Aliza Kazmi is from the East Bay Area and is a second generation Pakistani. Her lifelong dedication to justice comes from being a survivor, a Muslim, a daughter of immigrants, a daughter of an educator, and a former educator herself.

Aliza has organized on multiple issues in a number of regions: from Alaska, Michigan and New Mexico to communities across California. She has created and nurtured mutual trust- and care-based partnerships with countless advocacy collaboratives: engaging and mobilizing grassroots BIPOC communities for racial and gender justice, fostering voter and civic engagement, and leading and supporting coalition- and movement-building amidst critical sociopolitical challenges.

As a former nonprofit executive, Aliza is well-versed in strategic planning, organizational development, recruitment and retention, and change management. She is passionate about bridging deep rooted community power with government accountability to transform unjust conditions, and has extensive experience doing direct lobbying with local, state and national elected officials in various states. Aliza has also been featured in various outlets such as NPR, USA Today, Al Jazeera, The Independent, and Mic.

Aliza is an alumna of UC Berkeley’s Peace & Conflict Studies and Gender & Women’s Studies programs and the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy, where she received the Rackham Merit Fellowship. She is also a trained survivor advocate and certified in conflict resolution and mediation. Aliza enjoys yoga, walking or biking the Bay Trail, spending time with loved ones, travel, and dance.