UrbanElle Team

MICHELLE MITCHELL | Founder

Hmmm…What could I say about my 34 year old ass. I have lived in the Bay Area for about 14 years. First years of my life was spent in the little but big historical town of Selma, Alabama. My family moved around the states a bit. We lived in Arizona and Virginia for a while.  My father landed a job that sent us overseas to countries like Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.  I went to boarding school in Switzerland shortly after we moved to Saudi.  I spent 3 years there and graduated from T.A.S.I.S. in 1992.  I then moved back to the states and attended Auburn University for one long year.  As In Living Color’s – Men’s on Films would say….”hated it!”  It was a little hard to go from living in Europe to go back to Alabama. Imagine that!  So I “loaded up the truck and moved to Beverlllly.” I got jokes!! I didn’t go there, but I did move to the Yay!!  I HELLA love it here.

Professionally, I am a Power Lineman for the local utility company. However, I am an entrepreneur at heart and in practice. Prior to establishing UrbanElle.com I was involved in a number of different projects. I promoted a few LGBT parties.  I still promote parties along side with Christie James from WILD 94.9.  We actually started a promotion company by the name of Lollipop Productions.  I transformed a cute little predominately straight Asian bar into one of the top exotic dance spots in Oakland.  I was also the co-owner of an independent record label, Lavy Cat Records.

So, I was searching through the web a few years back and realized I had to go to  a bunch of different websites to get the information that I needed. That proved very frustrating. Last year I was going out of state and again the same situation.  I then decided to stop complaining and create what we needed.  

Honestly, I had no experience building a site.  I do have a belief system that says “if you can think it ….you can make it!”  So this thought process and having a great supporting team that believes in this project has allowed for the site to come to fruition.  

I invite you to contact me for absolutely anything you want.  Thanks for inquiring about me.  I feel Special!!

ALISON PETERS | Editor/Writer

At the doughnut shop in my little town of Crockett, California, the waitress hands me coffee, rings me up and points to my friend Amy waiting outside with her dog. Amy is a small Filipina dyke with alert eyes and spiky hair wearing sweats, tennis shoes and a Michelin-man orange vest. “Boy, or girl?” The waitress asks, pointing outside. “Which one?” I reply. “Ha!” She laughs, pointing to Amy. “Girl,” I admit. “I knew it! She has the –" the waitress makes heh-heh circle motions over her chest "–but she looks just like a little boy.” Outside I tell Amy the story and we laugh all the way down the block.

That scene replayed itself almost daily once I came out, realized my passion for studs/butches/bois, and began exploring the San Francisco Bay Area’s LGBT scene. I decided it was something I had to write about, particularly when I examined my own reaction upon first meeting my now-wife, who is hirsute with a full beard and goatee. Things aren’t always what they seem.

Born and raised in Pasadena, CA, I moved to the Bay Area in ’92 to attend U.C. Berkeley, and, 14 years later, completed a Masters in Fine Arts at Mills College in Oakland, an all-women oasis I was delighted to find inhabited by all kinds of bois. (It was kind of heaven.) Since graduation in 2006, I’ve made it my goal to be the go-to writer for all things black and lesbian in the Bay Area. I write for Curve, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, and OakBook, a hip new publication dedicated to unearthing Oaktown’s secrets. I’m excited to be part of UrbanElle, contributing the occasional article in addition to editing pieces for the website.

Like all good lesbians, I have a dog, several cats, and an old SUV.

ADA SANCHEZ | Writer/Resource Coordinator

Ms. Ada Sanchez was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. Her parents come from Nicaragua so she grew up speaking Spanish to her parents and English to her siblings; eating hot dogs wrapped in tortillas and learning traditional folkloric dances wearing pink jellies. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in History.  She never plans on leaving the Bay Area; she loves it here!

Like most graduates, Ms. Sanchez works in a completely different field now, in the healthcare industry (although it’s still research).  Her interest in women’s health started in 2006. She volunteered at a Women’s Clinic specializing in reproductive healthcare for women 12 and up. "My training was superb and I was surrounded by doctors, nurses, and students – all volunteering their time for the same reason – to provide free healthcare to women who would otherwise go without. I became a health educator and eventually an outreach worker providing health education, supplies and referral services to women both in and out of the clinic setting. I loved it!  I want to do more related to women’s health and well-being so when the opportunity to research and write about health issues for UrbanElle presented itself, I jumped on the chance!

I am so happy to be part of this team!! Health isn’t just about our physical bodies; it also includes our minds and our souls. I have learned a lot from working in this industry. I know prevention is key and that knowledge is truly power. I hope to provide you with the most current and useful information I can find, mixing it up every now and then. I welcome all sorts of suggestions so if there is a health topic you want to know more about let me know!"

BRIDGET CRIDER | Writer/Promotions

Atlanta based Celebrity Makeup Artist and Beauty Platform Expert Bridgit Crider has been working in the world of makeup and beauty for over 15 years, nine of them spent in the entertainment and editorial industries as a professional makeup artist. With an eye for detail, a creative and and humble personality, Bridgit is one of the most sought-after makeup artists in the industry, with clients including Keisha Cole, Lauren hill and Project Runway’s Michael Knight. She has also done styling for ads for major retail stores such as Macy’s and Publix; T.V. stations BET and MTV; record companies Jive and LaFace; and Black Hair and VIBE magazines.

Bridget is a self-taught artist without any formal training, continually striving to grow and build her craft. From fashion shows to ads to weddings, she uses her unique ability to transform clients’ natural beauty into glamour without leaving them feeling ‘masked’ or artificial. Bridgit believes that makeup should enhance one’s beauty, not take away from it.

MISTA | Writer-"Real Talk"

Tammy Taylor | Online Marketing

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