Our Team

Long before Community Collective existed, Samantha understood what it meant to face hardship, instability, and uncertainty.

Raised by a single mother of five, Samantha experienced financial hardship from an early age. At just six years old, she and her family experienced homelessness and spent time at UMOM New Day Centers — an experience that would later shape her life’s purpose. Some of her earliest memories are rooted in survival, resilience, and watching her mother fight to keep their family afloat through impossible circumstances.

At 17 years old, Samantha became a teen mother herself. Determined to create a different future for her son, she balanced motherhood, full-time work, and college while navigating many of the same challenges she experienced growing up. Rather than allowing hardship to define her, she used it as motivation to build something greater for her family and her community.

In 2019, Samantha earned her degree in Business from Arizona State University and went on to build a successful career in executive leadership and human services. Over the past decade, she has advocated for individuals with disabilities, inclusion, human rights, and equitable access to opportunity while leading programs and supporting vulnerable communities across Arizona.

Today, Samantha is a proud mother of two and the founder of Community Collective — an organization built from lived experience, resilience, and purpose. Through Community Collective, she is committed to restoring dignity, creating opportunity, and ensuring families facing hardship receive the support, resources, and hope they deserve.