Today, we are highlighting FCCP Advisory Board Co-Chair Esperanza K. Tervalon. Esperanza is the CEO of  Dancing Hearts Consulting, LLC. 

Esperanza K. Tervalon is a dynamic political power-building, “philanthropic troublemaker for good” whose entry into social justice activism began at a young age.  A queer, Afro-Puerto Rican woman, and native daughter of Oakland, Esperanza was born to Black activist parents and raised in the social justice movement. She is the founder and CEO of Dancing Hearts Consulting, LLC., “a progressive political consulting firm that curates innovative ideas, programs, and campaigns to challenge the status quo and test emerging strategies that change the political game to win long-term change for the people most impacted by systemic oppression.”

The first woman of color to lead a 501c3, 501c4 & PAC collaborative civic engagement formation focused on mobilizing progressive voters of color in the United States, Esperanza never shies away from conversations around social inequities and interlocking systems of oppression. For nearly two decades, Esperanza has worked to build grassroots political power for the working class, immigrants, and communities of color in Oakland, around the state of California, and across the country. With a solid reputation as a savvy electoral strategist and a seasoned political organizer, Esperanza stands out among social justice activists and philanthropic leaders, earning a number of awards for her service and commitment to social change.

Esperanza has worked on numerous political campaigns with great success, including the 2008 presidential campaign for Barack Obama where she was the Northern California Field Director, winning the most Congressional Districts in California during the 2008 presidential primary, and the 2010 campaign to elect Lai Jean Quan, the first Asian American mayor of Oakland. Esperanza also ran the $10M Hard to Count Census Campaign for the state of Oregon that contacted over 300,000 people across the state. Esperanza lives in Bend, Oregon with her teenage son and dogs. She is currently the Co-chair of FCCP’s Advisory Board.