Meet our Staff!

Ana Magaña
Floater, Las Luciérnagas 

Ana first came to Project Commotion as a parent before transitioning into an aide position. She is excited about the opportunity to expand her understanding of child development beyond her experiences with her own six children. She enjoys working with Project Commotion's students because each has a unique, positive impact on her. During her free time, Ana likes to dance Zumba and cook.

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Annie Aguilar
Movement Instructor

Annie is a dancer and doula originally from Grass Valley, California. She has trained in modern, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, and the creative process in San Francisco, New York, and North Carolina. She holds a BS in Neuroscience from Middlebury College in Vermont, where she also worked as a preschool teaching assistant for four years. Outside of PC, Annie pursues freelance dance projects and is also an apprentice for PUSH Dance Company. When she has a few hours to spare, you can find Annie hiking in the Berkeley hills!

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Carol Acevedo
Schools On the Move! Coordinator

Carol Acevedo is a dancer and dance educator who has trained in several disciplines, including Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Colombian Folklore and Pilates. She has 10 years of experience as a teacher working with children and youth through playful experimentation, movement, physical expression and gymnastics.  She is committed to strengthening the integral development of children within the Project Commotion community.

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Chloe Gordon-Murer
Data Manager & PC Lead Class Coach   

Chloe Gordon-Murer, aka Chloe Bowie, began her movement career in gymnastics classes at the age of 7. She continued on to train in aerial classes, and at age 15 joined a youth circus troupe. She has taught gymnastics, aerial classes, and circus arts to people of all ages. Chloe received her bachelors degree in Child and Adolescent Development with a focus in Youth and Family Services at San Francisco State University in 2012, and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Kinesiology. 

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Cristina Ponce
Head Teacher Las Luciérnagas, PC Class Coach 

Cristina Ponce is an assistant teacher for the Las Luciernagas Preschool and a PC assistant coach. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Jalisco, Mexico when she was 9 years old. Cristina has Associate Degrees in Child Development and Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as a Certificate in Special Education: Early Intervention focus from City College of San Francisco. Since joining PC in March of 2016, Cristina has enjoyed working with PC families and learning how to support children through movement.

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Daria Tsogbadrakh
2019 CSP Fellow

Daria is Project Commotion’s 2019 Community Solutions Fellow, who comes to us from the NGO Enereliin Tuuchee, a development center for children with special needs in Mongolia. She is passionate about creating inclusive and welcoming environments for children. She has a Master’s in Educational Studies from the National University of Mongolia and a graduate certificate in Inclusive Education of children with special needs from the University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. Daria will take part in developing the assessment process at Project Commotion. She is excited to learn how PC creates a positive environment for children to learn and grow.

Dayna Florendo
Floater & Sub, Las Luciernagas

Bio coming soon!

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Elizabeth Vazquez Macarena
PC Class Coach

Elizabeth has a diverse background in both business and child development. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from UNITESBA University in Mexico, and has completed four certifications in Child Development at City College of San Francisco. She currently works as a social behavior therapist with children with autism, and is excited to add to her professional goals as a class coach trainee at PC. She is passionate about helping children, particularly those with special needs, develop the tools they need to achieve their goals and be independent.

Hannah Kahl
Development Officer

Hannah Kahl has over a decade of nonprofit management experience, working both domestically and internationally. She has helped to grow community development initiatives and youth programs in Boston, Mexico, Uganda, and Oakland. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013, inspired by the many progressive movements and the sunshine. She holds a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish from the University of New Hampshire. Seeing the children’s love and enthusiasm for Project Commotion keeps Hannah motivated to find new resources and partnerships.

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Iliana Rojero Wilson
Schools on the Move and PC Class Coach

 Iliana joined Project Commotion in 2010 when her two boys started movement classes, and served as an assistant teacher in the Las Luciérnagas Early Childhood Program from 2012 to 2014. She holds a BS in Architecture from ITESO University in México. Iliana is also a meditation teacher, having obtained certification as a Tamalpa Practitioner from Tamalpa Institute in Marin. As an Intuitive Coach she teaches classes for women and works in 1-on-1 with families to create loving environments at home. She is passionate about the power of movement and art to promote empathy and community. Iliana lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.

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Johanna Sorrentino
Communications Coordinator, PC Class Coach

Johanna is a writer and editor excited to help PC with grant writing, outreach, administrative duties, and teaching youth Capoeira. She has worked in web publishing for ten years, and has also served as a part-time literacy tutor around the Bay Area. She has trained Capoeira since 2007.

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Julissa Acosta
HR & Outreach Coordinator, Nutritionist

Julissa, a native of Mexico, moved to California after high school to attend college. She worked as a bookkeeper at a construction company for 13 years. In 2017, she enrolled in the Nutrition Consultant program at Bauman College. Her goal is help people feel empowered through good nutrition. She has trained with Capoeira Ijexà since 2011. She is excited to lend her expertise in the areas of HR, operations, community outreach, and nutrition education to Project Commotion’s staff and families.

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Madhvi Trivedi-Pathak
Enrichment Program Coordinator

Madhvi Trivedi-Pathak is an artist and activist with deep roots in community organizing, especially with and for the advocacy of LGBTQI2S youth of color. They hold a BA in both Creative Writing and Women and Gender Studies, and are interested in interweaving the two fields to concoct an intersectional informed praxis to connect, heal, and build with community. They hope to pursue early childhood development with a focus in expressive arts therapy to continue advocating for youth. 

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Marco Austin
Accountant

Marco Austin manages all of Project Commotion’s accounting functions. He has more than 15 years of accounting experience in the fields of travel, technology, law and education and the nonprofit sector. Marco holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Mayra Flores
Site Supervisor, Las Luciérnagas

Mayra is Site Supervisor for PC’s preschool program, Las Luciérnagas. She moved from El Salvador to San Francisco with her family when she was 7, and has lived in the Mission District ever since. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from San Francisco State University. She feels very fortunate to be an educator at PC, giving her the opportunity to help children develop their interests and ability to trust others.

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Panda Deda
Little Monkeys Arts Enrichment Coordinator, PC Coach

Panda Deda is a cultural movement arts instructor and health educator. She teaches and assists youth classes for several nonprofit organizations and schools throughout San Francisco. Panda teaches the Brazilian art of Capoeira, basic tumbling, art therapy, and works with children with special needs. Her passion for movement arts began when she started training Capoeira in 2011, as a way to connect with her family and ancestors in Brazil. Panda holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Education, with an emphasis on community organizing from San Francisco State University in 2016. She also received her Holistic Health Program Certificate from SFSU in 2016. ​

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Raisa Le Roy
Assistant Teacher, Las Luciérnagas

Raisa is a San Francisco native who is currently working on her Early Care & Education degree at CCSF. She loves working at PC and watching the children grow and learn each day! At home, she has three dogs and enjoys working on arts and crafts.

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Susan Osterhoff
Director

Susan has worked with children of all ages and abilities in movement programs throughout the Bay Area since 2000. She was introduced to the art of Capoeira in 1998, which nourished her love of movement – primarily being upside-down! – and inspired her to combine this passion with the joy of working with children. With over 20 years of training, she is known in the Capoeira world as “Contramestra Formiguinha.”

Susan is also a faculty member in the Child Development and Family Studies Department at City College of San Francisco, where she teaches classes for parents and caretakers of children ages 0 - 5 years. She holds a BS in Communications from the University of Michigan and a Certificate in Child Development from CCSF.  In April 2011, Susan graduated as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner TM from the Institute for the Study of Somatic Education in San Francisco.

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Project Commotion Hall-of-Famers!

​​​First Column: Anna Zaugh (Coach), Celina Andino (2018 CSP Fellow), Jian Gianinni (Coach), Alex Wyatt ( Coach), Jarrel Phillips (Coach and Sub), Mestre Urubu Malandro (Capoeira Mestre) , Michelle Lopez-Muñoz (Las Luciérnagas Assistant Teacher), Krenar Qoku (2016 Fellow) 

Second Column: Esmeralda Lopez Guzman (LL Aide), Chagua Camacho-Olguín (Co-Founder), Vessna Scheff (Camp Coach), Mary Schindler (Development Director), Kate McCarthy (Camp Coach), Michele Elefante (Sensei)

Third Column: Marion Reader (Coach & Enrichment Program Coordinator), Yaxkin Hernandez-Melville (Coach & MOVE program Coordinator), Mac Layne (Development Coordinator), Serena Arge (Fundraising Coordinator), Tyler Temmerman (Enrichment Program Aide), Tobi Thomas (Coach), Coley Schwartz (Enrichment Aide)

Top: Jessica Loman (Coach)

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