Meet Our Team: Cleopatra Jach and Noemi
Meet Our Team: Cleopatra Jach and Noemi
By: Funders for LGBTQ Issues Staff on January 25, 2023
Funders for LGBTQ Issues welcomes Cleopatra Jach-Acquaye as our inaugural Director of Programs and Noemi Mangual-Rosa as our new Communications Officer!
What do you do at Funders? What strengths do you bring to your work?
As the newest Director of Programs at Funders, I am responsible for leading and managing the program team, overseeing the execution of Funding Forward, coordinating our training structure, and developing an effective program department. With a background in Community Organizing, I bring a wealth of strengths to this role, having served as an Executive Director twice and managing programming for the past six years. My expertise in community safety, mediation, facilitation, and organizational development are skills I’ll be relying on often. I pride myself on my ability to create safer work environments centered on wellness and capacity, which is essential for successful team building. As a Cancer Sun, I am naturally inclined to cultivate a culture of over-communicating, which lends itself well to fostering an emotionally safe workplace (no, seriously, it does!).
Who has inspired your career path most in your life?
Cara Page! Cara Page (you have to say the whole name) is a truly exceptional individual who profoundly impacted my life. As the Executive Director of the Audre Lorde Project during my early years as an organizer in New York City, she served as my mentor and coach. Over time she became my chosen fam and a loving friend. Her unwavering support and guidance have been invaluable to me, and I am grateful for her continued presence in my life. She is an incredible leader and role model and always leaves a space for me on her dance card! Buy her new book y’all!
What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of?
Cosplay! My first cosplay was Yoruichi from Bleach when I was in college. It was a real niche hobby then, but I’m glad it’s gained much more popularity in recent years. I’ve cosplayed Sadness from Inside Out, Padparadscha from Steven Universe, Crimson Viper from Street Fighter, and a whole bunch more!
Cosplay! My first cosplay was Yoruichi from Bleach when I was in college. It was a real niche hobby then, but I’m glad it’s gained much more popularity in recent years. I’ve cosplayed Sadness from Inside Out, Padparadscha from Steven Universe, Crimson Viper from Street Fighter, and a whole bunch more!
If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose?
I already have one, it’s being from The Bronx lmao
What do you do at Funders? What strengths do you bring to your work?
I have been the Communications Officer at Funders for LGBTQ Issues since September 2022. My role involves maintaining and strengthening our organization’s communication infrastructure and developing impactful strategies to advance our mission. As a long-time visual artist, I bring a creative approach to storytelling in philanthropy, aiming to challenge existing narratives about oppression, social justice, and ending violence against LGBTQ and BIPOC communities to engage in actionable change.
I have been the Communications Officer at Funders for LGBTQ Issues since September 2022. My role involves maintaining and strengthening our organization’s communication infrastructure and developing impactful strategies to advance our mission. As a long-time visual artist, I bring a creative approach to storytelling in philanthropy, aiming to challenge existing narratives about oppression, social justice, and ending violence against LGBTQ and BIPOC communities to engage in actionable change.
Who motivates you?
My mother has always been my motivator – a saying etched in my memory that she once said to me was, “defeated is the one who quits, not who fails,” as a child raised by a single parent with limited means, my mother always made sacrifices for our family and taught me how to persevere through every moment I didn’t think I had the power to overcome.
My mother has always been my motivator – a saying etched in my memory that she once said to me was, “defeated is the one who quits, not who fails,” as a child raised by a single parent with limited means, my mother always made sacrifices for our family and taught me how to persevere through every moment I didn’t think I had the power to overcome.
What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of?
I’m an avid video gamer, and I play most major titles, but I love indie games like Hollow Knight, Cave Story, Cuphead, Shovel Knight, and Undertale, among many others!
I’m an avid video gamer, and I play most major titles, but I love indie games like Hollow Knight, Cave Story, Cuphead, Shovel Knight, and Undertale, among many others!
If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose?
I firmly believe that teleportation is the best superpower and would change my life forever.
I firmly believe that teleportation is the best superpower and would change my life forever.
We’re so excited to have you join us, Cleopatra Jach and Noemi!
