• Benita Tsao

    Making Non-Profit Workplaces Equitable & Inclusive

    Back when I first chose a non-profit career, I wanted to make life better for a whole ton of people. I had just spent a year living and working in China, where simple errands could morph into full-blown ordeals. I kept thinking, "It shouldn't be this hard." But it is really hard, every day in the U.S., for far too many immigrants, families trying to make ends meet, and communities on the margins. No matter the role, my job has always been to connect people and ideas so society works for all of us.

    These days I'm exploring how "human resources" are an essential mechanism for equity and inclusion at non-profit organizations. Solving complex social problems requires sustained effort and partnerships; neither is possible when people feel alienated at work. Taking action so our shared values manifest in every aspect of how we do work is crucial -- for staff retention, mission success, and for making real and tangible a better world. That's why I inspire colleagues to be courageous in their everyday work, support their growth and success, and strive to systematically uproot supremacy culture in the workplace.

    I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and I live and work on unceded Lisjan Ohlone land. I use she/her pronouns. I like riding bicycles, reading science fiction, and eating pasta.

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    Where I've Worked Lately

    Oasis Legal Services
    Human Resources

    Manager

    since 2025

    Legal assistance and

    holistic social services for LGBTQ+ immigrants

    826 Valencia
    Human Resources

    Manager

    2019 to 2024

    Neighborhood writing centers for underresourced students and English learners in San Francisco

    ChangeLab Solutions
    Senior
    Policy Analyst

    2017 to 2019

    Non-profit organization using local laws and policies to advance health equity

  • The Curse of Chalion

    "'Events may be horrible or inescapable. Men have always a choice--if not whether, then how, they may endure.'

    'Yes, but...I hadn't known that before I saw it. That was when I began to believe it was possible to survive. And I don't mean just my body.'"

    Lois McMaster Bujold

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    How to Connect