Nancy J. Newman, Founder and President
Nancy J. Newman is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP in San Francisco, where she specializes in real estate and commercial litigation. A lifelong advocate for justice, Nancy worked full-time for the United Farm Workers Union while still in high school. At age 17, she successfully organized the workers of Pizzaland Restaurant, in Dublin, Ireland, to obtain better wages and union representation—an event recounted in a song by Malvina Reynolds. She received her JD, Order of the Coif, from UC Davis School of Law at age 23. As an attorney, she worked with other women lawyers to promote gender equity through Queen’s Bench, a women’s bar association in the San Francisco Bay Area. As president of Queen’s Bench in 1996, she expanded its influence on legislative and policy initiatives, and collaborated with other bar, professional, and women’s organizations to strengthen the movement for equality in law and society. In 1997, Nancy joined the board of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations, becoming its president for 2001-2002, and promoting its engagement with women lawyers around the world. Since leading the NCWBA, Nancy has been speaking and networking on gender equity issues in the Unites States and abroad for over 20 years. In 2015, Nancy received the inaugural “Women Advancing the Law” practitioner award, presented by the Boalt Hall Women’s Association at UC Berkeley Law. Nancy’s leadership and commitment to equality is multi-generational, inspired by examples set by her mother and grandmothers, and rooted in a determination to leave a better world for her daughters.
Joëlle Santos,
Communications and Programs Manager
Joëlle (she/her) is a communications and programs specialist based in New York City. She holds a bachelor’s in political science from Santa Clara University, and master’s in international affairs from The New School. Her specialties include creating and sharing digital content that promotes a safe, inclusive and peaceful world, women’s participation in international peacebuilding, and fun embroidery projects.
Irene Tait, Data Administrator
Irene (she/her) is a fledgling data scientist splitting her time between Washington, D.C. and her hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from Vassar College, and is a graduate student at Georgetown University, working towards an M.S. in Data Science & Analytics. Her area of focus is on data visualization and how data science tools can support activist work, especially feminist causes. Before joining IANGEL, Irene was an event coordinator, contracting with organizations such as the Wikimedia Foundation and Whose Knowledge? to organize conferences on knowledge equity around the globe. She is also a delegate to the Democratic Party of California and a former President of her local Democratic club. When not fighting for gender equity, Irene can be found working on a myriad of fiber art projects, or geeking out about the newest sci-fi property.
Ashley Freda, Administrative Support Professional
Ashley (she/her) is an aspiring business professional from Berkeley, California. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Ashley specializes in connecting IANGEL’s mission to their daily business operations. In her free time, she likes to unwind by playing video games and developing her graphic design skills.
Keya Poderycki, Intern
Keya is a rising senior at West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School in Indiana. Growing up in a mixed-race household in the Midwest, she was exposed to a plethora of cultures and found a passion for law and justice. She plans to major in business in college and is interested in eventually attending law school, and is gravitating towards civil law and women’s rights. Following the Dobbs decision in 2022, Keya started an internship with IANGEL in 2023 to work on the Teen Information Project on Reproductive Rights (TIP) Textbook to help youth in Indiana.