Board of Directors

 Karama Blackhorn (chi/they/them) is a Rogue River Shasta Two-Spirit educator, cultural storyteller and community advocate. For over 20 years, they have organized, taught, and built programs that uplift community leadership, protect the land, and advance justice for future generations. They hold a Master of Public Administration in Tribal Governance and have worked in-depth at the intersection of education, policy, conservation, and collective liberation.

Blackhorn is excited to be involved to help support and advance its commitment to centering and amplifying stories that highlight, educate, and expose the impact of environmental and political decisions on tribal nations, tribal people, displaced communities of color, the land, waters, and all our relations.

 Elvin Bucu (he/him) has dedicated 25 years to advancing the educational and professional outcomes for marginalized youth and families in communities across Western Washington. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Development for the Foundation for Tacoma Students. Prior to joining FFTS, he was the Director of Operations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound where his work earned him a “40 under 40” recognition from the South Sound Business Journal. In all of his professional roles to date, including as founder of Bucu Consulting, an independent consultancy, community engagement and strategic partnership has always been at the forefront of his work. Elvin is also a first-generation Filipino-American and a proud graduate of the University of Washington. 

Charles Tonderai Mudede is a Zimbabwean-born cultural critic, filmmaker, college lecturer, and writer. He is the Senior Staff writer of the Stranger, a lecturer at Cornish College of the Arts, and has collaborated with the director Robinson Devor on three films, two of which Police Beat and Zoo, premiered at Sundance, and one of which, Zoo, screened at Cannes, and the most recent of which, Suburban Fury, premiered at New York Film Festival. (Police Beat is now part of MOMA’s permanent collection.) Mudede, whose essays regularly appear in e-Flux and Tank Magazine, is also the director of Thin Skin (2023). 

 If you are interested in joining our Board, please email us at contact@stories-lives.org or use the Volunteer page to express your interest. Someone from our team will follow up with you to schedule subsequent conversations/interviews.  

Eze Oluo (King/He/Him) comes from a long lineage of storytellers, educators, and social justice warriors. He is an accountant and a business administration subject matter expert with concentrations in organizational design, strategy, culture and change navigation, leadership development, and nonprofit leadership. 

Eze is passionate about action-oriented community organizing and is actively engaged in environmental, and socio-economic development in the local Seattle area and internationally. He has worked/partnered with local nonprofits, government agencies, and advocacy groups to support education and business skills acquisition for individuals from underserved communities, small business ownership and management, civic engagement, and social justice.