Yannell Selman

Leadership Council

Yannell identifies as a Latina entrepreneur, organizer, and educator. She began her career as a 2nd grade bilingual teacher in WCCUSD while living in North Oakland. In 2014, she became a parent organizer, supporting hundreds of mostly low-income families in decisions around school choice and school quality. She went on to manage a team of community organizers across northern California, including Oakland, Richmond, San Jose, and Sacramento, impacting 3,000+ families. This experience gave her visibility into how community empowerment can make change at all levels of the school system. She went on to found P.S. 305 in my hometown of Miami, Florida, and served as the Executive Director for three years. After experiencing intense founder burnout, she decided to take time off and go back to school, earning her MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. While there, she launched Cultiveit, a wellness organization that helps teams prevent burnout by taking high quality, evidence-based breaks.

Why public education?

Despite having graduated high school with a 6.4 GPA, Yannell was unprepared for college. Her public high school served 4,000 students, 91% of which were students of color. As she struggled through her freshman year at Northwestern University, she wondered why expectations for her community were so much lower than those of her peers. This deep seated unfairness still motivates Yannell to fight for quality and equity for all kids today.

Favorite Quotes:

“Lo que es bueno hoy Quizás no lo sea mañana He ahí el valor del momento He ahí el presente perfecto” -Celia Cruz