Meet the Team

Jamison Henninger Mentorship Program Advisory Consultant

Professional Gender Inclusivity Trainer, workshop facilitator, writer, educator, mentor, performance artist, and consultant. Ariel is the founder of Gender Illumination and for over 18 years has facilitated trainings, workshops, and retreats for organizations, corporations, nonprofits, schools, communities, and faith based groups. This work has taken Ariel all over the US and internationally. Ariel has facilitated Gender Inclusivity Trainings for major tech companies as well as major policy institutes. Ariel is an ordained Hebrew Priestess and ritualist. Along with gender justice, Ariel's work focuses on intersectionality, commitment to working from an anti-oppression lens, and creating communities across diverse cultural backgrounds. Ariel loves to play with pronouns, bring joy into all aspects of life, and creatively spark conversations and connections. Ariel is available for workshops, performing, teaching, coaching, and speaking engagements.

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Ariel Vegosen, Founder & Executive Director

Jamison Crowell is a trans advocate and leader with experience as the Executive Director of the DC Area Transmasculine Society (DCATS) - a nonprofit that offers support groups, social events and other programs to advance the lives of transmasculine folks. His background is in being an open data advocate and analyst for nonprofits where he facilitates trainings around the world to ensure government's produce and disseminate better data to inform policy-making for the benefit of all people.

Leo/ra is a Jewish genderqueer political educator currently enrolled in the Masters of Social Change program at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA. Leo was born and raised in rural Northern California and they are passionate about nature, Queer/Jewish safety and liberation in rural spaces (and everywhere), and Indigenous solidarity. Leora is excited to bring their skills in strategic thinking, organization, and implementation to the work of Gender Illumination!

Leo/ra Cockrell Mentorship Program Coordinator

In Loving Memory of Yodassa Williams: Black Lives Matter Program Coordinator and Gender Blender Lead

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Yodassa Williams died on Dec 10, 2023. A queer Jamaican American writer, speaker, and award-winning performing storyteller, alumna of the VONA/Voices Travel Writing program, and creator of the podcast The Black Girl Magic Files, Yodassa (Yoda) launched Writers Emerging, a wilderness writing retreat for women of color and non-binary people of color at Fly Ranch, NV, in the Fall of 2019. The Goddess Twins, her debut YA fantasy novel about black twins discovering they are goddesses, was published in May 2020. Through Gender Illumination she wrote our Black Lives Matter Trans Grant Program, was a core Gender Blender community member, and was working on a new creative liberation project called Writers Emerging 2.0. This virtual & wilderness writing retreat series has a goal of brining Black queer women and non-binary people in the Bay Area spiritual and career elevating opportunities. We at Gender Illumination are determined to continue Yodassa’s amazing work.

Q Wilson, Workshop Facilitator

Q brings non-profit and corporate experience to a deep reserve of skills and practice gained from group leadership in a range of organizations from small business through Fortune 500, conferences, workshops, and academia. Q holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of South Carolina with a specialization in public relations. He has held his ATD Trainer certification since 2012. With a background in activism spanning two decades, Q has consistently worked to support community ties, and build bridges between communities using the powerful presence of authenticity, a gift for rapport and trust building, and an understanding of the value of relationship capital. Q is able to create comfortable learning environments especially when exploring challenging topics such as gender identity, LGBTQ culture, and gender expression. He has a passion for exploring the intersectionality of complex identities in the workplace, starting with his own and using this as a foundation for trust and credibility.

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Mija is a facilitator with 20+ years of experience. They offer workshops and trainings focused on gender, sexuality, decolonization, HIV/STI prevention, and trans affirming competency for health-care providers. Mija is motivated by Indigenous brilliance. They fight foraccountability and liberation, resisting notions that suggest colonial ideals, beliefs, andpractices are superior. Mija rejects a gender binary that confines bodies and identities totoxic policies and posturing. Mija has presented in person and online for corporations, secondary schools, universities, retirement communities, centers for teen parents, youth groups, community organizations, and Indigenous gatherings.

Mija, Workshop Facilitator

Jonathan Edzant, Serving Me Program Director

Jonathan is a San Diego-based portrait photographer, performer, and content creator with a passion for impactful storytelling through all things visual. He graduated with a BA in musical theatre from the University of California Irvine and obtained a Digital Marketing Professional Certification from San Diego State University. As a photographer with over 8 years of professional experience, he has worked with a variety of clients, such as Youtubers with 1M+ subscribers, signed musicians, small business owners, and agency models. He is also the proud owner of Gerald’s Greatest Fits and Gerald’s Sticker Co. , print-on-demand Etsy shops with LGBTQ-friendly clothing, stickers, and merch.

Lydia Martín Performance Lead

Lydia Martin is a musician, dancer, composer, and educator who lives in the Bay Area. They graduated from Mills College with a MA in Music Composition where they produced a master’s thesis that explored community, gender, power dynamics, and conflict resolution. These are themes still seen in Lydia’s work today. They perform with several musical groups such as Silk Mother, Gamelan X, and Gamelan Sekar Jaya. Lydia has taught music in schools around the bay including Richmond, Oakland, San Francisco, and Alameda. They recently completed the Darmasiswa scholarship from the Indonesian government stuyding the music and dance of Bali for one year.

Jetia Deity, Gender Blender Leadership Team

Jetia is proud to be on the Gender Blender leadership team and is the creator and founder of the first ever BIPOC only Burning Man pleasure and liberation party. She is an artivist on a mission to empower marginalized communities to awaken potential through the art of joy and pleasure. She empowers the Gender Blender and Gender Illumination community to become better leaders, healers, and lovers. She is a workshop facilitator, retreat host, coach, event curator, music maker, and it is her honor to massage the masses with music medicine for revival.

Earnest Vener, Board Member and Ritual Leader

Ernest is a trans Jewish educator in the Boston area. They teach 2nd and 3rd grade at Temple Beth Shalom. Earnest is passionate about Jewish storytelling, talmud study, and mentorship. Earnest received an M.A. in Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union and a B.A. in Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley. Prior to moving East, Earnest ran an outdoor Jewish religious school in the Oakland Redwoods. Earnest is a new parent and they enjoy spending time with their partner and newborn, studying Torah, playing board games, and working to build a more equitable world.

Dean Henderson, Board Member

Dean Henderson is a business economist with over a decade of experience implementing quantitative models to assess and manage financial risk. Dean is an advocate for trans rights and he holds a B.A. in Political Science from Swarthmore College and a M.S. in Applied Economics from John's Hopkins University. When he isn't glued to a computer screen, he enjoys running, traveling, and attending conferences on gender.