Meet the Board of Directors

Maheen Shafiabady - (she/ella) - President 

president@bayareaodn.org | vp@bayareaodn.org 

Maheen joined the Bay Area OD Network as Vice President in May 2023 and began her role as President in January 2025. During her tenure, she spearheaded a Community of Practice partnership with the University of San Francisco, bringing together regional academics and practitioners in Organization Development. She also strengthened the organization by recruiting two new board members with a focus on business continuity.

Maheen is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Team Quest. With over 15 years of experience as a people manager across multiple sectors in the US and Latin America, she excels in fostering environments where teams tap into their courage and reflection capacity. Her expertise in leading diverse teams and passion for creating spaces that are intentionally inclusive and psychologically safe coincide to drive her collaborative efforts in both programming and internal governance and operational structures for the Bay Area OD Network.

Originating from rural Illinois, Maheen has been in the Bay Area since 2009. She thrives on planning her next adventure–whether that’s backpacking in the woods, traveling, or learning a new language. And she balances that energy with yin yoga and game nights at home.

Em Bowen - (they/them) - Treasurer

treasurer@bayareaodn.org

Emily (Em) Bowen is a Holistic Leadership Consultant, Curriculum Designer, Facilitator and Educator with a wide background in psychotherapy, leadership and organizational development, Racial Equity for Adaptive Leadership, and courageous conversations, and specializes in helping people learn healthy ways to address conflict.

They are a founding member of the Peace Innovation Network - a collaboration between Stanford’s Peace Innovation Lab and The Hague. Emily holds a master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington.

Emily has a blended past of advocating for people with disabilities, leading non-profits, working in health care, technology, the film industry, education, the arts community, and celebrating and collaborating with unusual and unorthodox organizations. Emily supports people improving their whole system health with compassion for the obstacles they face.

Emily and their dog, Mr. Peabody, live in Oakland, CA.

Taylor Thompson - (she/her) - Director, Education & Programs

education@bayareaodn.org | operations@bayareaodn.org

Since joining BAODN as Director of Operations in October 2023, Taylor Thompson, MSODL has produced and supported efforts for engaging in-person and virtual events that have enriched both the BAODN community and the broader public. These efforts led to Taylor's appointment as Director of Education, where she will continue to support BAODN’s mission of being the chosen home for OD practitioners to share knowledge, resources, and authentic connections. Taylor’s work reflects a deep commitment to fostering meaningful collaboration and professional growth within the field.

Taylor holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and manages a boutique consulting practice focused on OD and career transition coaching.

She currently resides in Oakland, California where she spends time away from her desk dog-sitting, practicing yoga, and visiting loved ones on the East Coast.

Tristan Kruth - (he/him) - Director, Organization Effectiveness

process@bayareaodn.org

Tristan brings a background in marketing and communications to his work in

Organization Development, focusing on how language, messaging, and storytelling can help shape organizations for the better. He is currently the Head of Marketing and the Head of People and Culture for a technology startup, and enjoys discovering new areas of overlap between his two titles. In addition, Tristan consults with startups to solve a wide range of organizational ‘people problems’, primarily helping teams and individuals do their best work by helping put words to their goals, defining the path to success, and figuring out the steps necessary to follow that path to its end.

Tristan lives in the South Bay, and enjoys playing soccer, learning to play tennis, and reading page-turner crime fiction. He also fills his time chasing down two rambunctious kids who have far more energy than he does on most days.

Raylene Hernandez - (she/ella) - Director, Resource Mobilization

resource@bayareaodn.org

Raylene Hernandez was born and raised in the bay area and is a fierce advocate for the economic stability of BIPOC communities. Raylene is also a proud first generation college graduate receiving her Bachelor's degree and more recently receiving a Master's degree in Organization Development at the University of San Francisco.

She utilizes her Bachelor's degree in Public Health and Women's & Gender Studies as a lens to critically think about strategies to increase community members' ability to build wealth. Raylene is specifically invested in economic mobility as a tool to combat gender based violence within our communities. Raylene is currently the Director of Resource Development and Strategy at Somos Mayfair, an organization that supports children, organizes families, and connects neighbors to uplift the dreams, power, and leadership of the community and address systemic inequities.