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Sam Topacio

Development and Operations Associate

Sam Topacio is a Development and Operations Associate at Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC), contributing to RCC’s development, communications, and operations efforts. Sam has over 3 years of experience in nonprofit and community development work. She specializes in storytelling and systems that connect communities, with key skills in copywriting, team facilitation, and visual communications.

Prior to RCC, Sam was the Community Schools Director of an elementary school in the SF Bay Area, where she developed targeted community engagement strategies and established key partnerships to enhance student support services. Addressing systemic barriers within education, she facilitated collaborative initiatives among educators, administrators, and community stakeholders to promote inclusivity and community-based decision making within schools. Sam also has experience as a Development Manager for RYSE Youth Center in the Bay Area, where she led partner communications strategy and implementation, managed grant application and reporting deadlines, and designed the organization's website and newsletter. Her work in these roles has been driven by a passion for creating impactful, community-focused solutions that drive positive change and foster resilience.

Sam holds a Bachelor's Degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley.