RV Dougherty

pronouns: they / them

about me:

Hi! I’m RV (or Ruben). I’m an organizer, care worker, and artist whose work digs into questions of how we show up for each other, how we heal, and how we build the communities we need. For over a decade, I have organized and led labor, electoral, and issue-advocacy campaigns, developed curricula alongside global movement leaders, trained organizers across the US, and coordinated national and global organizing networks. I have worked with unions, mission-driven organizations, candidates, and more to cultivate participation, increase access to knowledge and best practices, and encourage transformation at every level in order to bring about the futures we deserve.

values:

I approach all of my work with a deep value for leadership, community, social justice, and joy. Here's what that means to me:

Leadership: I believe that everyone can be a leader when we invite their contributions and expertise. By developing decentralized leadership models, everyone can play a role in enhancing and caring for a community or organization, thereby driving capacity and sustainability for long-term impact.

Community: I see deep power in building durable communities, unified by a shared understanding of “what makes us an us.” Community allows us to define our vision for the future and hold onto each other as we do the work towards that future.

Social justice: I center the experiences and leadership of those who have been historically marginalized, knowing that our reality is best defined and transformed by those closest to it. I am committed to disrupting social and political structures that enact consequences and restrict us from lives full of dignity and joy.

Joy: As adrienne maree brown says, “ We’ve been trained to be afraid of our own yes, and what feels good in our lives. Get curious about that. Who benefits from you being terrified to be happy?” I am deeply committed to cultivating projects and creative practice that ground myself and others in joy.