Amalia founded The Vida Agency to prove that an agency built on equity, empathy, and balance could deliver exceptional results—and she's been doing just that ever since. With over 20 years of experience in communications and public relations, she’s known for pushing clients to think beyond the expected while helping them reach their goals through inclusive, community-centered strategies. Under her leadership, TVA has become a trusted partner for campaigns that speak to everyone, especially those often left out of the conversation. Her work spans sectors including health, transportation, education, retail, and the arts, and has impacted hundreds of thousands of lives across the Northwest.

A recognized thought leader and relationship builder, Amalia has served on boards and advisory committees including the Latino Community Fund of Washington State, the Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises, and One Center City. She earned her BA in International Relations from the University of Washington.

Known to the team as Mafe, María Fernanda leads with clarity, collaboration, and culture. She manages TVA’s growing portfolio of clients and projects with both strategic depth and personal warmth, making sure the work is not only high quality, but also human. Over the past five years, she’s helped expand TVA’s client base to over 40 organizations and tripled the size of the team, strengthening the agency’s ability to deliver end-to-end support from research to rollout.

Mafe brings more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications, including work for global brands such as Nestlé. She specializes in bilingual, multicultural campaigns that change behavior and build trust. Her background in public relations, combined with her proactive approach and relationship-driven mindset, make her a vital partner for TVA clients across sectors. Mafe holds a BS in Public Relations from Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica in Costa Rica.

Marcela helps workplaces and communities navigate change with honesty, care, and accountability. With 20 years of experience across Washington State, she’s known for leading equity-centered processes that build trust, heal conflict, and create space for transformation. Her work blends professional expertise in conflict mediation and DEI strategy with ancestral practices like restorative circles—helping clients move from tension to connection. Marcela has guided efforts for King County, Whatcom County, the City of Seattle, and others. She’s a trusted facilitator, a respected advocate, and a powerful voice for equity at every level.

Diana helps public agencies bring people into the process whether it’s planning new transit lines, improving roads, or making public lands more accessible. Since 2015, she’s led outreach and engagement efforts for agencies like King County Metro, SDOT, Sound Transit, and the US Forest Service. At TVA, she guides complex projects from start to finish, building trust and keeping things moving. Diana holds a master’s in Urban Design and Planning from the University of Washington and serves on the board of WTS Puget Sound, where she supports women in transportation careers.

Rachel builds the systems that help teams thrive. With 15+ years of experience in startups, events, and hospitality, she’s led fast-moving companies through big transitions—launching new markets, integrating enterprise tools, scaling operations from 50 to over 1,000 people, and managing cross-functional teams around the globe. Whether she's designing internal workflows or rolling out change at speed, Rachel knows how to bring order to chaos and clarity to complexity. She’s also produced major events for companies like Google and Apple. At TVA, she keeps our operations running smoothly—so the rest of us can focus on impact.

Yasemin helps brands grow through smart strategy and strong storytelling. With 25 years of experience in marketing, creative direction, and brand leadership, she’s guided global campaigns for companies like Nike, Apple, EA, and Mattel, and supported early-stage startups across tech, travel, and consumer goods. She’s skilled at turning a client’s vision into clear plans that resonate with the right audience. At TVA, Yasemin leads accounts with a mix of curiosity, collaboration, and big-picture thinking—always focused on impact.

Colleen helps brands find the human moment in the middle of complexity. With 15 years of art direction and creative leadership across healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, and consumer brands, she's known for building brand identities from the ground up and turning dense, technical subject matter into work people actually want to engage with. Her practice blends sharp creative strategy with hands-on craft — directing photo and video productions, developing typography and illustration systems, and shaping campaigns across social, digital, OOH, and experiential. Colleen has led work for Pfizer, American Express, CeraVe, and L'Oréal, earning a PRSA Silver Anvil, Effie Awards, and recognition from MM+M and SABRE. Colleen is a storyteller first, and a craftsperson who believes the best work doesn't just inform people; it connects them.

Ryann helps our clients reach the right audiences with the right message. She plans and monitors ad campaigns, keeps digital strategies on track, and turns complex performance data into clear dashboards. Her background blends digital marketing with multicultural outreach, making her a valuable link between strategy and impact. Ryann supports campaigns for clients like WSDOT, Neighborcare, and Washington State Housing Finance Commission. She holds a BA in Strategic Communications and PR from WSU.

Sheena is the behind-the-scenes powerhouse who keeps things running smoothly. She manages calendars, orders, logistics, and communications with precision and a positive attitude. She’s also the energy behind TVA’s team-building efforts and supports our marketing team with content coordination. Whether she’s solving problems or keeping our systems organized, Sheena brings heart and hustle to every task.

Syd keeps our digital work moving with focus and flexibility. She manages media campaigns and outreach initiatives for clients like SDOT and the Department of Neighborhoods, always making sure details don’t slip through the cracks. Syd has experience in state government and political communications, plus skills in tools like STATA, Cision, and Google Analytics. She earned her BA in political science from UC San Diego.

Nanda brings deep experience and calm leadership to every project. With over 20 years managing public involvement and environmental outreach, she’s helped shape healthier, more sustainable communities across the region. She’s a master at timelines, team motivation, and making technical work feel human. Nanda holds degrees in environmental studies and sociology from Bowdoin, and a master’s in environment and community from Antioch University Seattle.

Valeria builds bridges between technical projects and the real lives they affect. Originally from Colombia, she brings a global perspective to community outreach—connecting data with lived experience to make engagement more meaningful. From teaching computer skills to Spanish-speaking communities to promoting environmental action with Mujeres Conectoras, she’s helped people access tools, knowledge, and power. At TVA, she plans and facilitates outreach that centers clarity, trust, and collaboration—especially for communities where English isn’t the first language.

Everett keeps our numbers sharp and our budgets calm. As a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and seasoned bookkeeper, he brings precision and care to everything he does. Before TVA, Everett spent over a decade in digital marketing—so he gets the pace and quirks of agency life. He’s also a DJ, a basketball lover, and a greyhound rescuer. Married to his junior high sweetheart, he once biked 900 miles around Europe on their honeymoon. Honestly, we couldn’t dream up a better fit.

Kelsey helps TVA put its best foot forward. She supports business development through strategic proposals, presentation design, and stakeholder planning. With a background in marketing and graphic design, she brings visual storytelling to every pitch. Kelsey’s past roles include work with Deacon Construction, Kidder Mathews, and Third and Wall Art Group. She holds associate degrees in Graphic Design and in Fine Arts and Photography from Shoreline Community College.

Caoilfhionn (say “Kwee-lin”) believes community includes people, animals, and the planet we all share. With a background in communications and a master’s in social work, she brings a unique lens to outreach—especially for frontline communities impacted by pollution and climate change. She’s worked across rural and urban settings to promote environmental justice, connection, and well-being. At TVA, she meets people where they are—whether that’s at a community event or leading a yoga retreat—with empathy and curiosity.

Jacky is a people person who brings energy, empathy, and logistics savvy to every project. Before TVA, she led disaster response initiatives, organized large-scale volunteer events, and rebuilt homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Ida—a turning point that deepened her commitment to equity and justice. She joined TVA to keep amplifying voices that aren’t often heard. Jacky holds a degree in Spanish with a minor in graphic design and is currently earning a certificate in construction management.

Ashley brings a thoughtful, community-driven approach to design. As a multidisciplinary creative, they blend visual storytelling, interaction design, and curation to make work that’s both expressive and accessible. Before TVA, Ashley interned at The Feels Foundation and curated comfi.space at The Fishbowl Gallery—an exhibit celebrating queer pleasure and intimacy. Whether designing campaigns or documenting community moments, Ashley centers inclusion and creativity in everything they do. They’re also a DJ, photographer, and passionate advocate for elevating underrepresented voices through art.

Mari helps organizations design engagement processes that are as thoughtful and equitable as the outcomes they're working toward. With a background in learning and  cognitive sciences, sociolinguistics, and intergroup dialogue, they bring a systems and research-informed lens to community engagement, workforce development, and equity-centered design. They've partnered with nonprofits, philanthropies, and public agencies to translate community insights into frameworks, strategies, and resources that create real change. Mari holds a Master of Education in Learning Design and Innovation from Harvard University and a B.A. in Sociolinguistics from the University of Michigan. 

Zhonghao (or “Z”) turns data into insight. As a skilled research analyst, he blends qualitative and quantitative methods to surface patterns, validate findings, and tell meaningful stories. His work helps clients like King County Public Health, SPU, and Lydig Construction make smarter, more inclusive decisions. With a background that includes roles at Amazon, REQ, and Unison Agency, Z brings both rigor and creativity to TVA’s research team—always with a focus on engaging real audiences and driving impact.

Heena meets communities where they are. She brings a people-first approach to facilitation and equity projects, drawing on years of experience designing multilingual engagement campaigns, managing community investment portfolios, and amplifying youth voices. Her work has helped organizations build more inclusive, equitable programs. With a background rooted in equity, food justice, and BIPOC-centered storytelling, Heena brings warmth, big-picture thinking, and deep community trust to every project she touches. 

Cindy turns strategy into stories and ideas into action. With roots in Cairo and years of community-centered work in Seattle, she's built brands from scratch, run communications for refugee-serving nonprofits, and produced content that actually gets read. She's most at home when the work is a little chaotic, creative, and connected to real people. At The Vida Agency, she keeps projects moving, clients informed, and the question on the table: how do we make this resonate? 

Keenan genuinely believes good planning should leave things a little healthier, for people and the planet both. He holds a degree in Politics and Environmental Studies from Whitman College and got his start doing AmeriCorps environmental and public health work in Puerto Rico. He's a thoughtful communicator and a focused listener who'd rather understand a problem fully than jump to a quick answer, looking at issues from different vantage points and digging into the research before landing on a solution. With nearly a decade in land use planning and transportation advocacy, he's guided hundreds of applicants through the permitting process, led long-range planning efforts, and shepherded ordinances from review through adoption. He's also managed state grant-funded housing projects, served on the board of a transportation advocacy organization focused on safer, more accessible streets, and sat on an advisory council allocating regional transit funding. He's fluent in Spanish and brings that same warmth and attention to detail to everything he takes on.