Shellena Eskridge

Executive Director | She/Her/Hers

Shellena has spent all of her career fighting to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen families, and end youth homelessness. She brings immense experience working with nonprofits that provide direct, social and supportive services to low-and no income youth and families experiencing chronic poverty, homelessness, and significant mental health and substance use challenges. Shellena spent the last five years designing, developing, and implementing innovative programs for youth experiencing homelessness. She obtained a master’s degree in social work from Washington University in Saint Louis and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker holding clinical licenses in the state of Missouri and California. Shellena has worked as a clinician and clinical supervisor, providing therapy to children and families, and supervision for master level interns and associates.

Biniam Haile

Finance Director | he/him/his

As Finance Director, Biniam envisions a future where our agency continues to thrive, supported by sound financial management and a shared commitment to our mission. With a strong background in financial management and a passion developed from 20+ years of work experience in nonprofits, Biniam provides financial leadership that strengthens HPP’s ability to make a difference. He specializes in building and managing effective and streamlined financial systems. Biniam has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Asmara and he is a CPA candidate of the state of California.

Kristin Hatch

Development Director | She/hER

With 20+ years in nonprofit development focused on social services and education, Kristin serves as the agency’s Development Director, managing ~8M in private funding. She has bachelor’s degrees in English literature and women’s studies from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop.

Lilli Milton

DEPUTY DIRECTOR | She/Her/They

Lilli serves as Deputy Director at HPP, where she provides both operational oversight and strategic leadership across the agency. Drawing on her deep roots at HPP, Lilli brings a grounded, hands-on perspective to her executive leadership. She collaborates closely with inter-agency partners to ensure programs remain responsive to evolving community needs. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with an MSW (with an emphasis in Community Mental Health) from the University of California, Berkeley.

Martha Ryan

Founder | She/Her/Hers

Martha’s journey to creating the Homeless Prenatal Program began in Africa. After a 10-year stint as an ICU nurse at San Francisco General Hospital, Martha returned to Africa, where she had been a teacher for the Peace Corps years before. In Somalia and the Sudan, Martha worked in refugee camps where she created a Community Health Outreach Program, a program she would later replicate at HPP. Martha is a Nurse Practitioner, and holds an MPH in Maternal and Child Health from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA in Modern Languages from the University of San Francisco. After 30+ years at the agency’s helm, Martha is now acting in a Founder role that is dedicated to expanding agency services with the construction of a new, mixed-use property neighboring HPP. This project will combine a range of HPP services with 74 units of affordable, permanent family housing.

Laura Springer

Director of Human Resources & Operations | She/Her/They

As HR & Operations Director, Laura has direct oversight over all aspects of HPP's Recruitment/Hiring, Performance Management, Benefits, Payroll and Building and Program Operations. During her 11 years at HPP she has supported HPP as it has grown from a staff of 65 to 100+. She has Bachelor's degrees in English Literature and Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Holly Valdes

Division director, housing programs | She/Her/Hers

Holly Valdes is a dedicated professional with a passion for serving vulnerable populations through housing programs. Holly's expertise lies in developing and implementing comprehensive programs to address the unique needs of homeless pregnant and postpartum women and their families. Prior to joining HPP in 2021, Holly was a Director of Programs overseeing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and supportive housing programs for homeless youth in San Francisco. Holly is committed to housing stabilization and empowering marginalized individuals to regain stability and build brighter futures. She holds a Bachelor's in Psychology and has plans to pursue her Master's in Social Work in the near future.

Eden Woldemariam

DiVISION DIRECTOR - Wellness & Family Programs | She/Her/Hers

Eden began her journey with HPP as a Social Work intern in 2005. After graduating, she joined the organization full-time as a Case Manager, supporting families impacted by substance use disorders and child welfare involvement. Over the years, Eden worked in direct service across a variety of HPP programs, building deep expertise in family-centered care and community support. She later transitioned into program management, where she provided oversight for multiple teams and helped build programs grounded in HPP’s core values and commitment to family-centered practice.

With a Master’s degree in Social Work and more than 15 years of client service experience, Eden brings a human-centered approach to her work and leadership. She is passionate about leadership development and empowering teams to provide compassionate, equitable care. Her commitment to family support is deeply rooted in equity and social justice, principles that continue to guide her leadership practice and organizational impact.

Liz Ruggieri

Director of Evaluation & Impact | She/Her/Hers

Liz leads HPP's Evaluation team, leveraging data with narrative to deepen our understanding of the most impactful ways to support families in breaking the cycle of poverty. With a passion developed over 8 years at HPP and a background in public health, Liz provides analytical leadership that helps HPP learn, adapt, and communicate our impact. Liz holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont and a Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley.

Alicia Martinez

DIRECTOR Of programs - Wellness & Family | She/Her/Hers

Alicia is a dedicated provider with more than 25 years of experience supporting individuals and families through crisis, recovery, and system involvement. She began her career as an emergency caseworker with the American Red Cross before serving as a domestic violence advocate and later as a substance use counselor in an outpatient program, developing extensive expertise in addiction and recovery.

In 2015, Alicia joined HPP as a Case Manager for the Family Treatment Court team, working with families involved in the child welfare system, where she developed deep expertise in understanding the role substance use plays within family systems and the impact it has on children and parents.