Our Board

The Impact Bay Area Board of Directors is responsible for providing oversight, governance, and strategic direction. Our small and mighty Board is made up of diverse and like-hearted community members who are passionate about IMPACT's mission to create safer communities.

Board Member.We are actively seeking qualified individuals to join our Board who share a deep passion for our mission and possess diverse skills and perspectives. If you are committed to making a meaningful impact and contributing your unique expertise, we invite you to view the Board Member role description and application process here.
Associate Board Member. ASBs are young professionals, usually 18-30 years of age, who build the capacity of our organization while participating in leadership development and growth opportunities through meaningful involvement within our organization. View Associate Board Member role description and application process here.

Jessica Pocalyko, Board Chair

Jessica Pocalyko is a Senior Learning & Organization Development Consultant for Dignity Health, a California-based non-profit healthcare organization. She received her Master of Science in Organization Development (MSOD) from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management. Jessica has worked extensively with non-profit organizations in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Jessica specializes in change management, group facilitation, cultural awareness, meeting and conference design, strategic planning, and leadership and team development. As an Impact Bay Area board member, Jessica hopes to support growth and expand community partnership while staying true to IMPACT's mission and values.

Jessica Lee, Vice Chair

Jessica Lee took her first IMPACT class in 2019, seeking self-defense skills before embarking on a solo international trip. The experience was transformative, inspiring her to embrace her personal power and confidently pursue the life she wants. She joined the board to bring this life-changing experience to more women and expand its reach to underserved communities.

Jessica’s passion lies in understanding the world through people and technology. With a BA in Psychology from Stanford, she has built products for diverse audiences, ranging from NASA Mission Control tools to shopping apps for Indonesia to healthcare services for nonprofits. Currently, she is VP/GM of Seed Investments at Goodwater Capital, the world’s largest consumer tech venture capital firm.

Jinqiao Lin, Treasurer

Jinqiao’s journey with IMPACT Bay Area began with the Women of Color's Basics Self-Defense course, where she connected with other women who shared similar childhood traumas and cultural upbringings that had limited their sense of personal safety and well-being. Jinqiao’s experience with IMPACT Bay Area has reinforced her belief that safety is a right, not a privilege, and she joined the board to expand the transformative experience of IMPACT's programs to a wider audience. Jinqiao holds a BA in Geology from Macalester College and a Master's in Physical Sciences from the University of Chicago. She is a dancer, scuba diver, cat lover, and plant parent.

Rebecca Ahn, At-Large Board Member

Rebecca Ahn fell in love with IMPACT Bay Area while researching and launching her own Tough Cookie Travel self defense program. She then took the Women's Basics class and joined the Board in 2021, further solidifying her passion for IMPACT and their mission. Besides being a Tough Cookie and all-around warrior, Rebecca is also an online business consultant, editor, and creator specializing in the fields of arts, entertainment, events, and travel where she supports and empowers clients who share the same passion for crafting a creative and unconventional life full of magical experiences. While originally from the Bay Area, Rebecca lives a nomadic lifestyle, working and adventuring from the road, and helping others survive and thrive on their adventures.

Nav Gill, At-Large Board Member

Nav was so impressed by the IMPACT model and training when she took the 24 hr Basics class, that she joined the Board right away. The IMPACT vision of 'everyone deserves to be safe so they can live a fuller, more confident life' resonated deeply with her.

Inspired by her teacher Sensei Fukuda (the first woman to achieve 10th Dan) who broke the glass ceiling for women in martial arts, Nav had setup a grassroots organization in India to teach at-risk girls self-defense and judo. She now hopes to spread the IMPACT training model and take it to India.

She has a bachelors in Economics from Punjab University and MBA from University of Massachusetts/SF State. She has worked in Finance, Tech, AI, and is currently a Product and Tech strategy consultant. She is a PADI dive instructor, novice sailor, and volunteers all over the world to protect endangered species.

Steve Li, At-Large Board Member

Ever since the transformative experience during his first IMPACT training, Steve has been a firm believer in the mission and value of Impact Bay Area. Inspired by the organization's commitment to empowering individuals through self-defense education, he eagerly joined the team as a board member, determined to expand IMPACT's reach and impact.As a dedicated board member, Steve's primary focus is to connect IMPACT with ambitious young professionals and share IMPACT's knowledge and skills with more individuals in need.

Professionally, Steve is a private equity investor at H.I.G. Capital, where he applies his financial expertise to identify and support companies that not only exhibit strong financial potential but also demonstrate values of sustainability, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. Steve holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Philosophy from Rice University and a Master's degree in Accounting from Rice University.

Ruby Silvera, Associate Board Member

C Thomas, At-Large Board Member

C is curious about everything. They currently lead a team of machine learning engineers at Apple, translating research advances to applications in manufacturing. Previously they've worked in the startup space, in women's health and quantum computing. C completed their PhD in atomic, molecular and optical physics at Berkeley in 2017, where they built lasers and vacuum chambers to study emergent behavior in ultracold atoms.

C has been an avid fan of IMPACT since first taking a course in 2016. They enjoy helping people feel embodied and empowered, and volunteer here and in local scientists-in-schools programs.

When not working or community building, C enjoys backpacking, boxing, and playing outside with friends. When staying in, they like to read sci-fi, fantasy, fiction, and exhausting books on self-help and world history. C grew up in Louisiana and now lives with their wife and dog in Oakland, CA.

Jonathan Wang, At-Large Board Member

Jonathan Wang became a suited instructor with Impact Los Angeles back in the mid-90s after his future wife, Heather - an IMPACT graduate and instructor herself - introduced him to the program. Jonathan joined the board of Impact Bay Area in 2019. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer at FACES SF which provides early childhood education and workforce development services to San Francisco families. Jonathan's career also includes time as the Director of Finance and Administration at New Door Ventures, and many years in IT, Operations, and Human Resources at the San Francisco Chronicle. He earned his BA in Political Science from UC Irvine and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Jonathan and Heather live in San Francisco and have two sons in college.

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