OUR TEAM
MICHAEL BROWN
Michael Brown (he/him) is the Chief Architect of Civic Commons. Michael previously served as Vice President of Community Programs at Seattle Foundation, where he oversaw community impact efforts, strategic grantmaking initiatives, convening activities, and impact investing program.
Since beginning his tenure at Seattle Foundation in 2001, Michael has led efforts to elevate community voice and foster public-private partnerships, tackling complex challenges in the areas of affordable housing, economic and racial equity, policy, and advocacy. He led the development of the Seattle Foundation's Center for Community Partnerships, which focuses directly on targeted efforts to achieve greater racial and economic equity.
Read more about Michael here.
SOFIA ELLIS-CURRY
Sofia Ellis-Curry (she/her) is the operations lead for Civic Commons. Sofia serves as the project manager, supports programmatic work, and refines the cohesion and efficiency of the Civic Commons team.
With an academic background in gender and sexuality studies, Sofia has more than a decade of experience working with diverse constituencies in the non-profit sector. Throughout her career, she has worked on public health and education initiatives in the U.S., Argentina, and Austria. She is energized by the opportunity to advance the impact-driven work of Civic Commons.
MARTY KOOISTRA
Marty Kooistra (he/him) is the Network Weaver of the Black Home Initiative (BHI) network, a regional effort to address the systemic injustices in our housing system. Marty is a champion of coalition-based work at the intersection of community development, equity, and affordable housing. As executive director and board president of the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County, Marty formed several coalitions and networks, including Seattle for Everyone. His local, national, and global leadership roles with Habitat for Humanity include CEO of Habitat’s Seattle-King County affiliate. He currently co-chairs the University of Washington’s West Coast Poverty Center Housing Roundtable and serves on the board of Global Washington.
KAHDIJAH LOZADA
Kahdijah Lozada (she/her) is honored to join Civic Commons team as the Black Home Initiative (BHI) Network Manager, where she brings a passion for racial equity, strategic collaboration, and community-centered systems building. Kahdijah’s background in project management and cross-sector partnership development has been shaped by a deep commitment to creating opportunities for historically marginalized communities, particularly through empowering minority-owned businesses.
Kahdijah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Pamplin School of Business at the University of Portland. She is drawn to BHI’s bold and clear vision of expanding Black homeownership as a path to not only generational wealth but justice. Outside of work, Kahdijah finds joy in traveling, coaching youth basketball, and staying closely connected to nonprofit efforts that align with her values.
CAITLIN MORAN
Caitlin Moran (she/her) is the content and communications manager for Civic Commons. She has a background in journalism and 15+ years of experience bringing communities together through storytelling. Caitlin has worked for various news outlets as a reporter and editor; her most recent roles were leading community engagement efforts for The Seattle Times’ Education Lab project and directing The Evergrey. She’s excited to help further the mission of Civic Commons by connecting local leaders and elevating underrepresented voices.