Featured South King County Leaders
Efrem Fesaha (he/him)
CEO, Boon Boona Coffee
Efrem brought his East African and Seattle roots together in creating Boon Boona coffee. Growing up in Seattle, he was always familiar with the experience of large coffee chains. Coming from an Eritrean family, he also grew up with the traditional coffee ceremony performed by Eritreans and Ethiopians, which is the communal way that many people from this region prepare their daily cup of coffee. In keeping with the spirit of East African coffee shops, Boon Boona works to foster a community environment. They provide an inclusive space for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized individuals. Efrem and his team are constantly thinking up ways to support our local community, from providing pop-up space to artists, non-profits, and small businesses; to handing out free coffee at Black Lives Matter events; to bringing crucial resources like King County Libraries and the King County Health Care Plan Finder into the café so people can easily access them.
La Tanya Horace-DuBois (she/her)
Founder & Executive Director, Silent Task Force
La Tanya has worked in human services for over 20 years, managing, coordinating and creating programming for Black and brown communities of King County. She has worked in mainstream domestic violence agencies for 8 years, AA women and churches on breast and cervical health and screenings, STD/HIV/AIDS counseling, testing and referrals, and even volunteered as a Red Cross HIV/AIDS/blood borne pathogen trainer, and sat on the Black Leadership Council on HIV. She founded the Silent Task Force in 2009, when four AA advocates from mainstream agencies across the country came together to find a way to close some of the gaps around domestic violence in the Black community. Today, the Silent Task Force serves our youth and families on multiple levels from job readiness, case management, basic needs, mentoring, support groups for boys and girls, food security and so much more.
Linsay Hill (she/her)
Former Community Programs Supervisor, Multi-Service Center
Linsay began working at Multi-Service Center in 2016 as a Workforce Innovations and Opportunity Act Case Manager working with youth ages 16-24 to support them with their educational and employment goals. Linsay went on to support the department in other roles, including supporting homeless families with barrier reduction, finding families housing and the Positive Outcome Program working with young women of color who are at risk or being involved in the justice system. During filming, she served as Community Programs Supervisor overseeing MSC’s education, employment, emergency rental assistance programs. Linsay is also Vice President of the Freedom Project Board of Directors. What drives Linsay within this work is community.
Roxana Pardo Garcia (she/her)
Founder, La Roxay Productions & Co-Founder and Executive Director, Alimentado al Pueblo
Roxana, aka La Roxay, is a self-identifying hood intellectual Xingona who was born and raised on occupied Coast Salish Territory. Roxana is the Certified Xingona, Founder, and Cultural worker of two small businesses, La Roxay Productions and Hood Intellectual Xingona. She is also the co-founder and executive director of Alimentando al Pueblo. Roxana attended the University of Washington where she received her bachelor’s degree in American Ethnic Studies. Her 10+ years of community involvement and organizing, include being a youth worker - specializing in working with Black, Indigenous, Youth of color, a community engagement expert, mentor, and a spirited South King County advocate. Roxana uses indigenous knowledge and her genetic memories to do work that will allow people to live with dignity, respect, self and collective determination. She was named one of Seattle Times 2020 Local Heroes and the 2021 Burien Citizen of the Year.
Felicia Hudson (she/her)
Former Program Coordinator, Federal Way Black Collective
Felicia Hudson started her work in law and advocacy at Highline College where she received her Paralegal degree and served as the Chair of The Student Legislative Action Committee, the Student Task Force, and interned at a Federal Way criminal defense firm and at the Housing Justice Project. She later served as the Program Coordinator for the Federal Way Black Collective and facilitated a Facebook show Thursday Thoughts, Why We Vote, and other community programs. Felicia has moderated events bolstering civic engagement and education with organizations such as The Washington Innocence Project and The Washington League of Women’s Voters. Her passion for community and uplifting the issues and concerns of the global majority led her to work with the Renton Regional Community Foundation to be a voice for the people serving the communities who are often left feeling voiceless, the BIPOC and minority nonprofits and small businesses.
After FWBC, Felicia Hudson started her own small business, ACF Rise and Thrive, providing consulting, marketing, and advertising, advocacy, and project coordinator services to nonprofits and small businesses with a focus on building up BIPOC and minority communities in King and Pierce counties.
Diana Veronika Krishna (she/her)
Former Development Associate, UTOPIA Washington
Born and raised in the tropical isles of Fiji, Diana provides direct care and health-related services to 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. During filming, Diana served as a Community Care Programs Coordinator at UTOPIA Washington, a queer and trans people of color-led, grassroots organization based in South King County. Joining the work with over 20 years of leadership experience at high end retail stores, Diana has learned to create world class experiences for customers with both charisma and care. Before relocating to Washington state, she lived in Portland, Oregon and has also lived many vital experiences from Fiji, New Zealand and Canada. Diana makes some of the most delicious Fiji style curries and loves watching documentaries & dancing to Bollywood music.