Intersectional Group was founded in 2022 by Zhou Fang, our Principal Practitioner.
We pair our practitioners’ expertise and lived experiences with the approaches of intersectionality, empathy, compassion, and curiosity. This makes our leadership, equity, diversity, and inclusion practice personal - our practitioners represent historically marginalized groups which enables us to bring an intimate, lived perspective to our work. Our focus on intersectionality enables our clients, both individuals and organizations, to understand their challenges with more clarity and address the root causes of issues that prevent equity.
ZHOU FANG
She/Her
As a Leadership, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) practitioner, communicator, leader, public speaker, and advocate, I bring myself in as a trusted partner, I lean on my multilingual and multicultural background to help leaders and teams navigate the complex and layered Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion space.
As a Chinese immigrant living in the U.S., I felt strange about some of my experiences. For example, Chinese students are often assumed to be in STEM and are always seen as the “Model Minority”, while the struggles of those of Asian descent are seldom acknowledged or discussed. Why is that? Other questions crossed my mind, too: Why are Black and Latinx folx rarely seen as engineers or architects? Why didn't I come across more Indigenous folx in my academic path? As I explored these questions and my own lived experiences – navigating immigration, experiencing micro and blatant aggressions, feeling perpetually siloed into identities based on others’ biases instead of being seen for my displayed capabilities – it was clear that a lack of equity, diversity, and inclusion impacted me and many others. It was also clear that to speak about these issues was not enough – actions led by an understanding of intersectionality can drive meaningful changes for individuals, communities, and organizations. From this, Intersectional Group was born.
Outside of my work, I am a proud dog and plant parent, a comedy and horror movie enthusiast, appreciate great food, and love to travel. I also volunteer actively and am an advocate for the environment.
Community Work
LEADERSHIP
I am the Chair of Policy Committee at Women’s Foundation of Oregon, focusing on policy making and advocacy. I am also an event facilitator and moderator.
CONTENT
I write about China, immigration, mental health, stop-asian-hate, pay equity, intersectionality and other pressing topics. I also host a podcast, The Intersection.
NON-PROFIT
I am an EDI director of PHRMA, a voting member of Jade District Committee, and a regular speaker for PDXWIT. I also occasionally help The Immigrant Story with their special events.
COLLABORATORS
Sydney Morrison
She/They
Sydney is a multifaceted community health organizer. She is a proud Jewish, Egyptian-American member of the neurodivergent and queer communities. Intersectionality is no stranger to her! She earned a degree in theatre and performing arts from the University of Maryland, and did years of stage management work in the D.C. area. She loves telling stories and the collaborative process of live theatre. The universe, however, had other plans for her.
After a cancer diagnosis at 21 years old, she underwent a year of intense chemotherapy and radiation. She struggled with severe side effects for years after, noticing huge changes in her physical, mental, and cyclical health. After developing many food allergies, extreme C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) and PMDD (pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder) Sydney decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.
This journey put Syd on the path to educating and taking care of her community. She is now a working personal chef for clients with specific dietary needs, cooking wholesome meals that center around fresh and local produce. She is also a certified menstrual cycle coach, navigating tough cycle challenges in 1:1 sessions, group workshops, and more, for all menstruating humans.
An east coast girl on a west coast adventure, she is a loving dog mom and waterfall enthusiast. In her free time Sydney enjoys reading fantasy novels written by women of color, trying new things, and exploring Portland, Oregon. This virgo is constantly scheming and dreaming! She hopes to write a cycle supportive cookbook one day and raise funds for bipoc and lgbtq travel.
Kathryn Latham
She/Her
Kathryn is an independent consultant who helps growing businesses optimize their operations, drive growth, and elevate their communications. After a degree in structural engineering from Duke University and a decade of leading projects, partnerships, and teams to exceed business goals, she left a senior-level corporate team to start Latham Business Solutions in 2021. Outside of business, Kathryn enjoys mountain-top vistas, eating her way around new cities, gardening wherever there’s soil, and being an A+ dog mom. She and Intersectional Group have joined forces on Pay Transparency reports, a website re-design, fundraising, and more.
Sarah Mulligan Williams
She/Her
Sarah Mulligan Williams is a creative director with 15 years experience working with brands to realize their creative vision. A born-and-raised Brooklynite, she began her career in publishing, working as a designer and art director for magazines including People and Time Out New York. After relocating to Portland, Sarah moved on to brand-focused work, creating content for brands including adidas, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Aperol, Grand Marnier, Bumble Bee Seafoods, as well as Portland Monthly.
Now freelance and the owner of her creative production agency, Word of Mouth, Sarah prioritizes opportunities and partnerships with people and brands whose values and missions align with her own. Sarah practices people-first leadership that’s empathetic, compassionate, and collaborative.
Sarah is also the host and programmer of Comedy 101 at the iconic Hollywood Theatre, where she gushes on the regular about the films she loves. She is a tv/movie buff, has a vinyl collection of over 1000 records, and devours all things pop culture. She currently resides in Portland’s Foster-Powell neighborhood with her partner and their dog, Marty McPug.
Cristina Lumague
She/Her
Cristina is a freelance podcast editor/producer and an indie podcaster. She is self-taught and found her love for podcasts in 2020. Since then, she has worked with huge, small, non-profit, history and paranormal podcasts. All sorts of podcasts, especially those focusing on diverse voices. Everyone has a story to tell, Cristina makes sure to get the best version of that story out there.
Kjell van Zoen
They/Them
I’m a non-binary, multicultural, organizational culture nerd who loves to inspire people towards being less racist, sexist, ableist, ageist, homophobic, transphobic, and the intersectionality of all of those plus more. Combined with my background in business I enable organizations, teams, individuals, and leaders to develop efficient, resilient, agile, and equitable operations and communications systems.
I’ve been a serial entrepreneur since 1997, and have founded and run multiple businesses in multiple countries and cultures. I have worked as a CEO, publisher, graphic designer, business coach/consultant, educator, and more. My two decades plus of interest in operational excellence and efficiency have led me to adopt DEI as the most holistic approach to lasting behavior change and efficiency.
I was born in the Netherlands in 1977, moved to the U.K. in 1989, moved back to the Netherlands in 2002, and moved to Portland, Oregon in 2004. I came out as non-binary in 2022.
I’m a home barista and coffee snob who also enjoys hiking, biking, yoga, travel, sci-fi books, writing, art & design, music, guitar, photography, and food.
Alysha Rainier
She/Her
I'm a first generation college student studying Public Health at Portland State University. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) work is crucial for the public health community. It is important to address the many overlooked health disparities due to medical racism.
As a young Black woman who grew up in an underserved community, intersectionality is very prevalent in my life. Before learning about the framework, I constantly felt that I had to decide which identity was more important - being poor, a woman, or being Black? Intersectionality allows us to help each other become better allies and show up for one another.
Maryanna Aster
She/Her
Maryanna Aster is a branding, creative, and content director in Portland, Oregon. With 15 years of experience alchemizing companies' values, missions, and visions into resonant and meaningful identities, Maryanna catalyzes growth and ignites audiences. As a former mission-driven business owner, Maryanna seeks out purpose-driven projects and nimble, visionary teams.
In 2008 she started an e-commerce company that came to be prominently known for its brand identity, position, and values. Built with almost no budget, Maryanna leveraged her own resourcefulness and creativity, leaning into values, transparency, and storytelling to build a fervent follower and audience base and distinguish the business from every competitor. The industry-leading branding and identity were so successful that a courting investor once exclaimed, 'It doesn't matter what you sell, it's the marketing that's the magic!' The success was so great, it far exceeded the ability to produce products fast enough.
After running the e-commerce company for over 10 years as Brand Marketing and Creative Content Director and with a staff of over 50, Maryanna now partners with other companies offering consulting and support for teams looking for creative ways to increase sales through exceptional brand identity, messaging, and creative content.
In her free time, Maryanna writes and publishes poems and essays, builds her astrology and tarot business, and wanders around in natural areas appreciating natural design. She has strong opinions about TV and movies and cannot stop herself from attending nearly every viewing of RRR at the Hollywood Theatre.
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Anusha Neelam
She/Her
Anusha is a seasoned product manager driven by a profound belief in the transformative influence of technology on our world.
Her passion lies in developing accessible products that not only harness the power of innovation but also make a tangible, positive impact.
Acumen Executive Search
Acumen Executive Search leverages business leadership experience to identify the needs of the team and company, and finds the right person to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Intersectional Group partners with Acumen on EDI and Intersectional Leadership consulting.
Heartware
Heartware helps software-centric companies embed empathy throughout their organization with customized skills training, leadership development, and operational effectiveness. Intersectional Group partners with Heartware to provide Empathy-focused Leadership education and consulting.
IT Motives
At IT Motives, we take the time upfront to truly understand your needs before diving into candidate searches. Beyond just hard skills, we focus on grasping the soft skills you value. With our thorough approach, we carefully select and present only the best candidates, saving you the hassle of sifting through unqualified resumes. We're here to ensure you get top-notch candidates without the extra work.
