California 100 Advisory Council

IRENA ASMUNDSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA POLICY RESEARCH INITIATIVE*

Irena Asmundson is the Managing Director of the California Policy Research Initiative and a Policy Fellow at the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research. From 2013 to mid-2021 she was the Chief Economist at the California Department of Finance, where she oversaw the demographic, economic, and revenue forecasts for the state, and advised the Governor on economic policy issues. Previously she was a Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund, providing advice on international trade and monetary system issues, as well as providing forecasts on a range of countries including the United Kingdom and Afghanistan. She has also served as a Staff Economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.

MARIA BLANCO
FOUNDING DIRECTOR, UC IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES*

María Blanco was the founding Director of the University of California’s Immigrant Legal Services Center.  She stepped down from this position in December 2022 after seven years of service. The first of its kind in the nation, its innovation is to bring immigration services directly to the campuses to ensure retention and graduation of first-generation students. Her primary areas of expertise are in employment law, civil rights law and policy, voting rights, education law and immigration law and policy. 

Blanco is an advisor to several organizations focused on access to higher education by first generation and undocumented students. She is also an executive coach with a focus on first generation leaders. As a practicing lawyer, Blanco has litigated novel and complex cases in both federal and state court. She was a lead lawyer in a seminal case that extended Title VII law to undocumented workers in California and she represented the first group of women in history to enter the San Francisco Fire Department. She also served as a commissioner on California’s first Independent Redistricting Commission, and was appointed to President Obama’s education transition team in 2009.

Blanco serves on the Board of Directors of The California Endowment, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Centro Legal de La Raza in Oakland, and until recently on the Board of Directors of the Public Policy Institute of California. Blanco earned her BA and JD from the University of California at Berkeley.

VIOLA BROOKS
TRIBAL MEMBER, HOOPA VALLEY TRIBE*

Viola Brooks is Hupa, Yurok and Karuk and enrolled in the Hoopa Valley Tribe. She regularly participates in tribal activities and ceremonies and coordinates a cultural group that shares information and songs to diverse audiences. Viola has an undergraduate degree from University of Oregon in Planning, Public Policy and Management and a Masters from California State University Sacramento in Public Policy and Administration. Viola currently works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office.

SUZETTE BROOKS MASTERS
BETTER FUTURES PROJECT*

Suzette Brooks Masters is a social entrepreneur, philanthropic advisor, thought leader and strategist in the fields of democracy, futures and pluralism. For more than two decades she has advised foundations, non-profit organizations, policy makers and corporations on how to respond to the significant demographic shifts that have transformed America. 

Ms. Masters leads the Better Futures Project at the Democracy Funders Network, a cross-ideological learning and action community for donors concerned about American democracy, and recently authored Imagining Better Futures for American Democracy. Previously she served as Senior Strategist at the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council. She serves on the board of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, following years of service on the boards of Define American, the New York Immigration Coalition, the Tenement Museum, HIAS, the National Immigration Forum and New York Cares, which she cofounded. Ms. Masters is a graduate of Harvard Law School, Cambridge University on a Marshall Scholarship, and Amherst College

PAULETTE BROWN-HINDS
FOUNDER OF VOICE MEDIA VENTURES*

Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds is founder of Voice Media Ventures, publisher of Black Voice News (BVN), and a 2021-22 Stanford University JSK Journalism Fellow. She is a member of the James Irvine Foundation, American Press Institute , and Inland Empire Community Foundation boards of directors. She is leading the transformation to data reporting through two BVN projects: Mapping Black California and DaHUB, a Google News Initiative funded project currently in development, which allows news outlets access to data reporting and the ability to share data sets and content. She is also leading the effort to create a playbook for California-based community foundations, community media, and philanthropy to financially support local journalism.

ANMOL CHADDHA
PRINCIPAL, REIMAGINING CAPITALISM TEAM AT OMIDYAR NETWORK*

As a principal on the Reimagining Capitalism team at Omidyar Network, Anmol Chaddha focuses on addressing inequality and increasing the power of working people. Before joining Omidyar Network, Anmol led the Equitable Futures Lab at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, CA. He managed the California Future of Work Commission created by Governor Gavin Newsom to develop a broad agenda to promote economic equity in the state. Anmol has extensive experience in policy and social science research including economic inequality, racial inequality, low-wage work, job quality, debt, and wealth. Anmol previously worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where he established an initiative to improve the quality of jobs in low-wage industries, led quantitative research on racial wealth inequality, and examined the rising debt burdens of low-income families. Anmol received a Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University, where he was a Fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy at the Kennedy School of Government. He also earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

TINO CUÉLLAR
PRESIDENT, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE*

Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar is the tenth president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A former justice of the Supreme Court of California, he served two U.S. presidents at the White House and in federal agencies, and was a faculty member at Stanford University for two decades.

Before serving on California’s highest court, Cuéllar was the Stanley Morrison Professor of Law, Professor (by courtesy) of Political Science, and director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford. In this capacity, he oversaw programs on international security, governance and development, global health, cyber policy, migration, and climate change and food security. Previously, he co-directed the Institute’s Center for International Security and Cooperation and led its Honors Program in International Security.

JASMINE DELLAFOSSE
SENIOR REGIONAL ORGANIZER, THE GATHERING FOR JUSTICE*

Jasmine Dellafosse is Senior Regional Organizer at The Gathering for Justice in Stockton, California. In 2013 she began interning for Council Member Michael Tubbs who was the youngest ever elected official in the City and in the county. In 2014 she was the youngest ever field organizer at the age 19 working for Congress Member Jerry McNerney where she organized over a 100+ volunteers to canvas and phone bank for an off-year election where they won the race with 60% of the vote. She later became one of the founding members of the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition in early 2014 , an organization that aims to empower its residents to transform community through improving safety, education, housing, job creation, and health. She was also one of the co-founders and founding members of the Stockton Schools Initiative that began in 2015, where she worked with students and families to fight for educational change through policy.

JASON ELLIOTT

SENIOR COUNSELOR TO GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM*
(Title used for identification purposes only)

Jason Elliott is the Senior Counselor to Governor Gavin Newsom. He previously served as chief of staff to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and was the Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom’s campaign. Mayor London N. Breed, elected in June 2018, retained Jason as Chief of Staff to lead her transition into her new Administration. Jason is a graduate of Columbia University and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

MAX ESPINOZA
SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER, BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION*

Max Expinoza currently serves as a senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on advancing educational equity and economic mobility in the United States. Max leads the foundation’s policy and advocacy efforts in California. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Max was senior vice president of education programs and policy at Scholarship America, a national non-profit organization, where he oversaw education programs and established the organization’s policy, advocacy, and research agenda. Max began his career in California’s state capital, serving in various key roles, including as a senior advisor to legislative leadership and as an executive at the California Student Aid Commission. At the Commission, Max successfully revamped support services to students and schools in the state’s financial aid programs, implementing responsive technology-enabled student-friendly services. In the California state legislature, Max served as the principal consultant on higher education for the Assembly Budget Committee and was a policy advisor for multiple Assembly Speakers (Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Karen Bass and John A. Pérez), shaping state policy and fiscal priorities that advanced equity in postsecondary education access and attainment. A first-generation college graduate from a working-class immigrant family, Max holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA.

PATRICIA FALCONE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY*

Patricia Falcone is the Deputy Director for Science and Technology at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). She is the principal advocate for the Lab’s science and technology base and oversees the strategic development of the Lab’s capabilities. She is responsible for LLNL’s collaborative research with academia and the private sector, as well as its internal investment portfolio. Falcone joined LLNL in 2015 after six years at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she served as the Senate-confirmed Associate Director of OSTP for National Security and International Affairs. Falcone earned a B.S.E. in aerospace and mechanical sciences at Princeton University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

NILS GILMAN
VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS AT THE BERGGRUEN INSTITUTE*

Dr. Nils Gilman is the Vice President of Programs at the Berggruen Institute, in which capacity he leads the Institute’s research program, directs its resident fellowship program, and is also Deputy Editor of Noema Magazine. He has previously worked as Associate Chancellor at the University of California Berkeley, as Research Director and scenario planning consultant at the Monitor Group and Global Business Network, and at various enterprise software companies including Salesforce.com and BEA Systems. He holds a B.A. M.A. and Ph.D. in History from U.C. Berkeley.

PAULA GOLDMAN
CHIEF ETHICAL AND HUMANE USE OFFICER FOR SALESFORCE*

Paula Goldman is Salesforce’s first-ever Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer. In her role, she leads Salesforce in creating a framework to build and deploy ethical technology that optimizes social benefit. Prior to Salesforce, Paula was VP and Head of the Tech and Society Solutions Lab as well as VP of Impact Investing at Omidyar Network, an impact investment firm founded by eBay Founder Pierre Omidyar. A social entrepreneur, she co-founded multiple organizations and initiatives. As founder and director of Imagining Ourselves with the International Museum of Women, she led the creation of one of the world’s first oneline museums. Paula earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University, where she did a dissertation on how unorthodox ideas become mainstream.

TONY HOANG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EQUALITY CALIFORNIA*

Tony Hoang is the Executive Director of Equality California and Silver State Equality and a veteran of the LGBTQ+ equality movement. Tony has played a pivotal role in the passage of groundbreaking civil rights legislation in California, Nevada and Washington, DC, implementation of statewide public education campaigns and the election of hundreds of openly LGBTQ+ and pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot. He is a member of the Center for Asian Americans United For Self Empowerment (CAUSE) Leadership Network and the Pacific Council on International Policy and serves as a mentor for the USC Lambda LGBT Alumni Mentoring Program. Tony received a BA in International Relations at the University of Southern California with minors in Political Science and Natural Sciences.

KATHLEEN KELLY JANUS
SENIOR ADVISOR ON SOCIAL INNOVATION TO GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM*

Kathleen Kelly Janus is the Senior Advisor on Social Innovation to Governor Gavin Newsom. As a social entrepreneur, author and lecturer at Stanford University’s Program on Social Entrepreneurship, she is an expert on philanthropy, millennial engagement and scaling early stage organizations. An attorney, Kathleen has spearheaded numerous social justice initiatives. Kathleen is a co-founder of Spark – a network of over 10,000 millennial donors – which seeks to advance gender equality by engaging the next generation in accessible forms of philanthropy. As a teaching fellow at Stanford Law School, Kathleen helped launch and direct Stanford Law School’s international human rights clinics in Namibia and South Africa. She has also served as pro bono counsel at Covington and Burling and a litigation associate at Thelen Reid & Priest. A graduate of Berkeley Law School, Kathleen also graduated with highest honors from U.C. Berkeley. She lives in San Francisco with her husband Ted. Kathleen is a certified yoga instructor, which comes in handy when juggling their three young children.

CHRISTOPER KIRCHHOFF

SENIOR ADVISOR AT SCHMIDT FUTURES*

Christopher Kirchhoff is presently a Senior Advisor at Schmidt Futures after spending three years on the founding team designing and scaling philanthropic programs in technology, health, and national security. A strategist in emerging technology, Kirchhoff previously created and led the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley Office, Defense Innovation Unit X, was Director for Strategic Planning at the NSC, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Senior Advisor to Presidential Counselor John Podesta. Kirchhoff authored the National Security Council’s after action report on Ebola, widely credited with presaging the COVID pandemic, the White House Big Data report, the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation report, the U.S. government history Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, and the NYTs op-ed, “Silicon Valley Must Go to War.” He graduated in History & Science from Harvard College and holds a doctorate in politics from Cambridge University, where he was a Gates Scholar. He has been awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Service and the Civilian Service Medal for duty in Iraq.

RANDALL LEWIS
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, LEWIS GROUP OF COMPANIES*

Randall Lewis is the Executive Vice President for Marketing at the Lewis Group of Companies. He has been President of the Inland Empire Arts Foundation, Secretary of the Los Angeles County Citizens Planning Council, director of the HomeBuilder’s Council, and national director of the National Association of HomeBuilders. He has also received the California Business Properties Association Champion of the Industry Award and has been inducted into the California Building Industry Association Hall of Fame. Randall is a long time ULI member as well as a Governor of the ULI Foundation. Randall serves on several executive boards, including the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, the UCLA School of Public Policy, Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Institute Advisory Council, Cal Poly Pomona’s National Development Council, and co-chairs the San Bernardino County Alliance for Education. Randall has over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry. He received his B.A. from Claremont McKenna College.

CASSANDRA LITTLE
CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE FRESNO METRO BLACK CHAMBER COMMERCE*

Dr. Little has operated as an entrepreneur for over 26 years. She owned and operated her own business in Reno, Nevada prior to moving to the Central Valley. She was also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Private Practice. She has provided Technical Assistance and Executive Business Coaching through her Consulting business for over 10 years. Prior to becoming the CEO of Fresno Metro Black Chamber Commerce and Foundation, she served as the Secretary of the Executive Board for two years. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Fresno State University and Fresno Pacific University.

MONICA LOZANO
PRESIDENT AND CEO AT COLLEGE FUTURES FOUNDATION*

Monica C. Lozano is President and Chief Executive Officer of College Futures Foundation, a California-based private foundation. College Futures Foundation partners with organizations and leaders across the state to catalyze systemic change, increase college degree completion, and close equity gaps so that educational opportunity becomes a reality for every student, regardless of skin color, zip code, or income. Prior to joining College Futures Foundation, Lozano had a long and accomplished career in media as editor and publisher of La Opinión, the country’s leading Spanish language daily newspaper and then as CEO of the parent company, ImpreMedia. She also served on Governor Gavin Newsom’s California Higher Education Recovery with Equity Taskforce.

BENNY LUO
FOUNDER AND CEO, NEXTSHARK INC*

Benny Luo is the founder of NextShark.com, a leading media destination for Asian Americans covering news, business, politics, entertainment, and culture that reaches up to 30 million people per week on social media. NextShark has been cited by The New York Times, Business Insider, The Washington Post, Forbes, BBC, CNN, Fox, and more and has led coverage of anti-Asian violence since the beginning of 2020.

Previously, Luo was the founder of NewMediaRockstars.com, a leading media company covering digital entertainment that was acquired in 2013. In 2018, he was inducted into the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Media.

CONNOR MAGEE
RESEARCH & DATA APPLICATIONS MANAGER AT CLIMATE SCIENCE ALLIANCE*

Connor is an experienced Natural & Working Lands Specialist focusing on the critical relationships and responsibilities associated with conserving, restoring, and managing Southern Californian Natural and Working Lands. He integrates his work at the Climate Science Alliance with graduate research at the John Muir Institute of the Environment-Working Lands Innovation Center and as a National Science Foundation Research Trainee at the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute-Sustainable Oceans. Connor works closely with scientists, managers, agricultural partners, Tribal representatives, and other partners to support climate adaptation and mitigation strategies within ecosystem stewardship. He is a Pala Tribal citizen (Payomkawichum/Cahuilla), and works to integrate his peoples’ Traditional Ecological Knowledge with emerging and innovative technologies. Connor acquired a B.S. in Sustainability Studies at the University of California, Riverside, and continues his academic pursuits as a Ph.D. student in Ecology at the University of California, Davis.

MICHELE CHRISTINA MARTINEZ
MEMBER, CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND FORMER MAY PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA*

Michele served for twelve years as Councilmember in the City of Santa Ana, CA (2006-2018). During this time, she became the first council member to serve as President of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the first council member to serve as President of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), and the youngest woman to serve as the Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Santa Ana. Since leaving public office Michele has been volunteering her time by serving as a pro-bono policy advisor for U.S.District Judge David O. Carter on the issue of homelessness in Southern California and also is appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Transportation Commission.

ERICA MANUEL
CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT*

Erica Manuel is the CEO and Executive Director of the Institute for Local Government (ILG), the nonprofit affiliate of the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, and the California Special Districts Association. ILG empowers local government leaders by delivering real-world expertise to help them navigate complex issues, increase their capacity, and build trust in their communities.

Erica has over 20 years of experience helping public, private and nonprofit organizations implement innovative policies to provide strong leadership, advance climate resilience, support economic development, engage communities, and drive positive change. She has worked for various industries, including agriculture, healthcare, education, energy, and technology. Prior to joining ILG in 2019, Erica served as a senior leader at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, an appointee of Governor Schwarzenegger, and a public relations executive with Edelman Public Relations, among others.

LENNY MENDONCA
SENIOR PARTNER EMERITUS FOR MCKINSEY*

Lenny Mendonca was the former Chief Economic and Business Advisor for the State of California. He is a Senior Partner for Emeritus, McKinsey. Lenny is the founder and owner of Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. He is also the founding chair for Coastside News Group (Half Moon Bay Review and Pacifica Tribune).

REYNA OLAGUEZ
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES KERN*

Reyna Olaguez is an accomplished nonprofit executive and entrepreneur who has worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations with one common goal: to provide culturally appropriate information and create public awareness around critical issues impacting the Central Valley’s most vulnerable and often hard-to-reach communities in a variety of languages, and to empower nonprofit leaders, community residents and youth with media literacy skills. Olaguez was born in Durango, Mexico and has lived throughout the Central Valley her entire life. Olaguez is a daughter of farmworkers understands Central Valley’s most vulnerable communities including: Latinx, communities of color, low-income residents living in disenfranchised urban and rural communities, non-English speakers as well as non-Spanish speakers, undocumented communities, immigrant communities who are deeply concerned about misuse of personal information and have very low trust in government among other vulnerable populations. She attended California State University, Bakersfield where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration.

HAUWA OTORI
SENIOR RESEARCHER AT GITHUB, INC.*

Hauwa Otori is a Senior Researcher at GitHub, Inc. where she investigates the relationships and interactions between developer and security research communities. Beyond GitHub, she is a published book author and journalist who writes compelling features about culture, lifestyle, business news, and technology. Her work has appeared in media outlets including Elle Magazine, Forbes, KCRW, and Marketplace. She is the Executive Producer of the Building Black Podcast with Hauwa Otori, a narrative-style podcast that tells in-depth stories of Black builders, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs from around the globe who are building successful businesses and organizations. Hauwa graduated with honors from Cornell University earning her Bachelors of Science in Communication with a minor in Applied Economics & Management and earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.

JOSEPHINE RAMIREZ
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE MUSIC CENTER/PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OF LA COUNTY*

Josephine Ramirez is a senior level nonprofit arts professional with extensive experience in programming, management, and grantmaking. She is Executive Vice President at The Music Center/The Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, leading strategic development of all TMC Arts programming. TMC Arts produces a dance residency and concert series, free participatory arts learning experiences as well as outdoor festivals, and music and dancing events in school and neighborhood locations county-wide, at an adjacent 12-acre park (Grand Park) and on the 35,000 square foot Jerry Moss Plaza.

Previously, Ramirez was the Arts Program Director at the James Irvine Foundation, awarding around $18 million per year in California. At Irvine she launched a new strategic direction supporting grantees’ organizational transformation through a focus on relevance, diversity and sustainability. Ms. Ramirez also held philanthropic and research roles at The Getty in Los Angeles, and served multiple terms as a Los Angeles City Cultural Affairs Commissioner and as a founding Commissioner of the El Pueblo Historic District. Ramirez is an alum of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Loeb Fellowship, an award that supported her investigation of informal, nonprofessional art making and its relationship to individual and community vitality.

MARICELA RODRIGUEZ
DIRECTOR OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM*
(Title used for identification purposes only)

Maricela Rodriguez serves as Director of Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom where she spearheads priority community engagement campaigns, including the State’s COVID-19 Your Actions Saves Lives campaign and the recently completed 2020 Census. She also provides strategic communication support on issues impacting underserved populations and integrates innovative ways of engaging hard-to-reach Californians. Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, Rodriguez served as Program Director at The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation. She earned a BA in Political Science and BA in Spanish Language from the University of California, Riverside and an MPA from the University of Southern California.

HUGO ROMERO
POLITICAL COORDINATOR, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FEDERATION OF LABOR, AFL-CIO*

Hugo Romero is the Political Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO where he focuses on all elements of the Federation’s political department, including electoral and policy work. In 2018 he launched the Civic Leadership Academy, focusing on developing union members to run for public office. He is an alumni of California State University, Fullerton where he majored in Economics. Hugo is co-editor of Mike Garcia and the Justice for Janitors Movement and co-author of Orange County on the Cusp of Change. He served as the founding Vice-President of the Los Angeles Young Workers and is an alumni of the Front Line Leader’s Academy, New Leader’s Council, and Rockwood Leadership Institute.

Hugo previously served as Project Manager for the UCLA Labor Center, focusing on labor, immigrant, and young worker issues. There, Hugo launched the labor cohort that forms part of Dream Summer, a national fellowship program for immigrant youth, as well as serving as one of its national coordinators.

ANGELICA SALAS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS LOS ANGELES*

Angelica Salas is a state and national leader in the advocacy for immigration reform and immigrant justice. She is an immigrant from Durango, Mexico and leads CHIRLA, one of our nation’s and California’s largest grassroots membership based immigrant organizations. She was instrumental in the formation of and serves on the Executive Committee of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), two of the country’s largest immigrant rights coalitions. In her capacity as Executive Director of CHIRLA, she has developed deep expertise in organizing, community education, immigrant legal services and policy and advocacy on immigrant integration and immigration reform .Angelica’s work led to passage of in-state tuition, financial aid, drivers licenses, access to healthcare for undocumented immigrants in California. . She graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Sociology in 1993.

BAMBY SALCEDO
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE TRANSLATIN@ COALITION*

Bamby is a national and international recognized transgender Latina Woman who received her Master’s Degree in Mexican and Latin@ Studies from California State California Los Angeles. Bamby is the President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, a national organization that focuses on addressing the issues of transgender Latin@s in the US. Bamby developed the Center for Violence Prevention & Transgender Wellness, a multipurpose, multiservice space for Trans people in Los Angeles and is a strong voice addressing the specific needs and issues in the trans community. In 2021 Bamby became the first trans Latina to ever testify in Congress about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

LOLOFI SOAKAI
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MALO*

Lolofi Olo Soakai is the Founder and Executive Director of a Pacific Islander lead organization called MALO, which stands for Motivating Action Leadership and Opportunity. In the Tongan language MALO means “Thank you.” Lolofi has served as a community consultant for underrepresented Pacific Islanders in Southern California and the community of Tongans in the city of Ontario and local cities in the Inland Empire.

ABIGAIL SOLIS
EARLIMART SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES*

Abigail Solis leads the development and implementation of community-wide energy programs at Self-Help Enterprises, a nationally recognized affordable housing and community development organization whose mission is to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Abigail also serves as an elected member of the Earlimart School District Board of Trustees and has served as the Board President for the last four years. She was a member of the Small School Districts Professional Learning Network and has presented on several panels for the California School Board Association.

REBECCA TORTES
CO-FOUNDER OF CALIFORNIA TRIBAL FUND*

Rebecca (Cahuilla, Luiseño, and Assiniboine Sioux) has worked with California Tribal populations for over 20 years. In 2020, she co-founded the California Tribal Fund (a program of First Nations Development Institute) whose mission is to invest in the viability and visibility of California Tribal Nations, communities, and families. Rebecca received her Bachelors of Arts degrees in human development and psychology and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino, and earned a Certificate in Professional Advancement in Philanthropy from La Sierra University. As the mother of a teenager, Rebecca is particularly passionate about creating programs for tribal youth and protecting natural resources for the next generation.

CATALIN VOSS
CO-FOUNDER OF ELLO TECHNOLOGY*

Catalin Voss is a PhD candidate in Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University, where he previously graduated with an MS and BSH in Computer Science. Catalin’s research focuses on building scalable AI systems that solve practical social challenges. He has developed natural language processing tools to bring light to unstructured data in the US criminal justice system and computer vision tools for diverse social applications. Catalin is also the co-founder of Ello, a public benefit corporation working to improve child literacy.

MICAH WEINBERG
CEO AND PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA FORWARD*

Dr. Weinberg is Chief Executive Officer and President of CA FWD. This cross-sector civic leadership group is committed to leading a movement to improve government and create inclusive, sustainable growth in all of the state’s regions. Prior to joining CA FWD, Dr. Weinberg was President of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the leading think tank focused on the most critical economic and policy issues facing the Silicon Valley/San Francisco region, and was a Senior Research Fellow at New America.

*Titles used for identification purposes only