Jirafa was founded by Chris Robles and Gina Cruz during their Data x Power Fellowship in 2022. Our mission is to create accessible self-paced training resources for folks across the progressive ecosystem, including those who’ve never engaged before. We noticed a glaring lack of training materials in multiple languages and the extra burden that was placed upon organizers.
With Jirafa we plan to bridge the accessibility gap, and not just via translation, but by addressing various tech levels, learning styles and experiences as well. We believe there is a lack of quality control in what training materials are provided by vendors. They vary widely tool to tool and are often intended for admins only, so not accessible for any volunteers who may be working with the front end. With Jirafa we plan to widen the scope of what tools have accessible training materials and who the training is meant for.
Fellow Bios
Christopher Luis Robles is a Data Coordinator at the Workers Defense Project and Workers Defense Action Fund. Having worked in multiple political campaigns over the past few years, and now serving in his role within a civic engagement framework, Chris has zeroed in on a focus on utilizing data to inform decision making in electoral politics, grassroots mobilization, and community engagement.
Gina Cruz has been organizing for numerous progressive campaigns, non-profits, and PACs for over 10 years. She truly believes that relational-focused data-driven campaign strategy coupled with strong knowledge-sharing practices is how meaningful change will be achieved. Gina currently works for The Movement Cooperative, where she helps progressive organizations choose and maximize their use of data and technology tools. In her free time, you’ll most likely find Gina baking, playing Animal Crossing, or binge-watching Netflix with her cat, Earl Grey.
