about us
our mission
SafeSpace is a youth-driven, prevention and early intervention mental health organization dedicated to empowering teens and young adults to speak openly about mental health, reduce stigma, and build supportive communities. Through peer-led programs, creative media projects, educational workshops, and community engagement, SafeSpace provides free, non-clinical resources that promote well-being, resilience, and self-care.
Youth Action board (SYAB)
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Castilleja, 10th
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Sequoia HS, 12th
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Gunn HS, 10th
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Woodside HS, 11th
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St. Francis Prep, 12th
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St. Francis Prep, 11th
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Crystal Springs, 9th
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El Camino HS, 12th
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(she/her) Lick-Wilmerding HS, 10th
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the worlds grief. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."
Rabbi TarfonI joined SafeSpace to be part of a community that brings mental health to the forefront of conversation while also uplifting and supporting those who are struggling. SafeSpace creates a space where individuals can support one another and initiate their own opportunities, empowering youth to take leadership and make an impact.
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Sacred Heart Prep, 12th
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Sacred Heart Prep, 10th
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(she/her) Ralston Middle, 8th
Never be so kind, you forget to be clever. Never be so clever, you forget to be kind.
I want to help make a positive difference and understand mental health.
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(she/her), Burlingame HS, 9th
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris BuellerMental Health has been a passion of mine for a long time. I want to help destigmatize and encourage open conversations among youth. By joining SafeSpace I hope to help spread awareness and make a change in my community.
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(she/her), Carlmont HS, 11th
I joined SafeSpace because I wanted to help my community and my peers who face the same struggles as me! I really want to advocate for the importance of mental health, especially in teens.
Fun fact: I've been doing competitive dance for 5 years.
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(she/her), Castilleja, 9th
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
Martin Luther King Jr.I joined SafeSpace because I want to learn how I can support my friends and family who are struggling with their mental health and help break the harmful assumptions about mental health in my community.
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(she/her), Carlmont HS, 11th
When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.
Dr. Wayne W. DyerI joined SafeSpace because I wanted to help reduce stigma around mental health and encourage more discussion about mental health.
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(she/her) Mountain View HS, 12th
“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between."
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartI joined SafeSpace to actively build a culture that prioritizes mental health awareness, advocacy, and accessible support for all students. As a CORE board member, I help reduce stigma and ensure that student voices meaningfully inform mental health initiatives and policy decisions.
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Woodside, 11th
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(she/her) Castilleja School, 9th
“Don’t lose faith in your dreams, keep fighting for what you love, and if you always give everything you have, you’ll be happy no matter what the outcome"
Lindsey VonnI joined SafeSpace to make a positive impact on the larger teen mental health movement and work toward destigmatizing the conversation around mental health struggles.
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Menlo School, 10th
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(she/her) Menlo Atherton HS, 11th
After seeing the impact of mental health crises in my community, I realized that while there is mental support available, more needs to be done to help the people we love. I joined SafeSpace in hopes of connecting with my community and providing peer-based mental help support so no one feels alone.
Fun fact: I have a golden retriever named Leo!
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(she/her) Woodside HS, 11th
I joined SafeSpace because I wanted to help make a difference in my community and advocate for the importance of mental health support.
Fun fact: I have a twin sister!
Meet The
Adults
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"I saw the suffering of several family members and young friends who at a time in their lives when everything should have been possible, just sat on the sidelines with depression."
Susan has more than 20 years of experience as a worldwide sales and marketing executive in the software industry at companies including Macromedia and Frame Technology. She has helped take three companies from under $10 million in revenue to more than $150 million in revenue. In an executive capacity, she has also overseen sales, operations, technical support, and customer service and help lead three companies through the IPO process. Susan has served on several boards. Most recently she was a board member of a non-profit youth anti-sex trafficking organization. She was involved in opening the first Safehouse in Costa Rica for youth that had been trafficked.
Her and her siblings have suffered from different forms of anxiety. Susan's parents never hesitated to get them the help they needed or talk to them about it. Susan and her siblings were the lucky ones. Now that Susan is a mother, she witnesses so many other youth suffer silently, not knowing who to talk to and where to get help. Unfortunately, many of her daughter’s peers and Susan's own peers growing up never received treatment, which led to severe implications and sometimes even suicide. Susan wanted to do something that would help young people become mentally healthy adults. Hence SafeSpace was created.
CO-FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR
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“I experienced depression as a 15-year-old so I know what it’s like to feel that sadness that doesn’t go away —the dark emptiness that something is wrong.”
Liesl Moldow is a graduate of Stanford '87 and Harvard Business School '93. Liesl spent 4 years in sales for MCI Telecommunications. In 1993, Liesl joined US West Telecommunications in their multimedia group in the US and London. Liesl joined TCI Cable as a part of their Interactive Ventures group. She then worked for HomeStore.com in new business development.
Liesl is a mother of 4 and experienced anxiety and depression as a 15-year-old. She is determined to help other young adults develop tools and coping mechanisms to manage their own difficulties.
CO-FOUNDER & BOARD SECRETARY
Director of Programs & Operations
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“Mental Health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going."
Noam Shpancer, PhDAris Payan was born and raised in San Mateo and comes from a Dominican family. She graduated from Aragon High School, attended the College of San Mateo and earned her degree in Organizational Communication from California State University Channel Islands. Aris joined the SafeSpace team in the Fall of 2021 as the Youth Engagement Specialist and comes with several years of experience in community non-profit work. She has been working with Youth in different capacities over the last 8 years and she is very passionate about elevating youth voice, building up the leaders of our future, and advocating for the most vulnerable communities. Ms. Payan has extensive skills in public speaking, interpersonal communication, leadership, and she is fluent in Spanish. Through her lived experience, she looks forward to contributing to the work of the SafeSpace Youth Action Board and moving the needle.
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Randall was born and raised in San Francisco. After graduating from New York University, Randall joined the SafeSpace team in the fall of 2025. He is grateful and excited to be supporting youth in creating a culture where we prioritize mental well-being.
INTERN
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Jasmine Cardenas is a Youth Engagement Specialist helping young people use their voices to promote mental health awareness and foster supportive conversations. She brings experience in youth mentoring, school partnerships, and community engagement, and is dedicated to creating safe, affirming spaces where young people feel supported, heard, and empowered. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Jasmine is a proud dog mom of two who enjoys discovering new foods and exploring new places.
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
MENTAL HEALTH NAVIGATOR, ALAMEDA COUNTY
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“You are not alone. You are seen. I am with you. You are not alone."
Shonda RhimesSamantha was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Menlo Park. She attended Castilleja School and studied Economics and Strategy in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. Samantha joined the SafeSpace team in the fall of 2022. She has extensive experience working with youth. While she was in high school and college, she was a teaching assistant at her temple, a tutor at Mathnasium, a mentor for MoneyThink, and a volunteer at the Juvenile Detention Center in St. Louis. Samantha identifies as a peer who has faced mental health challenges. She believes in empowering youth, reducing the mental health stigma, and encouraging conversations surrounding mental health.
STRATEGIC ADVISOR-FUNDRAISING
Board of directors
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Navneet completed his undergraduate training at Stanford, where he did an interdisciplinary major in biology and psychology, focusing on childhood development. He then attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine and completed a Pediatrics Residency at Stanford University. He has been working as a General Pediatrician for over 20 years and is currently practicing in San Jose for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He is married and has two daughters and a fluffy furry pet dog named Rolo. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, cooking, hiking, traveling, and cracking Dad jokes.
BOARD MEMBER
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Born and raised in Portland, OR to parents committed to community activism and educating underprivileged youth, During his undergraduate program, Remi got involved in the East Palo Alto community with local non-profit organizations and recognized the emotional disconnect that many students had with school. There he realized that mentorship and guidance was needed to navigate the emotional and social aspects of being a high school student. After his time at Stanford, Remi got introduced to Restorative Justice as a new form of community building and discipline in schools and was offered the opportunity to spearhead the program at EPAA. Remi started and grew the Restorative Justice program for 6 years, before realizing the work to build the minds, characters and heart of our students had to begin much earlier. In 2017, he started as the director of the Boys and Girls Club in East Palo Alto, where he is focused on transforming the club into a hub of the community that addresses all students (k-12) holistically and engages partners in and around the community to do so.
As an OBGYN at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Cheryl has dedicated her career to working with underserved communities, advocating for services that promote both physical and mental well-being. She first learned about SafeSpace through her children and was deeply impressed by the platform it provides for youth to raise awareness and share their voices. For the last year, she has contributed further by supporting SafeSpace in its mission through the Board and fundraising efforts.
BOARD MEMBER
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Originally from Connecticut, Cheryl moved to California in 1990 to attend Stanford University for her undergraduate studies. She later returned to the East Coast for medical school before settling back in California, where she and her husband, Gordon Leung, raised their two children, Chloe and Cameron, both proud alumni of SafeSpace.
As an OBGYN at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Cheryl has dedicated her career to working with underserved communities, advocating for services that promote both physical and mental well-being. She first learned about SafeSpace through her children and was deeply impressed by the platform it provides for youth to raise awareness and share their voices. For the last year, she has contributed further by supporting SafeSpace in its mission through the Board and fundraising efforts.
BOARD MEMBER
Our Partners
