Lived Experts to the Front
Every member of our leadership team has firsthand experience with the systems we work to transform. We are former foster youth, adoptees, and system survivors — and we lead with that lived expertise every day.
Angela Cruze Boldt, CPC, YPSS, CPSS-S, CPMC
She/Her · Founder & Head of Board
Angela Cruze Boldt is a nationally recognized systems advocate, policy consultant, and founder dedicated to advancing opportunities for youth, families, and communities impacted by foster care, homelessness, behavioral health challenges, and involvement with public systems. A Generational System Lived Expert, she has spent nearly a decade helping shape policy, improve systems, and elevate the voices of those most impacted by government and community services. Her work spans local, state, and federal initiatives — including child welfare reform, behavioral health, youth homelessness prevention, civil legal aid, and peer support advancement. Angela currently serves in multiple leadership and advisory roles across Washington State, including Vice Chair of the Oversight of Civil Legal Aid program, Executive Committee member of the Behavioral Health Advisory Council, and Lived Expert advisor to statewide workgroups focused on children, youth, behavioral health, and homelessness prevention. As Founder of I AM Foster KID, her mission is simple but powerful: to move lived experts to the front of decision-making spaces. A recipient of the 2026 Peer of the Year Award, Angela is recognized for her unwavering commitment to turning lived experience into leadership. Her guiding philosophy: "Lived Experts to the Front."
Jammie Gardner, PSS, PCC, MHT, NLP-M, EFT-M
She/Her · Head of Global Operations & Training
Jammie Gardner is an international trainer, seasoned public speaker, and author whose tireless devotion has been celebrated by numerous state and local organizations. With over 28 years of experience leading peer-run organizations, she is a master of program development and creative training strategies. Jammie leverages her extensive experience in founding and leading organizations, along with her continual commitment to learning, in pursuit of empowering youth and young people to facilitate lasting transformative changes in their daily lives. Passionate and fearless (except for spiders), Jammie faces every challenge with openness and enthusiasm — a mindset she has somehow managed to impart to her two Yorkies, Tater and Marshall (aka The Paw Support Specialists), as well as to all those who have worked alongside her or under her supervision throughout her career. California-born and Oregon-raised, she is a mother of two children with diverse lived experiences, and many foster kids, who have been a driving force in her work in substance use, trauma, juvenile justice, and foster care advocacy. Whether she's training, writing, doing energy work, or hiking through the Arizona desert, Jammie leads her life with a healing spirit and resounding empathy for others.
Tosha Big Eagle, M.S, PhD Candidate
She/Her · Head of Research & Development
Tosha Big Eagle is a justice-impacted Indigenous PhD Candidate in Prevention Science at Washington State University Vancouver and Director of Programs & Research for The Kindred Light Initiative. Her work centers health equity, harm reduction, incarceration, aging, death and dying, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and community-defined pathways to healing. Rooted in five generations of family incarceration — including her own lived experience — Tosha brings a deeply relational approach to research, advocacy, and systems change. She is committed to advancing equitable access to healing, healthcare, education, and leadership development for currently incarcerated people, returning citizens, and families impacted by incarceration. Drawing from both academic training and lived experience, Tosha's work uplifts justice-impacted leadership, cultural continuity, and community-based solutions that challenge institutional harm and support intergenerational healing.
Wisdom & Guidance
Our elders bring decades of lived wisdom, cultural grounding, and intergenerational perspective to guide our mission.
Elder Board Member
Pending
We are seeking respected elders with lived experience in foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, or Indian child welfare systems to join our Elder Visionary Board.
Elder Board Member
Pending
We are seeking respected elders with lived experience in foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, or Indian child welfare systems to join our Elder Visionary Board.
Guiding Our Mission
James
He/Him/His · Youth Representative
James, age 10, is our youngest board member, serving as a Youth Representative and Youth Activities Curator. His voice on the board reminds us why this work matters — and ensures that the youth we serve are not just talked about, but present at the decision-making table. James helps shape activities, programs, and experiences from the perspective of the kids and teens we are here for. #YouthLivedExperts
Misty Hellem
She/Her · Survivors Advocate
With a passion for creativity and beauty, Misty graduated from cosmetology school in 2010, mastering the art of hairstyling and beauty. After honing her skills in the beauty industry, she decided to pursue her academic aspirations, returning to college to earn her Bachelor's degree in Arts, Sciences and Humanities. This academic pursuit has broadened her horizons, allowing her to explore various disciplines and cultivate a deeper understanding of the community. Now, with a strong foundation in both the creative and academic realms, Misty is poised to leverage her unique blend of skills and knowledge to pursue new opportunities and make a meaningful impact — including walking alongside survivors with empathy, creativity, and lived understanding.
Board Member
Pending
We are actively seeking lived experts to join our Board of Directors. If you have experience with foster care, adoption, juvenile rehabilitation, or Indian child welfare — and a passion for systems change — we want to hear from you.
Board Member
Pending
We are actively seeking lived experts to join our Board of Directors. If you have experience with foster care, adoption, juvenile rehabilitation, or Indian child welfare — and a passion for systems change — we want to hear from you.
Board Member
Pending
We are actively seeking lived experts to join our Board of Directors. If you have experience with foster care, adoption, juvenile rehabilitation, or Indian child welfare — and a passion for systems change — we want to hear from you.
Board Member
Pending
We are actively seeking lived experts to join our Board of Directors. If you have experience with foster care, adoption, juvenile rehabilitation, or Indian child welfare — and a passion for systems change — we want to hear from you.
Board Member
Pending
We are actively seeking lived experts to join our Board of Directors. If you have experience with foster care, adoption, juvenile rehabilitation, or Indian child welfare — and a passion for systems change — we want to hear from you.
The People Behind the Mission
Our growing team of lived experts, advocates, and community builders working together to transform systems.
Team Member
Pending
We are building our team with lived experts ready to serve. If you have experience in foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, or Indian child welfare, reach out.
Team Member
Pending
We are building our team with lived experts ready to serve. If you have experience in foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, or Indian child welfare, reach out.
Team Member
Pending
We are building our team with lived experts ready to serve. If you have experience in foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, or Indian child welfare, reach out.
Want to Join the Team?
We're always looking for lived experts ready to lead. If you have experience with foster care, adoption, juvenile rehabilitation, or Indian child welfare, we want to hear from you.
Get In Touch
Lived Experts
Leading every program
Nothing about us without us
I AM Foster KID was founded on a radical belief: the people most impacted by child welfare systems must lead the charge to transform them. Our leadership team is made up of former foster youth, adoptees, and system survivors who bring firsthand understanding to every policy, program, and partnership.
We are currently pursuing 501(c)(3) non-profit status, building a sustainable organization that will serve generations of youth. But we're not waiting for paperwork — we're already doing the work.