Kim Moore Bailey

Chief Executive Officer

With over 20 years of experience in strategic planning and community engagement, Kim Moore Bailey provides the leadership and vision that drives Youth Outside’s work to ensure that young people who have been traditionally or historically underrepresented in the outdoor movement have the opportunity to connect with nature in culturally relevant and inclusive ways.

As Chief Executive Officer, Kim guides the overall strategic direction for the organization and supports the leadership team as they manage the organization’s grantmaking portfolio, training and capacity-building programs, and on-going advocacy work.

Kim is a frequent speaker and thought leader on topics related to equity and inclusion in the outdoor and environmental fields. As a facilitator and trainer, she has supported many individuals and organizations in thinking about how to ensure that everyone has equitable access to nature and designing outdoor spaces and programming that supports this goal.

Before joining Youth Outside, Kim was the COO of College Possible, a national nonprofit focused on making college attainable for low-income students by creating more access points and opportunities for support. She also spent five years as a Vice President at Outward Bound where she was responsible for supporting and growing Outward Bound’s urban programs across the country and worked as the Manager for Denver Parks and Recreation.

Kim received her Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University and her Master’s Degree from New York University in Counselor Education. She also participated in Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in the State and Local Government program, and pursued additional educational opportunities at the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado. Kim serves on the Board of Directors for the Environmental Grantmakers Association, the Children & Nature Network, the North American Association for Environmental Education, and the Blue Sky Funders Forum. She also Co-Chairs the Bay Area’s Environmental Education Funders Collaborative and serves on the Environmental Literacy Steering Committee for the state of California.

Away from work, Kim enjoys spending time with her loved ones, yoga and being outdoors.

To contact Kim, call (510) 839-0731 or send her an email at kim@youthoutside.org.

Laura Rodriguez

Director of Programs

Laura (pronounced loud-ah) is Youth Outside's Director of Programs. Laura co-designs and oversees the management and implementation of Youth Outside's suite of programs, including the organization's grantmaking work and Grantee Cohort Series.

Growing up in the Central Valley, a child of immigrant parents, Laura graduated from UCLA with a commitment to social justice that today centers around youth and access to the outdoors. Laura’s introduction to the impact of outdoor programming did not take place until she moved to the Bay Area in 2009. Her passion for the outdoors deepened when she began to volunteer with the Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoor Rafting program, eventually serving as its chair for a two-year term in 2012. Laura’s experience with the Sierra Club fueled her desire to be a champion for equity and inclusion within the outdoor space, and she actively facilitates trainings and conversations in support of these efforts for Youth Outside.

Prior to joining Youth Outside, Laura was a Program Manager for the SEIU UHW West and Joint Employer Education Fund, a non-profit that offers training and education for healthcare workers. Her ability to connect with stakeholders of all levels make Laura a valuable team member. 

To contact Laura,  send her an email at laura@youthoutside.org.

Alberto Galindo

Director of Development

Alberto’s commitment to educational equity and social impact stems from witnessing his single mother's personal triumphs in the face of systemic inequalities. These life experiences shaped his personal values and led him to devote his career to working with underserved communities.

Alberto has spent the past 10 years working in both programming and development with organizations generating economic opportunity in areas ranging from microfinance to immigrant advocacy to college access. Immediately prior to joining Youth Outside, Alberto worked with Summer Search, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of the region's signature fundraising events. Alberto facilitates philanthropy with a deep passion for social justice, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement. He currently serves as a Mission Graduates Board member and is a New Leaders Council alumnus.

A proud Bay Area native, Alberto graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BA in Politics and earned a Master’s Degree in International Development from NYU. When he’s not fundraising or on the soccer field, Alberto enjoys cheering on the Warriors and Giants, collecting vinyl from all over world, fervently discussing urban planning, and helping his mentee navigate college.

To contact Alberto, send him an email at alberto@youthoutside.org

Rena Payan

Senior Programs Manager

Rena is tasked with working toward equity and representation in the outdoor field by supporting young adults from diverse backgrounds through training that will develop them into outdoor leaders, stronger community advocates, and more confident stewards of the Earth.

Having grown up in the Central Valley of California, Rena was surrounded by the outdoors, but did not find her passion for outdoor education and youth development until she worked at Pathfinder Ranch in the San Bernardino National Forest. During her time at Pathfinder, Rena worked as an assistant horse wrangler, outdoor educator, high ropes facilitator, and occasional mad scientist, ultimately finishing her years there as the medical director for their outdoor education school and summer camp programs. Following her mountain life, Rena moved to the Bay Area by way of Montana and settled in San Francisco, where she worked as the Teen Programs Coordinator at the Richmond Village Beacon. While at the Beacon Rena developed and supported afterschool programs that served over 200 high schoolers a day. During the summer Rena created and ran “Venture Out”, an outdoor program for high school and middle school youth that took them to Point Reyes to backpack and explore the national shoreline.

Rena currently volunteers with Bay Area Wilderness Training as an instructor and Board member. She is also a graduate from the California School Age Consortium’s (CalSAC) Leadership Development Institute and enjoys every chance she gets to go outside.

To contact Rena, send her an email at rena@youthoutside.org.

Raphael Cohen

Communications Manager

Raphael Cohen is a writer, editor, and youth advocate who has spent the bulk of his professional career working at the intersection of arts and education.

Born and raised in New York, he’s called Oakland home since 2001, and has taught creative writing, digital storytelling, and contemporary literature at multiple Bay Area schools and community centers. Raphael was introduced to outdoor education as a literary arts specialist and program director at Camp Hayden Marks of the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit organization providing free summer camp experiences to youth from under-resourced neighborhoods in New York City. There, he piloted multiple initiatives to develop a camp culture centered on social justice, equity, and inclusion. He’s thrilled to be returning to this work as Youth Outside’s Communications Manager, where he looks to share and build upon his extensive writing, storytelling, and marketing experiences, in support of strengthening the organization’s reach and impact.

Prior to joining Youth Outside, Raphael worked as a site manager at Writing Pad, a creative writing school for adults in San Francisco, and as a writer and editor at Know Yourself, an Oakland-based company developing dynamic educational materials on human anatomy and “self-literacy” for elementary school-age children and their families.

Raphael earned his Bachelor of Arts from San Francisco State University and his Master of Fine Arts from Mills College. In his downtime, he loves lounging by Lake Merritt, playing pick-up basketball, and reading and writing about the history of athlete activism.

Geenah-Marie Leslie

Development Associate

As Youth Outside’s Development Associate, Geenah provides support to corporate and individual donor engagement strategies as well as fundraising events.

Geenah was born and raised in the city of Los Angeles. Her parents, who had immigrated from their native country of Jamaica, brought her up to believe that she should never allow her gender or the color of her skin deter her from pursuing her wildest dreams. They would often find her outside, climbing trees, tending to her pets, and pondering the wonders of the environment.

Geenah took her fascination with wildlife conservation with her to Cal Poly Pomona, where she studied Biology with an emphasis in zoology and environmental science. During her studies, she also became aware of the environmental injustices surrounding underrepresented populations. Upon graduating, she decided she would use her voice to speak on the need for the implementation of sustainable and just policies in vulnerable communities.

Geenah has spent the past few years of her professional career devoted to animal rescue. She grew especially committed to community engagement in her work with the South LA community at Stray Cat Alliance. There she worked to help empower residents to have an impact on their community animals through education and resources.

Geenah continues to have a wonder for the outdoors and enjoys hiking and snorkeling. On her off days you can find her reading at a local bookstore, eating shrimp tacos, or lounging about with her cat, Lord Voldemort.

Sierra Mathias

Operations Associate

As the Operations Associate, Sierra supports Youth Outside’s grants management, program logistics, communications and outreach efforts, and collaboration of all organizational activities.

Sierra grew up in the East Bay Area and was privileged enough to spend her childhood hiking, camping, and riding horses with her family. These experiences allowed her to develop a deep connection and appreciation for nature that she now strives to share with others.  

Sierra began her career in the outdoor industry as the Community Programs Intern at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, while earning her BA in Social Ecology and Urban Studies at UC Irvine. She went on to work with the Livermore Area Recreation and Parks District, renewing and enhancing urban streams and riparian habitats in the Livermore-Amador Valley while encouraging community members to connect with the arroyos flowing through their backyards.

Most recently before joining the team at Youth Outside, Sierra worked as a Youth Programs Coordinator with the National Park Service. There she enjoyed collaborating with local school districts and non-profit organizations to provide educational and career opportunities for high school-aged youth in the field of environmental science and stewardship. Witnessing the transformative power of the outdoors on youth has inspired Sierra to continue her work creating equitable access to the outdoors for all.

In her free time, Sierra enjoys hiking through the Bay Area’s open spaces with her corgi Guinness, backpacking through the Sierra Nevada mountains, and rock climbing. When not outdoors, she can usually be found cooking or attempting to propagate a new plant.

To contact Sierra, please email her at operations@youthoutside.org.