Our Staff
Cynthia Chase, co-founder & executive director (she/her)
Cynthia Chase is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years’ experience in juvenile and criminal legal system reform as a Social Worker, Probation Officer, Corrections Director of Programming, and the Executive Director of the original Gemma Program. Cynthia has been recognized as a dedicated leader and tireless advocate in her work at the intersection of justice and gender. As a subject matter expert, Cynthia has worked to improve systems and outcomes for marginalized individuals at the city, county, and State level. Cynthia has also created and advocated for policy change as a City Council member and Mayor of Santa Cruz CA. Cynthia is committed to creating more equitable and just outcomes for women, families, and communities because when women lead, individuals and communities thrive. Chase lives in Oakland, California with her husband, Howard. She has three dogs, four chickens, a tortoise named Melon, and no ducks.
Amy Siegel RN, care coordinator (she/her)
Amy Siegel is very excited and honored to join The Gemma Project team as a Care Coordinator. Amy’s first career was working as a pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant nurse at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. She spent 14 years providing care to seriously ill children. She was inspired from her work as a nurse to start her own non-profit, Give One Dollar A Day, which provides critical resources to families with a hospitalized child as well as justice-involved moms wishing to maintain, heal, and grow their relationships with their children. In addition, Amy serves on the Board of Directors of Camp Okizu, a summer camp for children and families affected by cancer. She is also an ambassador for the non-profit Bridge Meadows, a multigenerational housing community that offers affordable apartments to seniors, foster youth, and their families. Amy is a lover of documentary films, making playlists, and running. She lives in the East Bay with her partner, daughter, one dog, and lots of plants.
Joey Lariz, administrative assistant (he/him/el)
Joey Lariz is excited to build on years of experience supporting juvenile justice initiatives and non-profit organizations. He was most recently co-director of Stanford's 5-SURE Safe Rides program. He holds a BA in Linguistics and German Studies from Stanford and is pursuing a Master’s in Linguistics. Joey speaks Spanish and German and his academic interests include sociolinguistics and language ideology, mainly how language creates frameworks for understanding ourselves and the world around us. An internship during his time at Stanford in Berlin with the German NGO Moabit Hilft, which provided social and humanitarian support to refugees, inspired him to pursue a career supporting non-profits and social justice initiatives. As a Mexican American from Southern California, he is passionate about improving outcomes for Black and Brown people across the state. Joey currently lives in Oakland and has two cats.
Our Board
Lara Love Hardin, co-founder & chair (she/her)
Lara Love Hardin is a literary agent, author, and president of True Literary. Lara is a formerly incarcerated woman with lived experience navigating the obstacles, bureaucracy, and stigma of incarceration and reentry. She is a graduate of the original Gemma Program. Lara has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and is a four-time New York Times bestselling writer. In 2019 she won a Christopher Award for her work “affirming the highest values of the human spirit.” In 2019 she was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award and short-listed for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Lara is the author of The Many Lives of Mama Love chronicling her time in jail and the decades spent rebuilding her life. Love Hardin currently lives on the Big Island of Hawaii. She has four children, two step-children.
Sarah Hainstock, vice chair (she/her)
Sarah Hainstock, with a Master’s in Education specializing in Counseling and Guidance, a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, and a commercial pilot’s license, has worn many hats throughout her life. From flight instructor to Life Coach to running a computer-assisted learning center, her passion has always been connecting with people. But her favorite role of all was being a full-time mother—raising her son and daughter alongside an eclectic mix of animals, including chickens, dogs, a cat, a miniature goat, and a few rabbits.
In her mid-50s, with no history of drug use and only a speeding ticket to her name, Sarah was sentenced to 24 months in an Ohio prison for transporting cannabis across the country. Her time behind bars exposed her to the deep inequities in the justice system and the generational harm caused by incarceration, particularly for women. Now, she serves as a vocal advocate for judicial reform, amplifying the voices of incarcerated women nationwide. She was part of the inaugural class of the New York-based Reform Alliance Advocacy Institute, which works to transform probation and parole systems, and she currently serves on an advisory committee for Carceral Food Services, pushing for healthier nutrition options in prisons. Today, Sarah lives in Carmel, California—without pets for the first time ever!
Natasha Johnson, secretary (she/her)
Natasha Johnson is passionate about and dedicated to combating social injustice through healing and women’s empowerment, and approaches her work through a holistic, anti-oppressive and intersectionality lens. Natasha has previously worked in the field of criminal and youth justice reform and advocacy, and direct service for eight years as a research associate, forensic social worker, policy analyst and advocate. She currently holds a position at Youth ALIVE! as a therapist supporting people who have lost a loved one to homicide in the city of Oakland, CA. She holds a BA in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University. Natasha is highly motivated by her own personal experience in healing and by the impact of the criminal legal system, and is committed to ending cycles of generational trauma in order to find and share liberation.
Shelley Winner, treasurer (she/her)
Shelley Winner is a passionate advocate for restorative justice. As a formerly incarcerated individual, Shelley is committed to breaking the cycle of recidivism, where 76% of those released from prison re-offend. She educates the public and advocates for justice by highlighting the benefits of hiring individuals with criminal records. Shelley believes that societal stigma is one of the greatest barriers to change, and she has dedicated her life to challenging those perceptions. As the founder of Winners Circle, Shelley equips formerly incarcerated individuals with rehabilitative and vocational skills to succeed in business and beyond. She actively participates in the restorative justice movement, working to create opportunities and promote equity. Shelley has shared her message on prestigious platforms, including a TEDx Talk on hiring the formerly incarcerated, and was featured in a PBS special, *Searching for Justice.* Her leadership, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to empowering others demonstrate the transformative power of resilience and inclusion.