroa

Advocate, Fresno County

Rosita was born and raised in Fresno California. She earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno in 2017. Rosita has over 6 years working with youth. She is passionate about creating change because of the lived experiences she has faced.

During her free time, you can find Rosita having fun with her niece and listening to true crime podcast.

(408) 685-7581

rosita@shinetogether.org

Alexis Frutos

Advocate, Sacramento

Alexis F. is a queer identifying first gen graduate who grew up in the Sacramento region.  She graduated from CSU Long Beach with a degree in gender studies and has worked with grassroots organizations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia for human rights, climate change and education. She has a passion for connecting with people, especially the youth. She is excited to be in community with young mothers to provide trauma informed support and intuitive guidance.

(408) 836-8445

alexisf@shinetogether.org

Karolina Cabanillas

Advocate, San Jose

My name is Karolina Cabanillas and am a first-time mommy of a baby girl. I am Hispanic and the eldest of 4 children. My family and I are from Sinaloa, Mexico and are very proud of our roots. I am bilingual and love to help my community with any resources I might have.

I have been working with various non-profit organizations for over 8 years now. I have worked with K-12, migrant families and elderly people. I am honored to have been given the opportunity to help my community and our future generations. I am a firm believer that a strong community outweighs everything else. The sky is the limit and I wish to continue spreading that energy to the community.

I am very excited to see what the future holds here at Shine and am very excited to be a part of the journey as an advocate. I am motivated to make a positive impact and am looking forward to serving my community. My door will always be open so please don’t hesitate to reach out for anything.

Kathy Williams

Bay Area Regional Director

Kathy joined the team in January 2022 as the Bay Area Regional Director. Kathy is a passionate social worker who’s spent her whole career serving transitional age youth in academic, nonprofit, workforce, and social impact capacities. Kathy earned her B.A. in Sociology and Education at UCSC and her MSW at Columbia University, concentrating in Social Enterprise Administration. Kathy is working her way to become an LCSW to dismantle systems of oppression and to close the Opportunity Divide. In her free time, Kathy loves to work out, try new breweries, restaurants and throw pottery.

(408) 892-7203

kwilliams@shinetogether.org

Sara Reyes

Executive Director

Sara Reyes began her service career at 19 working for the Santa Clara County Office of Education and City of San Jose. She then worked for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (CCSCC) for over 19 years where she managed a $19M+ department. Ms. Reyes held an Interim Executive Director position at CalSAC. She led the organization during the executive director transition and served on the Board of Directors for 5 years. She attended the National Hispanic University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and San Jose State University where she earned a Master of Public Administration. Ms. Reyes is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow.

(408) 263-8330

sreyes@shinetogether.org

Niki Singleton

Sacramento Valley Regional Director

Niki joined Teen Success, Inc. in July 2018 as the Partnership Manager for the Sacramento Valley, Oakland, and Northwestern Nevada. Today, she is the Sacramento Valley Regional Director responsible for the growth of the Teen Success, Inc. program in her respective region. She passionately advocates for and supports young parents, as she resonates with being a young mom herself. Niki graduated from Grand Canyon University in April 2022, with a Master’s in Science for Sociology with an emphasis in Education and holds a Sociology B.A. with Psychology minor.

(408) 593-0298

niki@shinetogether.org

Deyanira Tellez

Director of Development

Deyanira Tellez has devoted her career to helping narrow the opportunity gap through various roles in leadership, breaking down systemic barriers and promoting a strong start for children. As a mother of two young children, Deyanira believes in the importance of early child-parent connections and how these help cultivate and strengthen relationships for generations.

dtellez@shinetogether.org

Cecilia Moreno

Advocate, San Jose

Cecilia Bueno Moreno (she/her). I was born and raised in San Jose, CA. I have a bachelor’s in Sociology from Stanislaus State. I joined Shine in December 2022. I’m happy to be part of the Shine team because I’ve always loved to help the community and empower others. By being an advocate, I can support young mothers to achieve their goals. In addition, I have six years of experience working with youth. You can find me spending time with my family in my free time. Family is important to me. Another hobby is trying new foods and being adventurous.

(408) 593-0294

cecilia@shinetogether.org

Sarah Villa

Central Valley Regional Director

Sarah is a Disney fanatic and a SF Giants/49er fan.

Sarah Villa joined the Teen Success, Inc team in June of 2016 as the Program and Partnership Manager serving the Central Valley and Monterey County. Today, she is the Central Valley Regional Director. She is responsible for growing and supporting Shine Together in Fresno. Sarah was born and raised in Salinas, CA and moved to the Central Valley in 2004.

Sarah’s passion to serve young parents came from first-hand experience. She raised two children as a young mother and knows the importance of support, mentoring and education. Her experience allows her to tell a personal story of the journey of raising children and being a positive role model to her family.

Sarah has more than 25 years of direct, hands-on experience in providing education,support, and mentoring to young parents regarding family health, parenting, reproductive health, and the importance of continuing education.

Prior to coming to Shine Together, Sarah worked with Fresno Barrios Unidos for 11 years working directly with young parents, creating healing spaces for women and girls and leadership development.

Sarah also worked for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte as a Health Educator, implementing medically accurate comprehensive sex education in schools and teaching parents how to talk to their children about puberty and tough subjects.

(559) 410-7022

svilla@shinetogether.org

Isabel Chavarria

Advocate, San Jose

I joined the team in early September of 2022. I have experience serving numerous underserved populations from all ages and backgrounds; through my time working with non-profits from the past 6 years.

I was born and raised in the “Garlic Capital” of the world, Gilroy. Growing up I have always had the passion to support my communities and empower the youth. I believe our youth are tomorrows future and the only way to impact change is through education, support, and guidance. As a first-generation Latina, I was not guided a path, I believe it’s my responsibility now to pass down my expertise and knowledge to others to empower and assure them of their true potential.

I am currently pursuing my degree in Sociology, with the ambition to become a family and marriage therapist.

In my spare time I enjoy staying active by playing soccer, reading, baking, and traveling to new places.
(408) 593-0293

isabel@shinetogether.org

Vanessa Padilla

Advocate, Fresno

Hello my name is Vanessa Padilla but you can call me Ness/Nessa for short. I am 26 and was born and raised in Fresno, Ca. I have a Bachelors in Criminology-Corrections from Fresno State University. I myself was a apart of Teen Success back in 2012 when I was once a Teen Mom. I have an 11 year old son that means the entire world to me. My passion in life is just to simply help people in any way possible. Being able to be someone’s advocate and provide resources to those in need really drives me to be more involved and fully dedicated to my community. Having the opportunity to make a full circle in life by now being apart of this organization as an Advocate really means so much to me. Teen Success was a huge part of my life not only in helping me become the best mother I could possibly be but also shaping me into the person I am today. As much as I’m excited to be apart of this team and show what I have to offer I’m most excited to learn from the mothers I get to work with.

3 FUN FACTS ABOUT ME:

  • DIE HARD 49ER FAN
  • TRAIN IN JIU JITSU & MUAY THAI
  • VERY FAMILY ORIENTED

vanessa@shinetogether.org

Ashley Gonzalez-Holly

Advocate, Sacramento

Ashley G. was raised in Sacramento and attended American River College and San Francisco State University.  She has a lot of experiences working with a wide range of communities within Northern California such as mentoring college students to further their post-secondary education, youth programming, case management & providing local and statewide resources for families. Ashley’s interests are anything regarding spirituality ,music & art, and learning skills to better understand/develop oneself. She loves being outdoor, either hiking or being at a beach, and cares deeply about her family/ chosen family. A quote that she keeps in mind to keep her grounded is ” As long as the elephant walks slowly, one step at a time, they travel great, GREAT lengths and never destroys anything. As soon as an elephant starts to run and is in a hurry, everything is destroyed in its path.”

ashley@shinetogether.org

Maria Medrano

Advocate, Bay Area

I joined Shine in July 2024, and I’m excited to share my knowledge, guidance, and resources with young mothers and their families. I have over five years of professional experience working with underserved, low-income populations of all ages. My passion for supporting these communities comes from volunteering with nonprofit organizations throughout high school and college.

Originally from Anaheim, CA, I moved to San Jose after high school to attend San Jose State University, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development with an emphasis on Community Focus and a minor in Sociology. I plan to pursue a Master’s in Social Work to further assist my community.

In my free time, you’ll find me at community gatherings, resource fairs, trying out new recipes, or re-watching my favorite shows and movies.

Deja Smith-Robinson

Advocate, Bay Area

Hello, my name is Deja Smith-Robinson. I am 24 years old and have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, along with three Associate’s degrees in History, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. Though I graduated from San Jose State, I’m originally from Madera, CA. I come from a family where my mother was a teen mom, and I have seven siblings. I am proud to be the first in my family to attend and graduate from college.

In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach, reading, meditating, cooking, watching anime, and spending time with loved ones. Before joining Shine, I worked with individuals with special needs, specifically those on the moderate to severe spectrum of autism. I’ve also worked as a caregiver for elderly adults and those on hospice care.

Helping others has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve dedicated my life to doing meaningful work that I love. Two quotes I live by are: “Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo,” and “I can do anything I put my mind to.” I look forward to making a difference here at Shine Together.

Our Board

Meet The Shine Board

Our Board of Directors includes dynamic leaders highly engaged in social change. Each is passionate about our mission to build pathways to economic advancement for two generations: young mothers and their children.

Madonna C. Bolano

Co-Chair

CHRO, Applied Materials (Retired)

Madonna is a Board Director and 25+ year Silicon Valley executive veteran who has leadership expertise in global, public companies with 100 to 20,000+ employees. She retired as the CHRO of Applied Materials and is currently a Board Director and the Compensation Committee Chair for Technology Credit Union, a Forbes 2021 Best-In-State Credit Union, with $4+B in assets. Her education includes a BA in Sociology, conferred with highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley.

Ellen Moir

Co-Chair

Founder, New Teacher Center

Ellen Moir founded New Teacher Center (NTC) in 1998 and served as its CEO until retiring in 2018. She is a passionate advocate for our nation’s newest teachers and ensuring that every child, regardless of ZIP code, gets the best teacher and the best education. ​Ellen grew NTC into a nationally recognized model of teacher mentoring that is reshaping the way new teachers develop and grow into the role. Ellen is the recipient of the 2014 Brock Prize in Education Innovation, the 2011 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the 2005 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education.

“I’ve been on the Board since the very beginning and can attest to Teen Success, Inc.’s, now Shine’s, impact on breaking the cycle of poverty for young families. I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue my involvement and support for young mothers and their children.” – Ellen Moir

Melanie Espino

Board Member

Co-founder, Actionable Insights, LLC

Melanie Espino has supported Shine Together as a board member since 2024. She is a professional program evaluator with Actionable Insights, LLC, a firm she co-founded in 2016. Melanie’s passion is communication and education. She thrives at maximizing research and new technologies to improve organizations, and at guiding groups through difficult changes. She holds a graduate certificate in Learning & Organizational Change from Northwestern University. Melanie is a San José native and was the first in her Chicano family to obtain a higher education (San José State University). Her board service is a reflection of her stand for Latinas becoming fulfilled adults.

Aarti Chandna

Secretary

Strategy Consultant

Aarti Chandna has extensive experience in successfully leading global Information Technology teams at various high tech companies. She is a proven strategist, leader and change agent. Some of the companies she has worked at include Oracle, Hitachi, Coherent, Autodesk and Nikon.

She is currently a strategic consultant and works with innovative EdTech companies. Also, given her deep passion for social change and empowerment, she mentors social entrepreneurs and invests in companies with social impact.

Aarti serves on the Board of Trustees at Case Western Reserve University. She is also on the board at Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund and Peninsula Bridge.

​Aarti holds B.S. in Mathematics from Bombay University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Case Western Reserve University.

Cathy Foster

VP, Global Government Relations, eBay

Cathy Foster is a senior government relations and communications professional with over 25 years of public policy, regulatory and communications experience. She is VP, Global Government Relations and Public Policy at eBay managing an international team advocating for small businesses that utilize eBay’s marketplace platform with foreign and US governments, regulatory, and anti-trust agencies.

Prior to joining eBay, Cathy was at Apple Inc. for 20 years in senior positions including Senior Director, Global Government Affairs, where she created the first global Government Affairs organization under Steve Jobs’ leadership. In this role, she led Apple’s global public policy and regulatory strategy with international, federal, state and local governments.

Prior to Apple, Cathy served as Director, Worldwide Government Affairs for National Semiconductor Corporation, where she oversaw regulatory, policy, and legislative issues. From 1989-1992, she served in the White House as Associate Director in the Political Office. In this position, she was responsible for developing and implementing President George H. W. Bush’s political and legislative agenda in ten western states.

She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Business Administration from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Cathy is a member of the UCLA Chancellors Society and the National Charity League. She is married to Andy Foster and has four daughters.

Brian Smiley

Director of Product Marketing, Apple Inc. (retired)

Brian is an experienced executive in product marketing having spent a 29 year career at Apple Inc. During his tenure at Apple he led Pricing and Forecasting, Business Management, PowerBook Product Marketing, and Software Marketing under Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller. Brian is now focused on philanthropy and education advocacy. He is passionately driven to create access to education and economic opportunity for the disadvantaged.

Brian currently serves as a Trustee at Wheaton College in Massachusetts where he chairs the Board’s Reach and Reputation committee and serves on the Executive, Investment, and Philanthropy committees. He also advises individuals and start-ups looking to develop their presence and brand.

​Brian has received Bachelor of Science and Bachelors of Arts Degrees, with Distinction, in Chemical Engineering and Economics from Stanford University, a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering Practice from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was named an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Our Founder

Becky Morgan

A true social entrepreneur long before the term was coined, Becky Morgan has had a varied and distinguished career that spans politics, social innovation, thought leadership, and business.

More than 10 years ago, Becky launched what is now the Shine program to help young moms complete their education, break the cycle of poverty and lead fulfilling lives.

Our Donors

Investors In Success

Thanks to each of our donors for your support in unlocking the potential of young mothers and their children! Your generosity empowers young mothers to dream big and break the cycle of poverty. Thanks to you, young families across California are thriving.

Donors

*Gift made as part of multi-year contribution

$100,000 - $499,999

The Lemala Fund

Morgan Charitable Foundation

Younger Family Fund

$50,000 - $99,999

First 5 Fresno
Becky and Jim Morgan

Amy and Brian Smiley
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health

Santa Clara County – Department of Probation

$25,000 - $49,999

Barnet Segal Charitable Trust
Bella Vista Foundation
The Bergstrom Foundation
The Callison Foundation
Christine Rammler

City of San Jose
Destination Home
Angela and David Filo
Mary Lemmon
Monterey Peninsula Foundation

Susan Packard and Lynn Orr
Quest Foundation
Santa Clara County
Sunlight Giving
Franklin & Catherine Johnson Foundation

Madonna and Gabriel Bolano
Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation
The Campbell Foundation
Aarti Chandna
Jeffrey Dean and Heidi Hopper
William and Charlene Glikbarg Foundation

Sukey and Irv Grousbeck
Eva Grove
Carolyn Jones
Judy Koch
Gay and Bill Krause
Lee Lockie
Nancy Handel

Antje and Paul Newhagen
Nicholson Family Foundation
San Jose Mercury News Wish Book
State Farm
Linda Williams
Yellow Chair Foundation

1919 Investment Counsel LLC
Amie Chang
Donna Dubinsky and Len Shustek
Kelly Foundation

Mission City Community Fund
Tashia and John Morgridge
Nancy Mueller
The Nordson Corporation Foundation

Roslyn and Lisle Payne
William Reller
Union Bank Foundation
Lida Urbanek
Karen Wang and Michael Celio

The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation
Angie Cisneros
Fran Codispoti
Jan Collinson
Brian and Iris Croll
Frank Daley

eBay
Excite Credit Union
Cathy Foster
Carol MacCorkle
Carol Mills and John Eichhorn
William and Christy Neidig
Eliane and Armand Neukermans

Robyn Reiss
Sharks Foundation
Shirley Ely
Rhonda Stratton
Wendy and Harry Whitehouse
TE Connectivity

Apple Inc.
Jimi and Ned Barnholt
Lois Bridges
Susan and Douglas Chance
Anne Clark
Christine Clark and Vince O’Hara
Liz and Jim Cowie
DeBusk Household
Leslee and Carl Guardino
Kathi Gwynn and Jon Cosby
John and Michelle Hansen
Emily and George Jaquette
Greg and Liz Lawler

Connie and Bob Lurie
George and Judy Marcus
John and Dorene Masterman
Bill and Ella McGaughey
Intuit
Intuitive Surgical
Marilynn Handelman
Susan Hyatt
Martha Kanter
Paulina and Anthony Lin
Carol Mayer Marshall and Bob Williams
Lore McGovern
Natividad Medical Foundation

Palo Alto Networks
Saito Cleary
Samberton Family Foundation
John Sanchez
Maddy and Isaac Stein
Synopsys Inc.
Anthony Valdiosera
Linda and Rod Verhulp
Lee and Raymond Wareham
Mark Wilson and Deborah Dalzell
Sharon and Daniel Winnike
Mara and Russ Yarp
Caroline Zlotnick

Stu Berman and June Bower Consolidated Communications
Barbara and Chris Creed
John Daly
Jane Decker
Lynn and James Gibbons
Daniel Gonzales
Larry and Un-Chu Harada

Wiley and Susie Hodges
Christopher and Holly Jones
Hon. Patricia Lucas
Jan and Steve Miles
Alicia and Merrill Newman
Julianne Leavy
Nancy and Larry Mohr
O’Gorman Household

Paula and Greg Orell
Sylvia Pagan
Amanda Renteria and Patrick Brannelly
Becka Ross
Lori Sharp
Jenna Wachtel and Robert Pronovost
Michaelin and Dave Watts
Gary Whizin and Alicia Garcia
Nancy and Robert Williams

Applied Materials Foundation
Hon. Franklin Bondonno
Gina Cassinelli
Susan Carey
Diane and Steve Ciesinski
Merritt Crowley
Wynne Dubovoy
Patricia and Jerry Einfalt
Victor and Melanie Espino
James Gable

Amy and David Harrington
Arielle Hendel
Stephanie Hewitt
Siobhan Kenney
Heather Kirkpatrick
Jennifer Kern and Chandler Mayfield
Catherine Mathews
Milbrey McLaughlin
Michelle Oceguera-Garcia
Marielena Scanlon

Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California
Linda Raggi and Jon Craig
Sherri Sager
Erika Schillinger
Andie Sobrato
SV2
Robin Testa
Yael Valek
Beatrice Yu

Bring Me a Book Foundation
Help a Mother Out

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Sobrato Family Foundation

Jerry and Greta Frantz
Javier Guerrero
Diana and Christopher Heinrich
History Club of Los Gatos
Jenny Maehara

Ellen Meinelt
Melinda and Glen Morrison
PR Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.
Phil and Dayle Ross

Letticia Settle
Natalie Ventimiglia
Jenne Wachtel and Robert Pronovost
Marci Weisblatt Gordon
Michelle Zeiler

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Help A Young Mom Shine Bright

We need your help to empower young moms and their children. Together, we can create economic advancement for families and communities, two generations at a time.

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