Raised in poverty by Laotian refugee parents, Sheng Thao has always been driven by an independent spirit. Although she grew up just outside of Stockton, at 17, Sheng moved to Richmond and started working full-time.  Shortly thereafter, she was forced to flee an abusive relationship while pregnant with her son.

Undeterred by difficult circumstances, Sheng enrolled at Oakland’s Merritt College in 2008 when her son was 10 months old.  As a student, she served the Merritt Community by working as a research assistant on an Office of Research & Planning initiative to foster success among black male students. Sheng often brought her son, Ben, to class.  She has expressed gratitude to her professors for their accommodation of her situation as a single mother with limited financial resources.

Sheng graduated from Merritt College in 2010 as valedictorian, which paved the way for her to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley and jumpstart a career in politics.

In the summer of 2012, Sheng worked as an intern for the office of At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.  In 2014, Kaplan’s office offered Sheng a job as a community liaison, and promoted her to chief of staff within three years.

Though Sheng had long dreamed of running for office, she had not anticipated running for a city council seat in 2018, and only did so at the encouragement of colleagues and community members. As the current Councilwoman for Oakland’s District 4, she is proud to represent the Hmong-American community and to serve the city in which she has built her career.

“I feel that all of the drawbacks and challenges I faced have made me strong, humble, tolerant, and more optimistic. My past is what propels me to excel. I’ve learned to aim to do the best in what I do and to believe I can do it.”