Our Team

Zakiya Nicole founded The Chayah Movement, after combining her passions for workforce development and sustainable fashion. Zakiya has spent most of her life empowering the people she encounters, either through quickly identifying their gifts and talents or through words of encouragement and positivity. This eventually landed her in the world of program management, career coaching, job preparedness teaching and workforce development, focusing on under-served and marginalized communities, more specifically, she worked with individuals with barriers to employment. 

Zakiya has also always had a love for fashion, specifically vintage and upcycled fashion and it was when she launched her boutique, that she learned about the social issues within the fashion industry, the environmental impact and the sustainable fashion movement. 

This is truly where passion met purpose and The Chayah Movement was born. 

Zakiya Cita, Executive Director/Founder

Amy Tipton, Board Vice Chair -Belltown and Downtown ArtWalk

Kirsten Kreis, Board Vice President/Treasurer - Business Outreach Navigator at PLU 

JeLisa Marshall, Board Secretary - The Stylist Way