Ari is a writer, educator, and nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience working at the intersections of LGBTQIA+ justice, youth advocacy, and community-based philanthropy. A former scholar and grant volunteer, Ari brings both lived experience and deep professional knowledge to their work redistributing resources to those most impacted by systemic inequities.
They work as a grant writer and development coordinator supporting multiple nonprofits focused on educational equity, including efforts to expand STEM access for historically excluded youth. Ari has held leadership roles across the Pacific Northwest, including senior staff positions at a transitional housing program for LGBTQIA+ youth, board service with a queer-led housing nonprofit, and consulting roles for organizations advancing racial and gender justice. They are also a literary fellow and hold an MFA in creative writing. Ari is passionate about building safer futures for BIPOC and QTPOC communities—and has a deep love for capybaras, their favorite rodent and a model for communal living and gentle resilience.
Favorite Place in the Northwest: Bridge of the Gods, there’s this place somewhere where they built Hood River that the desert meets the green and it’s incredible to be there.