Meet Our Staff

New to the Olympia area from DC, Jay Banks is an AfroLatinx Nonbinary Queer Educator. They started TQMason a trans support and education group during their time at George Mason University and was influential in the University adopting their gender-neutral housing policy. They also have their Masters in Early Childhood Education and worked to implement a Black Lives Matter curriculum in their classroom while focusing on being trans and queer affirming. After teaching in Elementary schools in Southeast DC Jay decided to use their life experiences and formal education to help support LGBTQ+ Youth with Pizza Klatch. Jay is passionate about intersectionality and being a source of positive representation for queer youth of color. They also love traveling to new places and binge-watching reality tv shows.
Phone: (360) 339-7574 X 101
E-mail: Jay@pizzaklatch.org

El is a queer/trans/non-binary/Latinx, writer, community activist and comedian who joined PK in 2018 after being booked to perform at the 2019 Gayla. El grew up all over Washington state, from a small farming community in Lewis County to the Quinault Tribal Nation on the Olympic Peninsula, but they've always called Olympia home. They graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree focused in constitutional law, tribal law and social justice. They have been a featured performer and speaker at queer comedy shows, Pride events and LGBTQ+ focused panels and discussions throughout the country. They are excited to utilize both their lived experience and their background in LGBTQ+ community organizing and outreach to benefit queer and trans youth, especially those in smaller communities like the ones they came from.
Phone: (360) 339-7574 X 105
E-mail: El@pizzaklatch.org

Sofia Vasconi is a gay nonbinary mixed Latinx/white Italian femme first shaped by the Alaskan mountains, then by the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. Sofia’s passions lie both in the magic of the natural world and the magic of intersectional movement building, harm reduction, collective healing, and community resiliency. She also loves plants and being in the woods, makeup, getting lost in a book, queer history, trash TV, dancing, and cooking. They have been facilitating with Pizza Klatch since January 2018. Sofia’s pronouns are they/them/theirs and she/her/hers.
Phone: (360) 339-7574 X 103
E-mail: Sofia@pizzaklatch.org

Eyota is a non-binary trans woman of Yakama descent. The past decade she spent growing up in Shelton, WA, with her sister and mom. It wasn't until she attended the Evergreen State College in the 2017/18 year that she moved to Olympia. However, her introduction to the world of social justice, intersectionality, and community resilience began in late 2014 and bloomed in the latter half of 2015 once she found the language to describe the experience and nature of her gender, sexuality, and indigenous background. Recovering from recent mental health woes as well as learning to dance gracefully with long-term depression, she aims to move forward in stride, doing her part to contribute to the cultivation of healthy communities and a brighter future, not only for herself but for LGBTQ+ and indigenous youth. Life events and experiences in the last couple of years alone have helped shape her approach to topics of intersectionality and community building/resilience in constructive and solid ways. When she's not lost in extensive, contemplative and methodical thought, she loves to draw, write, sing, compose, and take long walks.
Phone: (360) 339-7574 ext. 108
E-mail: Eyota@pizzaklatch.org

Never is a queer, transfeminine, agender artist, author and former librarian who moved to Olympia in 2018. They grew up in southern Indiana, and received a BA in English and a Master's Degree in Library Science, both from Indiana University, in 2010. They spent five years working at libraries in the greater Chicago area until, in 2014 they left their job to move to Portland, Oregon to transition. They have also lived in Toronto, ON and Nashville, TN, and have traveled extensively playing music and doing readings of poetry and fiction. They have published many books and zines, have been involved in editing various literary magazines and reading series, and have been featured on websites such as Autostraddle, The Poetry Foundation, Verse Daily and The Mary Sue. In addition to their creative work for adults, they are the author of Identifying as Transgender (Rosen Publishing, 2017), an informational text about being trans targeted toward grades 7-12. They are passionate about books, comics, activism, progressive Judaism and transgender media.
Phone: (360) 339-7574 ext. 107
E-mail: Never@pizzaklatch.org

Ryan is a queer, gay man of Filipino/white heritage born and grown here in Olympia. Ryan attended South Puget Sound Community College and later transferred to Saint Martin’s University, graduating in 2020 with a BA in Accounting. During his time at college, Ryan took leadership roles in the Gender and Sexuality Alliance to fulfill his passion to serve and support his community and better the conditions of LGBTQIA+ students on campus. By creating visibility and openness on campus through holding educational events, the GSA was able to impact changes on campus like the initiative that allowed queer and trans students to put their chosen names and pronouns on registrar lists that teachers use for classes. Ryan’s time at college was short, but he hopes to continue uplifting other voices and helping realize others’ needs. Although relatively new to activism and queer movements, Ryan has a fire for assisting LGBTQIA+ communities and is excited to be able to work with and grow alongside Pizza Klatch as we continue and expand our support for queer youth. He enjoys playing video games, drawing, and baking all kinds of sweets in his free time.
Phone: (360) 339-7574 ext. 110
E-mail: Ryan@pizzaklatch.org