Alexandra Perry (she/her) - Producer, Teaching Artist
Alexandra is a visual artist and filmmaker with a Communication Design & Media Production degree from CSU Chico. After graduating she made her way up and through the Los Angeles Production Industry - producing, coordinating and managing for companies & networks such as Disney, A&E, Bravo, ESPN, and the NFL. After realizing her stronger passion for being behind the camera, she shifted focus and has grown her talents as Videographer/Photographer. She’s most drawn to documenting live events such as conferences, film festivals, life events & more.
Brittani Sensabaugh (she/her) – Teaching Artist
Brittani Sensabaugh, known as BrittSense, is a Documentarian and the owner of 222Media LLC. She launched her photography career at 19, starting in fashion photography. Originally from Oakland, California, BrittSense moved to New York City in 2010 and has since made her mark as a renowned photographer and artist. Passionate about giving back to her community, she aims to inspire Oakland’s youth to believe in themselves through love and art.
Fun fact: BrittSense loves oldies music and enjoys painting in her spare time.
Elizabeth Osborne (she/her) - Teaching Artist
Elizabeth Osborne is a video producer, educator, and mentor with a passion for storytelling and supporting young creatives. With over 15 years in video production, she worked extensively at PlayStation, specializing in video production operations and collaborating on marketing campaigns, in-game cinematics, and VR projects. A UC Berkeley Film graduate, she is dedicated to mentorship and serves as Board President at her cooperative preschool, fostering community among families.
Fun fact: Her first patent application was recently published!
Filomeno Tomas (he/him) - Teaching Artist, YB Pro
Filo, originally from Guatemala, has developed a deep passion for media since joining YouthBeat, where he honed his skills in photography, videography, and video editing. As a dedicated filmmaker, Filo enjoys mentoring youth, hoping to inspire the next generation of filmmakers and animators.
Fun fact: Filo’s first trip to Los Angeles was with YouthBeat, where he filmed a commercial with NBC Universal.
Florence Middleton (she/her) - Teaching Artist
Florence is a visual journalist based in Oakland, California, specializing in photojournalism, filmmaking, and documentary photography. She holds a master’s from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and has been recognized as a Pulitzer Center fellow (twice), a Dorothea Lange fellow, and a finalist for College Photographer of the Year.
Florence is passionate about empowering young people to tell stories from their own communities and is honored to support that work at YouthBeat.
Fun fact: She grew up in the desert and used to race dirt bikes!
Gregory Collins (he/him) - Senior, Community Outreach Manager
Gregory is an experienced educator and leader who has been working with youth since he was 13. After graduating from Azusa Pacific University in 2011, he began his teaching career in his hometown of Camden, NJ, before moving to the Bay Area to attend film school. There, he honed his leadership skills while working with several nonprofits. Gregory enjoys working at YouthBeat because it blends his passion for mentoring youth with his love for content creation.
Fun fact: Gregory is a huge fan of anime and comic books.
Jake Nicol (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Jake is an Emmy-nominated video journalist and 2023 John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford. He teaches digital storytelling at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and City College of San Francisco, and has produced work for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and National Geographic. His reporting has earned awards from the Edward R. Murrow and Society of Professional Journalists, among others.
Jake’s roots are in community media, where he began by helping marginalized communities and youth tell their own stories—an approach he continues to bring to his work today.
Fun fact: He’s into bike camping—packing all his gear and hitting the trail on two wheels.
Jake Schoneker (he/him) - Executive Director
Jake has worked with Youth Beat since its inception in 2010-- building YB's education programs and curriculum, creating community partnerships and helping produce 100+ youth-led media projects. He has led the organization as Executive Director since 2016, when founder Jeff Key retired. Jake has over 10 years experience working with inner-city youth, and his documentary film work has appeared on the PBS NewsHour, the AFP, MSNBC and other outlets. He holds a master’s degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley, where his work concentrated on youth media and multimedia journalism.
Jalil Butron (he/him) - Creative Director
Jalil is a Director of Photography with experience in commercial, documentary, and corporate filmmaking. After studying psychology at San Diego State University, he moved to Shanghai, where he transitioned from recruiting to video production, working with brands like Dyson, GQ, and Michelin. Now back in California, he serves as YouthBeat's Creative Director, dedicated to helping young creatives turn their passions into careers.
Fun fact: His favorite nicknames are Lito and Lili.
Jiya Day (They/Them) - Teaching Artist
Jiya is a director, producer, and writer with a passion for youth media education. A graduate of Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State University, Jiya was once part of a youth media program herself—an experience that sparked her love for filmmaking. Now, she’s excited to help students discover their own creative voices through film.
Fun fact: Jiya has dyed her hair over 10 times—aquamarine is her favorite shade!
Kana Azhari (she/her) - Program Coordinator
Kana is a filmmaker, youth educator, and community organizer from Oakland and South Berkeley, CA. She is passionate about empowering young people to tell their stories through media, leadership, and creative expression. With a background in social movements and multimedia arts from UC Santa Cruz and Berkeley City College, she has spent over a decade working in media arts, performing arts, and community organizing across multiple cities.
Fun fact: Kana loves all things play—including surfing, dancing, laser tag, and extreme walking!
Kristal Raheem (she/her) - Development Manager
Kristal, an Oakland native, brings a passion for community service and youth development to YouthBeat. With a background in education, non-profit programming, and journalism, she aims to empower Oakland youth as future storytellers. An alum of the Oakland Voices program and a KALW Audio Academy fellow, Kristal holds degrees in Sociology and Education Policy. A proud graduate of the Oakland Unified School District, she values the importance of arts and media access for youth.
Fun fact: Kristal is also a poet who began writing in high school and has performed on notable stages, including Yerba Buena Gardens.
Kyle Cabral (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Bio Coming Soon
Lea Zhang (she/her) - Communications Intern
Lea Zhang is a visual storyteller with a passion for photography and film. She first discovered her love for visual language in high school and went on to study Film & Media at UC Berkeley, focusing on film theory. At YouthBeat, she’s excited to help create hands-on opportunities for young filmmakers—something she wished she had more of during college.
Fun fact: Lea falls asleep listening to hip hop every night.
Lorenzo Arroyo (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Lorenzo Arroyo is a current SF State student and a proud YouthBeat alum. He first joined YouthBeat at 17, after years of knowing he wanted to pursue a path in film. Now back as a Teaching Assistant, Lorenzo is passionate about inspiring the next generation just as his mentors once inspired him.
Fun fact: He’s a state champion in basketball and has the trophy to prove it!
Luis Arnold (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Luis holds a BA in Motion Pictures and Television and joined YouthBeat to empower and inspire youth to take creative risks while enjoying the art-making process.
Fun fact: Luis has an Oreo milkshake addiction that fuels his creativity!
Malachi Segers-Seker (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Malachi Segers-Seker has over 15 years of experience in media and film production, with skills in writing, research, editing, and on-camera work. Passionate about storytelling without corporate constraints, Malachi is all about helping raw talent bring bold ideas to life. He’s driven by the magic of turning a vision into something real on screen—and is committed to creating spaces where that magic can thrive, even in the age of AI.
Fun fact: Malachi is a comedy connoisseur (from the Marx Brothers to Mitch Hedberg) and a serious music obsessive—with over 500 hours of Spotify playlists, including 125 hours of shoegaze alone. (If you know, you know.)
Meru Sharma (she/her) - Teaching Artist
Meru holds a Bachelor’s degree in Conflict Studies with minors in Film and Gender Studies from DePauw University and a Master’s in Social Documentation from UC Santa Cruz. Passionate about the power of media to shape our world, Meru is dedicated to supporting artists and uplifting young creatives through her work with YouthBeat.
Fun fact: Meru has loved wearing Crocs since childhood and still rocks them today!
Osiris Harden (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Osiris Harden is a narrative filmmaker from East Oakland, CA, passionate about storytelling that uplifts youth and his community. He holds a BA in Film Studies from Sacramento State and has worked as an Assistant Camera, Video Specialist, and Production Assistant. At YouthBeat, he mentors students in developing their creative voices.
Fun fact: He used to make music before
Riley Lockett (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Riley, a graduate of NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, holds a degree in Filmmaking and Animation. His education fostered a culture of learning and experimentation, encouraging him to push the boundaries of storytelling and develop innovative techniques. Passionate about empowering the next generation of creators, Riley joined YouthBeat to inspire Oakland youth to explore the world of animation.
Fun Fact: He enjoys playing the banjo, adding a musical dimension to his creative repertoire.
Sagesse Graham (she/her) - Education Director
Sagesse has dedicated her life and career to youth empowerment through the arts with a focus on video and audio production. Skilled in interdisciplinary learning, creative facilitation, and curriculum design, she has great passion for developing and crafting programs that emphasize emotional and multiple intelligence, as well as teaching to all learning styles. Her programs speak to young people and engage them on many levels. Sagesse has worked with world renown organizations such as The Power of Hope, Partners for Youth Empowerment and The Riekes Center. She holds a BA from the Evergreen State College.
Spencer Smith (he/him) - YB Pro
Spencer has been with YouthBeat for five years, starting as a freshman in the Filmmakers 1 class, where they discovered a passion for filmmaking—both in front of and behind the camera. Now part of the YouthBeat team, they continue to refine their skills and push their creative boundaries.
Fun fact: They have a collection of around 200 Monster Jam trucks (not to be confused with the new Hot Wheels versions!) and are always on the hunt for more.
Stephan Jeanpierre (he/him) - Post Production Supervisor
Stephan is a Post Production Specialist and Cinematographer who joined YouthBeat to give young people opportunities he never had. Passionate about teaching, he enjoys sharing his expertise in a field he loves.
Fun fact: Stephan grew up snowboarding and still loves hitting the slopes!
Syrus Rojas (they/them) - Teaching Artist
Syrus Rojas is a studio artist, digital animator, and proud YouthBeat alum. Currently a college student, Syrus specializes in animation for video games and is passionate about giving back to the community that helped shape his artistic journey. YouthBeat played a key role in building his confidence as an artist, and now he’s committed to helping other young creatives do the same.
Fun fact: Syrus is also working as a solo indie game developer!
Zachary Sweet (he/him) - Teaching Artist, Producer
Zachary is a biracial artist dedicated to helping BIPOC students unleash their creativity, especially in his own community. Known for his blend of monsters, creeps, and anxiety-filled characters, his art adds a whimsical twist to dark, macabre themes. With a passion for storytelling, he empowers students to find and share their unique voices.
Fun Fact: He runs HorrorGods, a horror-themed merch brand by and for collectors and designers, celebrating classic slashers, psychological thrillers, and the fearless spirit of horror fans everywhere.