Rodney Robinson was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. He attended Southern University, where he earned his B.A. in Mass Communication. He has dedicated his career to creating equitable systems that support youth and communities. With more than 15 years of leadership experience, he has worked at the intersection of youth development, housing, and social justice, always centering collaboration, partnership, and solutions that create lasting change.

Notable work in his career includes leading the Campaign to End Youth Homelessness in Pierce County, where he invited Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations to participate in the conversations around ending youth homelessness. During his time at Treehouse, he facilitated contractual partnerships with nine new school districts across Washington to co-locate case management staff to work directly with youth in the foster care system, and he created regional coalitions for foster care support programs to collaborate, share learning experiences, and document best practices.

“I have spent most of my professional career working on behalf of and alongside young people to ensure they have access to safe, positive, and caring spaces and people. I was drawn to Upower because of its unique approach of pairing movement with trauma-informed coaching to support positive youth development.”

Rodney envisions Upower continuing to provide exceptional service to youth and partners, while exploring opportunities to expand into other communities and deepen its footprint in King County. Guided by the belief that everyone is deserving of dignity, he also carries the principle that “everyone can complain, but who is willing to help change the situation.”

Outside of work, Rodney is a proud dad to a son and a daughter, often driving the “Dad taxi” to activities. When he has spare time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, reading books, and going to the movies.

Noel was born in Farmington, New Mexico. Noel is proud to be raised in the Four Corners area on Navajo Native Land. Noel went on to receive a MA in Criminal Justice and a BA in Psychology from New Mexico State University while participating on NMSU’s Cross Country and Track & Field team. Noel has a passion in finding a remedy for mass incarceration through serving the community and is interested in analyzing effective alternative sanction programs to combat recidivism rates. When not spending time with the Upower team, Noel enjoys skateboarding, playing basketball, weight-lifting, and spending time laughing with friends and family.

Contact Noel (they/them) at noel@u-power.org

Paige was born and raised just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Family Studies with a focus in Child Life. Throughout her career, Paige has worked in youth-serving organizations, especially in education and in environments that rely on trauma-informed training and care.

Paige’s passion for community is centered on making sure every child has what they need to grow, learn, and thrive. She believes that all children deserve a strong education, consistent safety, nutritious food, and a childhood where they can simply be kids. Through her work supporting youth and families, Paige has seen how systemic inequities and poverty limit these opportunities, especially for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. This drives her commitment to creating access, building intentional support systems, and strengthening pathways that help young people feel safe, seen, and supported.

Paige sees Upower as the connection between her professional and personal passions. “It’s such a privilege to be the human behind sharing why Upower is so integral to my community. Being a part of this incredible mission’s growth and outreach is genuinely such a gift. I look forward to writing stories, conveying why Upower is the place to invest in, and in turn, growing our programs and their capacity to reach more youth.”

Outside of Upower, Paige enjoys sewing, painting, staying active, and spending time with her family and friends. She also follows professional sports closely, with a particular love for women’s sports, including the WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, and WSL.

Manny was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He moved to Washington three years ago and attended Seattle University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology. Manny has been involved in sports, specifically soccer, since the age of three, and he actively participates in the game across three different leagues. When not on the field, he volunteers his time coaching girls’ soccer, a role he’s embraced for a decade, working with young athletes aged 14-18.

Manny’s decision to join Upower was motivated by his desire to positively impact local youth in the community. He expresses a commitment to teamwork, aiming to inspire young individuals to become the best versions of themselves. Upower provides the platform for him to do just that. Outside of Upower, Manny enjoys going to the lake, wakeboarding, spending time with friends, reading, watching movies, and playing video games.

Contact Manny (he/him) at manny@u-power.org

As a functional fitness trainer, former youth basketball coach and mother of four adult children, Martha saw firsthand the health gap that exists between teens who have access to fitness activities and those who do not. Determined to help close this gap, she founded Upower in 2013. Martha is an experienced management consultant, having worked with management training programs in cities worldwide. In Seattle, she has served on a variety of nonprofit and for-profit boards and as an independent angel investor, consulting for companies such as Amazon.com. Martha holds a BA in American Civilization from Williams College and an MBA in Marketing from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

During his 20+ years at Microsoft, Stafford managed public relations and media as well as print and online initiatives for the Global Diversity and Inclusion team. He congruently established relationships with outside civil rights and human service organizations, K-12 schools, minority colleges and universities. Stafford worked to create and implement programs that give underserved communities equal access to technology. His efforts helped to provide Microsoft products and training to minority students and their teachers. Stafford has served on several Seattle-area nonprofit boards and often speaks at K-12 schools about the importance of academics and technology. He earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Washington where he played on the Husky football team. Stafford enjoyed a 10-year NFL career as defensive lineman playing for St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings.

Upower’s Current Board President, Lucy, is a strong believer in the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle paired with the presence of strong leadership and guidance. After graduating from Connecticut College with a BA in Art History, Lucy earned an associate’s degree in graphic design. She currently owns LB Creative Seattle, a small graphic design company. Lucy has volunteered with various at-risk youth organizations throughout the country including the Children’s Waiting Room in Pittsburgh and Invest in Youth in Seattle.

With strong business, fitness and community service experience, Luke leads our initiative to engage more millennials. He is an analyst at the investment firm Trilogy Search Partners and has spent time mentoring youth at Eye to Eye, volunteering for the VA and as a Boy Scout, participating in various community service activities including his own Eagle Scout project. Luke earned a BS in Biology from Whitman College where he also studied anatomy and physiology and worked as an athletic trainer. A Seattle native, Luke enjoys the outdoors and endurance athletic events.

Taylor was born and raised in Seattle. She received a BA in Sociology with a focus on race and ethnic studies from Colorado College and currently serves as director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at University Prep. Taylor grew up competing in gymnastics, learning core values the sport has to offer such as discipline, grit, and belief in yourself. After gymnastics, Taylor followed in her brother’s footsteps and began playing ultimate Frisbee. She has been playing ever since middle school and coaching ultimate since college. She currently coaches at UPrep and the women’s team at the University of Puget Sound. When not on the frisbee field, Taylor is often found curled up with her cats, probably catching up on her favorite podcasts.

As a lifelong student and athlete, Sarah is passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives — be it on the field or in the classroom. She founded Best Foot Forward, a consulting company that provides guidance for college-bound high school students with a focus on student athletes. Sarah is a former English teacher, having taught at Stuart Hall High School in San Francisco and Oak Knoll School in Summit, New Jersey. Prior to her career in education, Sarah worked as an analyst at First Union Securities and as an assistant account executive in the Merrill Lynch Private Client Group for J. Walter Thompson. She holds AB in English from Princeton University and a Masters in English from Columbia University.

Michaela was born and raised in Seattle, WA. She serves as a Workforce Planning Project Manager & Data Analyst in Highline Public Schools. She manages various Human Resources projects, including increasing systemic support for the well-being of Highline’s adult workforce, the creation of a new leadership pathway for principals, redesigning HRs separation and exit data collection, and support for leadership hiring. Prior to her role in Human Resources, Michaela was a social studies teacher for eight years in the Bay Area before returning home to the Seattle area, where she has served as a Dean of School Culture and Restorative Justice and instructional coach in Highline Public Schools. She holds a School Administrator Certificate from the University of Washington, a Masters of Arts in Teaching, and a Bachelors in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity from Stanford University.

Cecilia was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She serves as the Senior Director of Campus and Community Partnerships at Seattle University, where she develops networks of support around community-driven priorities to address social inequities. Cecilia is passionate about taking a whole-person approach to education that supports young people’s minds, hearts, and physical and mental well-being. She is particularly excited to support Upower’s focus on building trusting relationships with youth to foster safety, confidence, and growth. Prior to her current role, Cecilia earned a Doctorate in English Literature from the University of Michigan. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys playing dodgeball with Seattle Dodgeball, spending time in the mountains hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing, and engaging in nerdier hobbies such as Dungeons & Dragons, board games, and bar trivia.