EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kat Morgan is an HR & Operations professional and the founder of the Avodat Lev Project, a Jewish spiritual service program, at San Quentin State Prison. Kat started volunteering with BAFC in 2020 after meeting Simon through a reentry housing research initiative she started following the Covid outbreak at San Quentin. In 2022, Kat welcomed her partner home after having served decades in prison and gained an intimate perspective on the challenges awaiting our loved ones upon their release. Kat joined BAFC as a board member in 2023, bringing her operational experience and second-hand reentry insights to guiding BAFC's work. Kat passionately believes that all people deserve supportive community and access to the resources they need to build happy, healthy lives.

Simon is passionate about re-entry support and criminal justice reform because he was sent to prison at the age of 16 for a crime he did not commit, spending 21 years in prison. He knows the struggles of trying to navigate obstacles as an ex-con. Fortunately, he has had good friends to give support along the way, including when he was looking for a job, and when he needed advocates to help when he faced deportation. Today, Simon runs BAFC alongside his friends and allies, balancing his advocacy while he continues to work as a software engineer for a start-up.

Jessica is a CTO at a Bay Area tech company. She met Simon after he was released from prison, as he was starting his job search. Together, they worked on interview preparation, and ultimately became coworkers when Simon joined her company as a software engineer. Since then, the two have partnered on many re-entry support initiatives, including starting BAFC. When the community identifies a need, she works to bring together resources and networks to help meet that need. In addition to working with BAFC, Jessica works to help people with records to find jobs, especially as software engineers. She has taught coding classes at San Quentin State Prison, and helped start Underdog Devs, an online community of formerly-incarcerated aspiring programmers.

When Brian came home 2 years ago, the things that were supposed to be in place for his reentry were absent. Brian struggled for a bit. Then he enrolled into the BAFC program and got the support he needed to make a healthy transition back into society.

After completing the program, Brian joined the Board for BAFC to give back to the community that not only was there for him in his time of need, but who also is dedicated to changing the reentry process into a system that promotes success for all justice-impacted people.

Terry currently works at a nonprofit organization outreaching to the AAPI community. He is inquisitive, likes challenges, and is not afraid to learn new things. This is why he transitioned from his former career as a designer/builder. Though he does not possess all the required skill sets to assist people in need, it sustains his passion and drive. Terry met Simon five years ago and from there, his dreams started a movement that has led to BAFC. Along the way, Terry had many opportunities to experience success working alongside high quality people. He believes all people deserve a second chance.