Nicole Doña
San Jose,CA
Summary
Nonprofit executive, public policy strategist, and mental health advocate with 12+ years of leadership across child and family systems. Founder and author of The Mind-Spirit Bible Practice LLC, an innovative initiative integrating DBT-inspired skills with biblical wisdom to advance trauma-informed emotional resilience across faith communities, nonprofit systems, and mental health spaces.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder & Author
The Mind Spirit Bible Practice LLC
11.2025 - Current
- Founded a faith-based, trauma-informed mental health and spiritual formation company integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) inspired-principles with biblical wisdom, designed to help individuals, families, and faith communities build emotional resilience and spiritual maturity.
- Author of The Mind-Spirit Bible Practice: A DBT-Inspired Guide to Renew the Mind and Spirit, currently in development through Lucid Books Publishing.
- Developed a proprietary integrative framework combining DBT-inspired skills, trauma-informed care, and spiritual disciplines to support individuals navigating complex emotions, mental health challenges, and faith crises.
- Authored a full-length manuscript (110+ pages) and built foundational structures for a future certification pathway for clinicians, pastors, and lay leaders.
- Created multi-platform brand architecture including website, YouTube channel, community Launch Club, and multimedia teaching content aimed at bridging evidence-based mental health tools with spiritual formation practices.
- Built an emerging clinical and ministry advisory network, engaging psychologists, DBT therapists, theologians, ministry leaders, and academic partners to refine the model and support future certification and training programs.
- Formalized the business entity (LLC) including strategy, branding, business plan development, operational infrastructure, and long-term sustainability plans.
- Produced core teaching materials, including diagrams, DBT + Scripture crosswalks, skill glossaries.
- Advancing long-term vision to equip churches, clinicians, and community organizations with accessible, biblically anchored, trauma-informed tools that meet the emotional and spiritual needs of diverse populations.
- Mission of MSB Practice: To bridge psychological science and biblical wisdom so individuals and communities can heal deeply, regulate emotions effectively, and experience renewed spiritual identity and wholeness.
Director of Community Engagement
Team San Jose
San Jose, CA
09.2023 - Current
- Experienced Community Engagement Director dedicated to fostering strong community relationships, promoting diversity and inclusion, and driving community and economic impact.
- Built coalitions across public, private, and nonprofit sectors to expand equitable access to cultural and educational experiences-informing broader strategies for economic inclusion and family engagement.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Facilitated partnerships with BIPOC and Women-Owned businesses, completed DEI training, and organized impactful Inclusion Talks and meetings.
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Established the Team San Jose Kirchgesler Scholarship Fund and facilitated access to events for underrepresented communities through partnerships and discounted ticket programs.
- San Jose, CA
Chief Executive Officer
Hope And Equity Without Borders, Inc.
San Jose, CA
07.2022 - 09.2023
- Provide strategic leadership, organizational planning and implementation, including project initiation, planning and execution for new partnerships and programs in Latin America, to expand access to digital literacy programs and technical training for rural youth in Panama and Peru.
- Established partnerships with key stakeholders, including governments, institutions, and community organizations in Panama and Peru.
- Impacted over 2500 students in Latin America in the first year of operation.
- Raised over $250,000.00 in the first year of operation.
- Lead diverse stakeholder and community engagement across all Latin America's diverse regions and cultural/ethnic populations.
- Manage a cross-functional team to develop innovative and niche programs for rural underserved youth populations in Panama and Peru, including the development of program structures, stakeholder engagement processes, and regional capacity building.
- San Jose, CA
Founder & Board President
Hope And Equity Without Borders, Inc.
San Jose, CA
04.2021 - Current
- Developed and established a Board of Directors and formed a 501(c)3 Delaware nonprofit operation out of California and in Panama.
- Established board structure and bylaws.
- San Jose, CA
Program Manager, SB803 Program Implementation
California Mental Health Services Authority
Sacramento, CA
07.2021 - 07.2022
- Provide project management and program planning and implementation, including project initiation, planning and execution for a new Medi-Cal benefit under California Senate Bill (SB) 803, to expand the mental health workforce in California and provide accessible mental health services for over 14 million of California's most vulnerable residents.
- Lead diverse stakeholder and community engagement across all of California's diverse regions and cultural/ethnic populations.
- Manage a cross-functional team to develop a comprehensive mental health certification program for peer support providers to bill Medi-Cal, including the development of program structures, certification exam, web-based registry and application portal, stakeholder engagement processes, and approved training programs leading to certification.
- Sacramento, CA
Residency Program Coordinator 1
Stanford University, School of Medicine
Stanford, CA
07.2019 - 07.2021
- Provide administrative, residency coordination, event planning, scheduling, reporting and operational support to the Program Manager and 100 resident trainees at one of the largest residency programs at Stanford.
- Provided general administrative support.
- Coordinated rotation schedules, lecture schedules, evaluations, and wellness retreats.
- Stanford, CA
Administrative Officer III/Global Brain Health Institute Coordinator
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
05.2018 - 07.2019
- Provided program development support and fellowship coordination, event and conference planning, calendaring, organizational coordination and operational support to the COO and 85 fellow trainees at an internationally recognized global institute.
- Provided general administrative support and office management for the one of two founding sites of the Global Brain Health Institute.
- Coordinated new fellow education experience through facilitating integration and participation from on-boarding, orientations, clinical rotations, leadership retreats, and social events for 50 trainees within a global program.
- Supported 15 fellows, from inter-disciplinary backgrounds (including the arts, medical doctors, researchers, journalists and lawyers) from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, annually in their transition into the program, acquiring J-1 visas and finding housing.
- Developed and integrated key components to the educational experience, including development of clinical observation opportunities and orientation handbook.
- Enhanced communication between department and executive team, fostering a sense of teamwork and collaboration, through implementing trainings, organizational development and planning team-building events.
- Promoted into this position from Education Placement Coordinator.
- San Francisco, CA
Community Empowerment Specialist
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
06.2014 - 08.2015
- Fast-track promoted to acting project manager. Developed and implemented plans with the purpose of addressing mental health disparities, increasing diverse stakeholder communities' engagement in mental health advocacy across the state of California.
- Monitored project risks and scope to identify potential problems and proactively identify solutions to address them in advance.
- Produced implementation plans, reports, risk management plan, and requests for change, etc.
- Incorporated internal and external stakeholder feedback.
- Monitored staff and team performance.
- Rolled-out federal grants, conducted research, facilitated focus groups, interviewed public officials, collected data and monitored timelines and contract deliverables.
- Increased participation of diverse stakeholder communities in mental health advocacy across the state.
- Coordinated cross-functional teams statewide via conference calls and emails, developed plans and monitored activity to ensure projects fit to scale and scope, and within budget.
- Developed internship and supervised intern youth investigators, researching and developing campaign strategies to bring awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health challenges facing vulnerable youth populations.
- Utilized innovative programs and partnerships with developers in order to deliver niche social entrepreneurship program to at-risk youth targeting suicide prevention.
- San Francisco, CA
Community Empowerment Coordinator
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
08.2013 - 05.2014
- Fast-track promoted as acting project manager developing evaluation plans and audited 15 counties' departments of mental health in the Greater Bay Area and their processes of including diverse stakeholder input into the development of mental health programs.
- Monitored project risks and scope to identify potential problems and proactively identify solutions to address them in advance.
- Produced implementation plans, reports, risk management plan, and requests for change, etc.
- Incorporated internal and external stakeholder feedback.
- Monitored team and staff performance.
- Collected and inventoried research, synthesizing data, monitoring timelines and contract deliverables.
- Designed project timelines and databases for the Greater Bay Area regional audit, which was in turn adapted at the state level contract managers to manage statewide audit.
- Represented the organization as public relations liaison, community advocate and community expert to tech companies, public policy makers, community groups at community events and on boards.
- Represented the organization on advisory boards through the San Francisco's Department of Public Health and Department of Children Youth and Their Families, which included the Adolescent Health Working Group and San Francisco's Citywide Transition Age Youth Advisory Board.
- San Francisco, CA
Youth Initiatives Coordinator
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
08.2012 - 08.2013
- Fast-track promoted as acting program and relationship manager, developed marketing materials, youth programs, and strategic partnerships to pilot innovative youth initiatives.
- Conducted outreach and delivered community presentations for UC, San Francisco's Prevention and Recovery in the Early Psychosis Program (PREP).
- Monitored and trained youth and young adults with schizophrenia in community, mental health and policy advocacy.
- Collaborated with therapists to integrate treatment plans for youth and young adults with schizophrenia.
- Represented the organization as public relations liaison, community advocate and community expert to tech companies, public policy makers, community groups at community events and on boards.
- Represented the organization on advisory boards through San Francisco's Department of Public Health and Department of Children Youth and Their Families, which included the Adolescent Health Working Group and San Francisco's Citywide Transition Age Youth Advisory Board.
- San Francisco, CA
Assistant - Resource Development Program
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
03.2012 - 07.2012
- Coordinated a statewide program to increase access to resources and programs for eliminating stigma associated with mental health.
- Collected and inventoried research, managed database, monitored timelines and contract deliverables to satisfy statewide contracts.
- Plan, schedule, and coordinate meetings, events, teleconferences, mailings, and travel.
- Responsible for preparing meeting agendas and meeting minutes.
- San Francisco, CA
Education
BA - International Relations
San Francisco State University
01.2010
Certificate of Completion - Project Management Overview
SFSU College of Extended Learning
01.2016
Certificate of Completion - Agile Project Management Overview
SFSU College of Extended Learning
01.2016
Special Event Project Planning
UC Berkeley Extension
01.2017
On-Site Management, Event Meeting and Planning
SFSU College of Extended Learning
01.2017
Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Organizational Excellence
Stanford Graduate School of Business
01.2024
Skills
- Trauma-informed spiritual formation
- DBT-inspired integration
- Faith-based emotional resilience program design
- Curriculum development
- Public speaking
- Teaching
- Content creation
- Systemic change
- Cross-sector partnerships
- Policy recommendations
- Community data analysis
- Program evaluation
- Evidence-based recommendations
- Internal policy shifts
- Collaboration
- Program alignment
- Shared impact models
- Facilitation
- Youth advisory integration
- Organizational restructuring
- Internal efficiency
- External service delivery
- Organizational transformation
- Conflict resolution
- Systems thinking
- Professional communication
- Project management
- Relationship management
- Event planning
- Conference planning
- Coordination
- Database management
- Bilingual
- Bicultural
Media Relations Presentations Publications
- The Mind-Spirit Bible Practice: A DBT-Inspired Guide to Renew the Mind and Spirit, Lucid Books Publishing, 2025, in development
- Policy Priorities for Transitional Age Youth Vision & Goals 2014-2016: Recommendations to Improve the Lives of TAY in San Francisco, Transition Aged Youth San Francisco, City and County of San Francisco, 2016
- Discipling: A Peer-Support Model for Recovery and Stigma Elimination Among Bible-Based Christian Communities, 7th International Conference: Together Against Stigma, Each Mind Matters: Empowering Community Mental Health Through Research, Practice, Policy and Advocacy, San Francisco, CA, 2015
- Positive OUTlets: Youth Driven Social Media Anti-Stigma Strategies, 7th International Conference: Together Against Stigma, Each Mind Matters: Empowering Community Mental Health Through Research, Practice, Policy and Advocacy, San Francisco, CA, 2015
- Latinos and Mental Health: Surviving to 25, Maria Hinojosa, NPR Latino USA Town Hall, University of California, Davis, 2013
- You Crazy? Latinos and Mental Health, NPR Latino USA Radio, 2013
Volunteering Philanthropy
- Resource Family (Foster Parent), Santa Clara County, CA, 2024-2025
- East San Jose Circle Leader, Lean In Latinas, San Jose, CA, 2021-2023
- Administrative Coordinator, E-Hoops San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 2018-2019
- Advisory Board Member, Citywide Transition Aged Youth Advisory Board, San Francisco, CA, 2012-2015
- Advisory Board Member, Adolescent Health Working Group, San Francisco, CA, 2012-2015
Awards
Certificate of Honor, San Francisco City and County Board of Supervisors, 2015-06-01
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Founder & Author
The Mind Spirit Bible Practice LLC
11.2025 - Current
Director of Community Engagement
Team San Jose
09.2023 - Current
Chief Executive Officer
Hope And Equity Without Borders, Inc.
07.2022 - 09.2023
Program Manager, SB803 Program Implementation
California Mental Health Services Authority
07.2021 - 07.2022
Founder & Board President
Hope And Equity Without Borders, Inc.
04.2021 - Current
Residency Program Coordinator 1
Stanford University, School of Medicine
07.2019 - 07.2021
Administrative Officer III/Global Brain Health Institute Coordinator
University of California, San Francisco
05.2018 - 07.2019
Community Empowerment Specialist
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
06.2014 - 08.2015
Community Empowerment Coordinator
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
08.2013 - 05.2014
Youth Initiatives Coordinator
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
08.2012 - 08.2013
Assistant - Resource Development Program
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco
03.2012 - 07.2012
BA - International Relations
San Francisco State University
Certificate of Completion - Project Management Overview
SFSU College of Extended Learning
Certificate of Completion - Agile Project Management Overview
SFSU College of Extended Learning
Special Event Project Planning
UC Berkeley Extension
On-Site Management, Event Meeting and Planning
SFSU College of Extended Learning
Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Organizational Excellence
Stanford Graduate School of Business