In the spirit of collaboration, the Foundation's Collaborative Change Initiative invited a distinguished group of advisors to take part in program development and candidate selection. We are grateful to the advisors for helping to guide the launch of this exciting Initiative.  
Mary V. Hughes is a highly acclaimed political strategist. She is co-founder and President of Hughes & Company, a strategic communications and political consulting firm. Mary is also founder of Close the Gap CA, a campaign to recruit progressive women to run for seats in the California legislature. 

Curtiss Sarikey is an educator, innovator and community advocate with over 20 years of experience in leadership positions at the Oakland and San Francisco Unified School Districts and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the East Bay.  He currently serves as Chief of Staff at the Oakland Unified School District.  Curtiss also brings invaluable perspective to our advisor team as a previous Collaborative Change Initiative grant recipient.
Sean Elsbernd is a fourth-generation San Francisco native and life-long public servant. He is well known for his integrity, candor, and deep knowledge of city finances. Prior to his current position as Deputy State Director for Senator Dianne Feinstein, Sean served for eight years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the neighborhoods west of Twin Peaks.  

Sandra R. Hernández is a celebrated philanthropic and public health leader who also maintains an active clinical practice at San Francisco General Hospital’s AIDS clinic. In January 2014, Sandra became President and CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation. Prior to taking on this new role, she served for 17 years as CEO of The San Francisco Foundation. 
Dan Kingsley is a respected community and business leader. He is Founder and Managing Partner of SKS Investments, a real estate firm with a commitment to a triple bottom line: positive social, environmental, and financial returns. Dan also serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including Arriba Juntos, the Greenbelt Alliance, and the Sugar Bowl Corporation.  

Susan Mayer Hirsch is a leader in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, with particular expertise in forging innovative partnerships to address underfunded community needs. As Founder and CEO of Hirsch & Associates, Susan has been instrumental in helping individuals, families, and foundations leverage their giving to generate major social impact.  

Ben Hur is a prominent San Francisco attorney and active community leader. He is a partner at the law firm Keker & Van Nest. Ben previously served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in San Francisco and is currently a Commissioner on the San Francisco Ethics Committee. He is also an active supporter of local non-profits and a SFUSD public school parent.