Get To Know Us

Sera Bonds, MPH + founder

Sera (she/her) is a Queer, Jewish social justice writer + activist committed to balancing the scales of access and equity. Her community organizing background range is dynamic and diverse, having been involved in public health actions in over twenty countries and raising over 25 million dollars. She is the founder of a leading feminist global aid organization, Circle of Health International, and two social impact companies, Waking Giants + Better Union. She recently served as Interim Executive Director at Congregation Beth Israel. She lives in Austin, TX, with her two adventurous teenage sons and her loving husband, where they can be found creating their wild + wonderful lives together.

Rabbi Lev Baesh, Faith + Health Collaborator

Rabbi Lev Baesh’s (he/him) greatest joy is creating and celebrating meaningful life-cycle events for Jews and for interfaith couples and families. His life is devoted to inclusion and welcoming into dialogue seemingly disparate elements of our religious and secular worlds. This passion is a thread that runs through his choice of studies and work throughout his life both as a Rabbi and as a hospice and palliative care nurse. His role at Waking Giants is as a facilitator of conversations regarding Jewish ancestry, ethics, and community as well as the host of Shabbat services and Passover Seders rooted in equal parts joy and justice. Lev lives in Antigua, Guatemala with his adoring husband.

briona jenkins, murmuration coaching program co-host

Briona “Bri” Jenkins (she/her) is a Black, queer woman changing the world by empowering people to own their stories through vulnerability. Bri has a diverse range of development experience for non-profits around the country including founding her own consulting business, Briona Jenkins Consulting, where she helped small nonprofits with their fundraising and marketing goals as well as offering DEI trainings and more. Bri started ‘The Tea with Bri’ so that she could have a deep dive conversation with her friends and colleagues. She is a strong believer in sharing stories and having conversations as a way for all of us to expand our views. As she says, “Change happens in the uncomfortable places,” Her role at Waking Giants is as co-host of our annual social impact coaching program.

Emily Weerts, ONLINE Community Support Specialist

Emily (she/her/hers) is a community builder and facilitator with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. Building on her work in the museum and education sector, Emily is dedicated to increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion through justice and joy. Emily is expanding her coordination skills to manage Graduate Medical Education Fellowship programs for Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Years of managing STEM programs has helped Emily be as comfortable behind a screen as she is around a conference table. When she’s not facilitating a workshop, Emily is probably sewing, cooking, or planning the next adventure with her chosen family.

Dr. Jereka Thomas-Hockaday, Onboarding specialist

Dr. Jereka Thomas-Hockaday was born in Baytown, Texas. Over her twenty-year career in healthcare, Jereka has worked as an Emergency Room Technician, Surgical Technologist and Surgical Assistant in various hospitals in the Austin area. In the current chapter of her career, she is Director of Clinical Education for Delletec 2.0 Educational Services, a 35-year-old company that manufactures surgical simulators.  Jereka and her husband, also deeply committed to servant leadership who works in public service, live in rural Texas with their two sons and their dog, Blackberry.  Jereka’s role at Waking Giants is taking tender + focus care of our clients throughout their onboarding process.

Tias volker, Client Support Coordinator

Tias (he/they) is based in Brooklyn, New York. He has extensive writing, research, and grant management experience, both for a wide portfolio of clients and for personal grants for his artistic practice. From personal assistant work to karaoke technician to salon management, Tias' career has made them a jack-of-all-trades. He has a passion for data and proficiency in Python and SQL. They have over five years of customer service, managerial, and administrative experience at nonprofits and for-profits along the East Coast, and now in ATX! Outside of work, Tias enjoys reading with his partner, watching reality tv, and exploring the park near his house. They are a cat stepdad to two beautiful boys.