Hi, I’m Taunya, co-founder of Momentum Collaborative. My work with Momentum internally centers on all things vision, strategy and management; externally, my work centers on holding the big picture while weaving together the various threads of Momentum elements into a cohesive whole. I develop scopes of work and content, as well as assessment reports and recommendations, while providing thought partnership and leadership to the Momentum team. You will see me facilitating work with clients across all contract elements.

I believe that DEIA work is both an institutional and an interpersonal/personal process that involves the heart, mind and spirit in equal measure. As a mixed race Black, bi-coastal, bi-sexual queer woman and single parent, with familial roots in both the Northeast and the South, I have a lived, experiential understanding of the ways in which binaries operate within the American cultural landscape, and inform the complexities of our collective consciousness. I am able to traverse the binaries, and the spaces in between, with empathy. 

With professional roots in non-profit settings as a Program and Executive Director, and organizational development consultant, I bring expertise in program design and implementation, staff development, strategic visioning, culture building and operations. I have served on the Boards of Acta Non-Verba, a non-profit dedicated to urban farming, and Pacific Center for Human Growth, the second oldest community mental health clinic in the US devoted to serving the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. This organizational experience combines with my training as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and yoga and meditation instructor, allowing me to approach DEIA work from a variety of vantage points. Prior to founding Momentum, I worked on DEI initiatives for Brooklyn Friends School, The Pacific Center for Human Growth, California Institute of Integral Studies, Public Equity Group, and the Bridgespan Group. In 2019 I was honored to curate a mental health conference specifically addressing the mental health of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. 

I hold a BA in Urban Studies and Dance from Barnard College, a BA in Creative Writing from SUNY Empire State, and an MA in Counseling Psychology from The California Institute of Integral Studies. In addition to my work with Momentum, I maintain a private therapy practice in the Bay Area, and serve as an Adjunct Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

My superpower is creative visioning, synthesizing complex concepts, and creating platforms for change.