Housing and disability rights. Racial, gender and LGBTQIA  justice. The fight for everyone in our community to have their basic rights protected and basic needs covered includes an economic component. The dignity and flexibility of direct cash means basic income can be part of the economic solution for all of these efforts. In this session, we will talk with leaders working across a wide range of justice work and learn why they have taken up direct cash as part of their programmatic work and find new opportunities to grow the direct cash movement through intersectional partnerships.

Originally from Upstate New York, Andrew Hogan has worked in Portland non-profits for over 15 years, raising millions of dollars for progressive causes. As the Deputy Director at Street Roots, he oversees the organization’s fundraising, as well as administration, financials and human resources. Andrew also serves as the Chair of the Board of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, and among his favorite pastimes include finding the best bagel in the Portland Metro region.

Much of Mellani’s career has been assisting people with disabilities. Mellani has assisted people through the Social Security Disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSD/SSI) application process since 2001. As of April, 2010 Mellani founded two new disability related companies: Disability Benefits Training & Consulting, and ASSIST (Assertive SSI Service Team). Her work as the principal trainer and program director has now taken her to many cities throughout the northwest to promote programs for the disabled homeless.

Allison Teng is a fourth year medical student at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. She has led the longitudinal study of the Miracle Money basic income and social support pilot for people experiencing homelessness. She has also been involved with building and expanding the Miracle Messages student-led chapter in Austin. Previously, she completed her Masters in Public Health at UT Health Science Center in Houston and has worked for various advocacy organizations. She is passionate about health equity, social policy, and serving marginalized communities.

Prior to joining the MIL, Ebonee worked for a literacy promotion program that encourages elementary school students to read.  She has developed presentations and promoted programs for both the Health Department and the Multnomah County Library.  She looks forward to finding ways to combine service to the African American community with her love of research justice.  She is a practicing calligrapher. 

Moderator

Stacey first landed in the classroom, then in user-experience product agencies, and eventually to the non-profit space. Her passion for economics and human-centered program design brought her to the basic income community where, in early 2019, she began to work with organizations across the basic income ecosystem. Stacey's focus on collaborative coalition-building and the fostering of a thriving grassroots movement for basic income led her to create Income Movement.

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Intersectionality of Movements: Basic Income as a Tool for Justice