Giovania Tiarachristie

About Giovania Tiarachristie

Giovania Tiarachristie (they/them) was born in Surabaya, Indonesia, to parents of Hokkien Chinese heritage. Seventh generation Indonesian, Giovania grew up in Surabaya and partly in Melbourne, Australia, until the age of ten, when Giovania came to the United States with their family and settled in Pittsburgh, PA, and struggled as new immigrants.

Witnessing racial/ethnic conflict and class inequity around the world paved the way for Giovania's dedication to racial and social justice, community healing, and centering the voices of the historically marginalized in planning, policy, and design. This led them to pursue a Bachelor's in Sociology at Dickinson College, and a Master's in City and Regional Planning at Pratt Institute, supported by the PD Soros Foundation. They worked for eight years promoting racial justice in the urban planning field in New York City, most recently serving as Deputy Director of Neighborhood Planning at NYC Housing Preservation and Development.

Battling health challenges, in January 2020, Giovania made significant transitions to prioritize living a life full of joy, rest, creativity, and truly living by principles of decolonization and anti-oppression. Their vision for a more just, healed, and liberated society has not shifted, but only strengthened with greater conviction from their personal healing journey. Giovania now lives in Los Angeles, CA and works as a holistic health facilitator, offering massage therapy, reiki, and coaching services, while also continuing to consult social sector organizations on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and equity-centered urban planning. They are also a hobby illustrator, working on a long-term project graphic novel memoir on their immigration story and journey to self-compassion. Giovania also runs an Instagram comic @coded_toons. Visit healingasresistance.com for more information.