Our Partners

Marissa Nuncio is the Director of the Garment Worker Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering low-wage garment workers in their fight for social and economic justice. The Garment Worker Center addresses systemic issues like wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and workplace abuse while centering the voices of workers. Marissa, a Loyola Law School graduate and member of the National Lawyers Guild, has worked at the intersection of law and organizing since 2001 and has represented a wide range of labor groups throughout her career.

Leslie Ito is the Executive Director of the Armory Center for the Arts, a nonprofit visual arts organization that presents contemporary exhibitions and offers artist-led education programs for children, teens, and adults. Founded in 1989, the Armory operates as a hybrid between an art museum and an art school, centering artists and community to advance equity, social justice, and creative opportunities—particularly for youth and historically under-resourced communities. A Pasadena native and Yonsei, fourth-generation Japanese American, Leslie brings decades of leadership in the arts and philanthropy, with previous roles at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, the California Community Foundation, the LA County Arts Commission, and the Ford Foundation.

Chancela Al-Mansour is the Executive Director of the Housing Rights Center, the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting housing discrimination and securing equal access to fair housing. Since joining in 2010, Al-Mansour has led an organization that provides free consulting and legal services to tens of thousands of households in Los Angeles and Ventura counties each year. The Housing Rights Center promotes freedom of residence through education, advocacy, and litigation to ensure all persons can secure housing regardless of race, disability, income source, or other protected characteristics.

Tara Barauskas serves as Executive Director of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, where she oversees the organization’s affordable housing portfolio, including housing development, resident services, maintenance, and staff administration. The Community Corporation fosters a more inclusive, compassionate, and environmentally sustainable city by restoring, building, and managing affordable housing for low-income Angelenos while working to advance shared community values. With more than two decades of experience in affordable housing development, Tara has led the development of dozens of projects across California.

Rudy Espinoza is the Chief Executive Officer of Inclusive Action for the City, an organization dedicated to serving underinvested communities and building thriving local economies. As an urban planner with expertise in place-based initiatives and community economic development, he specializes in identifying investment opportunities in low-income communities, building private/nonprofit partnerships, and training residents to participate in revitalizing their neighborhoods. Inclusive Action improves access to transformative capital and advances policy through collaborative research and community-driven advocacy.

Cristian Ahumada serves as the Executive Director of Holos Communities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating spaces for all people through a holistic approach that works to end homelessness, combat global warming, and reverse racial inequity. Over his tenure, he has successfully transitioned the organization from its parent company into an independent housing developer and overseen the development of thousands of affordable apartment units, primarily for people who have experienced homelessness and households with special needs. Holos advances interconnected strategies that provide housing, services, and employment opportunities to individuals, families, and BIPOC-owned businesses while strengthening neighborhoods and local economies.

Rick Nahmias is the Founder and CEO of Food Forward, a nonprofit organization that rescues fresh food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes surplus fruits and vegetables to hundreds of agencies serving people experiencing food insecurity. Food Forward works across eight California counties, including Los Angeles and Ventura, along with six adjacent states and tribal lands, providing enough fresh produce to meet the nutritional needs of over 250,000 people every day.

Joe Lyou is the President and CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air, an organization whose mission is to protect public health, improve air quality, and prevent climate change. Coalition for Clean Air works collaboratively with advocates, organizations, companies, legislators, and more across the state to find cooperative solutions to California’s most pressing air quality issues.

Iliana Tavera is the Chief Executive Officer of Haven Hills, an organization that lifts up survivors of domestic violence to transform their lives. Haven Hills offers shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy, and activities supporting increased economic opportunity for thousands of women and men every year.

Heather Carrigan is the Chief Executive Officer of Allies for Every Child, a nonprofit organization driven by the belief that every child deserves a healthy, loving childhood and the support they need to reach their full potential. Allies is dedicated to preventing and healing the impact of childhood trauma through comprehensive, family-strengthening interventions, dual-generation mental health services, high-quality early childhood education, and foster care and adoption programs.

Cynthia Strathmann is the Executive Director of SAJE (Strategic Actions for a Just Economy), a nonprofit organization that builds community leadership and power by fighting for tenant rights, healthy housing, and equitable development. SAJE seeks to build a movement for change that addresses the root causes of structural oppression and advances the creation of a more just economy for all.

Charisse Bremond Weaver is the President and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade, a nonprofit social justice organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and addressing the unmet needs of low-income, underserved, and under-represented Angelenos. Since its founding over 50 years ago, Brotherhood Crusade has provided human and social services to tens of thousands of South Los Angeles residents every year.

Rev. Zachary Hoover is the Executive Director of LA Voice, a multiracial, multifaith community organization that awakens people to their own power, training them to speak, act, and work together to transform Los Angeles County into a community that reflects the dignity of all people.

Tim Carpenter is the Founder and former Executive Director of EngAGE, a nonprofit that provides arts, wellness, lifelong learning, community-building, and intergenerational programs to seniors and families living in affordable senior and multigenerational apartment communities in California, Oregon, and Minnesota.

* Tim is now retired.

Tara Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Glendale & Pasadena. The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women, and works to end gender-based violence, promote girls’ empowerment, and advance racial justice.

Martha Dina Argüello is the Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR-LA). PSR-LA advocates for policies and practices that improve public health, eliminate nuclear and environmental threats, and address health disparities in our community.

Martha Arévalo is the Executive Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). CARECEN empowers Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice, and promoting cultural diversity.

Liz Herrera is the Executive Director of El Nido Family Centers, a social service nonprofit agency. El Nido strives to build healthy families by providing community-based social services in some of the most underserved communities in Los Angeles County.

Laura Jiménez is the Executive Director of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ), a statewide organization committed to honoring the experiences of Latinas and upholding their dignity, bodily autonomy, sexuality, and families.