Right now, 28 young feminists are gathering together beneath the redwoods in Sonoma, to dream, learn, and chart a feminist future together, expanding our sense of what is possible.
The Solís Policy Institute Youth (SPI Youth) program came from a belief that young people shouldn’t be an afterthought. They are essential to our liberation, and too often relegated to the sidelines of our movement.
In a time when reproductive justice is under attack, trans people are being legislated out of existence, and immigrant communities are torn apart, young people are the ones in the streets pushing back. Investing in them isn’t just hopeful – it’s strategic.
SPI Youth is built on the belief that young people are already powerful. That they don’t need to be shaped into leaders so much as supported into the leaders they already are. Community is not just where justice is rooted – it’s where each of us finds our home. These are the values Sofia Colosimo treasured.
Sofia made people feel seen. She pulled them into her community, celebrated them, lifted them up, reminded them that they, too, can build a better and kinder world. Sofia is no longer with us, and last month marked what would have been her 30th birthday.
Women’s Foundation California is honored to steward the Sofia Zosima Colosimo Memorial Fund in partnership with her family and community. The fund directly supports the Solís Policy Institute Youth fellowship and committed to what Sofia knew: that the personal and the political are the same thing, and both require your full self.
Through feminist frameworks and hands-on policy learning, fellows sharpen their skills, build bold ideas, and connect with a network of peers and mentors who are shaping change. This is a space to grow, lead, and turn vision into action—together And it’s 100% free.
We can’t wait to build, dream, and rise with these bold young leaders. The future isn’t some far-off idea, it’s already here, and it’s being built by 28 unstoppable feminists in Sonoma Valley this week.
If you are moved, support the next generation of leaders Sofia believed in by making a gift of stock, a gift from your IRA, or a gift from your Donor Advised Fund. You can learn more about leveraging those gifts here.
Thank you for being part of our movement, our community, our future.
From Sonoma,
Miyana Evans, she/her
Program Manager, Youth Leadership & Trainings