MICHELLE
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MATOS
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“I believe the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
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I partner with leaders who are invested in collective transformation, building the conditions for communities to move from directly impacted to directly impacting the system.”
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About Michelle
Michelle comes from a family and community of strong, caring immigrant working-class women who taught her the importance of showing up for one another, especially when resources were scarce and support was hard to find. Raised by their example, she learned perseverance, collective care, and how communities can create change together. These roots fueled her steadfast commitment to immigrant and workers’ rights, economic justice, and building systems that actually work for the people.
She began her career as a community organizer in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, alongside Latino immigrant communities fighting for fair wages, safe working conditions, and tenant rights so families could live in quality housing.
She went on to support women-owned worker cooperatives in the Bay Area and later spent nearly a decade at a global corporation, leading large teams and go-to-market efforts serving millions of customers.
This breadth of experience—from grassroots organizing to corporate leadership—informs how she coaches and advises: she listens intently, sees systems clearly, builds authentic relationships with the leaders she works with, and helps them navigate complexity without losing sight of purpose.
That perspective is shaped not only by her professional path but also by who she is.
Michelle is proudly queer and Afro-Latina, with a deeply relational nature and a genuine love of learning. Her curiosity informs how she works—bridging complex strategy with a nuanced understanding of power, identity, and possibility.
Michelle enjoys exploring the Bay Area with her wife, their son, and their dog, and serves on the board of Brava for Women in the Arts.
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Michelle holds a BA in Cultural Studies from The New School, an MBA from The Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business at Mills College, and is a graduate of AT&T’s Leadership Development Program. She is a certified professional coach through the Coach Training Alliance.
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“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid”
– Audre Lorde