Welcome ari vargas: Our Newest Learning Fellow!
We are thrilled to have ari vargas join Ktisis Capital as a Learning Fellow! Through this year-long program, our fellows gain experience and exposure while becoming skilled emerging leaders in the philanthropic field.
ari comes to Ktisis with nearly a decade of experience in community and cultural events organizing for BIPOC and queer and trans communities, program development, writing, and researching for non-profit organizations, as well as 1:1 coaching and group facilitation.
Most recently, ari served as the program manager for the Solis Policy Statewide Fellowship at the Women’s Foundation California. During their time at the Foundation, ari successfully led efforts to increase fellowship participation from rural-based and trans leaders across the state, develop an anti-racist and BIPOC led policy training curriculum, and deepen opportunities for fellows to connect. In total, ari supported 125 grassroots leaders and organizers advocate for 28 bills in California, with 15 of those bills becoming laws in California.
As a Learning Fellow, they will play a crucial role in advancing Ktisis’ learning and field-building strategy by leading research, supporting programming, staying current on industry trends and effective practices, monitoring key issues within philanthropy, and contributing to Ktisis’ thought leadership efforts.
ari is driven by the belief that collective liberation is made possible through the caring and transformative relationships we build with one another. They do their best to embody this belief by locally organizing in Oakland/Ohlone land, working as an end-of-life doula, and loving on their niblings (a gender-inclusive term for the children of one’s sibling).
We are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with ari!