Oakland, CA - Zakiya Harris is a California native, who has been working as a Change Strategist for over 12 years. She received her B.A. in Political Science and History from Rutgers University and attended New College of Law before leaving to pursue her lifelong passion of teaching. She has taught elementary through collegiate level in a variety of public and private settings. In 2003, she became the lead trainer at the DJ Project where she facilitated job training and entrepreneurship modules using the medium of hip-hop culture. In 2007, she Co-Founded Grind for the Green, named one of the top Eco-Orgs in the Bay Area, an organization committed to moving young people of color from the margins to the epicenter of the environmental movement. In 2008, she became the first African-American Regional Director of the San Francisco Green Festival, the largest sustainability event on the planet, where she served for two years. Named one to watch by Grist.org, some of her achievements include serving on the founding team of Hub Oakland (opening Spring 2013), receiving the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Future Leaders award, serving as a Fellow for Green For All under the direction of Van Jones and becoming a Bold Food Fellow in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture. An accomplished public speaker, she has presented at Green Festivals, Tedx Denver, Toyota Motors Inc. and the NAACP National Convention. Her work was recently featured in the October 2011 edition of Readers Digest. She is also an accomplished dancer, vocalist, actor and member of the west coast based neo folkloric ensemble Ase Dance Theater Collective. Currently she is preparing to release her first solo music project The Shapeshifter. Her highest honor in life is being a mother to her beautiful 7 year old daughter.