Evan Yoshimoto is Head of Community at the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley’s Democracy & Belonging Forum. Originally from California and now based in Berlin, Germany, he is responsible for managing the Forum’s 600+ membership network and activities across Europe and North America. At the core of this work is creating the conditions for alignment, connection, capacity, and collaboration to thrive across the network in service of supporting efforts that advance democracy and belonging through bridging approaches.
Evan leads the Forum’s Network Catalyzers Program, which supports leaders in launching and growing member-led communities focused on othering, belonging, bridging, and democracy. Through this program, he helps shift power toward regional leadership, resources community builders, and strengthen trust-based, decentralized networks.
Previously, Evan managed the Forum’s communications and served on the leadership team for the Othering & Belonging Conference, including the 2021 virtual conference and the 2023 in-person conference in Berlin—the first Othering & Belonging Conference held outside the United States. He first joined the Othering & Belonging Institute in 2018 as a summer fellow, joining the Global Justice team in conducting research on climate change–induced displacement and corporate influence over the global food system.
Evan holds dual Bachelor’s degrees from UC Berkeley in Environmental Economics & Policy and Conservation & Resources Studies (emphasis in Capitalism and the Environment), as well as a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Hertie School in Berlin.
