SABBATICAL AWARDEES

2018 Awardee

Kimberly Aceves-Iñiguez

Co-Founder & Executive Director, RYSE Center

Kimberly Aceves-Iñiguez is Co-Founder and Executive Director of RYSE Center, a vital community center and national model promoting safety, compassion, and justice for youth in Richmond and West Contra Costa County.  RYSE has developed integrated solutions to overcome trauma, foster creativity, end the school to prison pipeline and promote youth leaders by focusing on five core areas: youth organizing; community health; media, arts and culture; and education and justice.  RYSE envisions and creates a powerful movement led by young people that ensures dignity for youth, their families, and their communities.

Kimberly has passionately committed her career to expanding equity for youth, people of color and LGBTQ and working-class communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She is currently leading her organization through a period of tremendous impact, including a capital campaign to expand the RYSE Center into a larger campus for youth leadership, organizing, creativity, and innovation.  Before embarking on the next five-year phase of growth, it’s perfect timing for Kimberly to take a break and recharge.  While on sabbatical, Kimberly plans to focus on her health and wellness, travel and spend quality time with her family.  She will leave RYSE in the hands of her very capable team which has recently been re-organized to foster an even stronger leadership pipeline.

Kimberly says “It is a deeply rooted value for our organization to lift up youth leaders while also elevating the experiences of our own staff.  I am excited for a sabbatical that will grow RYSE leadership and allow me to return refreshed so that I can continue to think big, show up for our talented staff and youth, and inspire community healing for years to come.”