Asher Gellis, MBA, founder and CEO of JQ International earned a BA in Political Theory from UCLA and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Prior to launching JQ International in 2004, Asher served as the Regional Director for Hadassah’s Young Judaea in California, Nevada, and Hawaii. He created curriculum for the Bureau of Jewish Education in Los Angeles, and guided teen scholastic Israel tours. As JQ’s first and only ED, over the years, Asher has launched dozens of groundbreaking LGBTQ Jewish programs and services in Los Angeles affecting thousands of lives and steering the Jewish Community towards LGBTQ inclusion for generations to come. In recent years Asher was an inaugural member for the PresenTenseLA Fellowship, American Jewish World Service Global Justice Fellowship, and Eighteen:22; the global think tank of LGBTQ and ally Jewish visionaries. Currently, Asher serves on the Community Advisory Board of Southern California Media Group (PBS SoCal).

Shana Gee-Cohen serves as JQ's first-ever Chief Development Officer. Before JQ, Shana was Bend the Arc: Jewish Action’s Major Gift Officer and has worked in the nonprofit Jewish community since 2011. Shana’s experience in fundraising is grounded in the belief that communities with wealth and privilege are accountable to transform their resources and power for systemic change. Shana believes in shifting the root causes of inequality through racial and economic justice and queer liberation. 

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Shana earned her Master’s in Social Policy and Practice and her BSW from Temple University, focusing on healthcare access for LGBTQ+ individuals. She lives in Thousand Oaks with her spouse, Beck, two fur babies, and never enough plants! She is a triple earth sign, a queer zoftig Jewitch, with an unwavering commitment to intersectional feminism and intentional community building.

Anna Goodman graduated with a bachelor's degree in media and communications from Ohio University in 2011, and has since worked in a variety of fields ranging from event production and development, media and graphic design, to sales and customer care. With a passion for activism and the LGBTQ+ community, Anna has taken her Jewish identity, queer identity, and career experience to JQ to bring awareness and safe, affirming spaces to all LGBTQ+ Jews. You can also find her performing on stage as her alter ego /Drag King identity, Dandy Frank, as well as hosting various lesbian and queer events for young adults throughout Los Angeles. 

Sidney Anne Harrison (She/Her) is a mixed-race nerd and ally who was born and raised in Los Angeles. After graduating from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Studies, Sidney spent her early twenties traveling and working several jobs in administration and education, including teaching abroad in South Korea. Now that she's a little older and a little more settled, Sidney is excited to start working with JQ and supporting the valuable work of the organization's mission because she is passionate about community program creation and support services, for underserved populations.

Sidney's hobbies usually fall under two categories: nerdy or outdoorsy. She enjoys playing video games and board games, watching horror movies, hiking, spending quiet time at the beach or in a forest, and, of course, reading every book she can get her hands on. She's also a newly dedicated yogi and hopes to continue writing creative fiction and nonfiction in her spare time. She is thrilled to become a part of the JQ International team and to start working with them to provide resources and create equitable, affirming spaces for the Jewish LGBTQ+ community!

Jordan Held MSW, MS (he/him/his) is a Clinical Social Worker at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the Center for Trans Youth Health and Development. As a queer identified, transgender man, Jordan brings a dual perspective to the needs and realities of the trans community. 

Michael (they/them) received their MA in clinical psychology at Antioch University. They are from Oakland, California, and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2007 with concentrations in child psychology and theater. Michael is passionate about Jewish education and speaking out about gender issues, and leads youth groups through a program called Moving Traditions, as well as support and community groups through JQ International. They are also a published author of three books, including one titled, All The Feelings.

Marlee Goldshine (She/Her/Hers) is a Jewish Communal Professional and recent graduate of the HUC-JIR Zelikow School for Jewish Nonprofit Management with a background in programming, relationship building, and direct community service. Her current full-time role is with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles as the Program Manager, Wellness Initiatives and she's thrilled to continue working with JQ International. She is passionate about working with LGBTQ+ Jewish teens through the monthly Moving Traditions program because she believes queer representation is of the utmost importance for teens. In her free time, she enjoys perfecting a challah recipe, craft projects, and hosting Shabbat dinner. 

Todd Shotz, a long-time member of JQ and JQ’s current Board Chair. He is a film producer and the creator of Hebrew Helpers a national B’nai Mitzvah education service. Todd has served on many start-up and second tier non profit boards.

Neil Spears serves as Executive Director of the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center after eight years as Regional and Executive Director at Power MyLearning. Neil has a BA from University of California San Diego and a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Amy Elizabeth Alterman (MPH) is a PhD candidate in Culture and Performance. Working at the nexus of performance studies, gender studies, anthropology, and public health, she applies feminist and performance theory to current sexual and reproductive health problems. Based on two years of ethnographic research, her dissertation analyzes the obstacles, resiliencies, and support networks associated with independent abortion clinics in the United States—spotlighting the Abortion Access Front comedy show as an arts-based public health intervention. Her work has been published in Contraception, The Journal of Adolescent Health, and other publications.

Deborah Engel Kollin is an educator and parent of a queer young adult (now college student who was active in JQ’s Teen JQSA program.) Her passion for JQ lies in her desire to make the most inclusive Jewish community possible to ensure her child is embraced as an LGBTQ+ Jew. Deb is the Relationship Manager for the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University and was the Director of Operations of the Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am for 12 years.

Max Landwirth is an independent film producer based in Los Angeles. He is the founder of Landwirth Legacy Productions. Max hopes to continue his grandfather’s philanthropic legacy infusing service and social-awareness in everything he does, both personally and professionally. 

Murray Levin is a CPA and CFO in the nonprofit sector. Murray is a longtime member of the JQ community and has over 35 years of experience in financial planning and accounting.

Lindsay Kauffman is the Founder and Executive Director of Bay Area Girls unite. She is committed to helping young athletes fall in love with the game of soccer, encouraging them to be strong, healthy, and confident. Lindsay was the assistant coach for the Gold Medal winning of the 2013 USA Maccabi Women’s Team and was awarded the San Francisco Unified School District Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year in 2014. She lives in San Francisco with her wife, Shalom Kimble, and dog Percee.

Meir Kojman is a Building Performance Engineer, working for a multi-national, multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm. Meir gained a Master of Engineering degree in Architectural Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lived for five years. On making Los Angeles his home in early 2018, Meir began attending JQ events, and is passionately involved in the organization. 

Alisha Pedowitz is the California Director of Moving Traditions. She has made her career working with teens, using the richness of the Jewish community, ritual, tradition, and wisdom to help them thrive. Alisha has worked as an educator and communal professional at Jewish camps, schools, and agencies throughout California, and she is a third-year Rosh Hodesh community group leader. Alisha holds an MBA in Nonprofit Management, an MAEd with a Concentration in Experiential Education Bachelor’s degree in Hebrew Letters from American Jewish Universityanandelor’s degree in Psychology from Stanford University

Henry Platt oversees emerging talent at Warner Music Group’s Theatrical Division. He is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in English and minored in Jazz and Popular Music. Originally hailing from Los Angeles, Henry served as the music director for Counterparts A Cappella, a pop/jazz group at UPenn, and served as a representative on the inaugural Student Wellness Advisory Group at Upenn. Along with being a singer and musician, Henry is a proud member of the LGBTQ and Jewish communities and dedicates time to advocacy and awareness for mental wellness. Henry lives in NYC