Darlene Pagano is the Business Associate for both the Applied Research Center and Colorlines Magazine. She comes with over 30 years experience in collectively-owned, worker-run businesses, as well as management experience in several progressive for-profit ones.

Darlene has been active in grassroots and local campaigns, starting in Dade County, Florida in the Pitts and Lee Defense Committee; organizing against the Edelin decision; participating in the Vietnam Moratoriums; coming to the SF Bay Area at the time of the People’s Bicentennial actions; on to the Bakke case; the Briggs initiative and other ad hoc actions. She worked in several movement collectives supplying educational, management and process assistance to left, progressive and labor organizations. In addition to having the privilege of working almost continuously in social change collectives, Darlene has been involved in the rich activist work in the Bay Area, as well as inspired by the Bay's abundant and astoundingly varied cultural scene.  

Darlene has worked on production of several books in the Herotica series by Down There Press, as well as writing for and editing a book of essays on feminism and sexuality, published by Frog in the Well.