Axel Santana

Axel Santana, Associate, supports the Arts, Culture, and Equitable Development and California policy programs at PolicyLink. His work involves research, writing, and advocacy around mobility justice, climate justice, and the intersections of arts, culture, and the various equity issues impacting communities of color in California and beyond. In his years at PolicyLink, he has helped convene advocates from across the country, collaborated with equity leaders on various initiatives, authored blog posts, and developed tools -- all in service of empowering and lifting the voices of our most vulnerable communities. Prior to PolicyLink, Axel was focused on international development, spending time in Kenya and El Salvador doing reproductive health advocacy and public space rehabilitation, respectively, before ending up in the Bay Area working with an agency supporting asylum seekers with legal assistance. Axel received his master's in international policy with a focus on human security and development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. He enjoys running, traveling, photography, hip hop dancing, and has an eclectic taste in music.