Building New Bridges: Teresa Wang Reflects on Her Time at SJPLA
As some of you already know, I'm taking a leap into a new career adventure next month which unfortunately means leaving the team here at SJPLA. Before I go, I wanted to take a moment to share what this place has meant to me.
SJPLA has completely shifted how I see work, myself, and the systems that drive our world. The way we question and reimagine systems that we are a part of, and being part of something that actually walks the talk has been an honor to witness, participate in, and share out.
And the part I will miss the most that has driven the imagination of this organization is this team. From competitive retreat games, to intense conversations wrestling with questions that sometimes had no answers, to our parallel play sessions where we'd all just exist together in comfortable silence. Those are the moments I'll miss the most.
Making the decision to leave was genuinely one of the hardest choices of my career. I've wrestled with this from the beginning of the process, but ultimately felt called to step into a role that focuses on the AANHPI community. In many ways, it was SJPLA that gave me both the language and the courage to recognize this calling. I'll be joining Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) as their Director of Communications, where I'll be working to increase philanthropic investment in AANHPI communities while building solidarity across movements. This pull toward creating change from within the AANHPI community has grown stronger, especially as I've witnessed how narratives about our communities can either build bridges or barriers – something our work at SJPLA taught me to recognize and address head-on.
But here's the thing: I'm not actually going that far. So this isn't goodbye – it's just me shifting into a different spot in our ecosystem. I can't wait to see what SJPLA does next and I'll keep showing up in this beautiful community, doing work alongside you all.
-Teresa
Teresa joined the team in 2021 when we were in the midst of a major transition. We were becoming Social Justice Partners LA and growing our work and team, and she re-introduced us to the world in a way that made our values come to life in the most authentic and visually beautiful ways. She’s helped us hone our voice, translated the complexity of our work, expanded our community, and enabled us to shine a light on the amazing leaders fighting for a more liberated Los Angeles. She introduced our team to Slack, finally got us using a CRM, facilitated our transition back to in-person events, and infused all the competitive games into every team outing she could.
Teresa has been an invaluable part of the team for the last four years, and it’s honestly hard to remember a time when she wasn’t here, likely because she has impacted every single aspect of our work. We are so grateful for all she has created here, but even more, the ease, humility, and humor with which she does it. We will miss her day-to-day presence so much, the laughter, generosity, and groundedness she brings, but we know she’s not going far. She’ll continue to be a friend and partner in this work for justice, and she’ll definitely be invited to SJP game nights for life.