Janani Ramachandran is a public servant, attorney, mother, and musician. She is proud to have been elected to the Oakland City Council representing District 4 with nearly 70% of the vote in 2022. Janani is the youngest person ever to serve on Oakland City Council, as well as the city’s first South Asian and LGBTQ woman of color elected official. Born and raised in the East Bay, Janani is a graduate of Stanford University and Berkeley Law. She chairs Oakland’s Finance and Management Committee, and represents the city on regional bodies including the East Bay Wildfire Coalition and the Association of Bay Area Governments. Janani has previously served as a Commissioner on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, and also on the City of Oakland Public Ethics Commission.

Prior to serving on Council, Ramachandran worked as a public interest attorney representing survivors of abuse. Janani is also a longtime vocalist, performing classical music since age five and a member of local R&B groups. She is also the founder of the nonprofit Tiger Arts which puts on cultural events including the annual Oakland Diwali festival. Janani aspires to use her voice through political advocacy, music, and storytelling to shine a bright light on Oakland’s incredible cultural landscape, and uplift our creatives, small business owners and entrepreneurs to put Oakland on the international stage for all right reasons.