Our Team

Annette Johnson

Annette Johnson has more than 30 years of experience in the cultural arts field specializing in project design/management, marketing, grant writing and event planning. She has curated contemporary art exhibits, initiated arts education programs, produced festivals, music and dance performances, public humanities programs, and large scale fundraising and community events. Museum exhibition experience includes the Wignall Museum in Rancho Cucamonga; as a Senior Manager with the City of Pico Rivera she directed six divisions. She has developed marketing materials, special events and education programs that have earned state and national awards. Annette has served as a grant reviewer for the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and was a District Co-Chair for the California Assembly of Local Arts Agencies. She is an activist, has been an active volunteer in K-12 education and community organizations, is a performing musician, and previously served on the Board of the Museum of Neon Art. Annette holds a BA in Art History from CSU Fullerton and an MPA from CSU San Bernardino. She also earned certificates in Non-Profit Management from Cal-Poly Pomona and Marketing Management from UC Riverside. Since 2005 she has worked as an independent consultant for marketing and development in southern California.

Gail Lopes

Gail Lopes is a retired lawyer with specialties in corporate, employment, technology, and nonprofit law. She has served as Chair of the Boards of Directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) in New York City, and Students Rising Above in the California Bay Area. She is also a member of Theatre Communications Group’s (TCG) National Advisory Council and former Chair of its Governance Task Force. After earning a JD at Harvard Law School, she spent ten years at the law firm of Morrison & Forester. Gail was also Vice President of Product Development for two start-up software companies serving legal and HR professionals. Through a consulting firm she co-founded, she has led numerous strategic planning and business development initiatives at both profit and nonprofit organizations. Gail is prioritizing equity and social justice through her nonprofit work and has participated in equity and anti-racism trainings from TCG’s EDI Institute, artEquity, The Interaction Institute for Social Change, and The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (Undoing Racism). As the Chair of three nonprofits’ Governance & Nominating Committees, she has designed equity-based Board recruitment strategies, EDI Committees, codes of conduct, and governance structures. Gail and her husband Jim have two daughters: one a theatrical director in Los Angeles and the other a sommelier.

Nahal Jalali

Nahal Jalali is a visual artist, writer, and strategy consultant focused on advancing social change through the arts. She is a Manager within the Monitor Institute by Deloitte, a social change consultancy that provides strategic support and services to nonprofit organizations, corporate foundations, and other entities seeking to create social change. Currently, Nahal manages strategy and sourcing for Deloitte’s Purpose Office. In this role, she helps source equity-focused investment opportunities in the areas of education/workforce development, health equity, and financial inclusion to fulfill Deloitte’s 10-year, $1.5B social impact investment. Nahal also spent five years in Deloitte’s Government and Public Services practice where she supported dozens of public, private, and social sector organizations with strategic services focused on growth and innovation.

Nahal has been involved with Arts for LA since 2020 – including as a Laura Zucker fellow, ACTIVATE Delegate, and most recently, as a member of AFLA’s Policy Committee. Nahal earned her Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University where she wrote her graduate thesis on individual preferences for public funding of the arts in the United States. She also has a personal ceramic arts practice and is a member of the CLAY CA studio in Chinatown.

Pamela Kohanchi

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Skirball Cultural Center
Pamela Kohanchi brings deep experience engaging both internal and external partners to move the arts and legal world forward. In her role as LACMA’s Deputy General Counsel, she advised on myriad strategic initiatives and complex projects, including large-scale public art installations, international partnerships, a planned $650 million new building, major acquisitions and gifts of art, and technology collaborations. Her expertise in a broad array of complex legal issues􏱒from corporate governance and copyright to employment and nonprofit matters􏱒coupled with a collaborative approach to policymakers and staff alike, facilitated iconic, wondrous works for Los Angeles such as Levitated Mass, the promised gift of the Sheats-Goldstein Residence, and Art + Technology Lab partnerships with innovation leaders such as Google and SpaceX.

Prior to LACMA, Kohanchi served as an attorney at Sidley Austin LLP in Los Angeles and worked for the American Bar Association’s Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities in Washington, DC. A member of the California State Bar, Kohanchi holds a JD degree from Stanford Law School and a BA in political science from University of California, Los Angeles.

Karen Hill

Vice President for Human Resources and Development, Otis College
Karen Hill is an accomplished human resources leader with over 20 years’ experience. In addition to her exemplary degree qualifications, she holds an M.B.A. from UCLA with an emphasis in Marketing, a B.S. in Business, a Senior Professional Human Resources Designation, Leadership Certification from the Center for Creative Leadership, and a Strategic HR Certification. Her prior senior leadership positions – at such firms/institutions as Sony, USC, and DeviantArt – include Senior Vice President, Human Resources/Diversity & Inclusion; Vice President, Human Resources and Development; and Executive Director, Human Resources. Hill also serves on several non-profit boards. Throughout her career, she has focused holistically on organizations, and developed congruent people strategies to produce positive results. She brings a verifiable record of leading workplace culture and employee engagement initiatives, along with expertise in designing diversity and inclusion strategies and integrating them into organizational culture. Hill’s expertise also includes fiscally minded and data-driven human resources perspectives that add efficiencies through such areas as business development, employee relations, risk management, and vendor relationship contracts.

Linda Grimes

Linda Grimes is currently the Executive Director of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District; a non-profit she helped create from the ashes of the former Community Redevelopment Agency. Linda is passionate about creative placemaking and the power of public art. The Arts District’s accomplishments over the past 11 years, reflect this commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in San Pedro.

Linda is a recovering, retired AT&T marketing executive and has employed her marketing ‘superpowers’ as the former Executive Director of the Golden State Pops Orchestra, as a communications consultant to the Port of Los Angeles High School and for the Grand Vision Foundation. Since November 2022, she writes a monthly column for San Pedro Today Magazine about local arts and culture.

Under her guidance, the Arts District has commissioned over 25 DOT boxes, painted by professional artists, 8 storm drains and 3 large murals in downtown San Pedro. In the summer of 2019, the Arts District launched another new pilot program, “Adventures in Public Art”, aimed at giving students public art experiences. The second Adventures in Public Art mural will be painted on the Los Angeles Maritime Institute’s Building G in June of 2023, in collaboration with the San Pedro High School’s STEAM Magnet students, led by Teaching Artist Jay Davis.

In August 2021, Linda was part of a team that included the San Pedro Arts and Culture District Partners the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and the San Pedro Property Owner’s Alliance to bring back the pandemic shuttered FirstThursday ArtWalk. In November 2023, the FirstThursday ArtWalk celebrated its 25th Anniversary.

In 2017, the Arts District launched a new arts appreciation series, called “Cuatro@Cabrillo”, hosted by the preeminent arts scholar, Gregorio Luke and in collaboration with one of the Arts and Cultural District Partners, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Now it is called Culture TALKS! this series was relaunched in the fall of 2022 at the Aquarium and included an LA-ist, 89.3 Retake Live John Horn conversation with Culture Clash’s Richard Montoya.
In 2017, San Pedro was named as a California Cultural District by the Sacramento based California Arts Council. San Pedro is one of 14 initial Cultural Districts and has been recertified for another five years.

Linda’s past community involvement includes – Board President of the Palos Verdes Art Center, Arts for LA Advancement Committee, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Harbor Communications Committee, communications assistance for the Beacon House Men and served on the Board of the Little Italy of LA non-profit. Linda also served as the Arts for LA Advancement Committee co-chair and is now a proud member of the Arts for LA Board.

Mark Edwards

Mark brings serves as the Vice President of Government Relations for JVS SoCal where he advocates for the systems change that address the barriers to good paying jobs, including the creative sector. Much of the work is done in collaboration with other organizations.

Mark has an expertise in navigating complex bureaucratic systems that was first developed in the private sector while employed as an Associate for a leading land-use firm, where he specialized in land use entitlement issues and later serving as the Director of Government Relations for a premier boutique lobbying firm. In this capacity, Mark assisted clients with obtaining or maintaining nearly $250,000,000 in contracts with city and county governments.
In the public sector, Mark’s knowledge base was further developed as a Senior Field Deputy for former Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. He was responsible for managing Brentwood, West Los Angeles and a portion of Palms serving the array of needs for approximately 50,000 constituents. Solving constituent issues involved working collaboratively with city, county, and state agencies, and with the community.

Mark worked for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority as a Planner. In this capacity, he was an integral member of a team that brought to completion the Bring Los Angeles Home Plan, a blueprint to significantly reduce the number of people who are homeless within ten-years. The project was a successful public-private partnership that involved managing a broad and diverse coalition of stakeholders.

Mark is involved with and committed to community. He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and was honorably discharged. He was instrumental, as part of a team of community leaders, in the creation of the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council. He completed a three-year stint as a Board Member of Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles, a dynamic, and progressive, not-for-profit agency that effectively works to improve the health of people who are homeless through direct services, education, and advocacy, working with fellow board members and the executive director to navigate us through a horrible economic downturn. Mark served on the board of Barnsdall Art Park Foundation Board, where he served as chair for two years where they had a role in supporting the inclusion of the Hollyhock House as an UNESCO World Heritage Site representing one-of-eight Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Presently, Mark serves on the Executive Board of Governors for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, chairs the Legislative Action committee, and formerly co-chair of the Economic and Workforce Development committee.
A product of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Mark has resided in Los Angeles for 27 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from California State University, Northridge with a concentration in Public Administration and Community Service.

Nadia Savira Chrisanto

Nadia Savira Chrisanto (she/her) is the Assistant Operations + Digital Assets Manager at the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI). She is passionate about advocacy, accessibility, equity, inclusivity, fat liberation, and social justice issues, particularly within the undocumented & immigrant community. Nadia’s professional experiences include serving as the Curatorial & Program Assistant at the California African American Museum (CAAM) and the Administrative Assistant for the Education & Public Programs Department at the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA). Her expertise includes nonprofit operations & administration, programming, curatorial & exhibitions planning, and grantmaking. She was the elected Leadership Council Co-Chair for the Emerging Arts Leaders Los Angeles, was a fellow in the ACTIVATE: Delegates program, and is currently a mentor for the ACTIVATE: Protege program. Nadia is currently serving on the board of Arts for LA.

Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nadia moved to Los Angeles in 2002 with her family to seek stability and safety. Nadia received her A.A. in History, Humanities, and Social & Behavioral Sciences from Pasadena City College and her B.A. in History from California State Polytechnic University Pomona. Nadia is a cat mom to her two spoiled kitties, Boba and Mochi. She enjoys playing video games and experimenting with new recipes in her free time.

Clifford Warner

Cliff has garnered a reputation for being one of the top producers of award-winning experiences including Universal Studios’ WaterWorld Stunt Show, FiestaAventura’s Templo Del Fuego, Bollywood Park and Motiongate including the THEA Award-winning DreamWorks Animation Zone.

Having earned his MFA at the Yale School of Drama, Cliff has collaborated with some of the most creative people in the entertainment industry (notably as producer on Tokyo DisneySea and DisneyFest Asia). Cliff was one of the original founders of Thinkwell Group for which he served as CEO and Chairman for over a decade. Cliff produced notable projects including Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter; Sesame Presents: The Body touring exhibit and many more projects for Universal Studios, Walt Disney Entertainment, Harrah’s Entertainment and MGM Studios. In 2011, Cliff founded the entertainment development company Mycotoo, Inc., which was designated a top media company by Inc. 500 in 2017.

As chairman, Cliff has continued to build on his reputation of delivering compelling experiences. Mycotoo’s design collaborations have resulted in the opening of two theme parks (Motiongate and Bollywood Parks) for which Cliff oversaw the production development, strategic planning and team staffing. He built the award-winning creative team and served as liaison to facilitate master planning, production design, engineering and management of the specialty groups involved with the both parks. Cliff has been an invited speaker on multiple industry panels. His roots in theatre keep him anchored to like-minded organizations. He serves as board member for the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange (YaleGALE) – an international leadership exchange with China, France, United Kingdom, South Africa and Mexico; And Ojai Valley Playwrights Association – a non-profit group that champions the introduction of new, aspiring playwrights to wider audiences off and on Broadway.

Amy Schiffman

Amy Schiffman has been a literary agent and manager in the film and television fields for over twenty five years. After graduating from Hamilton College, she worked in New York, first at the CBS News Broadcast Center, and then in magazines, including the award winning American Photographer Magazine, where she eventually became an editor and columnist, and later at GQ and Diversion magazines. Her Hollywood career began in the Literary Properties division of the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, where she was Vice President. There she sold the books “Friday Night Lights,” “Apollo 13,” “Sleepers,” “Permanent Midnight” and “Primal Fear,” all of which were produced as feature films during her tenure at the agency.

Schiffman later became a partner in the literary management firm Intellectual Property Group before joining Echo Lake. She represents Dennis Lehane, (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, The Drop), Don DeLillo (Cosmopolis) and Daniel Woodrell (Winter’s Bone) among many others. Among her recently released book to film projects are the international best seller “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,” by Mary Anne Shaeffer and Annie Barrows. The film, starring Lilly James and directed by Mike Newell, is streaming on Netflix, as is the film “Nappily Ever After” based on the novel by Trisha R. Thomas.

Schiffman recently joined Echo Lake Entertainment, to build and run the intellectual property department.

Felicia Rosenfeld

Felicia Rosenfeld, through FARconnector, serves as thought partner, organizational catalyst, infrastructure architect and creative strategist, working with artists and creative organizations to define and attain success.

Felicia has been involved in the not-for-profit world for most of her working life. After graduating with honors from Swarthmore College, she worked at Pentacle (in New York) and also for David Gordon Pick Up Company. Receiving a J.D. from Fordham Law School, Felicia practiced for five years, concentrating in entertainment, copyright and trademark law. Felicia returned to Pentacle as Director of Educational Programming in 2002, then became Director of Programming, and ultimately Co-Director.Felicia served as Executive Director of Dance Resource Center, the service organization for dance in the Greater Los Angeles Area from 2015-2018, professionalizing a 30 year-old all-volunteer organization and making it a leading example of arts service. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2006, Felicia also has worked and consulted with many arts individuals/organizations and social service organizations.

Felicia sits on the Boards of Directors of Arts for L.A., Dance Resource Center and Koreatown Youth & Community Center. She is a member of the Ford Theatre Connector Council, Americans for the Arts and Californians for the Arts. Felicia was a member Dance/USA Board of Trustees for six years; the Co-Chair of Dance/USA 2018 Conference Host Committee; and served on Pentacle’s Board of Directors; the Advisory Board of Show Box LA, as a Trustee of New Roads School, and on the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Karsh Social Service Center Steering Committee.

Cary Lefton

Cary J. Lefton is Chief Executive Officer of Agora Realty & Management, which he founded in 1986. Agora Realty is a full service commercial real estate company holding income producing assets in California, Hawaii and Nevada. Since 2001, Agora has been listed as the 3rd largest private developer in the San Fernando Valley and been listed in the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the top 25 developers in Los Angeles County.  His firm has joint ventured with private and publicly traded companies such as Kimco Realty and Alexander and Baldwin. Agora is a family-owned business that has an investment strategy that especially benefits small businesses, assisting them in navigating the complexities of starting a new business.  Agora’s team prides itself on developing socially responsible projects with the objective to add value to communities in which it invests in. Agora currently owns and operates a commercial real estate portfolio of approximately 1.9 million square feet.

Lefton began his career in 1980 as a real estate broker, specializing in commercial real estate, with Arthur Rubloff and Company of Southern California. He earned the “Rookie of the Year” award during his first year with the company, representing such companies as Westinghouse and Huffy Bicycles, and leased more than 1,500,000 square feet during his two-year tenure. In 1982, Lefton joined Westwood Properties as vice president of acquisitions, where he successfully negotiated for commercial and industrial real estate throughout the Southern California region. His responsibilities also included project analysis, loan packaging and general office administration.

Lefton attended the University of Southern California where he majored in Political Science.  He has been married to his wife Marla for over 40 years. Marla is an artist who enjoys painting with oils on canvass. Cary and his wife have two sons Ryan and Aaron who also work for Agora.

Hobbies include, collecting wine, tennis, skiing, traveling, sailing and playing with his grandchildren…….not necessarily in that order.

Fred Goldstein

Fred Goldstein, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, joined LACMA in February of 2005. Prior to joining LACMA, Mr. Goldstein served as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Phoenix House Foundation in New York and previously as a partner in the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz. Mr. Goldstein received his JD from Yale Law School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. He has taught Art and Museum Law at Southwestern University School of Law and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and as a Trustee of the Los Angeles Copyright Society. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Arts for LA, and sits on the Government Affairs Committee of the Board of Directors of the California Association of Museums.  He has also served on the Planning Committee and as a faculty member for several years for the annual Legal Issues in Museum Administration course, organized by the American Law Institute and the Smithsonian Institution.

Fabian Fuertes

Fabian Fuertes (he/him), holds the position of Senior Manager, YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is a board member with Arts for LA, and is a Delegate for Assembly District 53 with the CA Democratic Party. His passion for equitable education, the arts, and social justice inspires his work in creating a profound societal renewal in our generation and the next. As a native Angeleno and first-generation Latinx, he is proud to be a part of an organization that engages more than 1,300 young people from historically marginalized communities across LA County through free music experiences and creative youth development to inspire belonging and membership, autonomy, civic and social abilities, and stronger lifelong learners. Fabian is excited to continuously explore personal blind spots, enable transformation, and continue his pursuit in creating a world in which access to equitable education, for all, inspires any person to fulfill their greatest potential.

Jennifer Cuevas

Jennifer M. Cuevas (she/her/ella) is a Los Angeles-based arts executive, entrepreneur, advocate and cultural producer who currently serves as Executive Director of Self Help Graphics & Art. She is also the founder of Jenerate Media, a Los Angeles-based communications agency that for two decades, has specialized in the visual and performing arts, social impact and amplifying the missions and programmatic work of artists and non-profit institutions. She has a passion for storytelling, connecting people, and a 20+ year history of advancing the arts in Los Angeles.

In addition to her expertise in communications, cultural policy and advocacy, Jennifer is a multifaceted leader and brings with her diverse experiences in the nonprofit sector. Jennifer has previously worked with the Vincent Price Art Museum, LA Commons in collaboration with the City of LA’s Department of Arts and Culture (DCA), Academia Avance Charter School (Avance), California Native Vote Project (CNVP), Women Organizing Resources, Knowledge and Services (WORKS), Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), and many others.

Jennifer received a B.A. in Communications, with a concentration in Public Affairs/Information, from the University of La Verne. She currently serves on the Board of Arts of LA.

Gustavo Herrera

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.

Melissa Flores

Melissa is a Program and Operations specialist with demonstrated experience interacting with diverse community members and creating positive relationships to further various program outreach. Melissa brings strategic management, holistic program development and thoughtful user experiences to each project. Prior to Arts for LA, Melissa worked with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator where she helped curate their member experience and bring its community together virtually. Melissa has also worked at The Gabriella Foundation, spearheading various projects including the expansion of their summer camp program to low-resource communities in Los Angeles. Melissa’s experience in the arts and culture sector is diverse – she has been a dancer since the spire age of three, studied film at Santa Clara University and expanded her arts administration career through the former Leadership Council of Emerging Arts Leaders, Los Angeles.

In her downtime, Melissa can be found rooting for her favorite sports team (Go Clippers!), ambitiously working on her running pace, exploring different foods in Los Angeles or having passioned discussions about various prestige TV.

Ricky Abilez

Ricky Abilez (they/them) is a Queer, Latine artist, educator, and advocate who centers restorative and racial justice, social equity, and culturally responsive engagement in their work as an arts education practitioner and community leader. They’ve worked with prestigious arts organizations including South Coast Repertory, The LA Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and The Ford Theatre, and have taught a self-developed curriculum in using art for social justice at various high schools across the country, including California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley.

Prior to their work with Arts for LA, Ricky worked as a performing artist and freelance producer in regional musical theatre. They also served in nonprofit administration as the Education and Community Partnerships Manager at 4C LAB, the Associate Diversity and Inclusion Consultant at McCoy Rigby Entertainment, the Executive Assistant to Dr. Eric Cervini at Deviant Content, and Policy Fellow at the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

They hold a BFA in Theatre Arts from Cal State Fullerton and an MPA in Education Policy and Public Policy Analysis from the University of Colorado Denver. They were honored with the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award in 2022 by the CU Denver Alumni Association and Robert Earl McConnell Foundation for their commitment to equity and civic engagement in the arts and society. They are an avid singer and spend most of their downtime being the family clown.

Vince Vicari

Vince is a results-driven communications professional with more than a decade of experience in digital marketing management and a passion for helping community-oriented organizations develop their voice and communications strategy. He has proven expertise in project management, creative direction, and content development. With a finger on the pulse of trends that lead to shifts in the modern communication landscape, Vince’s work maintains social relevancy and has helped government agencies, non-profits and small businesses develop and implement communication plans. Everything he does revolves around a core motivator: helping people.

Previously, Vince helped lead and expand the Marketing and Communications department for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, navigating the organization through the the Pandemic by providing ideation and strategy to organizational pillars in order to optimize the promotion and storytelling of all startup programs, community outreach and pilots, recruitment initiatives, events, high-profile/legislative visits, advocacy efforts and policy outreach. Vince has also worked for the California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission, the latter of which he led efforts to develop and implement their social media strategy.

Joining Arts for LA is a pivotal moment for Vince as it merges his personal life with his professional career. A lifelong musician and performer, Vince brings his own experiences in the arts sector to inform and help lead Arts for LA’s communication efforts and overall mission. 

Vince is an emcee, songwriter and self-proclaimed “social pterodactyl.” He devotes his spare time to exploring LA’s diverse flea markets & cultural events, cookies, all things Reggaeton, playing old-school video games, and anything people-oriented. 

Gabriel Gutierrez

Originally from Chicago, Gabriel is an adult adoptee, first generation street dance artist, founder of MoFundamentals, and artivist dedicated to highlighting the resiliency of the foster and adoptee community. His work centers around disseminating his knowledge of street dance, lessons of manhood derived from his experiences in homelessness, being his own financial safety net and foster care. Gabriel brings important ancestral practices from his P’urhépecha lineage into his work.

His contributions at the intersection of hip hop, education, healing practices, and foster care advocacy have earned him invitation to train at intensives hosted by Rennie Harris, nomination for the ACTIVATE Cultural Policy Fellowship to represent Los Angeles City District 1, and recruitment to pilot reentry programming funded by the California Arts Council. Follow his work on instagram @mofundamentals.

Yamily Pardio

Yamily is a DACAmented immigrant from Yucatan, Mexico of Yucatec Maya and Chinese descent. She has been deeply impacted by her experiences, which led to her dedicating her youth to organizing in various realms of the immigrant movement. She was part of the first group of students advocating for Dream Resource Centers at Mt. San Antonio College in 2013. As a non-traditional student, she was able to benefit from those advocacy efforts years later when she returned to college in 2021 now that every college campus in California has a Dream Resource Center. While away from college, she focused her organizing efforts on stopping deportations and building mutual aid networks for immigrant transwomen. She is currently an undergraduate student at UCLA with the hopes of exploring the intersection of legal scholarship and cultural artifacts.

Uday Ram

Uday is founding partner at CVL Economics: a Los Angeles-based economic consultancy practice specializing in inclusive economic development and growth with an emphasis on the role of the creative economy. Founded in 2021 in response to a rapidly shifting economic landscape, CVL recognizes that communities, institutions, and organizations are facing unprecedented challenges as they navigate uncertainty.

Adam Fowler

Adam is founding partner at CVL Economics: a Los Angeles-based economic consultancy practice specializing in inclusive economic development and growth with an emphasis on the role of the creative economy. Founded in 2021 in response to a rapidly shifting economic landscape, CVL recognizes that communities, institutions, and organizations are facing unprecedented challenges as they navigate uncertainty.

Dr. Katrina VanderWoude

Dr. Katrina VanderWoude brings well over 25 years of progressively qualifying leadership
experience (instructional and student services) serving community colleges and four-year
institutions. Formal education and experiences have provided a strong foundation,
knowledge, and understanding of the comprehensive community college and its role in
transforming lives through access to educational preparation, career training, and
essential life skills, as well as its role in the community with respect to economic and
workforce development and community engagement. Dr. VanderWoude possesses
expertise in the operational areas crucial to community college leaders: accreditation,
enrollment management, an understanding of state and federal laws related to students
and employees, facilities planning, accessible programs and services for all students, and
the ability to execute multiple initiatives in a culturally diverse environment. Professional
credentials include a doctorate in Educational Leadership, with emphasis in Higher
Education, Organizational Systems and Development, and Student Affairs.

Dr. VanderWoude currently serves as Vice Chancellor at the Los Angeles Community
College District, the largest community college district within the nation with nine accredited
colleges, and over 200,000 highly diverse student enrollments. Dr. VanderWoude has also
served as President of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and Vice President of
Academic Affairs at Grossmont College, part of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community
College District (GCCCD) and an Achieving the Dream school. Dr. VanderWoude is
committed to equity-minded student success and brings that lens to all practices and
programs and additionally believes that fully collaborative partnerships are critical for
ensuring social, economic, and political mobility for our most underrepresented and
historically marginalized students and communities. Local community-based efforts have
included serving on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Commission for Reparations, the East San
Diego County Education Alliance Executive Committee (a formal K-12 partnership) with
emphasis on dual enrollment and transition to college for high school students, and initiating
the Pathways to Success Academy that brings community college courses and services to
incarcerated women. Dr. VanderWoude also served as Chief Instructional Officer for the
San Diego/Imperial Valley Community College Region for several years and the CCC Chief
Instructional Officer’s Executive Board, and the Basic Skills state-wide Advisory
Committee. Leadership roles have included: Vice Chancellor, President, Vice President,
Vice Provost, Dean, Accreditation Liaison Officer, Associate Dean, Corporate Training
Director/Grants Coordinator, Board President, and Foundation Board Trustee. Teaching
related assignments have included: Professor, Adjunct Faculty, Research Mentor,
Course Lead, and Lecturer in-person, hybrid, and online courses.

Tauheedah Shakur

Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Tauheedah has experienced the disproportionate impacts of foster care on communities of color from personal experiences and the effects of mass incarceration. Tauheedah uses her poetry to advocate for change and abolition on county and city levels. She is also the author of Hide and Seek, a poetry book that takes the reader through the complexities of being a black Muslim woman with anxiety in a world that teaches us every day that these identities are a crime. She has been organizing for 14 years and believes that every and any gift that you have can be used for the movement.

Kristin Sakoda

Kristin Sakoda is Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, a local arts agency which fulfills a mission to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout the largest county in the U.S. The Department of Arts and Culture provides grants and technical assistance to hundreds of nonprofit organizations; runs the largest arts internship program in the nation; coordinates countywide public-private arts education initiatives; increases access to creative career pathways; commissions civic artwork; supports free community programs; leads the LA County Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative; and advances cross-sector cultural strategies to address civic issues. Appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Ms. Sakoda previously served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Under her leadership, she led the organization during its historic transition into the County’s first Department of Arts and Culture.

Ms. Sakoda is an arts executive, attorney, and performing artist with more than 25 years in the field. She has appeared on national and international stages including with dance and social justice company Urban Bush Women and in musicals Rent and Mamma Mia! on Broadway. Prior to her work at the Department of Arts and Culture, she served in key leadership roles at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs overseeing a portfolio of strategic, programmatic, policy, legislative, and funding programs with a $200 million annual budget, and was instrumental in advancing diversity and inclusion; public art; creative aging; cultural facilities; and affordable workspace for artists. She holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law with honors in Entertainment Law, and B.A. from Stanford University with a specialization in Race and Ethnicity and a secondary major in Feminist Studies. As of 2021, she is a Board member of Grantmakers in the Arts, the national association of public and private arts funders in the U.S.

Kelly LoBianco

Kelly LoBianco was appointed Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development, a branch of the Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Services, in November 2021. In this capacity, she is establishing a Countywide economic and workforce development strategy that centers an equitable recovery and inclusive growth and will cultivate a vibrant, regional economy with opportunity and mobility for all workers, businesses, and communities.

An executive-level public servant and nonprofit professional with over 15 years of public and social sector experience at the federal, state, and local level, Kelly brings wide-ranging expertise to LA County. She is a service leader who uplifts community voices and demonstrates measurable, equitable, and sustainable impact. She is also a successful change agent for policy and programs in the social services, workforce development, and economic revitalization fields.

Most recently, Kelly served as Chief Program Officer for The HOPE Program and Sustainable South Bronx, a leading New York City-based nonprofit, where she oversaw the design, delivery, and scaling of workforce development and social enterprise programming in furtherance of the organization’s economic and environmental missions. While at HOPE, Kelly was elected as co-chair of YES! Bed-Stuy, a place-based, collaborative effort of community-based organizations and young adults to build stronger pathways to education and employment for opportunity youth. Prior to HOPE, Kelly was appointed by the Mayor of New York City as Assistant Commissioner for the NYC Department of Small Business Services, following several senior-level roles within the agency. With key industry partnerships in healthcare, tech, and media and entertainment, among others, Kelly administrated citywide bridge, training, and transitional work programs that met hiring and training needs and advanced system change goals, seeking to build diverse, qualified, and enduring talent pipelines and career pathways with family-sustaining wages in emerging and high-growth sectors. Kelly began her career working for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell in Washington DC.

Kelly holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern University, and an executive education certificate from Columbia Business School’s Senior Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals.

Meia Johnson

Meia currently serves as Program Manager, Arts Education and Youth Development for the LA County Department of Arts and Culture. She guides LA County’s initiative to provide young people with pathways into the region’s creative economy. She has extensive experience designing, implementing, and administrating workforce development programs for youth. Meia’s experience also includes community planning, nonprofit management, and organizational development. Previously, she served as a program director and consultant for Antelope Valley YouthBuild where she led the organization’s workforce development programs. Meia is a senior faculty member and subject-matter expert within the School of Business at the University of Phoenix. She has a bachelor’s in journalism, a bachelor’s in Pan-African Studies, and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge. She is also a first-year doctoral student at the American College of Education, pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership.

Stephania Ramirez

Stephania was appointed as Perenchio Foundation’s first Executive Director, pairing their mission and leadership needs with her background and interests. As Executive Director, she brings her knowledge, her lived experience, and her commitment to investing in and empowering communities to fulfill the Foundation’s mission of fostering the arts. As an immigrant and woman of color, Stephania recognizes the valuable contribution her heritage and relationships brings to her role. Prior to the Perenchio Foundation, Stephania was with the California Community Foundation where she served as director of strategic initiatives leading the development and management of a $30+ million We Count LA, a census outreach campaign that encompasses multi-sector partnerships, grantmaking, fundraising, communications, data collection and evaluation strategies. She also oversaw the LA Arts Relief & Recovery Fund, the largest-ever pooled private investment for arts nonprofits in Los Angeles County. She has more than fifteen years of experience working with foundations and nonprofits leading a variety of cross-sector outreach, communications, civic engagement, and fundraising campaigns.

Stephania has a Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communications, Development Economics degree for University of California, Berkeley and Advanced Project Management certification from Stanford University.

Nicole Hendrix

Nicole Hendrix is a four-time Emmy-winning Producer and has won five PromaxBDA GOLD awards as a Producer and Creative Director. With a multi-disciplinary background, Nicole has used storytelling as the main ingredient in her successful campaigns that span across television, games, live events, and film. She is currently working as a Producer and Marketing + PR Consultant with clients like Niantic, Baobab Studios, and 9B Collective. 

She is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the BRIC Foundation, an organization that focuses on increasing representation for women and people from underrepresented groups in the entertainment industry, where she directs their yearly Talent + Innovation Summit. She is also the Co-Founder of the Concept Art Association, and organization focusing on elevating and raising the profile of concept artists within the entertainment industry, where she directs their yearly Concept Art Awards show. 

She is an international public speaker, where she talks about Storytelling for a Brand and Creativity & Gender. She has given lectures at the University of Connecticut, CG Futures in Melbourne & Sydney, Australia, ing Creatives in Dubai, and many more. In her spare time she works with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as a volunteer crisis counselor advocate for Peace Over Violence.

Allison Frenzel

Allison Frenzel is an education programs specialist with the California Department of Education’s High School Innovations and Initiatives Office. She supports all Arts, Media and Entertainment (AME) and Secondary Arts programs in the state of California. Prior to her work at CDE, Allison spent 15 years as a classroom teacher and program coordinator in Sonoma County, and founded Pulse Arts, a 501(c)3 dedicated to connecting professional creatives and public education.  Through programs like the AME Workforce Development and Youth Apprenticeship Program, the Hip Hop Education and Equity Initiative, and partnerships with the California Film Commission and creative industry, Allison’s work is centered around supporting arts education equity and increasing access to industry-connected creative learning and career preparatory opportunities for AME programs in the state of California.

Brittney Mendez

Brittney Mendez is a first-generation Mexican American freelance illustrator and animator, who carved her path through hard work and determination. Despite the challenges of growing up in a low income household, her unwavering commitment to her artistic development led her to the prestigious Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Instead of following the path of entering the world of animation media via enrolling in a four-year college, she found her way by unconventional work paths. She is an alumni of Santa Monica Community College, and has joined organizations, such as “LatinX in Animation”, “Women in Animation”, and the “Group Effort Initiative” as invaluable resources. Brittney currently works as a freelance 2D animator for indie animations, made by smaller productions. She utilizes social media as her way of connection with other freelancers and to support the rise of up-and-coming independent animations in the industry.

Mark R. Edwards

Mark serves as the Vice President of Government Relations for JVS SoCal where he advocates for the systems change that address the barriers to good paying jobs, including the creative sector. Much of the work is done in collaboration with other organizations.

Mark has an expertise in navigating complex bureaucratic systems that was first developed in the private sector while employed as an Associate for a leading land-use firm, where he specialized in land use entitlement issues and later serving as the Director of Government Relations for a premier boutique lobbying firm. In this capacity, Mark assisted clients with obtaining or maintaining nearly $250,000,000 in contracts with city and county governments.

In the public sector, Mark’s knowledge base was further developed as a Senior Field Deputy for former Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. He was responsible for managing Brentwood, West Los Angeles and a portion of Palms serving the array of needs for approximately 50,000 constituents. Solving constituent issues involved working collaboratively with city, county, and state agencies, and with the community.

Mark is involved with and committed to community. He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and was honorably discharged. He was instrumental, as part of a team of community leaders, in the creation of the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council. He completed a three-year stint as a Board Member of Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles, a dynamic, and progressive, not-for-profit agency that effectively works to improve the health of people who are homeless through direct services, education, and advocacy, working with fellow board members and the executive director to navigate us through a horrible economic downturn. Mark served on the board of Barnsdall Art Park Foundation Board, where he served as chair for two years where they had a role in supporting the inclusion of the Hollyhock House as an UNESCO World Heritage Site representing one-of-eight Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Presently, Mark serves on the Executive Board of Governors for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, chairs the Legislative Action committee, and formerly co-chair of the Economic and Workforce Development committee.

A product of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Mark has resided in Los Angeles for 27 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from California State University, Northridge with a concentration in Public Administration and Community Service.

DeJon Ellis

Los Angeles native DeJon Ellis Jr. has been a grip with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 80 for 25 years. He has worked on various projects, from feature films to prime-time television and music videos. Ellis currently serves as Local 80’s business agent for grips, crafts services, set medics, marine, first aid employees and warehouse workers. Ellis is also a member-at-large for IATSE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Inez S. Bush

Inez S. Bush is the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District Board Chair. Inez’s belief in arts and creativity being essential to a healthy society and as a trained facilitator of strategic planning for non-profit organizations, businesses, education, and arts education institutions, which makes her a good fit as Board Chair. As former Assistant Dean of Extension at Otis College of Art and Design, she was responsible for cultivating and implementing external programs that serve businesses, educational institutions, and the community. Previously she worked for the Culver City Unified School District as the District Arts Consultant and founded an award-winning creative marketing communications firm, Gramercy Partners, Inc. Inez received a BFA in Graphic Design from State University of New York, Purchase College and a Master’s in Education, Leadership and Change from Antioch University Los Angeles.

Morenike Dosu

Morenike Dosu serves as Director – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Business Partner for DreamWorks Animation. In this role, she draws upon her 20+ years of Animation + VFX experience to develop and execute DEI workforce initiatives aligned with DreamWorks’ goals to recruit, retain and cultivate their inclusive workforce.

A key strategic partner to DreamWorks’ business leaders and HRBPs, Morenike drives measurable, systemic and sustainable change across DreamWorks while leading the studio’s long-term DEI framework. By diagnosing issues/needs and analyzing data related to DEI, Morenike builds strong relationships within all levels of the studio’s workforce and partners with multiple DEI stakeholders across DreamWorks and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) to develop and implement efforts that foster a studio culture where everyone can do their best work.

Prior to DreamWorks, Morenike has worked across the world at top-tier global studios such as Animal Logic in Sydney, The Moving Picture Company in London, and Framestore in Los Angeles. She’s been credited on blockbusters such as Prometheus, The Jungle Book, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.

Oscar Magallanes

Oscar Magallanes is a Chicano artist based in Los Angeles. Growing up in a Mexican-American barrio in LA, his artwork draws heavily from his upbringing and explores iconography from different eras. Expelled from high school at the age of fifteen, Magallanes was later admitted into the Ryman Arts program, which encouraged him to pursue a career in the arts. He went on to earn a BA in Art from UCLA in 2016 and an MFA in Visual Art from UC San Diego in 2021. His work can be found in the permanent collections of several museums including The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago and The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California. In 2016, he founded the art collective 3B, which has produced public art projects for various institutions. Magallanes has also served on the boards of several arts organizations and taught at UC San Diego.

Patricia “Patty” Huerta

Patricia “Patty” Huerta (she/her/ella) is a first-generation Mexican American performing artist, dance-maker, curator, community organizer, arts advocate, and educator from East L.A.  who is dedicated to amplifying the stories of her Latiné culture by weaving together her Afro-Latin Social Dance background with her contemporary dance practices.

She received her B.A. and M.F.A. in Dance and Experimental Choreography from UCR, where she earned The Gluck Fellowship of the Arts, M.F.A. Graduate Fellowship, and UC MEXUS Grant. Patty has collaborated and presented work at The Odyssey Theatre, Redcat Theater, The Ford, Our L.A. Voices at Grand Park in Los Angeles, UCR ARTS Museum, Oxy Arts at Occidental College, FLACC Festival, Mission Dance Theater, Berkeley Arts Museum (BAM), Highways Performance Space, Human Resources L.A., the BlakTinx Dance Festival in Arizona and L.A., and México City. She has taught and choreographed for the Tournament of Roses Parade at Pasadena City College, ACDFA Dance Festival at California State University, Long Beach, various K-12 schools in Southern California, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and is currently a faculty member in the Department of Dance at UCR. 

Patty is a founding member of Primera Generación Dance Collective (PGDC) for over 8 years, a board member of Show Box L.A. (SBLA) in Los Angeles, and an Arts Advocate committee member for Arts For L.A. in Los Angeles. PGDC is the recipient of the 2021-2023 National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) grant as well as the California Arts Council (CAC) and Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) grants. PGDC has been featured in The Los Angeles Times and recently produced and curated the third iteration of (de) Color-Es, a communal event designed to visibilize artists of color at the intersection of dance making and social activism, at NAVEL Space L.A. PGDC is currently working on their next full length work which will premiere at Redcat Theater in June of 2024.

La’Toya Cooper

La’Toya Cooper is a hardworking mother of two beautiful kings. She was born and raised in Los Angeles Ca where she became a victim and survivor of the child welfare system. She is a proud advocate to help change this system for our future and our children’s future. La’Toya is a part of Lens Co’s collaborative project developing a Young Person Led Intermediary. She is also a part of The LA County Youth Commission where, along with other young leaders, she is a current voice for the young people in our county. La’Toya is passionate about fighting the injustice of probation, child welfare, and the homeless systems creatively . Her passion is expressive writing and helping others. She strives to be the best authentic person she can be despite the odds against her. “I want to travel the world to meet every race and experience every culture. I’m done surviving I want to live.”

Steve Rosa

Steve Rosa (they/elle) completed their Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of California, Irvine in 2015. Their emphasis was in Dance and Technology with works that centered Latinidad. Rosa also completed a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, with a minor in Visual and Performing Arts Education, from the University of California, Los Angeles. They are an alum of Cypress College (A.A. in Dance and Dance Teaching Certificate) and Cerritos College (A.A. in Photography), where they received various degrees and awards.

As a collaborative artist they work with projection design, film making, multimedia installation, photography, sound design, and other media. Some selected collaborators include: Justin Morris, Primera Genercaion Dance Collective, no) one Art House, University of California, Irvine, and Maha and Company.

Currently, Rosa is a tenured professor, and chair of the dance department, at Saddleback College. There they teach both studio and lecture courses, direct productions, develop inclusive curriculum, and engage in equity-based work within the greater campus community.