SCG's 2024 Annual Conference - Better Together: Creating a Collective Legacy

In May of 2018. As Associate Director at Alcott Center, she will work closely with the Executive Director to continue to provide quality services, while identifying ongoing publicly funded expansion opportunities. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Welfare from UCLA and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from UC Irvine. She has been a licensed Social Worker for over 15 years, with extensive clinical and administrative experience. Adrianne has experience working with children and families and providing comprehensive mental health services to adults. She is a Los Angeles native and is committed to serving her community and empowering traditionally underserved communities.

As Senior Vice President, Member Experience and Partnerships, Melanie plays a strategic leadership role at Mission Investors Exchange, helping to set organizational direction. She works with foundations and others to identify and drive additional resources towards innovative impact investing opportunities, facilitates partnerships across the sector, and represents a growing network in an increasingly expanding field.

Melanie began her career as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service and subsequently managed family offices and a private foundation. She has deep experience in the nonprofit sector, having been in leadership roles in four membership associations and nine nonprofit organizations. Melanie is a board member of the Energy Foundation and a founding member of the Impact Investing Committee for the Council of Michigan Foundations and Invest for Better. She is a graduate of Indiana University and is based in Seattle.

Guadalupe R. Chavez (Agua Dulce, she/they), MFT, is the Healing Justice Network Director at the Anti Police Terror Project (APTP). She leads JTN’s California Healers Network, a strategy of APTP. Guadalupe’s work as a ceremonialist, flower alchemist, herbal medicine maker, and earth worker are central to her Abolitionist healing justice practice and politic. Guadalupe is a fierce believer in healing justice as a strategy and practice towards building a world without borders and cages. She is a co-founder of Somos Espejos, a member of the IALA Land Trust. Espejos is a ceremonial agro-ecological retreat and training center based in Borikén (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico). Guadalupe is most excited about developing a replicable Abolitionist clinic model that brings together traditional, ancestral, and sacred medicines and a decolonized Western medicine framework to support, heal, and uplift state impacted communities globally.

Lauri Collier is the Director of the LA Opportunity Youth Collaborative and Managing Director of the California Opportunity Youth Network. She oversees work with a focus on building the collective impact field in Los Angeles and California and has built cross-sector collaboration across systems to improve the outcomes of opportunity youth, including youth who experience foster, justice, and homeless systems. Her work has helped grow coalitions and amplified young adults with lived experience of experience to illustrate the gaps between policy and practice and provide recommendations to leaders to create more community designed systems.

Prior to her current role, Lauri was the division chief of housing and Supportive Services at St. Anne's. In her role at St. Anne's, Lauri oversaw the housing programs for young women and their children ages 13-24 years old. In addition, she managed the five acres campus and support services. At St. Anne's Lauri honed her skills as a direct service practitioner and understanding of the systemic challenges that faced both young people and community-based organizations.

Lauri began her career at Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. She worked as forensic case analyst in collaboration with a forensic psychiatrist to evaluate inmates for court competency and/or entering a plea of "not guilty for reasons of insanity." She then went on to be a social worker at the Onslow County Department of Social Services before moving to Los Angeles.

Lauri earned her Bachelor of Arts from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina and Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

As the 13th President of Los Angeles Harbor College, Dr. Luis Dorado is deeply committed to enhancing student success and expanding access to higher education. Embracing the college's motto, "Education Changes Everything," Dr. Dorado's own educational journey illustrates the transformative power of learning. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he balanced his service with a dedication to education, taking college courses at every assignment. His educational path led him from Coastal Carolina Community College in North Carolina to courses through the University of Maryland’s extended program in Okinawa, Japan.

Dr. Dorado began his career in California community colleges as an Outreach Coordinator at Santa Ana College, and has since held a variety of roles, including adjunct faculty, Interim Associate Dean of Instruction and Student Services, Dean of Student Services, and Vice President of Student Services. His extensive experience in these positions highlights his strong commitment to the college's mission and the comprehensive development of its students. Dr. Dorado’s leadership is distinguished by his broad background and dedication, positioning him to drive positive change and enhance the educational experience at Los Angeles Harbor College.

Meet Amare El Jamii, an experienced professional with a unique journey into education and empowerment. With a background in manufacturing and distribution, he sought a fulfilling career.
Amare holds Associate degrees in Mathematics and Computer Information Systems from Norco College and Bachelor degrees in Statistics and Applied Mathematics from UCLA. His expertise has been put to use in various educational institutions, including non-profits, secondary schools, and esteemed institutions like the California Community Colleges, Cal States, and the University of California.
As an educator, Amare has taught a variety of STEM subjects, from mathematics and computer programming to unmanned aerial systems. He is currently co-founder of Cultivating Hope, LLC, an educational consulting firm, and the J.T. Mitchell Pre-Apprenticeship Academy, an organization preparing students for the mechanical trades and utility sector careers. Amare's journey is an inspiring tale of empowerment and mentorship, emphasizing the transformative power of education and determination.

Christine Essel joined SCG as President and CEO on February 1, 2013. As president, she sets the strategic direction and priorities for the organization, overseeing programming, communications, member services and public policy. Prior to joining SCG, Essel held leadership roles in the government, corporate, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, where she has shaped legislation and public and corporate policy. She brings a wealth of experience to SCG including a deep knowledge of the region and a passion for forging creative solutions to complex community challenges, along with extensive relationships and expertise in corporate philanthropy, finance, real estate development, government and community relations. For over three decades, she worked at Paramount Pictures, serving as Senior Vice President, Government and Community Affairs, a department she built from the ground up. In that role, she was responsible for the studio’s philanthropic efforts and for shaping Paramount’s civic presence while managing all political and legislative activity, corporate social responsibility and fundraising activities. During her tenure she was also responsible for overseeing in excess of $500 million in real estate development projects on the studio lot.

Most recently, she served as CEO for the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), with an annual budget exceeding $600 million, a staff of 260 employees and 32 project areas throughout the City of Los Angeles. In response to a statewide call by the legislature, Essel's leadership helped lay a critical foundation for the dissolution of the agency, leading to a successful redistribution of resources for schools and local governments, while ensuring the completion of many crucial affordable housing projects and other developments vitally important to the economic growth of the region.

She has been named to numerous Boards and Commissions over the years, serving as chair of the California Film Commission, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, the Hollywood Community Advisory Council, Alternative Living for the Aging and Central City Association. She also served as Vice‐Chair of the California Workforce Investment Board and FilmLA and was a member of the powerful Los Angeles World Airports Commission, Grand Avenue Project Joint Powers Authority and Los Angeles Development Fund. Essel has been honored by esteemed organizations such as City of Hope, National Women’s Political Committee, Alternative Living for the Aging, Weingart Center Partners, Central City Association and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, she received the Leader of the Year Award from the Southern California Leadership Network. She has been named to the Non‐Profit Times “Power and Influence Top 50” for the past two years (2016 and 2017).

Fabian Garcia is Director of Government Relations at Homeboy Industries. Fabian provides strategic guidance on policy and advocacy issues critical to the organization’s mission. Fabian manages the strategy for acquiring government grants and contracts and has secured grants from all levels of government.

Additionally, Fabian consults under United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for projects in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Fabian’s work has focused on the development and implementation of comprehensive public safety and violence reduction strategies that include prevention, intervention, diversion, and reentry approaches.

Prior to transitioning to Homeboy Industries, Fabian served as Senior Regional Program Coordinator for Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Mayor Eric Garcetti administrations. Fabian played an instrumental role in the development of the City’s Gang Prevention, Gang Intervention, Re-entry, and Tattoo Removal Programs. He provided regional oversight of contracts between the City of Los Angeles and community-based service providers. Oversight included providing technical assistance, model fidelity training, advising on budget management, and developing community and law enforcement partnerships. Fabian was integral in developing and implementing strategies to increase police legitimacy and community trust through on-going relational approaches and efficient policies.

He has worked for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). Fabian has dedicated himself to empowering communities and creating opportunities for closing the equity gaps.

Seara Grundhoefer supports the research team at CEP in designing studies, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and writing reports. She is a co-author on CEP's State of Nonprofits 2024: What Funders Need to Know, and the author of CEP's recently released Research Snapshot: How Foundations Are Supporting Grantee Staff Well-Being.

Prior to joining CEP, Seara worked in international development, contributing to program and impact evaluations of US-government funded projects across a range of subject areas, including health, infrastructure, and migration. Seara also graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science.

Dr. Fernando Guerra is the director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and his B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California. His area of scholarly work is in local governance, urban politics, and racial and ethnic politics. Dr. Guerra has been a principal investigator in over 20 major studies on Los Angeles, leadership studies and electoral politics. He is the principal investigator of the largest general social survey in the Los Angeles region. He has served on standing commissions, blue ribbon committees, and ad hoc task forces for the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, and regional bodies in Southern California. He is a source for the media at the local, national, and international level and has been highlighted by The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington post, La Opinión, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Business Week, The Economist, and media outlets in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Alex Guerrero is a recent graduate from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), where they earned a bachelor's degree in International Studies and Sociology. Driven by a deep-seated passion for human rights, social justice, and immigration, Alex chose these focus areas to weave together her commitment to making a difference in the world.

As a first-generation college graduate and former foster youth who grew up in Los Angeles, California, Alex is among the 3% of foster youth who go on to achieve a bachelor's degree. This milestone fuels her advocacy for other former foster youth and opportunity youth to be able to achieve the same. Alex's advocacy efforts emphasize the critical importance of education and mentorship, striving to create pathways for others to succeed.

Additionally, Alex has gained valuable experience in the early childhood education space. Here, she learned about the profound effects of adverse childhood experiences, further inspiring their mission to support and uplift her community. Alex is dedicated to blending her multiple areas of expertise to drive system change.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Alex finds balance and joy in hiking, going to the beach and roller skating. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a personal goal of visiting all the national parks across the United States.

Jermaine Hampton is a seasoned professional with a 14-year career in Workforce Development spanning the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of Workforce Development and Special Projects at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), a role he has held for nearly three years. Hampton’s career began in Washington D.C.'s nonprofit sector, where he first honed his expertise.

Hampton's public service career includes significant roles in the Department of Employment Services during the Bowser administration in Washington D.C., where he led successful programs, showcasing his skills in public governance and program management. His career also took him to Atlanta, Georgia, where he contributed to the oversight of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funded programs in DeKalb County.

In his current position at the LAEDC, Hampton leverages his broad experience to champion change, innovation, and community empowerment. Known for his expertise in Economic Development, Staffing Services, and Business Management, he also focuses on essential human-centric services, including aid for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, youth, and returning citizens. Hampton's visionary leadership aims at systemic reform and is underpinned by inspiration and perseverance. His programs have been recognized as best practice models, and he was awarded the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) Leadership Award in 2015.

A genuine change-maker, Hampton’s work continues to drive meaningful impact in community and economic development.

Gustavo was appointed as Arts for LA’s Executive Director in December 2018. Prior to working with us, he was the Western Regional Director for Young Invincibles (YI), where he was responsible for leading YI’s California offices, including its West Coast expansion. As director, he set strategic direction and advanced YI’s policy priorities on health care, higher education, jobs, and civic engagement for the region.

Before starting at Young Invincibles, Gustavo was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of L.A. Plaza de Cultura y Artes (LAPCA), overseeing the day-to-day operation of a county museum, including the oversight of a master plan committee responsible for strategically developing three acres of additional museum campus. From 2010-2012, Gustavo led the Maestro Foundation, a classical music and performance arts foundation, as the Director of Organizational Development. Between 2007-2010, he assessed and recommended business growth strategies in the US marketplace for the global Fortune 500 Company, American Honda Motors, Co.

Gustavo holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from American Jewish University and a dual Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with an emphasis in socio-politics and economics and Art History from the University of California Santa Barbara. Gustavo served on the Board of Directors of the Create: Fixate Arts Organization (2006-2010). He is a current Strong Workforce Implementation Advisory Board Member for the California Community Colleges, Advisory Board Member for the California Physician’s Alliance and founding Board Member of Silverlake Forward.

LaShanda Jackson is a social justice activist, defender of democracy, and
advocate for racial equity whose career in philanthropy and organizing spans nearly two decades. Raised by a southern family of civil rights activists and community leaders, her advocacy is personal. LaShanda’s fierce advocacy for transforming democracy and returning power back to the people has brought her
to the role of Executive Director of the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP). Before joining the FCCP, LaShanda (she/her) served as Vice President of Development for Common Cause where she led organizational fundraising strategy and operations. Before joining Common Cause in February 2017, LaShanda worked for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund as the Manager of Gift Accounting, where she oversaw financial management of an $80 million capital campaign.
Prior to that, LaShanda cultivated and provided stewardship for members and major donors as the Membership and Major Gifts Coordinator at the Public Justice Foundation. She began her nonprofit career in 2003 with the Library of
Congress, primarily raising capital campaign funds for the Capitol Visitor Center and sponsorship funding for the National Book Festival. LaShanda also proudly served as an educator at Northwestern High School in Prince George’s County,
MD and served as a Regional Field Director for the 2008 Obama for America campaign. LaShanda holds Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Maryland.
LaShanda serves on the United Philanthropy Forum Board of Directors and Common Cause Maryland Advisory Board.

London Jones (she/her) is a nonprofit strategist, community facilitator, and racial equity leader from Los Angeles, California. She possesses over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector uplifting historically marginalized populations and supporting both internal and external organizational inclusion efforts. Motivated by a vision of an equitable and responsible society, she has dedicated her career to those very communities.

In 2020, London joined Social Good Solutions, a racial equity focused consulting firm, as its Senior Leader of Network Engagement. There she works within the firm’s initiative management portfolio, supporting the efforts of two multi-million dollar initiatives, the Black Equity Collective and Inland Empire Black Equity Initiative. Under her direction, London has cultivated the development of a network of Black-led organizations working at the collective interest of social justice. London holds a MA in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University Los Angeles, is a Certified Nonprofit Professional with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, and a partner at Social Justice Partners LA.

With a blue-collar chassis serving as the framework for 25 years of higher education teaching and administrative leadership, Dr. Jim Lancaster has made it his passion to move students from
poverty to prosperity; just as the community college system did for him when he graduated with an AS in Automotive Technology: General Motors Specialization from Cerritos College and
then worked as a Master Chevrolet Technician. Dr. Lancaster later returned to Cerritos College as an adjunct faculty member and Advanced Transportation Center Coordinator. After catching
the bug for facilitating student learning, he landed at Citrus College where he taught full-time and held several faculty leadership roles, including president of the faculty association.

Dr. Lancaster recently took on the role of Vice Chancellor of Workforce and Economic Development in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) after serving 6 years as
Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) at Los Angeles City College (LACC) and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Prior to becoming a VP in the LACCD, Dr. Lancaster was the Dean of Curriculum, Career/Technical, and Continuing Education at Citrus College.

Dr. Lancaster has been active in regional and statewide leadership, previously serving on the CCCCIO executive Board and as chair of the Los Angeles Orange County Regional Consortium. He is currently serving as both an ACCCA mentor and CCCCIO ALIVE mentor, is a Coach for the
RP Group IEPI Strategic Enrollment Management program, and is an active member of the ACCCA Executive Board.

In addition to his AS degree from Cerritos, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Vocational Education from CSULB, a MA in Industrial and Technical Studies from CSULA, and an Ed.D in Educational Leadership: Community College Specialization.He taught part-time in CSUF's Master's of Higher Education program and co-authored research published in Community
College Review.

Silvia Paz is the Founder and Executive Director of Alianza Coachella Valley, a non-profit alliance of residents and non-governmental organizations working at the intersection of community engagement and policy development. Silvia is dedicated to improving the communities she calls home, and is at the forefront of the climate change issues affecting the Salton Sea region. She has served in various volunteer, appointed, and elected positions. In 2021, she was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Extraction of Lithium, where she served as Chair, and has served on the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Education since 2018. Prior to founding Alianza Coachella Valley, Silvia was a high school teacher at Coachella Valley High School, a fellow at the Harvard University Planning Office, and a senior policy analyst in the office of Assemblymember V. Manuel Perez.

Marc was named executive director of the California Black Freedom Fund in April 2022, bringing more than a decade of leadership in advocacy working with grassroots organizations to build power for racial justice.

Prior to joining the California Black Freedom Fund, Marc led the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. Under his leadership, the Alliance successfully advanced more than 100 state policies and established powerful partnerships with the California Senate and Assembly Select Committees on the Status of Boys and Men of Color and the California Funders for Boys and Men of Color. Through Marc’s leadership, the Alliance broadened its focus to include fighting for gender justice and ending intimate partner violence by addressing misogyny and patriarchy, as well as racial equity.

Through these experiences, Marc has gained deep campaign and policy expertise across a wide array of issues, including public health and violence prevention, community safety, education, youth justice, economic equity, and civic engagement. Marc serves on the board of directors for the California Immigrant Policy Center, Partners for Dignity and Rights, the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and is on the advisory committee for the University of Southern California’s Equity Research Institute.

Alicia Ramírez, aka Inkarose is a Colombian born, Los Angeles based therapist and musician that utilizes sound to encourage states of peace, relaxation and spiritual introspection. Her music explores the curative sonics of nature paired with textured synths, padded vocals and at times organic instrumentation like the ocarina, flute and earthly percussion. In 2022 Inkarose released her debut EP titled: A Love Letter to Water – four sonic poems dedicated to the spirit of water (River and Ocean to Clouds and Rain).

Inkarose has performed in outdoors and indoor venues across Los Angeles, spanning from Zebulon, The Echo, Arlington Botanical Gardens, the Annenberg Community Beach House and the Los Angeles State Historic Park. Her works as a sonic curator and music therapist also entails crafting live sets and playlists for those seeking to integrate insights retrieved from psychedelic assisted voyages, and experiences.

Erica serves as Interim Director for the Equity, Arts and Culture team. Born in Argentina, raised in Los Angeles - Erica combines her years organizing within the immigrant rights movement, her training in alternative medicine and her life-long creative practice together for programming, consulting and healing work that is unique, rooted and versatile. Prior to joining SCG, Erica served as Director of Youth Programming at the Miguel Contreras Foundation (MCF) where she led social justice programming for immigrant communities. A leading voice in bridging healing and social justice work, Erica has been invited for speaking, teaching and consulting engagements with California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance, Chuco's Justice Center, MCF, SHIFT, LA-USC Wellness Center, InnerWayLa, Peace Over Violence, California Conference for Equity and Justice, Southern California University of Health Sciences, and The African American Policy Forum. Since 2018, Erica has been commissioned each year by UCLA’s Wesley Foundation to create and teach a Healing+Justice Series for UCLA students. In 2019, Erica was awarded the UMC grant to create No Estan Solos, a multidisciplinary healing and advocacy program for Latinx undocumented and refugee youth. Erica also served as Ayurvedic Practitioner and Counselor at WeSpark Cancer Support, making her the youngest woman to ever serve as lead Ayurvedic Practitioner in an integrative health center for cancer patients and survivors. In 2019, Erica founded the Women’s Healing Course, a series inspired by the intersection of race, gender and healing that has been offered all throughout California and, due to national recognition, is now being offered virtually to global audiences.

Erica is informed by her background as a seasoned writer and performer. She is a founding member of the Dancing Diaspora Collective, a collective of POC artists and healers dedicated to honoring, sharing, and reimagining practices of the Latin & African diasporas in dialogue with local and global histories of cultural resistance. Most recently, her solo work “I am my Mother’s Daughter” about mothers and migration has been performed for over 8,000 people at UCLA’s historic Pauley Pavilion and has been selected for KPCC’s Unheard LA live series.

Erica holds a BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA and an AWP (Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner) certification from Southern California University of Health Sciences.

For over 20 years, Luis A. Sánchez has dedicated his work to building movement infrastructure for social justice efforts in Los Angeles and throughout California. Mr. Sánchez currently serves as Executive Director for Power California which is the largest youth civic engagement organization in the nation focused on activating and mobilizing young voters statewide. Since 2020, the organization’s efforts have registered over 100,000 eligible young people to vote and engaged and mobilized more than 300,000 voters across the state. Previously, Mr. Sánchez led a statewide alliance of organizations to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color and developed policy solutions in the areas of education, health, housing, employment and criminal justice. He played an instrumental role developing and leading The California Endowment’s statewide youth organizing strategy resulting in impactful philanthropic investments to advance youth powered campaigns.

Mr. Sánchez was a Chief of Staff to former LAUSD School Board Member Monica Garcia who represented Board District 2. In addition, Mr. Sánchez is also a founder and former Executive Director for InnerCity Struggle which now serves as an anchor organization in the Eastside of Los Angeles.

Mr. Sánchez has deep experience in bringing people together to address pressing issues impacting their communities. He presently serves as the Vice President of Los Angeles Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners and Board Member of the Community Coalition in South Los Angeles. He is also an Executive Committee Member for the Million Voters Project and Chaired the 2020 LAUSD Redistricting Commission.

A long-time resident of El Sereno, Mr. Sánchez is the proud father of two children. In his spare time, he volunteers as a baseball and football coach.

Kristen Scott Kennedy is Vice President of Strategy and Organizational Effectiveness and Chief of Staff at the Council where she leads work related to strategy, partnerships, and organizational development and learning. She also supports the priorities of the Council’s president and CEO, facilitates the Council’s Board of Directors, and leads the implementation of the Council's strategic priority on Building Common Ground. Most recently she led the development of the Council's new strategic direction, organizational rebrand, and creation of two new Council events, Leading Locally and Building Together.

Prior to joining the Council she was a director in the office of the president at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations where she supported the priorities of the president and CEO, facilitated GEO’s Board of Directors, managed partnerships and developed programming on emerging topics in philanthropy.

Previously, Kristen worked for the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council, a membership organization that promotes the use of cooperatives as a development paradigm. For four years she was managing director at The Bhutan Canada Foundation, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to improving education in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Kristen began her career in communications and operations at The Unusual Suspects Theater Company in Los Angeles before working in fundraising at The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health in Palo Alto, CA and Macmillan Cancer Support in London, UK.

Kristen received her master of public administration from American University’s School of Public Affairs and is an alumna of the University of Southern California and a recipient of the Nonprofit Executive Scholarship at the Richard Ivey School of Business. She currently serves on the Board of HomeBase, an organization devoted to addressing homelessness at its root causes.  

Def Sound (pronouns they/them) is an Afro-Caribbean conceptual word artist born and based in South Central LA. Def is a postbinary contemporary hip-hop artist, producer, poet, educator and award-winning academic. Def is Grammy nominiated for their work as a producer on aja monet’s debut album ‘when the poems do what they do’.

Def’s music has also been featured in ABC’s Grownish.

Def’s work as a poet has been included in Saul Williams' Anthology CHORUS, while their music has been featured in LA WEEKLY, LA Record, The L.A. Times, The Frieze Art Fair, the Emmy Nominated Television series Music Diaries, and the Emmy winning Artbound on KCET. Def is also a recipient of the Lindon W. Barrett award from the school of humanities while attending UC Irvine. Def is currently teaching Hip Hop/Black Critical Theory and Sonic Collage at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

Sequoia supports the Vice President of Professional Learning & Family Philanthropy, by managing the development and implementation of programs and events in coordination with outside partners and other SoCalGrantmakers staff. She oversees programmatic, logistical, and administrative aspects of programs to support the Programs and Conferences team.
Sequoia is a Senior Trainer for the Los Angeles County Lesbian Bisexual and Queer Women’s Health Collaborative. She has experience facilitating interactive dialogue about intersectionality, racial healing, gender identity, and has spoken on international panels including the 2017 Opportunities for a more Inclusive Higher Education with the former Dutch Minister of Education, Jet Bussemaker at Universiteit Van Amsterdam. Sequoia incorporates storytelling to humanize the difficult discussions that individuals and society at large are not having. This pairing of storytelling and administrative decolonizing creates a powerfully impactful ambiance for transformational and sustainable change.
Sequoia is passionate about dedicating to being a part of healing the hearts of those affected by systemic anti-Black racism, challenge the institutions who overtly and/or covertly perpetuate it, and continue to challenge ourselves so we don’t perpetuate this systemic plague that separates us.

Kelly Turner (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Urban planning and Geography, Associate Director of the Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI), and Director of the NOAA Center for Heat Resilient communities. She leads LCI’s research on Heat Equity which provides evidence-based approaches to protect people, especially vulnerable populations, where they live and work. Dr. Turner’s current research encompasses heat governance and policy, planning for climate resilient communities, and producing actionable data for heat-health equity. Her work has been published in Nature, Environmental Research Letters, and the Journal of the American Planning Association and funded by the National Science Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Strategic Growth Council of California. She has served as a panelist for the National Academy of Sciences and as a Science Advisor to the Arsht-Rockefeller Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance.

Minister Debra J. Williams is the Founder and CEO of Building Resilient Communities. Debra birthed Building Resilient Communities and its various programs based on her strong faith and 25+ years’ experience as a management consultant to large and small community, public and private organizations where she provided training, business coaching, team building, and strategic planning services.

She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from The Bible Institute and a certification in management effectiveness from USC.

Along with her busy work life, Debra has been happily married to Russell for 38 years. They have 3 children, 14 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She is an avid knitter, which benefits her family and friends.