From October 22 to 26, 2024, the second EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship cohort gathered in my home city of the Bay Area on the unceded lands of the Ohlone people.
As a local of Oakland and Richmond and the Operations and Events Manager at theTishman Environment and Design Center, welcoming EJ fellows and community leaders across Turtle Island, Hawai'i, and Puerto Rico was deeply personal. This retreat wasn't just about convening—it was about honoring our communities' resilience, complexity, and power.