Va Lecia Adams Kellum
Chief Executive Director, St. Joseph Center
Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum joined St. Joseph Center in 2008 as President and CEO. Under her leadership, St. Joseph Center has tripled its staff, expanded its services, and broadened its geographic reach, becoming a recognized leader in homeless services throughout LA County.
Dr. Adams Kellum holds a gubernatorial appointment to the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s No Place Like Home Program Advisory Committee.
She also served on and continues to support the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness, as well as the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ Race Equity Network. She currently sits on the Housing California Board, Policy Lab Advisory Board, and the Board of Trustees for Mount Saint Mary’s University.
Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Adams Kellum graduated with a B.A. from the University of Southern California and earned an M.A. from Ball State University before completing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Stanford University.
Dr. Adams Kellum holds a gubernatorial appointment to the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s No Place Like Home Program Advisory Committee.
She also served on and continues to support the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness, as well as the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ Race Equity Network. She currently sits on the Housing California Board, Policy Lab Advisory Board, and the Board of Trustees for Mount Saint Mary’s University.
Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Adams Kellum graduated with a B.A. from the University of Southern California and earned an M.A. from Ball State University before completing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Stanford University.
Tony Brown
CEO, Heart of Los Angeles
Originally working at HOLA from 1993 to 1995, Tony became a teacher, Athletics Director and had a career in the sports business before returning and becoming the Executive Director in 2006. Since then, Tony has led the sustainable growth of the organization’s operating budget from $2.3 million to more than $7 million annually, reaching 74% more underserved young people with high quality programs and wraparound supports. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards to include the 2012 LA Business Journal Leadership Award, Bank of America's Local Hero award and he was named to Town & Country's Top 50 Philanthropists list in 2015. In 2017, he was awarded statewide by the James Irvine Foundation for Leadership Innovation.
Tony holds a BA from Loyola Marymount University, an MS from the University of Tennessee, and was a Stanford University Fellow in the Business School's Social Innovation Program for Non-Profit Leaders. Since then, he served on an Advisory Board for Scripps College and was also President of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at the University of Tennessee. For his exemplary service, Tony has been named as a Distinguished Alumni by both Loyola Marymount University and the University of Tennessee. Tony served on the Leadership Council for L.A.'s Promise Zone and is an appointed Commissioner of the California Senate Rules Committee as one of twelve Commissioners working at the state level to provide information and advice to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Secretary for Education, and the State Board of Education regarding state and federal policy and funding issues affecting before and after school programs. Tony is dedicated to promoting legislative and administrative policies, both state and federal, that enhance the quality and accessibility of after-school programs in California as a CA3 Advocacy Steering Committee member and he is also the Advisory Board Chair for LA's very first after school Intermediary, Expand LA.
Tony holds a BA from Loyola Marymount University, an MS from the University of Tennessee, and was a Stanford University Fellow in the Business School's Social Innovation Program for Non-Profit Leaders. Since then, he served on an Advisory Board for Scripps College and was also President of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at the University of Tennessee. For his exemplary service, Tony has been named as a Distinguished Alumni by both Loyola Marymount University and the University of Tennessee. Tony served on the Leadership Council for L.A.'s Promise Zone and is an appointed Commissioner of the California Senate Rules Committee as one of twelve Commissioners working at the state level to provide information and advice to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Secretary for Education, and the State Board of Education regarding state and federal policy and funding issues affecting before and after school programs. Tony is dedicated to promoting legislative and administrative policies, both state and federal, that enhance the quality and accessibility of after-school programs in California as a CA3 Advocacy Steering Committee member and he is also the Advisory Board Chair for LA's very first after school Intermediary, Expand LA.
Cecilia Chen
Chief Strategy Officer, Akonadi Foundation
<p>(she/her) Cecilia Chen is the Chief Strategy Officer at Akonadi Foundation, where she supports strategy development across Akonadi’s program areas and implementation of Akonadi’s five-year initiative, All in For Oakland. Before joining Akonadi, Cecilia was the Public Policy Director at Northern California Grantmakers. She built the association’s policy advocacy infrastructure and led advocacy to protect immigrant rights, ensure an accurate census, and fight for equitable tax reform. Cecilia also served as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office, advancing the Attorney General’s policy priorities around criminal justice reform and childhood trauma. Cecilia was previouslythe Associate Director of Policy at the Center for Youth Wellness, where she led statewide efforts to prevent and address childhood adversity and the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on children’s health. She was also the 2011-2013 Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Fellow at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. Cecilia graduated from Tufts University and received her J.D. from Boston College Law School. A Bay Area native, Cecilia lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter and fur baby Sherlock. In addition to being an unabashed dessert lover (especially ice cream), Cecilia enjoys exploring the Bay Area and trekking internationally.</p>
Stella Chung SCG Member
Director of Programs and Operations, The Durfee Foundation
Stella (she/her/hers) currently serves as Director of Programs and Operations at the Durfee Foundation. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications in 2016 and a Masters of Public Administration in 2017 from the University of Southern California. She was a recipient of the U.S. Fulbright Award in 2017 to serve as an English Teaching Assistant in South Korea.
She is co-chair of the LA API Giving Circle and formerly served on the steering committee of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy’s Los Angeles Chapter. In 2021, she was a recipient of Women Cross DMZ’s inaugural Feminist Korea Peace Fellowship, awarded to young leaders dedicated to creating peace on the Korean Peninsula. She has previously held positions with the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, and USC Annenberg’s Metamorphosis Project.
She is co-chair of the LA API Giving Circle and formerly served on the steering committee of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy’s Los Angeles Chapter. In 2021, she was a recipient of Women Cross DMZ’s inaugural Feminist Korea Peace Fellowship, awarded to young leaders dedicated to creating peace on the Korean Peninsula. She has previously held positions with the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, and USC Annenberg’s Metamorphosis Project.
John E. Kobara
Chief Facilitator, Random Acts of Progress
This year, we are proud to announce John Kobara, Chief Facilitator of Random Acts of Progress, as our 2024-2025 Emerging Leaders Peer-to-Peer facilitator.
John is the wildest American dream of his immigrant grandparents who came to this country with nothing. A third-generation Japanese-American. Married over his head to a woman he met on a plane. A proud father of three college graduates with no student debt. A struggling poet. A humbled activist who still is trying to change the world and not grow up.
John’s destiny was forged in the internment camps of 1942, where his grandparents and parents were stripped of all their rights and possessions and incarcerated in the desolate desert of Poston, Arizona for more than 4 years.
His Dad, in his awkward Asian fatherly way, expected John to become a "public person". It took John many years to understand that a "public person" was someone his father wasn't — A person who was social, networked, engaged in the American community, was a good communicator and to have the courage to say what he thought. His mother, a late blooming artist, taught him how to notice the world and to be generous with one’s gifts.
John headed to Los Angeles to attend UCLA which started his 45-year love affair with the imperfect paradise of the City of Angels. His quest to be a public person took him on a career traversing all sectors. His role at the California Community Foundation is his 18th job. He survived three start-ups in three different decades. He worked primarily in the so-called non-profit arena or what he likes to call the “for-purpose” field, interrupted by for-profit and public-sector jobs. He has held big titles and important positions but usually not at the same time. His early work with juvenile felons in maximum security prisons pushed him to become a Big Brother for 10 years and study and eventually teach mentoring all over the world. His work with at-risk youth and recently released felons fulfills him today. His education, both formal and experiential, has empowered his open-mindedness and open-heartedness. He is obsessed with understanding and releasing the unexpressed and untapped human potential in himself and in others. The “public person” journey his father put him on, is infinite. John is grateful for the opportunities to sustain the dream of his grandparents by dedicating his life to helping others build a more joyful, equitable, just, and compassionate world.
John is the wildest American dream of his immigrant grandparents who came to this country with nothing. A third-generation Japanese-American. Married over his head to a woman he met on a plane. A proud father of three college graduates with no student debt. A struggling poet. A humbled activist who still is trying to change the world and not grow up.
John’s destiny was forged in the internment camps of 1942, where his grandparents and parents were stripped of all their rights and possessions and incarcerated in the desolate desert of Poston, Arizona for more than 4 years.
His Dad, in his awkward Asian fatherly way, expected John to become a "public person". It took John many years to understand that a "public person" was someone his father wasn't — A person who was social, networked, engaged in the American community, was a good communicator and to have the courage to say what he thought. His mother, a late blooming artist, taught him how to notice the world and to be generous with one’s gifts.
John headed to Los Angeles to attend UCLA which started his 45-year love affair with the imperfect paradise of the City of Angels. His quest to be a public person took him on a career traversing all sectors. His role at the California Community Foundation is his 18th job. He survived three start-ups in three different decades. He worked primarily in the so-called non-profit arena or what he likes to call the “for-purpose” field, interrupted by for-profit and public-sector jobs. He has held big titles and important positions but usually not at the same time. His early work with juvenile felons in maximum security prisons pushed him to become a Big Brother for 10 years and study and eventually teach mentoring all over the world. His work with at-risk youth and recently released felons fulfills him today. His education, both formal and experiential, has empowered his open-mindedness and open-heartedness. He is obsessed with understanding and releasing the unexpressed and untapped human potential in himself and in others. The “public person” journey his father put him on, is infinite. John is grateful for the opportunities to sustain the dream of his grandparents by dedicating his life to helping others build a more joyful, equitable, just, and compassionate world.
John Esterle
Co-Executive Director, The Whitman Institute
A strong advocate for Trust Based Philanthropy, John is the Co-Executive Director and a Trustee of The Whitman Institute, an independent foundation that advances social, political, and economic equity by investing in dialogue, relationship building, and inclusive leadership. John led TWI’s transition from an operating to a grantmaking foundation and its later decision to sunset the foundation in 2022. John was the board president of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, and also served on the boards of the Germanacos Foundation, LeaderSpring, and Images and Voice of Hope. Currently he actively participates in a number of nonprofit advisory boards. John was also the PTA president for two years of Rooftop Alternative K-8 Elementary School in San Francisco, an experience he learned a lot from. Prior to joining TWI in 1988, John directed Crime and the News Media, a pilot project that featured a series of dialogues between Bay Area journalists and proponents of alternatives to incarceration. He received his B.A. from the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University and his M.A. in Broadcast Communication Arts from San Francisco State University.
Seyron Foo SCG Member
Senior Program Officer, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Seyron Foo leads the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s programmatic and advocacy goals on realizing a Los Angeles where homelessness can and should be rare, brief and non-reoccurring. Previously, Foo served as senior advocacy officer for the Foundation, managing advocacy strategies for the Homelessness, Foster Youth, and Opportunity Youth Initiatives. Prior to the Foundation, he oversaw public policy and government relations at Southern California Grantmakers and Philanthropy California, where he led initiatives that strengthened philanthropy’s partnerships with state and local governments. He has experience in various government sectors, including the California Senate Majority Leader’s Office and the City of Long Beach. He earned his master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and his bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and political science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Joanna Jackson SCG Member
President and CEO, Weingart Foundation
Joanna S. Jackson
Driven by her commitment to racial and social justice, Joanna has over 25 years of experience in the social sector at a range of institutions. Currently serving as Vice President of Programs at Weingart Foundation, Joanna is a member of the Leadership Team responsible for the management of the Foundation’s primary grantmaking program, as well as oversight of the Foundation’s learning and planning. Joanna joined the Foundation in 2008 as a program associate, and most recently held the position of Director, Grant Operations.
Prior to joining Weingart Foundation, Joanna spent over a decade in the nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors. Joanna serves on the Board of Southern California Grantmakers and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Joanna earned a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, The City University of New York, where she was a National Urban Fellow. She is also a proud HBCU graduate having received her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Originally from New York, Joanna lives in Mid City Los Angeles with her husband and two children, who are the joy of her life.
Driven by her commitment to racial and social justice, Joanna has over 25 years of experience in the social sector at a range of institutions. Currently serving as Vice President of Programs at Weingart Foundation, Joanna is a member of the Leadership Team responsible for the management of the Foundation’s primary grantmaking program, as well as oversight of the Foundation’s learning and planning. Joanna joined the Foundation in 2008 as a program associate, and most recently held the position of Director, Grant Operations.
Prior to joining Weingart Foundation, Joanna spent over a decade in the nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors. Joanna serves on the Board of Southern California Grantmakers and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Joanna earned a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, The City University of New York, where she was a National Urban Fellow. She is also a proud HBCU graduate having received her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Originally from New York, Joanna lives in Mid City Los Angeles with her husband and two children, who are the joy of her life.
Felicia Jones
Managing Director, Programs & Operations, Social Good Solutions
Felicia Jones is the Managing Director of Programs & Operations with Social Good Solutions and is responsible
for leading program strategy, development, and implementation across the firm’s portfolio of services; and
ensuring operational effectiveness in the firm’s business practices.
She has extensive experience as a non-profit leader, she has spearheaded and facilitated multiple collective impact efforts bringing communities and institutions together to advance racial equity through creation of new institutional policies, practices, and investments in racial equity. In her former role as Deputy Director with Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE), she co-lead a community effort leading the county of San Bernardino to declare racism a public health crisis and to initiate a series of internal reforms to address racial equity.
While serving as a co-chair, she helped to establish the Black Equity Fund, a pooled fund effort and partnership between the Inland Empire Community Foundation and the Inland Empire Black Equity Initiative to strengthen and scale Black-led and empowering organizations’ sustainability and capacity to lead regional systems change work. She also served on the design and implementation committees and now the interim governance board of a new entity, the Innovation-Center (i-Center). The i-Center is a effort to build infrastructure through a network of Centers to deepen the capacity, impact, and sustainability of California’s grassroots movements for racial and social transformation
She was born and raised in South Los Angeles and is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, California. She resides in San Bernardino county.
for leading program strategy, development, and implementation across the firm’s portfolio of services; and
ensuring operational effectiveness in the firm’s business practices.
She has extensive experience as a non-profit leader, she has spearheaded and facilitated multiple collective impact efforts bringing communities and institutions together to advance racial equity through creation of new institutional policies, practices, and investments in racial equity. In her former role as Deputy Director with Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE), she co-lead a community effort leading the county of San Bernardino to declare racism a public health crisis and to initiate a series of internal reforms to address racial equity.
While serving as a co-chair, she helped to establish the Black Equity Fund, a pooled fund effort and partnership between the Inland Empire Community Foundation and the Inland Empire Black Equity Initiative to strengthen and scale Black-led and empowering organizations’ sustainability and capacity to lead regional systems change work. She also served on the design and implementation committees and now the interim governance board of a new entity, the Innovation-Center (i-Center). The i-Center is a effort to build infrastructure through a network of Centers to deepen the capacity, impact, and sustainability of California’s grassroots movements for racial and social transformation
She was born and raised in South Los Angeles and is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, California. She resides in San Bernardino county.
Julio Marcial SCG Member
Senior Vice President of Programs , Liberty Hill Foundation
Julio Marcial is Vice President of Programs & Foundation Relations. In this capacity, Marcial oversees foundation-relations and strategy; partnerships with government and other sectors; and oversees public policy, research and evaluation. In addition, Marcial guides the Foundation’s youth and transformative justice portfolio, including the provision of grant-making, network building, public policy and capacity building supports, which are focused on reducing the size of Los Angeles County’s justice system and establishing a human-focused approach to justice system engagement that truly prioritizes “care first, jails last.”
Julio has significant philanthropy experience, beginning his grant-making career in 1998 at The California Wellness Foundation, a $1 billion health equity-focused foundation in Los Angeles. Most recently, Julio served as a Program Director, where he managed a combined grants portfolio of more than $60 million focused on criminal justice, public safety, and other public health issue areas.
Active in the youth justice field, Julio is an appointed member of the Juvenile Justice Standing Committee of the California Board of State and Community Corrections, and the Executive Standing Committee of the California Youth Reinvestment Fund, which provides cities and counties with $37 million in funding for community-based services to divert youth from formal justice system involvement. He is a 2014 American Express/Independent Sector NGen Fellow and a founding member of the Southern California Latino Giving Circle, which has provided more than $130,000 to immigrant-serving nonprofits. Currently, Julio serves on the board of directors for InsideOut Writers and Represent Justice. Previously, he was on the board for the All For One Youth Mentoring Program, the Los Angeles Music and Art School, Hispanics in Philanthropy, as well as the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families. Julio is also a contributor to the new book, “If We Want to Win,” published by the New Press, which brings together 24 leading figures who propose a collective blueprint for moving forward to a more inclusive and just democracy across the United States.
Marcial earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was awarded an American Sociological Association fellowship to study racial and ethnic disparities in the California juvenile justice system. He has also held a graduate fellowship through the Committee on Institutional Cooperation at the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where his research work focused on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing childhood exposure to violence.
Julio has significant philanthropy experience, beginning his grant-making career in 1998 at The California Wellness Foundation, a $1 billion health equity-focused foundation in Los Angeles. Most recently, Julio served as a Program Director, where he managed a combined grants portfolio of more than $60 million focused on criminal justice, public safety, and other public health issue areas.
Active in the youth justice field, Julio is an appointed member of the Juvenile Justice Standing Committee of the California Board of State and Community Corrections, and the Executive Standing Committee of the California Youth Reinvestment Fund, which provides cities and counties with $37 million in funding for community-based services to divert youth from formal justice system involvement. He is a 2014 American Express/Independent Sector NGen Fellow and a founding member of the Southern California Latino Giving Circle, which has provided more than $130,000 to immigrant-serving nonprofits. Currently, Julio serves on the board of directors for InsideOut Writers and Represent Justice. Previously, he was on the board for the All For One Youth Mentoring Program, the Los Angeles Music and Art School, Hispanics in Philanthropy, as well as the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families. Julio is also a contributor to the new book, “If We Want to Win,” published by the New Press, which brings together 24 leading figures who propose a collective blueprint for moving forward to a more inclusive and just democracy across the United States.
Marcial earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was awarded an American Sociological Association fellowship to study racial and ethnic disparities in the California juvenile justice system. He has also held a graduate fellowship through the Committee on Institutional Cooperation at the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where his research work focused on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing childhood exposure to violence.
Christine Margiotta SCG Member
Executive Director, Social Justice Partners
Christine Margiotta is passionate about channeling our collective power to create enduring justice and community. As Executive Director of SVP Los Angeles, she brings people together to fuel systemic transformation and seeks to co-create liberatory workplace practices within SVP and beyond. Christine launched SVP’s Systems Change Accelerator to bolster early-stage social justice initiatives and Anti-Racism for White People to support leaders in championing racial justice.
Throughout her career, Christine has leveraged a blend of community organizing, grantmaking, and policy change to create progress on racial and economic justice, homelessness, and LGBTQ+ rights. Christine designed and led Home For Good at United Way of Greater LA, an initiative to end homelessness that leveraged over $1 billion to create housing for 35,000+ Angelenos in her time there.
Christine is a graduate of Scripps College and received her MSW from UCLA. She lives in Claremont with her wife and their two kids, Huck and Vivian. She serves as the Chair of the L.A. County Measure H Citizens’ Oversight Advisory Board, and she is a founding Board member of Claremont Change, an effort to end racism in Claremont policing.
Throughout her career, Christine has leveraged a blend of community organizing, grantmaking, and policy change to create progress on racial and economic justice, homelessness, and LGBTQ+ rights. Christine designed and led Home For Good at United Way of Greater LA, an initiative to end homelessness that leveraged over $1 billion to create housing for 35,000+ Angelenos in her time there.
Christine is a graduate of Scripps College and received her MSW from UCLA. She lives in Claremont with her wife and their two kids, Huck and Vivian. She serves as the Chair of the L.A. County Measure H Citizens’ Oversight Advisory Board, and she is a founding Board member of Claremont Change, an effort to end racism in Claremont policing.
Karla Mercado
Director, Philanthropy CA, Philanthropy CA
<p>Karla Mercado supports SCG's public policy efforts and manages Philanthropy California initiatives.</p>
<p>Prior to SCG, Karla was the director of special events for a public relations firm where she developed and coordinated strategic networking events for local nonprofits, institutions, and corporate clients, with the goal of expanding their community involvement and exposure. She began her work in the nonprofit sector as a case manager for the Los Angeles Chapter of Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters, where she supported and maintained records for youth and their mentors to ensure positive youth and match development. Karla has a B.A. in Sociology from California State University, Los Angeles and an M.P.A. and certificate in Non-Profit Management from the California State University, Northridge.</p>
<p>Prior to SCG, Karla was the director of special events for a public relations firm where she developed and coordinated strategic networking events for local nonprofits, institutions, and corporate clients, with the goal of expanding their community involvement and exposure. She began her work in the nonprofit sector as a case manager for the Los Angeles Chapter of Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters, where she supported and maintained records for youth and their mentors to ensure positive youth and match development. Karla has a B.A. in Sociology from California State University, Los Angeles and an M.P.A. and certificate in Non-Profit Management from the California State University, Northridge.</p>
Jennifer Price-Letscher SCG Member
President & CEO, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Jennifer Price-Letscher grew up in a household of strong, determined women. Raised by her mother, grandmother, and older sisters, Jennifer developed a sense of purpose and creativity from a young age. Her mother was a first-generation college graduate who worked tirelessly to serve others as an educator, social worker, and criminal justice legal advocate. Her grandmother was a concert pianist who gave her a keen ear, nurturing Jennifer’s musicianship and cultivating an awareness about the power of artistic expression. Jennifer’s home life fostered a sense of creativity and justice, and she credits her mother with teaching the importance of seeing the humanity in everyone. It is no surprise that Jennifer dedicated her life to arts, education, and social change.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Jennifer began a career in the social impact sector following a visit to her sister’s home in Los Angeles in the early ‘90s. Her trip coincided with the city’s civil unrest, as countless Angelenos organized to demand racial justice. Seeing Los Angeles and its potential to be a place for all things possible, challenging, and just, Jennifer decided to stay. Soon after, Jennifer started working in the arts and became involved with prominent artists and art organizations, including 18th Street Arts Center and Highways Performance Space. Jennifer found herself immersed in a community of people exploring their identities and artistic voices at the height of the culture wars of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Jennifer advocated alongside these artists who demanded that marginalized voices in mainstream theater have equitable access and a seat at the table. “One of art’s greatest qualities lies in its capacity to elicit greater understanding and empathy, why wouldn’t we want to hear more voices?” Jennifer reflected. This experience building empathy and power shoulder-to-shoulder with underrepresented artists would later guide her work in the nonprofit sector.
Jennifer started her philanthropic career at the Whitecap Foundation, where she led capacity building programs before joining the Sterling-Dorman Foundation and spending a decade focused on college access and success. “Education can be a profound lever for transforming lives and lifting people out of poverty,” she noted. Today, Jennifer is Vice President for Grantmaking and Initiatives at The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, where she manages its responsive grantmaking and efforts focused on collaboration, organizational effectiveness, and systems change. Her grantmaking philosophy aspires to weave together all the strands necessary to create a strong community fabric. To realize her vision, Jennifer taps into a long-standing “spirit of inquiry” that allows her to listen to her nonprofit partners deeply and with humility and curiosity. She credits SCG and early philanthropic mentors with helping her see the importance of building strong relationships founded on trust. “Our nonprofit partners and their constituents know what's best for their communities and what’s needed to accomplish transformational change.” While she recognizes that not all foundations can immediately enact a comprehensive trust-based strategy, she is hopeful that the sector will gradually embrace more of its principles. “I hope some of our funder colleagues will let go of the ‘power over’ framework reliant on directives and bureaucracy and shift toward a ‘power with’ model founded on a collaborative spirit and willingness to make change together. Community transformation requires all hands on deck.”
Given the devastation wrought by the crises of this year, Jennifer is proud of the bold actions The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation has taken to support their nonprofit partners. At the beginning of the pandemic, they signed onto the Council of Foundation’s pledge advocating for more flexible and equitable grantmaking, canceled all their grant reporting, and distributed ne
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Jennifer began a career in the social impact sector following a visit to her sister’s home in Los Angeles in the early ‘90s. Her trip coincided with the city’s civil unrest, as countless Angelenos organized to demand racial justice. Seeing Los Angeles and its potential to be a place for all things possible, challenging, and just, Jennifer decided to stay. Soon after, Jennifer started working in the arts and became involved with prominent artists and art organizations, including 18th Street Arts Center and Highways Performance Space. Jennifer found herself immersed in a community of people exploring their identities and artistic voices at the height of the culture wars of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Jennifer advocated alongside these artists who demanded that marginalized voices in mainstream theater have equitable access and a seat at the table. “One of art’s greatest qualities lies in its capacity to elicit greater understanding and empathy, why wouldn’t we want to hear more voices?” Jennifer reflected. This experience building empathy and power shoulder-to-shoulder with underrepresented artists would later guide her work in the nonprofit sector.
Jennifer started her philanthropic career at the Whitecap Foundation, where she led capacity building programs before joining the Sterling-Dorman Foundation and spending a decade focused on college access and success. “Education can be a profound lever for transforming lives and lifting people out of poverty,” she noted. Today, Jennifer is Vice President for Grantmaking and Initiatives at The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, where she manages its responsive grantmaking and efforts focused on collaboration, organizational effectiveness, and systems change. Her grantmaking philosophy aspires to weave together all the strands necessary to create a strong community fabric. To realize her vision, Jennifer taps into a long-standing “spirit of inquiry” that allows her to listen to her nonprofit partners deeply and with humility and curiosity. She credits SCG and early philanthropic mentors with helping her see the importance of building strong relationships founded on trust. “Our nonprofit partners and their constituents know what's best for their communities and what’s needed to accomplish transformational change.” While she recognizes that not all foundations can immediately enact a comprehensive trust-based strategy, she is hopeful that the sector will gradually embrace more of its principles. “I hope some of our funder colleagues will let go of the ‘power over’ framework reliant on directives and bureaucracy and shift toward a ‘power with’ model founded on a collaborative spirit and willingness to make change together. Community transformation requires all hands on deck.”
Given the devastation wrought by the crises of this year, Jennifer is proud of the bold actions The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation has taken to support their nonprofit partners. At the beginning of the pandemic, they signed onto the Council of Foundation’s pledge advocating for more flexible and equitable grantmaking, canceled all their grant reporting, and distributed ne
Shaady Salehi
Executive Director, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project
Shaady Salehi is a strategist, facilitator, and network builder who has been working in the nonprofit sector for nearly two decades. She currently serves as the executive director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, a learning and advocacy initiative to advance more equitable and power-conscious practices in philanthropy. Her career in the nonprofit sector has spanned many roles -- from department head, to executive director, to board member, to consultant -- and her main body of work has centered on using film, media, and strategic communications to advance social change.
Jennifer Vanore, Ph.D. SCG Member
President & COO, UniHealth Foundation
Jen joined UniHealth Foundation in 2015 and was appointed President and COO in 2018. She is responsible for overseeing all grantmaking and the day-to-day functions of the Foundation. In addition, she previously served as a Program Manager for The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities, and has worked in clinic, hospital and social service settings. She is a native Angeleno, loves science fiction movies, and loves cooking homemade pasta with her family.
Dr. Rosemary Veniegas SCG Member
Director of Health Programs, California Community Foundation
With 25 years of experience in health promotion, Rosemary Veniegas currently serves as Director of Health Programs at the California Community Foundation (CCF). CCF’s mission is to lead positive systemic change that strengthens Los Angeles (LA) County. Dr. Veniegas serves on the Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research Panel of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, which was established as part of the Affordable Care Act. She is a member of the LA County Commission on Hospitals and Healthcare Delivery and the California Department of Health Care Services Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Previously, Dr. Veniegas was an implementation scientist and researcher in academic departments of family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychology, and psychiatry. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from UCLA.
Patricia Watkins SCG Member
Program Officer, Weingart Foundation
Patricia Watkins joined the Weingart Foundation in 2011 and currently oversees grantmaking in the Inland Empire. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade. Patricia holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and Spanish. She grew up in Inglewood, CA but now resides in the IE with her husband, two boys, and dog.
Adrienne Wittenberg SCG Member
Executive Director, S. Mark Taper Foundation
Adrienne Wittenberg serves as Executive Director of the S. Mark Taper Foundation. She has worked at the Foundation for the past 20 years in both financial management and grantmaking positions. Wittenberg is a member of Southern California Grantmakers’ Finance and Audit Committees. Prior to joining the field of philanthropy, she earned her license as a Certified Public Accountant while working as a tax consultant with the public accounting firm, Deloitte and Touche. Wittenberg is a member of the AICPA and the California Society of CPA’s.