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Team re:power

Celebrating Six Years of Visionary Leadership: Honoring Karundi Williams

At re:power, we believe in the power of bold, transformative leadership rooted in justice, care, and community. Today, we celebrate six incredible years of such leadership from our Executive Director, Karundi Williams.

Since stepping into this role in 2019, Karundi has reshaped re:power into the vibrant learning home it is today for thousands of organizers across the country. Her leadership is marked by deep clarity, courageous vision, and an unwavering commitment to creating spaces that center BIPOC organizers unapologetically.

At this year’s Camp re:power in Charlotte, North Carolina, Karundi addressed nearly 200 BIPOC organizers from 34 states with a message that captured her essence as a leader and visionary:

“I started thinking more deeply about the type of environment that we needed… in order to do this work for the long-haul. How can we build a just world if we don’t even model justice in our own spaces?
So I made a decision: If the space I needed didn’t exist, I was going to build it…
re:power is a space where we unapologetically center BIPOC organizers like YOU.
Because I believe the work you’re doing in your communities is what will save us.”

Karundi Williams

Executive Director

See more from Karundi’s inspiring speech here:

This is the heart of Karundi’s leadership. It’s the reason our community leaves every convening reenergized, inspired, and connected to a shared vision of multiracial democracy.

Under Karundi’s guidance, we’ve achieved major milestones:

  • Doubled our annual budget
  • More than doubled our staff size
  • Trained over 10,000 organizers nationwide
  • Launched our first-ever Women of Color Leadership Cohort
  • Built transformational partnerships with funders and grassroots groups
  • Recommitted our mission to pro-Black, liberatory organizing

Karundi’s vision is grounded in abundance, interdependence, and collective action. She dares to imagine—and actively build—a future where the toxic values of white supremacy (scarcity, individualism, competition) are replaced with liberatory practices centered in care, justice, and shared power. A future where community leaders aren’t just elected—they co-govern.

Invest in our work

💜 Join us in celebrating Karundi’s 6th anniversary at re:power by investing in the bold, liberatory vision she continues to lead 💜

Meet the Newest Members of re:power’s Strategy & Engagement Team!

We are thrilled to welcome two incredible leaders to the re:power team: Devon Fryer and Sarah Allsbrooks! Both are joining our Strategy & Engagement team, which drives the organization’s Communications, Fundraising, and Strategic Initiatives – and is central to building and nurturing strong relationships with our alumni, partners, donors, funders, and values-aligned supporters.

Devon Fryer (she/her)
Director, Individual Giving

Devon Fryer

Devon joins us from Oakland, CA, bringing a wealth of experience from organizations like Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and the ACLU. As Director of Individual Giving, she’ll be leading the charge in building out re:power’s individual donor program, including major donors and alumni engagement.

Devon is a dynamic fundraiser and passionate advocate for racial justice and equity. She’s also a visual artist, furniture maker, and community organizer who blends analytical thinking with creative energy in everything she does.

Sarah Allsbrooks (she/they)
Director, Institutional Giving

Sarah Allsbrooks

Sarah returns to re:power in a new capacity, after having worked with us previously as both staff and contractor. Based in Portland, OR, Sarah brings deep experience in institutional fundraising, project management, and policy-based work. They’ve raised over $50 million across their career and are known for their authentic relationship-building and human-centered, equity-driven approach.

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys dancing and cooking with their wife and adventuring with their dog, Kaya.

Together, Devon and Sarah bring an extraordinary blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and values-driven leadership to our team. We’re so excited to have them both on board and to now have a complete Strategy & Engagement team powering the work ahead!

Please join us in welcoming Devon and Sarah to the re:power community!

re:power x 9to5

At re:power, we know that strong movements start with strong organizers—that’s why we teamed up with 9to5 to deliver a powerful three-day Grassroots Organizing Training at their Annual Organizer Training in New Orleans. As one of the leading organizations fighting for economic justice for women and nonbinary people of color, 9to5 has been building power for working people for over 50 years, advocating for paid leave, worker protections, and housing justice in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Colorado.

Our training was all about sharpening organizers’ skills and strengthening their leadership. Over three days, we led sessions on:

  • Public Narrative & Storytelling – Using personal and collective stories to build power and inspire action.
  • Leadership Team Building – Structuring sustainable, interdependent teams that grow movements.
  • Strategic Organizing – Power mapping, campaign planning, and tactical sequencing for real impact.

By the end of the training, 9to5’s organizers walked away with clearer strategies, stronger leadership skills, and an expanded network of peers. One participant shared:

“This training gave me the tools to be more intentional in my organizing—especially when it comes to building relationships and structuring leadership teams.”

Grassroots Organizing Training Participant

We’re proud to have helped equip 9to5’s organizers with the skills they need to mobilize their communities and win transformative change. A key part of making this training a success was Andy Ornelas, our new Program Manager for Movement Building, whose leadership and expertise helped shape this learning experience. Learn more about Andy and her role at re:power here.

Learn more about 9to5’s work at 9to5.org

Check out our upcoming trainings at re:power.org/trainings

Partner with us! Learn more about bringing a re:power training to your organization here

Announcing Andrea Ornelas as re:power’s New Program Manager, Movement Building

Andrea Ornelas

We’re so excited to welcome Andy Ornelas (she/her/ella) as re:power’s new Program Manager, Movement Building! If her name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s been a key part of our Movement Building program for years as a contractor—now, she’s officially joining us full-time!

A proud daughter of migrant Mexican parents, Andy has dedicated her career to activism and community organizing in Latinx and BIPOC communities. She earned degrees from UMass Boston and Northeastern University, studied abroad in Italy, and was recognized as one of El Mundo’s 30 Under 30 Most Influential Young Latino Leaders.

Now based in Atlanta, she has trained over 2,000 changemakers, mentored through the Latin American Association, and worked with organizations like The Sunrise Movement and Harvard Kennedy School. She’s also a former Harvard Graduate Teacher Fellow and past President of the Atlanta Toastmasters Chapter.

At re:power, she’s been leading the Grassroots Organizing School, Strategy Academy, and Storytelling Academy, helping organizers build power and tell their stories.

We’re thrilled to have Andy on board!

Looking Back: Highlights from 2024

What a year 2024 was for re:power! We trained thousands of changemakers, partnered with many incredible organizations, expanded our programs, and watched our alumni community grow and thrive. Take a look back at the highlights in our 2024 Wrapped!

Let’s celebrate the progress we made and get ready for an even brighter 2025!

VIEW 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

South Asian SOAR

At the beginning of 2024, the Movement Building team started building a relationship with South Asian SOAR, a national organization founded in 2020 that brings together over 30 organizations representing South Asian survivors of gender-based violence in the US. SOAR leadership attended one of our public Storytelling Academies and wanted to bring the training to the many organizations they support, so we got to work!

Our training team worked closely with SOAR leadership to design and deliver a custom, trauma informed, 5-week Storytelling Academy serving 15 of their leaders. Participants were able to engage with their own stories in a way that respected the weight of their experience and supported them in sharing their stories publicly as a leadership practice. Our training with SOAR not only supported leaders in to share their stories in their communities but also helped workshop some of stories for the organization’s printed anthology – Sanctuaries: In Yours, I Found Mine. 

Through narrative and storytelling, we–as individuals, communities and nations–can learn how to make choices in response to the challenges of the uncertain world we live in. Narrative is how we communicate our values through stories, bringing alive the motivation we need for changing the world. Because it engages the head and the heart, narrative can instruct and inspire, not only teaching us about why we should act but also moving us to take action.

We’re so proud of our partnership with South Asian SOAR and excited to see what comes next for the organization!

 Learn more about how to partner with re:power here!