Our Team
Program Facilitator: Katrina Mendoza
Katrina was born and raised in the West Side community in St. Paul. She independently raised 3 children who grew up to be organizers and activists seeking to build a better world. She was raised by her grandma, who was undocumented and still found a way to be a light to her community.
Katrina has over 25 years working alongside community with houseless folks, young people and LGBTQIA2 providing community health education. Currently, she supervises the work of organizers building collective power on the West Side. She is an unapologetic fighter for social and racial justice and strives to be someone both her ancestors and descendants will be proud of.
She's a community auntie who is married with 5 "bonus babies", making her a mother to 8. She also has 2 grandbabies, Onyx and Lazuli and her life is abundant in the blessing of family.
Katrina was a participant in the Shannon in 2022.
Program Facilitator: Megan Powers
With more than 25 years in community engagement, facilitation, mediation, and communities of practice, Megan is passionate about supporting people in reflective practice and meaningful collaboration, enabling them to show up even stronger in and for their communities. She has worked as a grantmaker, consultant, and capacity builder both in the USA and globally. Past roles have included at the McKnight Foundation, Grassroots Solutions, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), and the Advocates for Human Rights.
Megan is a 2005-06 Rotary World Peace Fellow and former Fulbright scholar. She pursued a Master's degree in International Conflict Resolution at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she holds a B.A. in English Literature, Spanish, and Women’s Studies from the University of St. Thomas. Currently, she supports rural communities in the beautiful Cuyuna Lakes region of central Minnesota as Executive Director of the Hallett Charitable Trusts.
Megan has been one of the Shannon Institute facilitators since 2022. She lives in St. Paul with her partner, two kids, and a mischievous dog. She explores plant medicine as an herbalist and loves travel, music, mutual aid, and time outdoors.