I Believe in the Value of

strategic collective action

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro

Institutional racism and white supremacy underlie many, if not all, of the social and health crises that exist today, whether it be the racial wealth gap, homelessness, or climate change. I believe that we all have a role to play in dismantling these deeply engrained ideologies and practices. Together, we can make a change by consistently engaging and listening deeply to those who are most impacted, educating ourselves, acknowledging and using our privileges to advocate for change, reflecting on and challenging our biases and assumptions and those of others, and supporting BIPOC organizations that are leading the movement.

Anika Akhter

Manager, Operations & Admin | she/her

Anika works closely with the Operations and Partner Services teams to implement strategic business initiatives. She serves as a thought partner by offering data analysis and perspectives, identifies improvement opportunities and formulates solutions, and provides communication, research, and administrative support.

Anika brings five years of expertise in evidence-based program development, implementation, and evaluation, grant writing, strategic planning, contract management, and project management to this role. A passion for advancing equity for BIPOC through systems change underlies her career trajectory.

Previously, she worked as a Performance Management Analyst, Project Manager, and Manager of Special Projects for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). During this time, she played a key role in the active contract management of a $44 million portfolio of homeless service programs in Los Angeles County. Prior to this role, she worked as a Health Equity Fellow for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), during which she developed recommendations for organizational leadership on how they can improve their research and evaluation approach to issues affecting tribal communities. Anika holds a B.A. in Public Health Policy from UC Irvine and an M.P.H. in Community Health Sciences from UCLA and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

"In my previous roles, I observed firsthand the limitations of the current structure and how it perpetuates economic inequities for BIPOC leaders and organizations. At PL, we strive to center “What if…?” and “Why not?” as our guiding questions day-to-day, in the hopes of disrupting the status quo and breaking away from the unjust, extractive practices that have resulted in economic inequality. I am honored and thrilled to work at an organization that displays an unwavering commitment to creating a just economy for all."