As Vice President of Policy and Government Relations at First Place for Youth, Rashi Kesarwani leads our strategy to secure public funding for the My First Place Model of housing, case management, and career support for transition-age foster youth (ages 18–24). In this role, she draws on her background in public finance and human services from previous budget and financial leadership positions with the San Francisco Human Services Agency—the county’s social welfare department.

Rashi Kesarwani comes to First Place for Youth after serving eight years on the Berkeley City Council, where she led key initiatives to increase housing production, secure funding for street paving and the Berkeley waterfront, and approve permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals. Her legislative accomplishments have been recognized with a “Housing Hero” award and featured in The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle.

Drawing on her immigrant family’s experience, Rashi Kesarwani is inspired to create greater housing security and opportunity for those seeking to build a better life. Her vision for change is grounded in evidence-based policy and fiscal analysis—skills honed during her tenure with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides non-partisan advice to the California Legislature. She holds a Master of Public Policy from U.C. Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University.