Fundraising and Development
Andrea “Dre” Barkley (She/Her) is a devoted practitioner of Buddhism and a dynamic professional with a rich background in Information Science. Dre is deeply passionate about leveraging data to foster social healing and interbeing, embodying a commitment to eco-therapy principles. Before joining the East Bay Meditation Center as the Development and Fundraising Coordinator, she was a professional coach, empowering fellow creatives to realize their potential and navigate their paths. Additionally, Dre contributed her skills as a marketing and social media strategist for a local business specializing in mindful eating and food justice.
Dre’s journey is marked by her dedication to exploring the intersections of spirituality and social justice. Her academic and professional endeavors reflect a continuous pursuit of knowledge and a desire to create a meaningful impact on social and environmental healing.
When not immersed in her work at EBMC, Dre is an avid songwriter and performer, sharing her original music across the Bay Area and beyond.
Event Management, Zoom Host
Anna (She / Her) grew up in the Bay Area and came to Soto Zen practice as a teenager. She is now a member of Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center and is the Operations Manager for the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. After moving to the East Bay, Anna enrolled in EBMC’s White and Awakening in Sangha program and continued connecting with EBMC leaders through her work with SZBA online programs. Her current interests include gardening, cooking, travel and expanding access and equity in Buddhist practice.
email: abreckenridge at eastbaymeditation dot org
Fundraising and Development
Cassandra Shaylor (She / Her) is an activist, attorney, and artist based in Oakland. She is the co-founder and former co-director of Justice Now and a co-founder of Critical Resistance, both abolitionist organizations focused on dismantling the prison industrial complex and building a world without prisons. Her academic and written work has focused on issues of women in prison, abolition, and the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and punishment. Over the past few years she has been a fundraising and communications consultant for a range of social justice and environmental justice groups, and she is currently developing her skills as a metal smith.
email: Cassandra at eastbaymeditation dot org
They have a deep commitment to ending the injustice that puts BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ and Gender Non Conforming communities at the bottom when it comes to positive birth outcomes, access to inclusive and traditional health care, and equity in the workplace . They are committed to using their calm, healing energy to support and nurture their community. This work is an answer to Ancestral calling and they are guided by their Ancestors daily.
In 2019, their favorite aunt became an Ancestor. During that transition, it was made clear to Kaiayo that they needed to change their life to become a better person. They have been in recovery since June 2019 and have committed themselves to honoring their Ancestors; studying Buddhism and walking the Eightfold Path towards becoming a Bodhisattva; sharing the benefits of their sobriety and staying on the path of recovery.
Events and Practice Groups
wei li king (they / he) is a student of life that loves to connect dots and create opportunities for connection with community and land. Before joining EBMC to lead Operations and IT, wei li was building the decentralized web and has 7 years of work experience in technology sector as an engineer and program manager. Concern for hypergrowth and individualism from corporate capitalism pushed wei li's path towards ancestral healing, creative inquiry and engaged Buddhism - where they are actively finding a spiritual service through the Indigenous Land Back movement. wei li is currently a resident at Mangalam Center for Buddhist Research and completed a 300 hour/year long Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga program led by the Nyingma Institute.
email: weili at eastbaymeditation dot org