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EARLY CHILDHOOD

A strong, early start creates a lifetime of opportunities.

Providing Support for Young Children from the Beginning

In Alameda County, parents report that close to 66% of children are not fully ready for school. Tipping Point is working toward a Bay Area where every family has support for their children to reach healthy developmental milestones within the first years of life.

Our Impact in Early Childhood

2,253

positive outcomes

for young children and their parents, such as child cognition and maternal and child health.

91%

of infants

born at a healthy weight.

73%

of parents

gained skills and knowledge to better support their young children.

early childhood Spotlight

Legislation Win: Critical Care for Young Learners

Tipping Point grantee Kidango leverages on-the-ground expertise to create statewide impact. In addition to providing programs to children and parents, Kidango sponsors state bills, including AB 2806 that has been passed into law. This legislation banned expulsions in state-subsidized early childhood programs and unlocked funding for providers to access mental health supports for teachers, students, and families. Providing alternative interventions to expulsions ensures young children across the state don’t miss out on critical classroom time while also receiving the care they need.

Our Early Childhood Strategy

OUR GOAL

Healthy Developmental Milestones for Every Child

We invest in solutions that support families, caregivers, and children living in poverty to improve developmental outcomes, providing an essential foundation for their future.

Our Work in Action

FIND + FUND

Combating Racial Birth Disparities

Tipping Point grantee, BElovedBIRTH Black Centering, provides group perinatal care for Black birthing people in Alameda County to reduce racism-driven birth disparities. Research shows that Black mothers and babies have the worst childbirth outcomes in the United States. Tipping Point was an early investor in BEloved, leveraging their state funding to expand their program and increase the quality of their services.

PARTNER + STRENGHTEN

Increasing Financial Stability for a Leading Childcare Program

Izzi Early Education provides home visiting, and center-based infant-toddler care and preschool to support the healthy development of children and their caregivers. Tipping Point partnered with Izzi to create a targeted fundraising strategy, which enabled the organization to secure a grant from a new funder, which diversified their revenue and strengthened their financial stability.

Investigate + Change

Support for Parents in College

Our team digs deep into systemic problems, like the challenge of getting a college degree while also being a parent. The research we funded led to statewide policy change that addressed this issue head-on.

Grant Seekers

We fund direct service organizations that help low-income pregnant people, parents and caregivers, and their infants and toddlers.

Our Team of Early Childhood Experts

  • Nick
    Arevalo

    Capacity Building Director
    Read Nick Arevalo bio

    Nick Arevalo

    Capacity Building Director

    "I believe the difference between poverty and a brighter future is usually dependent on the existence of opportunity. I joined Tipping Point Community, because I’m dedicated to helping create more opportunities for individuals in the Bay Area."

    Prior to joining Tipping Point Community, Nick was an Orfalea Fellow at the William J. Clinton Foundation in Harlem, where he worked on domestic programs focused on entrepreneurship and helping individuals gain access to the financial mainstream. He earned his M.P.A. from the University of Southern California and his B.A. in Political Science from Sonoma State University. He has worked as an Analyst at Wildan Financial Services and a Project Coordinator at the Sonoma Economic Development Board. Born in El Salvador, his Latino heritage inspires his passion for life, dancing and spicy food.

  • Kara
    Dukakis

    Senior Program Officer; Early Childhood
    Read Kara Dukakis bio

    Kara Dukakis

    Senior Program Officer; Early Childhood

    “Tipping Point recognizes that successfully fighting poverty happens through a combination of direct client services and systems reform. That wisdom gives me great hope that we can make significant, long-lasting change for people who need it most.”

    Kara is a long-time champion for children and families. She has experience in the fields of early childhood development, K-12 education and mental health; conducted direct practice, public policy and research; and worked at the local, state and national levels. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Kara was the director of Too Small to Fail, a national public awareness initiative of the Clinton Foundation that supports parents and caregivers to understand the critical role they play in their child’s early brain development. She also served as Associate Director of the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University, supporting localities to use data to drive decision-making and system improvements. Earlier in her career, Kara was Chair of the First 5 San Francisco Commission, Associate Director of early care and education at Children Now and a psychiatric social worker for San Francisco City and County. She received her B.A. from Brown University and an MSW from UC Berkeley. She loves Mexico, hiking near and far, thrifting and hanging out with her family and dog. She is an avid Warriors fan.

  • Justine
    González

    Capacity Building Manager
    Read Justine González bio

    Justine González

    Capacity Building Manager

    Pronouns: she/her/hers

    “'While the systemic conditions that create cycles of poverty in this country feel impossible and unwieldy, “we have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And [we] have to do it all the time.' –Angela Davis. This reminder refreshes my resolve every day to do this work and I am proud to join Tipping Point in the pursuit of equity and radical love in the Bay Area.”

    Throughout her nonprofit career, Justine has worked with nonprofit direct service organizations and philanthropic networks to support community-based equity initiatives. This support provided needed services to marginalized communities in support of greater access to justice, economic security, joy, and prosperity.Justine has managed several community-based workforce development programs primarily in youth development organizations. She has also served as an independent consultant to nonprofits supporting program design, talent recruitment, event planning, and multi-stakeholder engagement projects since 2014.Justine earned her Master’s in Urban Policy and Management from the New School of Public Engagement and her Bachelor’s Degree from Smith College in Sociology & Spanish.Justine is a Nuyorican (a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent) who loves to travel the world sharing culture and building bonds with others.

  • Julie
    Lo

    Sr. Director, Grantmaking + Capacity Building
    Read Julie Lo bio

    Julie Lo

    Sr. Director, Grantmaking + Capacity Building

    Pronouns: she/her

    “I'm grateful for the opportunity to join a community of people invested in both the idealism of pursuing an end to poverty in the Bay Area, and are also committed to the necessary actions to achieve it.”

    Julie joined Tipping Point because of her belief that the right continuum of person-centered, trauma-informed services to address multiple domains of a person’s life can disrupt the harmful impacts of poverty that too many people continue to grapple with. Most recently, Julie was the Executive Director of California’s Interagency Council on Homelessness, where she served as a policy advisor and led a statewide entity responsible for significant homelessness initiatives and funding programs. Prior, Julie worked for Bay Area nonprofits (including Larkin Street Youth Services!) and as a consultant specializing in planning and evaluation. Julie earned a Master of Public Affairs from the University of California, Berkeley, and received her B.A. from Holy Names University. Julie is an avid learner and always reads the appendices first when reading reports, because that’s where all the good stuff lives.

  • Hunter
    Meyer

    Program Operations Associate
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    Hunter Meyer

    Program Operations Associate

    Pronouns: he/him/his

    “We must take care of the most vulnerable among us to thrive as a community. So long as we are content to allow the suffering of others, we will never achieve true prosperity.”

    Hunter Meyer is happiest when he’s helping people. He comes to Tipping Point from the food and events world, where he ran large-scale food truck events for Off the Grid. Originally from Maine, Hunter earned a B.A. in Economics from Bard College. Since moving to the Bay Area over a decade ago, he’s fallen in love with the region, and is committed to making it even better through his work at Tipping Point. Outside of the office, Hunter enjoys spending time in nature with his young daughter, wife, and dog, and he is always on the lookout for a great taco.

  • Rohit
    Naimpally

    Senior Director of Impact
    Read Rohit Naimpally bio
    Staff member Rohit Naimpally wearing a grey shirt posing on a San Francisco street.

    Rohit Naimpally

    Senior Director of Impact

    Pronouns: He/Him/His

    "We all have a responsibility to create a just society." - Bryan Stevenson

    Rohit joined Tipping Point because it marries a moral imperative to serve the Bay Area community with a commitment to meaningful action. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Rohit worked at UC Berkeley's Possibility Lab on participatory, evidence-based policymaking. Earlier in his career, Rohit worked for ten years at MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab on impact evaluations around the world. In this role, he worked with a number of local and state governments in the U.S. on anti-poverty programs covering topics from homelessness to violence prevention to take-up of welfare benefits. Rohit graduated with an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Chicago. When he isn't trying to make research serve the public good, Rohit enjoys running with his speedier wife, working his way through a stack of books, and doting on his two dogs.

    Staff member Rohit Naimpally wearing a grey shirt posing on a San Francisco street.
  • Ali
    Sutton

    Chief Program Officer
    Read Ali Sutton bio

    Ali Sutton

    Chief Program Officer

    Pronouns: she/her

    "I believe that to be truly compassionate, one must directly support their neighbors who are struggling with poverty and also work to change and improve the systems that have allowed that poverty to exist."

    Ali joined Tipping Point to more directly serve her community while also continuing to work on the critical system changes necessary to ensure meaningful reductions in poverty. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Ali served as the State of California’s Deputy Secretary for Homelessness where she oversaw the state’s interagency council on homelessness and several large state homelessness grant programs. Earlier in her career Ali served as a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, focusing on a range of anti-poverty programs within the Administration for Children and Families. Ali graduated with a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California – Berkeley, and received her B.A from the University of Iowa. When not working to alleviate poverty, Ali can be found hiking, backpacking or reading a good book…outdoors!

  • Sam
    Tatum

    Program Assistant
    Read Sam Tatum bio

    Sam Tatum

    Program Assistant

    Pronouns: he/him

    “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” — Nelson Mandela

    The fight to end poverty hits close to home for Sam. When he was 11 months old, his birth mother placed him on the steps of an orphanage in Vietnam and walked away. She simply could not afford to raise him. Sam was dealt an early lesson on the power of community — its capacity to open doors, to radically change lives, and to break the cycle of poverty. His origin has molded his self-concept and forged his desire to pursue a career that enables others to thrive no matter their background.Prior to Tipping Point, Sam helped bring books into the world in marketing and editorial roles at HarperCollins and Pearson. He attended The Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia and Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. In his spare time, Sam can be found running and training for upcoming races on the track and the roads around Lake Merritt and the East Bay.

  • Meg
    Thomas

    Learning + Evaluation Manager
    Read Meg Thomas bio

    Meg Thomas

    Learning + Evaluation Manager

    Pronouns: she/her

    I am passionate about ensuring excellent outcomes for all and recognize the deep partnership, trust, and collaboration needed to boldly create a better future.

    Meg is a mission-driven leader with experience in amplifying impact through partnerships and collaboration. She brings deep expertise in leading programming and learning cycles across the social sector, particularly in early childhood. Prior to joining Tipping Point, Meg guided learning and innovation efforts at The Primary School to improve outcomes for children and families. Her work catalyzed external partnerships and enabled internal teams to measure and strengthen impact. Meg started her career in education as a teacher in Washington, D.C. She also brings experience as a consultant, partnering with social sector nonprofits and foundations. Meg earned an MPH with a focus on Maternal and Child Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MAT in Elementary Education from American University, and holds degrees in Psychology and History from the University of Arizona. On the weekends you can find her biking in Half Moon Bay, sharing her love of literacy with her two young children, or discovering bakeries and farmers markets.

  • Bing
    Wang

    Data Analytics Manager
    Read Bing Wang bio

    Bing Wang

    Data Analytics Manager

    Pronouns: she/her

    “Inequality and injustice are built into our systems and institutions. It is our duty to transform our systems until everyone, regardless of identity or background, has equal opportunity to thrive.”

    Bing is honored and humbled to be able to apply her research, business intelligence, and data analytics experience in support of Tipping Point’s empathetic and multi-faceted approach to fighting poverty. Prior to joining Tipping Point, she supported economic research and Cash Services strategy and operations as an analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Her passion for public service motivated her to pursue an M.S. in data science at the University of San Francisco, to better serve her community in an analytic capacity. During her master’s program, she interned at Human Rights Data Analysis Group, where she contributed to statistical analyses that enable accountability for human rights violations. Bing also holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Chicago. Bing is a proud first-generation Chinese-American immigrant and a Bostonian, and she enjoys running, exploring cities through food, and listening to pop punk.