DR. ISHMAN ANDERSON

           CEO AND FOUNDER

Dr. Ishman Anderson is the Founding Executive Director of MOB and a Faculty Lecturer with the Criminal Justice Studies Department at San Francisco State University (SFSU).  He is a first generation college student who grew up in West Oakland, and a 2007 graduate of McClymonds High School.

Ishman has spent over 11 years dedicating himself to guiding underrepresented students in K-12 and at the collegiate level including serving as a Mentor/High School Counselor for the UCLA Vice Provost Initiative for Pre-College, and then as an academic counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). During his time at CSUEB, he started the My Other Brother (MOB) Black male initiative, aimed at increasing college access and retention for Black males, and currently partnering with Castlemont High School, Dewey High School, Riverview Middle School, and supporting youth on an individual level at McClymonds High School.

Ishman's research interest includes cultural relevancy, cultural capital, critical race theory, and Tupac Shakur’s construct of Thug Life as praxis for Black male success through forms of resistance, community and cultural authenticity.

Ishman has a bachelor's degree from UC Davis in Sociology major and double minor in Education and Chicana/o studies. He also obtained a Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs from UCLA. Most recently, Ishman has earned his Doctorate degree from the San Francisco State University Educational Leadership Doctoral program in May, 2020.

PHILLIP JONES JR

BOARD MEMBER

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Phillip Jones was born and raised in East Oakland, California. He was the valedictorian of his class when he attended Castlemont back in 2011. Then, he went to the University of California, Berkeley, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare in 2015. Being a product of Oakland, California, is what drove Phillip back to Castlemont to serve his community as a Care Manager & Athletic Director. 

WILLIAM OCHOA

BOARD MEMBER AND SECRETARY

Will Ramos-Ochoa is a community engaged scholar who grew up in East Oakland. He is a Doctoral Candidate in the Educational Leadership program at Mills College. His research focuses on the racial identity development of young men of color, seeking to understand how the creation of culturally affirming counter spaces play a role in the high school to community college transition for young men of color. He currently works as the Program Director for the Gateway to College program at Laney College where he supports students who are “At Promise '' and are behind in graduating with their high school diploma. Like his students, Will attended (OUSD) schools and is a non-traditional student that never attended a high school institution, instead he received a G.E.D right after turning 18 years old. He co-founded Gang of Brothers - Hermandad which is a community-oriented brotherhood focused on collectively supporting one another throughout their life experiences.

   DREW NEWCOMB

           BOARD MEMBER

Drew Newcomb was raised in the Central Valley and has lived in and studied in Mexico City for many years. He has a B.A. in Political Science from U.C. Davis, and a J.D. from U.C. Hastings. Drew is currently working as an immigration lawyer. As a former deputy public defender in San Francisco, Drew is interested in restorative justice and investing in community youth. 

OSAHON EKHATOR

TREASURER

 Osahon Ekhator grew up in Inglewood, CA. He holds a B.A. and M.B.A. from UC Davis. He currently works as an Account Executive at Google Cloud. Osahon’s passions are social justice and high impact community-oriented work towards uplifting black children.