Jakada Imani, Chair

Jakada Imani is The Management Center's CEO and co-author of the best-selling book, Management in a Changing World. He is a spiritually-rooted coach and trainer with over 30 years of experience in racial, social, and economic justice movements and organizations. Before stepping into the role of CEO, Jakada was a senior coach and leadership team member at The Management Center, where Jakada supported high-performing organizations to reach new heights, including Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight, California Immigrant Policy Center, and Essie Justice Group. He served six years as Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, taking over from the center’s founder. In his 13 years there, he led the team to stop the construction of one of the nation’s largest juvenile halls—an enormous “Super Jail for Kids.” Jakada also led two successful statewide ballot measure campaigns (California’s No on Prop 6 in 2008 and No on Prop 23 in 2010). Over the last three decades, Jakada has worked to protect and advance racial and economic justice. In 2013, he received a ChangeMaker Fellowship from the Pacific School of Religion, where he served for two years, leading a center for spiritual and social transformation. Born and raised in Oakland, CA., Jakada is blessed to share his life with his partner Laura and their blended family of 6 powerful and creative children.