We are a small but highly effective, engaged and energetic team dedicated to enriching our communities through the cultural arts. Our programs are goverened by our board, managed by volunteer staff, and implemented by local partner artists.
Ciiku is the founder of Pleasanton-based Cheza Nami Foundation, Inc. Her childhood in a rural village in Kenya was enriched by an emphasis on family and culture. It was the birth of her twins in 2007 and the lack of accessible educational resources that made her wish to share her African heritage, not only with her children but also with others.
Ciiku has dual and divergent passions. She holds a master’s degree in cell and molecular biology, started her career in drug development in 2000, and is currently a leader in strategic planning and portfolio management at a global pharmaceutical company. She also has a great passion to create programs that foster interconnections between people. Her message is that music, dance, and an open mind are essential ingredients for a beautiful life and joyful common ground. Ciiku has been featured in local newspapers and magazines and has received awards and recognition for her contributions to the community. She has delivered keynote addresses and participated in panel discussions to share her message on cultural diversity and global citizenship.
Her work in creating cultural awareness programs has appeared in the local CBS news, TEDx Livermore, the Oakland Magazine, Contra Costa Newspapers, and several other local newspapers.
Tarisai is a highly accomplished and dynamic leader with almost 25 years of international experience in strategy, operations, and sustainability across corporate, consultancy, and government sectors. She is currently in Apple‘s Global Real Estate and Development division, where she drives high-impact strategic initiatives. Tarisai holds an Executive MBA from IE Business School, a Masters of Science in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, and a BSc in Environmental Science from Kingston University. She also co-founded a non-profit focused on globalizing African technologies.
Financial Services Consultant Massanda D’Johns, CPA, provides tailored accounting, tax, and assurance services to help individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations manage and maximize their financial goals and opportunities. She works with clients and stakeholders to successfully achieve varied and intricate financial accounting and reporting requirements effectively and efficiently. She delivers professional services with passion, guiding her clients to achieve their personal and business financial priorities continuously.
Massanda earned her degree in Business Economics with Accounting emphasis from the University of California – Santa Barbara. She has 17 years of providing public accounting and external and internal auditing services for public and private organizations that vary in size, maturity levels, operating systems, and business sectors, including consumer markets, manufacturing, nonprofit, and government. Massanda is equipped and ready to explore your financial journey and what lies ahead.
In addition to serving clients, Massanda also gives her time and talent through philanthropy, having served on the San Francisco Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) for several years and giving to other nonprofit organizations across the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Mina Mangewala is the Visual and Performing Arts Teacher on Special Assignment (VAPA TOSA) for the Hayward Unified School District. Prior to working as a VAPA TOSA, Mina was an elementary classroom teacher for 19 years. Her primary focus as the Visual and Performing Arts TOSA is working towards creating equitable arts education opportunities for ALL of Hayward Unified students.
She was part of the initial planning team for the Visual & Performing Arts Master Plan and continues to coordinate the progress of the plan goals. Mina has successfully partnered with outside organizations to bring teaching artists to schools and professional development opportunities for visual and performing arts educators. She is also a faculty member of Alameda County Office of Education’s Integrated Learning Specialist Program and utilizes the program foundations of social justice and equity in her work as a VAPA TOSA.
She is passionate about all things dance, especially dances and music of the African Diaspora, and for many years performed and taught dance and capoeira to adults and children. She brings this passion into her work as an educator and leader for arts education.
John Case has sales, marketing and training expertise in the pharmaceutical industry for the past 22 years. He is an active youth sports coach and community member with a graduate degree in business/marketing.
Following his marriage to Catherine in 2003 and the birth of their twins in 2007, he has immersed himself in the the role of cultural awareness and education and embraced the role of promoting the primary vision of Cheza Nami, which is to enable cultural diversity in communities and promote global citizenship.
Ann M. Kariuki has extensive experience participating in all phases of civil litigation, including discovery, mediation, and trial. Her diverse experience includes representing plaintiffs and defendants, including Fortune 500 companies and small businesses.
She has a unique perspective because of this experience that allows her to tailor her clients’ claims to obtain successful outcomes. Ms. Kariuki earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005. She received her Juris Doctor from University of San Francisco, School of Law in 2011.
Ms. Kariuki believes in giving back to the community that has supported her. She has devoted her time to pro-bono legal services at the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach-Immigration Legal Clinic, the San Francisco Superior Court’s Small Claims (Mediation) Clinic, the Bay Area Legal Aid Domestic Violence Prevention Project, and the San Francisco Bar Association JDC Eviction Defense Project both during and after law school.
Ms. Kariuki is admitted to the California Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She is an active member of the Alameda County Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, and the Charles Houston Bar Association.
Jason serves as Cheza Nami’s Board Technology Advisor and has functioned as the official event photographer for Taste of Africa over the past two years. An entrepreneur and technologist, Jason brings extensive experience leading AI, cloud communications, and digital collaboration initiatives. He was co-founder and CEO of Tropo (acquired by Cisco), and later held leadership roles driving Cisco’s Spark platform and cognitive collaboration efforts.
Jason also sits on the board of ISKME (Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education), where he has held key leadership positions and helps guide open education and learning innovation.
At Cheza Nami, Jason’s role includes advising on the organization’s digital infrastructure—from website and platform administration to exploring AI-powered tools and workflow automation. His lens captures our cultural programming, and his technical insight helps us bridge mission and technology
Dandha, is a master dancer, vocalist, percussionist, and cultural educator originally from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. From her earliest years, she was immersed in the rich Afro-Brazilian traditions of her homeland and became a member of the revered cultural group Ilê Aiyê at the age of six. Over the years, she has performed alongside luminaries such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Daniela Mercury, bringing the spirit and rhythm of Bahia to global audiences.
Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dandha leads Cheza Nami’s artistic vision as Artistic Director, curating performances, directing artist residencies, and mentoring culture bearers across African and Diaspora traditions. She teaches workshops nationwide, collaborates with multicultural ensembles, and draws from her deep roots to guide the artistic integrity of Cheza Nami’s programs.
Under her leadership, students and communities are invited to connect with heritage and identity through immersive dance, drumming, storytelling, and movement. With a commitment to representing authentic voice, cultural pride, and inclusive artistry, Dandha Da Hora bridges tradition and innovation to inspire the next generation of artists and global citizens.
Piwai is a Zimbabwean-born recording artist, mbira practitioner, and scientist who brings a unique fusion of art, culture, and strategic vision to Cheza Nami as Director of Development & Programs. Raised in a musical tradition, she absorbed the sounds of Shona and Ndebele culture early on and trained under masters like Cosmas Magaya.
Transitioning between her scientific training and artistic calling, Piwai has bridged both worlds: she worked in biotechnology and strategy while sustaining her musical journey, eventually embracing full-time cultural work. At Cheza Nami, she oversees program design, staff coordination, and fundraising initiatives—ensuring that each project is grounded in cultural integrity, community access, and sustainability.
As an artist, Piwai is known for her contemporary, genre-blending sound that weaves jazz, gospel, and African rhythms around the mbira (Zimbabwe’s thumb piano). She has performed nationwide and internationally, and her work has appeared in festivals such as Zimfest.
Piwai is deeply committed to centering equity, accessibility, and cultural agency in all her roles. Her leadership ensures that program growth goes hand in hand with meaningful impact—especially in underrepresented communities and for youth of all abilities.