Syda Segovia Taylor has 25 years of nonprofit experience working with Black and Latino youth and families in Chicago. She is the founder and executive director of Organic Oneness, a nonprofit organization that promotes racial and environmental justice and healing.
Syda received her M.A. in community development and social justice from Loyola University, and a B.S. in kinesiology: community health/fitness from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Syda also received a Youth Development Practitioner Certification from the Chicago Area Project, and an Advocacy Training Certificate from the Chicago Foundation for Women.
She began her journey as a dancer and education/health teacher, which led to directing programs for children and families at city agencies and high-profile nonprofits. During her time as an education program officer with Local Initiative Support Corporation, she won the Together for Tomorrow award from the U.S. Department of Education under the Obama administration. She was also recognized by the mayor of Chicago for her accomplishments with the national Elev8 initiative. In 2016, she convened the Be the Healing Initiative with Dr. Joy DeGruy and a multitude of organizations to address racism, trauma and violence in Chicago. Syda concluded her institutional role with Chicago Public Schools as the Family and Community Engagement in Education (FACE2) Manager and began her journey with Organic Oneness in 2020. This allows her to nurture the racial justice and healing work she has executed in her spare time since 1998.
