Leya Elias

Leya is passionate about the physical, material, and spiritual empowerment of their communities through the frameworks of social, political, and economic justice. They support the Office of the CEO and the Senior Leadership Team with their experience in project management and organizational leadership. Prior to joining Baltimore Corps, Leya worked with Pathways to Housing DC, the Stanford Women’s Community Center, the Haas Center for Public Service, Public Rights Project, and the Stanford Institute for Diversity in the Arts. Leya studied Psychology and African & African American Studies at Stanford University and has a background in community organizing and advocacy. They were heavily involved in advocacy for anti-racist policies on campus through their work with student government and created programs promoting community health. They co-founded the Black Gender Marginalized Collective and worked with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and community partners to design prototypes for improving local housing courts. Leya is originally from southeast San Francisco and is also a proud sister, artist, and mentor. Leya is very excited to support Baltimore Corps’ urgent, innovative, and community-centered work driving racial justice in Baltimore city and beyond.