MY EARLY EXPERIENCES CONTINUE TO SHAPE MY COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
The story of LJIST is deeply linked to my own story. As the city of Detroit burned with the fires of racial uprising in the summer of 1967, a year that marked the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, I was born disabled to disabled parents—an immigrant Puerto Rican father and a first-generation Mexican American mother—both unemployed and struggling financially with their young family.
These early experiences impacted me deeply and have propelled me to devote my life to working toward a world without oppression.
Together, we can work to heal our communities and create revolutionary relationships. I am committed to supporting you in our journey to create a just world!
The story of LJIST is deeply linked to my own story. As the city of Detroit burned with the fires of racial uprising in the summer of 1967, a year that marked the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, I was born disabled to disabled parents—an immigrant Puerto Rican father and a first-generation Mexican American mother—both unemployed and struggling financially with their young family.
These early experiences impacted me deeply and have propelled me to devote my life to working toward a world without oppression.
Together, we can work to heal our communities and create revolutionary relationships. I am committed to supporting you in our journey to create a just world!
LJIST is internationally recognized for highly effective and insightful virtual and in-person programs, expert facilitation of inclusive processes, on-demand webinars, social justice coaching, and dynamic speaking. We inspire individuals and organizations to deepen their commitment to social justice and create transformational change, one revolutionary relationship at a time.
MEET THE TEAM
NANCI LUNA JIMÉNEZ, CPF, Founder & President
Nanci is a trainer, facilitator, and speaker committed to healing herself and others from the effects of systemic oppression.
ALAN GOFF, MEd, Associate
Alan facilitates dialogue for connection and understanding across difference, especially in educational and community-based organizations.
ALAN GOFF, MEd, Associate
Alan facilitates dialogue for connection and understanding across difference in educational and community-based organizations.
BERT DEBUSSCHERE, PhD, Associate
Bert is a facilitator and trainer committed to increasing social justice. With a background in mechanical engineering and computational sciences, he is particularly passionate about working to increase equity in those fields.
KATHLEEN RICE, PhD, Associate
Kathleen utilizes methodologies to support inclusive and equitable participation and consensus-building amongst diverse stakeholders, with an emphasis on understanding the effects and patterns of White identity.
KATHLEEN RICE, PhD, Associate
Kathleen utilizes methodologies to support inclusive and equitable participation and consensus-building amongst diverse stakeholders, with an emphasis on understanding the effects and patterns of
White identity.
MELISSA MILLER, MFA, MA, CTNC, Director of Operations
Melissa is a visual artist, writer, and certified health coach whose practice focuses on the intersections of holistic wellness and healing from internalized oppression.
Ilana Uemura, Executive Assistant & Office Manager
Ilana brings her passion for inclusive facilitation, creative, experiential learning, and commitment to ending oppression to the LJIST team and our clients.
OUR STORY
LJIST’s transformational approach to social change builds on work first started by Dr. Erica “Ricky” Sherover-Marcuse which Lillian Roybal Rose, M.Ed., recognized cross-cultural communication specialist, carried on and shared with our founder and president, Nanci Luna Jiménez.
Nanci started LJIST when she was 26 years old with the vision of ending racism—and living long enough to see a world free of oppression. Based in Portland, Oregon, LJIST has been providing transformative virtual and in-person learning experiences, inclusive facilitation, social justice coaching and dynamic speaking engagements for individuals and groups in every sector and around the world since 1994.
This framework empowers participants to recognize their own significance and to reflect on and see the value in their own heritage as a means of building alliances with others. LJIST uniquely combines this training along with methodologies developed by the Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA), an international organization that trains people to lead participatory processes for sustained organizational and social change.
Lasting and effective social change happens one relationship at a time. Inspired to expand the work of her mentors, Nanci is training a team of associates who are devoted to changing the world by offering tools for personal transformation. Based in Portland, Oregon, Nanci and her associates have been providing expert trainings, facilitation, and strategic planning support for organizations, companies, agencies, and communities since 1994.
LILLIAN'S LEGACY
RICKY'S LEGACY