Equity isn’t a checkbox. It’s a practice, a commitment, and a pathway.
- Ericka Omena
My Journey
Ericka Omena Erickson, Ed.D., M.P.A.
Founder, Omena Impact Consulting
Rooted in Resilience and Culture
I am the proud daughter of Brazil, shaped by a legacy of resilience, joy, and the unwavering belief that communities hold the wisdom to transform the systems around them. Born and raised in Brazil and deeply rooted in the Bay Area, my heritage reflects an intricate weave of Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous, and Portuguese ancestry. I carry these cultural threads with me in every space I enter and every story I help shape.
A Lifelong Commitment to Equity
For more than two decades, I’ve worked at the intersection of racial and gender equity, community development, and early care and education. Whether I’m launching grassroots leadership programs, shaping equity-centered public policies, or designing community-informed master plans, my purpose remains clear: to amplify the voices of those most impacted by injustice and co-create systems that reflect their brilliance.
From the Classroom to Coalition-Building
My professional journey began as a college professor in Brazil and has since spanned multiple roles in advocacy, public policy, and philanthropy. At the Low Income Investment Fund, I led collaborative efforts that secured over $350 million in state funding for California’s child care infrastructure and helped launch Build Up California, a statewide coalition committed to sustaining and expanding child care facilities.
Throughout my career, I’ve facilitated cross-sector partnerships, led racial equity initiatives, mentored emerging women leaders, and advised nonprofit organizations and public agencies on how to embed equity into their strategies, policies, and operations.
Scholarship Meets Strategy
In 2024, I earned my Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University, fulfilling a lifelong dream. My dissertation, Grassroots Up, centers the leadership journeys of Latina family child care providers organizing through Child Care Providers United (CCPU). Using Testimonios, it highlights how grassroots leaders are bridging the gap between people and power to drive equitable policy reform in early care and education.
Rooted in social justice and collective care, my research continues to inform my consulting work, where I help organizations design bold, equity-driven strategies that uplift community voice and lived experience.
Purpose That’s Personal
This work is more than professional—it’s profoundly personal. I do this for my parents and grandparents, for my daughter and her generation, and for every community leader who has ever dared to reimagine what’s possible. I believe in the power of culturally rooted, BIPOC-led, joyful leadership. I believe that when we center love, liberation, and collective power, we create lasting transformation.
Leading with Joy
Outside of my consulting practice, I serve on the Board of North Marin Community Services, host a podcast and book club on women’s leadership through the Omena Institute, and cherish time spent hiking Bay Area trails or traveling to Brazil with my loved ones. Because joy—like justice—is essential to the journey.
Rooted in social justice and collective care, my research continues to inform my consulting work, where I help organizations design bold, equity-driven strategies that uplift community voice and lived experience.
