Exploring The Sacred | Grace, Balance and Growth

Join us on Wednesday, July 19th, 2023, for an evening of general listening with Rev. Rajeev Rambob, Tak Allen, Nadia Niazi, and Dr. Trish Blaine.

Join The Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94740768320

—-

Rev. Rajeev Rambob is pastor at Parkside Community Church in Sacramento, CA. Parkside is a liberal/progressive church that is centered on the life and teachings of Jesus AND embraces the validity of all spiritual paths.
Rajeev worked in non-profits (anti-poverty and homelessness) and pastored in the Bay area before moving to the Sacramento area in 2015. Rajeev graduated from the Berkeley School of Theology (formerly American Baptist Seminary of the West at the Graduate Theological Union) in Berkeley, CA. where Rajeev focused his learning on social justice, community development and studied Womanist Theology because “that’s where Heaven and Earth meet to get *stuff* done.”

During the pandemic-lockdown, in August of 2020, Rev. Rajeev joined the pastoral team as co-pastor, with his spouse, Rev. Bonnie Rambob who had been serving the church since 2016. In addition to being an ordained minister, Rev. Bonnie is also a credentialed teacher and left church ministry to return to the classroom in response to the teacher shortage crisis. Rajeev and Bonnie have two adult sons who live in the area.

As an exvangelical, unfundamentalist, Rev. Rajeev’s ministry, and lived experience, is Religious Trauma Informed. He draws from his background and experience with deconstruction and wandering the spiritual wilderness to co-lead several outreach ministries to spiritual travelers who are migrating out of fundamentalist Christianity.

Rev. Rajeev enjoys all types of music, movies, deep conversation, and is an avid Capital Public Radio (CapRadio) / National Public Radio (NPR) listener.

—-

Tak Allen serves as the President of the International Faith Based Coalition and works as an independent Community Outreach and Engagement Consultant for local non-profits, state agencies, and legislative officials.

Advocacy, education, empowerment, and change are the hallmarks of her personal

philosophy and professional work. These hallmarks are evident in her success changing the cultural landscape of community engagement in the greater Sacramento area, as well as the Northeastern Region of Texas.

Tak also shares her professional expertise in her roles as:

• President of The National Congress of Racial Equality,
• Co-Founder/owner of a Non-profit Bureau of Post-secondary education Institution –
• The Real Estate Preparatory School, and
• Chair of the Legislative Committee for the California Democratic Party’s Black Caucus.
• Inclusion is a core principle in Tak’s work generate collaboration amongst community agencies in the greater Sacramento area. Her success in this work is predicated on targeted strategic partnerships and outreach opportunities. She understands the need to align with multi-faceted entities to produce the best outcomes.

Such collaborations have also resulted in the following outcomes

• Successfully orchestrated campaigns and summits,
• Useful legislation,
• Allocation of resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community members,
• Influence on legislation for education choice and charter schools,
• Contributions to both resources and legislative insight as it pertains to issues of mental health, economics, substance use and drugs policies that impact underserved and minority demographics,
• Workforce and resourcing programs for agencies like Pacific Housing, Inc

Tak Allen continues to apply her knowledge and skills to bring about a more equitably accessible life for all communities.

Most recently, Tak has expanded her community collaborations to include workforce development consultant to large organizations such as The Judah Project, and Urban Strategies, Inc. in addition to a variety of Legislators, state associations, as well as community nonprofits.

She provides focused programing as an independent Community Outreach and Engagement Consultant to enable each organization to expand their outreach and community engagement capacity to place resources and information directly into communities that need the most.

—-

Nadia Niazi is the founder and President of Fitrah, a passionate Canadian-American optimist,humanitarian, and entrepreneur. She discovered her Islamic faith in 2001 and has been a practicing Muslim ever since, which has shaped her values and dedication to fostering inclusivity and
empowerment.

With over 20 years of business management experience, Nadia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UC Davis, which she earned in 2001. During her undergraduate years, she demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit by founding Proto-Vite Inc., a biotech startup. After successfully managing the online eCommerce store eStyleo for over a decade, Nadia felt a strong desire to make a more significant impact with her business ventures.

Driven by her commitment to social responsibility, Nadia transformed her store and founded Fitrah as a social enterprise focused on empowering vulnerable youth. By donating her store, she created a platform for young individuals to take charge of their lives and gain valuable skills and opportunities.
In addition to her work with Fitrah, Nadia serves as a presenter for Cultural Relativity Education and Teacher Engagement – Personal Development (C.R.E.A.T.E-PD). She provides training sessions to five school districts in Sacramento, equipping educators with strategies to effectively engage with youth from diverse backgrounds.

Nadia’s unwavering advocacy for equality fuels her lifelong mission to ensure that every youth, regardless of race, religion, or gender, is given the opportunity to thrive. Her dedication to fostering inclusivity and empowerment serves as a guiding force in her work at Fitrah and her commitment to making a positive impact in the community.

—-

Dr. Trish Blaine is a member of the Baha’i Faith. She has served the Faith at the local, national, and international levels. Currently she is a member of the Sacramento Baha’i community.

Dr. Blaine received her Master’s and Ph. D. degrees in History from Arizona State University. She has taught for Arizona State University, South Texas College, the University of Oklahoma, and California State University at Sacramento. She also holds degrees in Communications, and Education. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Blaine worked in advertising and public relations for seventeen years. Her love, however, is history, especially women’s history and history of the U.S. West.