About Me

A Lived Commitment to Justice 

I am an attorney, restorative justice practitioner, and policy analyst dedicated to advancing community-led approaches to justice, healing, and systemic transformation. 

I was born and raised in Bulgaria in a family shaped by domestic violence, mental illness, and the intergenerational impacts of communism and colonialism. Ever since I was little, I wanted to know how we, collectively, can end violence so no other child has to live through what I did.

Moving to Oakland 15 years ago, I found a place to call home and a community to grow old with. Sitting in restorative justice circles in San Quentin and juvenile hall showed me that it is possible to end violence by transforming systems that cause harm and investing in policies and practices that foster wellbeing for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

A Decade of Legal and Policy Leadership

Since earning my J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2014, I have built over a decade of practice in criminal justice, civil rights, restorative justice, legislative advocacy, racial justice, and post-conviction relief. My work bridges direct legal advocacy and systems-level change, with a focus on advancing equity and wellbeing.

High-Impact Legal Practice and Legislative Advocacy

My legal experience includes civil rights litigation with the ACLU of Northern California, post-conviction advocacy for individuals serving juvenile life without parole, and a federal judicial clerkship with the Honorable Thelton E. Henderson of the Northern District of California. I also authored legislation mandating implicit bias training for judges, attorneys, and medical professionals (AB 241 and AB 242) in California. As an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco, I handled felony and misdemeanor cases going through restorative justice and mental health diversion.

Public Leadership and Systems Governance

I currently work as Senior Program Manager at Impact Justice where I support innovations in the fields of reentry and criminal justice reform. I also serve as Commissioner on the Oakland Public Safety Planning and Oversight Commission (OPSPOC), overseeing $47M in public safety funds and guiding local violence prevention strategy. As a delegate to the California Democratic Party and Co-Chair of California Democrats for Justice in Palestine, I support statewide and national policy advocacy.

Teaching, Facilitation, and Restorative Practice

In addition to my legal and policy work, I teach restorative justice diversion at UC Berkeley School of Law and facilitate mediation and restorative processes for organizations and communities. In everything I do, I am dedicated to practicing living in right relationship with each other and the Earth.