Meet our Staff
They serve as our girls’ mentors and allies throughout the programs and after our girls graduate.
Julie Ghosh
Executive Director
A Bay Area resident for more than 16 years, Julie has a deep commitment to San Francisco and the surrounding community. Before joining Oasis for Girls, she served as CEO of Downtown Streets Team, a nonprofit homelessness advocacy organization. Prior to that, her career spanned a range of leadership roles, from advancing economic mobility at the College of San Mateo to leading youth health advocacy in the East Bay. At SF State, she helped launch Food + Success + Success, where she pioneered an equity-centered approach to dismantling barriers such as food and housing insecurity for under-resourced students. Driven by gratitude for the mentors and programs that shaped her own journey, Julie is dedicated to co-creating spaces where the next generation of young women can realize their power and discover exactly what they are capable of achieving. Outside of work, she teaches in SF State's Master of Public Health program and loves to travel and explore all the natural beauty the Bay Area has to offer.
Ryan Yarborough
Program Director
Ryan Yarborough is a dedicated youth advocate from Oakland, California, with over seven years of experience supporting students from TK–12th grade. Passionate about creating safe and nurturing spaces, Ryan has worked extensively in after-school and summer programming within the Oakland Unified School District and EXLO. Through strong partnerships with community enrichment programs, stakeholders, school staff, and families, Ryan has built lasting relationships that center youth development, belonging, and empowerment. With a deep commitment to providing young people with opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive, Ryan continues to uplift the next generation through community-driven programming.
Eliza Hicks
Senior Program Leader, CREATE
Eliza joined Oasis for Girls in May 2024. She is a Latina who is very passionate about arts and activism as well as promoting social justice, youth empowerment, and feminism. She graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Sociology and Urban Studies, where she explored these topics in great depth. Eliza has worked for a wide variety of organizations that empower youth, immigrants, disabled folks, BIPOC, and people with chronic illnesses. She has a lot of experience with photography, videography, dance, visual art, collage, block printing, etc. She has worked as a wellness coach, helping individuals create wellness visions, and to reach their health goals. She is passionate about helping girls to creatively express their thoughts about different social and environmental justice topics.
Shanté Thomas
Senior Program Leader, ENVISION
Shanté, known as "Ms. Tay" to her students, is originally from the East Bay and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice at CSU East Bay and a Master's Degree in Justice Studies at San Jose State University. She previously worked as a first grade teacher at Commodore Sloat Elementary School and has a twin sister who currently teaches there. A huge Disney fan, she loves to read, go to escape rooms and have game nights. Shanté is dedicated to empowering and uplifting girls and feels honored to be a part of their Oasis journey!
Malia Hansen
Program Leader, RISE
Malia joined Oasis for Girls in September 2026. They are passionate about empowering youth with autonomy, joy, critical thinking skills, conscientiousness and sustainability. Prior to Oasis, Malia spent summers as a coach and site coordinator with Young Community Developers and 100% College Prep in the Summer Youth Academic Employment Program. They also gained experience working in University of San Francisco's AAPI Peer Counseling Services, AAPI Leadership Cohort, and Student Housing Department. They graduated from University of San Francisco with a Bachelor's in Critical Diversity Studies, seeking to use their education as a means to uplift their community and others.
Jen Wana
Marketing & Operations Director
After serving on the Oasis for Girls advisory board for two years, Jen was so inspired by the organization’s impact that she officially joined the staff in March 2022. With extensive experience across the fashion, retail, and publishing industries, Jen has held marketing and merchandising positions at InStyle magazine, L’Oreal Paris, Gap Inc., and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. She also brings a deep background in higher education from her work in admissions at UC Berkeley and Stanford. Jen holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.