About Our Commitment
Our team is committed to advancing Oyate Group’s mission of alleviating poverty and empowering underserved communities. From community organizers to activists to educators, our team is the heart of Oyate Group and the agents of community-driven change.
Meet Our Community Champions
Wilfredo “Wil” López
Valeria Andrango
Valeria Andrango
Lead Facilitator
Valeria Andrango currently serves as the Lead Facilitator for the Youth Council Track of the RISE Leadership Cohort at Oyate Group, where she designs and leads a leadership curriculum that centers civic engagement, policy advocacy, and culturally grounded organizing.
Tomas Ramos is the founder, CEO and president of Oyate Group, a New York-based nonprofit organization with the mission to alleviate poverty. Driven by his belief that residents of the community he loves deserve to not just survive but thrive, he is committed to finding sustainable solutions to the challenges they face.
Jason Autar is the Chief Operating Officer at the Oyate Group. Drawing on his wealth of government and nonprofit experience, he aims to create sustainable programming and provide access to critical resources that will positively impact his home borough of The Bronx.
Lymarie Francisco is the Director of Operations and Outreach at the Oyate Group.
Alexander Reyes is the Program Coordinator at the Oyate Group.
Laila Ayala is a program assistant at Oyate Group. In her role, she works with Oyate Group’s Beyond Rising interns and other program areas where she assists in the day-to-day operational tasks.
Kimberly Troncoso serves as a program coordinator, where she spearheads community outreach and oversees the day-to-day implementation of the organization’s diverse programs, including youth development services and small business support. Previously, she conducted economic research in New York City’s financial district but was driven to shift her focus to her home community of The Bronx after witnessing the detrimental economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses and households.
Iris Munoz is the Leadership and Arts Program Coordinator for Oyate Group’s Rise Leadership. In her role, she undertakes a variety of program management tasks and supports the design, implementation and management of innovative curricula and arts programs. She is responsible for collaborating closely with internal teams, external partners, educators and artists to develop engaging and impactful initiatives that align with our mission and objectives.
Nan Eileen Mead is the lead facilitator for Oyate Group’s College Access Program.
Wil
Baze Douglas is an executive assistant at Oyate Group, where she serves as a trusted advisor and integrator who connects strategy to execution, people to purpose and ideas to action. In her role, she drives cross-functional alignment, oversees executive initiatives and ensures organizational priorities are met with clarity and care.
Mikey is an Information Technology Specialist at the Oyate Group with a strong background in community engagement and data-driven outreach. He first joined Oyate as an SYEP participant through the Bronx Rising Initiative, where his commitment to supporting people in need quickly stood out.
My Hoang is the Business and Entrepreneurship Program Instructor for Oyate Group’s Rise Leadership. In this role, she leads curriculum development and classroom instruction focused on building real-world business skills, creative problem-solving, and early entrepreneurial confidence. She designs hands-on learning experiences that empower students to think independently, collaborate with teams, and solve problems within their community.
Valeria Andrango currently serves as the Lead Facilitator for the Youth Council Track of the RISE Leadership Cohort at Oyate Group, where she designs and leads a leadership curriculum that centers civic engagement, policy advocacy, and culturally grounded organizing. She mentors youth across New York City as they develop community-based capstone projects rooted in their lived experiences.
Luss is the lead facilitator for the Rise Leadership program’s ‘Beats, Rhymes and Poetry’ track. He is singer-songwriter, producer and teaching artist from the Bronx. Ricardo has facilitated workshops internationally and partnered with organizations such as Found Sound Nation, Carnegie Hall, The Bronx Children’s Museum, and MIT to create engaging programs centered around the intersection of music production and songwriting.
Brittany P. Jenkins is a tech educator that empowers people by teaching them how to use, navigate, and build with technology. Brittany has worked at major companies and organizations, such as Facebook, Girls Who Code, and multiple K-12 schools in The Bronx and Philadelphia. She’s currently developing an EdTech tool, called Teedl, to support teachers with adding tech education to their curricula.Compassion
Almost everyone we speak with has lost someone they love to COVID-19. We often hear that getting the vaccine is in their honor. New York is always strong – but we are healing.
Community
We were able to distribute over 500 turkeys to Bronx families in time for Thanksgiving. This wouldn’t be possible without all the incredible volunteers that help keep organizations like ours THRIVING.
