CORE STAFF
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!
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.
Breanna Chacon (she/they) - Administrative Assistant
Breanna Chacon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley. She is passionate about amplifying youth voices and using her skills to support strong, mission driven teams. Committed to giving back to her community, Breanna is driven by purpose and collaboration in everything she does.
Fun fact: her middle name is Danielle, inspired by NFL quarterback Dan Marino, thanks to her dad’s longtime loyalty to the Miami Dolphins.
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.
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.
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.
Jake Schoneker (he/him) - Executive Director
Jake has been with YouthBeat since its launch in 2010-- developing YB's education programs and curriculum, building community and corporate partnerships, and helping produce 100+ youth-led media projects. He has led the organization since 2016, when founder Jeff Key retired. Jake previously worked as a documentary filmmaker with credits on the PBS NewsHour, MSNBC and other outlets. He is a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where his work concentrated on youth media and video production.
YOUTHBEAT ACADEMY TEACHING ARTISTS
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!
Kyle Cabral (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Kyle is a filmmaker and Cinematics Director with over a decade of experience in narrative games. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he has created, produced, directed, and acted in the live-action web series Paper Boys. Kyle is passionate about helping the next generation of visual storytellers find their creative voices.
Fun fact: He loves video games, gymnastics, drawing, singing, and acting—and draws inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki, Lara Croft, Xena: Warrior Princess, and the X-Men.
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!
Daniel Gonzalez (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Daniel Gonzalez is a filmmaker and photographer with a BA from San Francisco State University. Through his production company, Palmy Eyes Picture, he has directed short films and music videos and works in both 35mm and digital photography. Passionate about YouthBeat’s mission, Daniel is committed to bringing creative media education to youth in underserved communities.
Fun fact: he used to breakdance and could even head spin.
Osiris Harden (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Osiris is a narrative filmmaker from East Oakland, CA, dedicated to inspiring youth and highlighting his community’s culture through storytelling. He holds an Associate Degree in Film, Broadcast, and Electronic Media from Berkeley City College and a BA in Film Studies from Sacramento State. His experience includes working as an Assistant Camera on narrative projects, a Video Specialist for Sacramento State Athletics, and a Production Assistant for live productions with the San Francisco Giants. At YouthBeat, Osiris mentors students in developing their creative voices and bringing their ideas to life.
Fun fact: Before filmmaking, he made music!
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.
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!
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.
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!
Malachi Segers-Seker (he/him) - Teaching Artist
Malachi 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.)
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.
Noémie Hakim-Serfaty (she/her) - Teaching Artist
Noémie is a documentary director and editor with over a decade of experience in filmmaking. She believes learning film is deeply empowering and is passionate about sharing that power with young people.
Fun fact: she collects children’s books, practices watercolor, and enjoys eating soup for breakfast.
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!
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.
YOUTHBEAT PRO
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!
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.
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.
Spencer Smith (he/him) - YB Pro Apprentice
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.
PROGRAM ASSOCIATES
Lorenzo Arroyo (he/him) - Teaching Assistant
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!
Mahlet Copeland (she/her) - Communications Associate
Mahlet holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and brings both analytical thinking and creativity to her work. As a former KDOL student, she returned to the organization eager to contribute to the same community that played a meaningful role in her own growth. Mahlet is passionate about giving back and helping create memorable, impactful experiences for today’s youth.
Fun fact: She can recognize most country flags from around the world.
Sophia Hawkins (she/her) - Teaching Assistant
Sophia is an Oakland born documentarian, producer, and director whose work lives at the intersection of art and social justice. A Drexel University graduate with a degree in Film and Television Production and a minor in Political Science, she channels Oakland’s diverse culture and artistic energy into meaningful storytelling. As co founder of Odie Pictures, she focuses on bringing unique Black stories to the screen. Her creative journey began at Oakland Tech through YouthBeat’s after school program, where she discovered her passion for filmmaking and photography and now strives to create similar opportunities for young creatives.
Fun fact: Before fully committing to filmmaking, Sophia expressed herself through multiple art forms including creative writing and photography.
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!
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.