– Nzinga D. Mpenda –
Nzinga is an entrepreneur, author and speaker from San Francisco, California. She attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Art in Psychology degree. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology degree from Notre Dame de Namur University and Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications degree from Golden Gate University.
Nzinga’s career started in High School Wellness Centers in the San Francisco Unified School District where she supported the academic success of students through mental health supportive services. She would eventually become the Outreach and Education Director for San Francisco Suicide Prevention where she focused on increasing impact and utilization of the crisis line for middle and high school students in San Francisco as well as increasing utilization in the black community and communities of color.
In 2016, Nzinga started DAYO Consulting, LLC an agency that partners with local governments and community-based organizations to provide programmatic support to increase community reach and impact for historically marginalized communities. In 2018, Nzinga took on the ambitious task of serving as the campaign manager for East Palo Alto Mayor City Council candidate Regina Wallace-Jones. A novice in the political sphere Nzinga lead a team of staff and volunteers to the largest voter turnout and the biggest upset of unseating an incumbent the City of East Palo had seen in its history.
Nzinga published her first novel in 2014 under the pseudonym Ziggy Harris, “Not In His Shadow”. Her follow-up book would be released in 2020 with her own name, “Who Made the Potato Salad? Celebrating the Journey of Black Womanhood”. “Who Made the Potato Salad?” would be the first publication on Get It Girl Publishing, LLC where Nzinga is the owner and CEO. Get It Girl Publishing, LLC was created to elevate the voices of black and women writers. She currently has four projects in production.
A gifted orator Nzinga has been speaking to youth and adults since the age of 16 on various topics related to community, education and mental health. Nzinga has been a featured guest on The First Gen Lounge, Alive and Free/Street- Soldiers radio as well as a panelist or speaker for conferences and webinars.
Nzinga is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and worships at Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church in San Francisco, California. You can follow Nzinga on social media at the following handles; Twitter: @nzinga_d and Instagram: @nzinga.d