Our Team

Director of Build Up San Mateo County Christine Padilla

Meet the Build Up SMC Director

Christine Padilla has led Build Up San Mateo County since its founding in 2018, bringing deep expertise in policy, partnerships, and systems change to expand access to early care and education. Her leadership has helped shape local and statewide efforts to address child care facility needs, including inspiring the creation of Build Up California, where she now serves as an advisor. Christine’s work has been nationally recognized, including in a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation case study, and in 2024, she was inducted into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame.

Program and Operations Manager Build Up San Mateo County child care facilities

Program and Operations Manager

Dow-Jane Pei joins the Build Up San Mateo County team after over 15 years with the Office of Head Start providing program and fiscal oversight, grants administration, federal guidance, and training and technical assistance to Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout California and other western States.  Her experience also includes roles at non-profits and philanthropic foundations supporting early care and education policy, infrastructure, and access to child care.  She brings a children-first approach to policy implementation with a focus on equity, collaboration, and community voice.  Dow-Jane holds a Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley and is a proud alumna of Wellesley College.   

Meet Our Planning Committee

Meet Our Advisory Board Co-Chairs

Meet Our Honorary Co-Chairs

We create tools for child care providers.