Team
Corinne Espinoza
Co-Director
Corinne is honored to join the team implementing HEART. Since they were taught these values as a young Xicanx person, Corinne has valued community, people power and the importance of centering marginalized community members.
Corinne brings non-profit leadership, social innovation and administrative experience to their role.
Corinne enjoys being in nature and digging in the dirt in their community garden plot.
Amanda
Responder
Amanda is a Responder at Cambridge HEART. Being there for others was cemented into Amanda’s heart at an early age and her urge to help others is her biggest motivator in this role. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, working on the launch of her clothing brand.
Amanda’s slogan is: “Be brave enough to think differently & bold enough to believe you can change the world.”
Betzy Otero
Responder
Betzy is a Responder at Cambridge HEART. She is a Great Mom of 3 Beautiful Children. Betzy is motivated to make Cambridge and her neighborhood better than it was when she was growing up and believes HEART will change the community for the better. Outside of work, cooking is one of her first passions. She also loves dancing, traveling, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Betzy’s slogan is: "Things could be worse 🤷🏻"
Dara Bayer
Co-Director
Dara grew up in Cambridge and is one of the founders of The Black Response, the organization that facilitated the development of HEART. Dara is humbled and inspired by all the community members, volunteers, and organizers who have tirelessly worked to make HEART a reality. She brings her experience as an educator, restorative and transformative justice practitioner, and community organizer to her role as Co-Director of Infrastructure, Political Development, and Strategic Partnerships. She honors her teachers and ancestors who have supported and shaped her into the human she is today. In addition to her community work, Dara loves to paint, take walks, read Afrofuturist literature, and grow food at Movement Family Farm, a collective land project she supports in New Hampshire.
Gwenhwyfar
Responder
Gwenhwyfar is a Responder at Cambridge HEART. She is committed to participating in the creation of a public safety alternative that is anti-carceral, centers the experiences and needs of people instead of property, and is in line with the history of abolitionists who have been struggling against violent systems and institutions for as long as those systems have been around. Gwenhwyfar is a queer, non-binary, and polyamorous person with a deep love of art, music, movement, food, nature, and building relationships that are supportive, inspiring, and authentic. In their free time, Gwenhwyfar enjoys making music, going for long walks around Cambridge, and traveling.
Gwenhwyfar’s slogans are: “The future is dark, with a darkness as much of the womb as the grave.” - Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark, p.5
“Growth lies within the unknown; courage permits you to explore this space.” - Yogi tea bag
“The universe is within you. Bright and beautiful.” - Yogi tea bag
Wes
Responder
Wes is a Responder at Cambridge HEART. Wes enjoys getting to know others and talking... a lot. His ability to chat with anyone and his genuine care for others' well being makes him an excellent fit to support members of the community as a Responder. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to music, kayaking, cooking, and snowboarding.
Their slogan is: “I'll never dim my own light to let others shine brighter.”
Bárbara
Responder
Bárbara joins HEART as a responder, following a lifetime career in early childhood education with a focus on anti-bias anti-racist curriculum. Throughout these years, she enjoyed partnering with our diverse families and communities. Being a child of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, she saw first-hand how Global Majority, Black, and Indigenous people were—and still are— negatively impacted by systems which claim to help them. As she became active in justice work, Bárbara also developed peer counseling skills through the lens of liberation. With HEART, she hopes to continue learning from our community members and offer support when requested. She is a Nationally Registered EMT and a certified medical interpreter (Spanish/English). Bárbara is ready to share these skill sets to navigate and take down barriers in our communities.
“Spread light, Share light”
Michael (Mike)
Responder
Mike is a Responder at Cambridge HEART. Mike finds motivation in this role knowing that he will help at least one person (and hopefully many more) while also making a positive impact on our system. In his free time, Mike loves to make art in the form of music and finding new songs to add to his DJ playlist.
Mike’s slogan is: “In the Midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”—Sun Tzu