ORGANIZE
CULTURE, COMMUNITY, AND COLLABORATION
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Malcolm Ryder
Founder / Creative Director and Executive Producer
Janice Edwards
Director / Media and Development
Constance Hale
Director / Research and Publications
Jeanette De Mello
Director / Community Liaison, Social Media
Ellias Fullmore
Director / Marketing Communications
Jakki G.
Director / Community Liaison, Development
WEST OAKLAND MATTERS ORGANIZATION
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Malcolm Ryder, Creative Director, Founder; owner of Ryder Foto and Oaktown Pictures. Board of Directors, Oakland Art Murmur and East Bay Photo Collective.
Constance Hale, Research and Publications Director; writer, editor; author of six books; former program director, Harvard's Nieman Foundation for Journalism.
Janice Edwards, Media and Development Director; CEO, Edwards Unlimited Productions, Emmy-nominated Producer/ Host of Janice Edwards TV Bay Area Vista.
Jeanette de Mello, Community Liaison, Social Media Director; owner Serial Material Vintage.
Jakki G., Community Liaison, Development, co-owner Serial Material Vintage.
Ellias Fullmore, Marketing and Production Consultant; Creative Director, Saint Maurice Fashion; Independent Entertainment.
ADVISORY GROUP
Ken Light, Adjunct Professor, the Reva and David Logan Professor of Photojournalism and curator of the Center for Photography at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California Berkeley.
Mario Hernandez, PhD, Associate Professor of Sociology, Fletcher Jones Sociology Chair, Mills College; author, Bushwick Bohemia.
Deirdre Clemente, PhD, Associate Director of the UNLV public history program, 20th century American Culture, Fashion and clothing, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Museum studies.
Donna Brinkman, co-Founder, co-owner, 7th West Community Hub.
2025 EVENT PRODUCERS
Painting/Prints Simone Nia Rae
Photography/Film Malcolm Ryder
Music James Bell
Fashion Jeanette De Mello
Fashion Jakki G
Fashion Ellias Fullmore
WEST OAKLAND MATTERS PUBLICATIONS CREDITS
Artists, Writers, and Content Contributors for our digital and print publications worked with us on our website, catalog, social media and PR. Our collaboration with them grows as we get more experience together. The contributions include both original works and works from collections. We invite more contributors to join the ongoing collaboration.
WEST OAKLAND MATTERS
Our aim is to bring together the community of creatives in West Oakland to amplify its influence as a collaborative force for the community's self-determination and cultural renaissance.
EQUITY
West Oakland Matters holds a non-discrimination policy which prohibits discrimination in its programs, services, policies, hiring practices and administration on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability.