Board 2.0

Rose Chan Loui is the inaugural Director of the Program on Philanthropy and Nonprofits at UCLA School of Law. Launched in 2021 with a $3.7 million seed gift from UCLA Law alumnus Lowell Milken ’73, the Program on Philanthropy and Nonprofits aims to become a national resource for scholarship and policy analysis of the rapidly shifting nonprofit sector. The Program’s priorities include training the next generation of nonprofit lawyers, developing scholarship, and bringing together the sector’s many stakeholders. They will develop events and curriculum for practitioners and managers of nonprofits in such areas as governance, lobbying and compliance. Prior to [...]

Leisa Wu has been committed to board leadership and community service for over 25 years. She serves on the Boards of Directors at Forest Lawn and Community Partners, Venice Family Clinic Advisory Board, Television Academy Investment Committee, and Providence Health & Services Foundation Audit Committee. Ms. Wu also has over 30 years of global finance and strategy leadership experience with Warner Bros. Entertainment Group. Her work in North America, Asia, and Europe led to a deep appreciation for global cultures and business practices. She retired from her last role as Corporate Senior Vice President of International Finance & Strategy and [...]

Stephanie Graves is CEO of the Lee Andrews Group, a public relations firm located in downtown Los Angeles. Since 2013 she had led the national communications firm that partners with businesses, agencies and organizations to evolve, promote, engage and protect their projects, reputations and brands. Stephanie oversees the company’s media relations, outreach campaigns, digital and social media, communications, crisis management, diversity and inclusion policies and strategic partnerships. An accomplished businesswoman, entrepreneur and community leader, her business acumen and financial expertise provides her with the right experience to lead the firm while managing the company’s overall operations, driving profitability, managing [...]

Sarah Ali is a respected leader in philanthropy, impact strategy, and education with more than 22 years of experience supporting student success and economic mobility. She serves as the Managing Director of the R&S Kayne Foundation, where she leads investments in education, economic empowerment, arts, and community health initiatives. She was instrumental in designing and launching the Kayne Scholars program (now Evolve Fellows), which provides mentorship, career readiness training, and financial support for first-generation college students. Her career has spanned leadership roles at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and Aspire Public Schools, where she worked to strengthen K-12 education and [...]

John Baackes is a seasoned health care executive with over 40 years of leadership experience in expanding access to quality, affordable health care. He retired in December 2024 as Chief Executive Officer of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, serving more than two million Los Angeles County residents. Under his leadership, L.A. Care strengthened its Medicaid and Medicare programs, expanded its provider network, and launched innovative initiatives to improve health outcomes for underserved communities. Before joining L.A. Care, Mr. Baackes was President of AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Plans, overseeing Medicare Advantage operations nationwide. He also [...]

Jarrett Barrios serves as the Senior Vice President for International Services and Services to Armed Forces at the American Red Cross. In his role, he provides oversight and direction for all global American Red Cross programs, including support to US service members, veterans and their families around the world, international disaster response and recovery efforts, the Global Disaster Preparedness Center, the Measles & Rubella Initiative, and resiliency programming partnerships in 14 nations in Asia, Latin America and Oceania. Prior to this role, Jarrett led the Red Cross in Los Angeles and in Massachusetts. He has also worked with the [...]

Leslie Gilbert-Lurie is a lawyer, author, philanthropist, community leader, and former television executive. Her Holocaust memoir, Bending Toward the Sun, documents her mother’s experience in the Holocaust and the intergenerational transmission of trauma. In 2022, Leslie was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to the California State University Board of Trustees. The CSU is the largest public University system in the United States. Gilbert-Lurie is a member of the International Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Board of Directors of the Pacific Council on International Policy. She also serves on the UCLA Foundation Board of Directors, [...]

Travis Kiyota is the Senior Vice President, Head of Global Corporate Affairs for East West Bank. Based in California, East West Bank is the 25th largest bank in the U.S. with over 120 locations across seven states and overseas. As a member of the Bank’s senior leadership team, Mr. Kiyota leads the Bank’s public policy and governmental relations strategy, oversees the communications and marketing function, and directs the company’s corporate security and crisis management. Mr. Kiyota has broad and extensive experience in public affairs, strategic communications, corporate philanthropy, and crisis and risk management, spanning more than 25 years. Prior [...]

George L. Pla is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and author whose work spans business and civic activities focused on empowering communities throughout California. He is the Founder and CEO of Cordoba Corporation, a nationally recognized engineering firm, whose innovative leadership was the subject of a Harvard Business School case study. George Pla is the Governor’s appointee, currently serving as the President of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, host of the 2028 Summer Olympics. As a Trustee of the California Science Center Foundation Board, George chaired Cordoba Corporation’s historic transport of the Space Shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los [...]

Michael Tubbs is the Founder of Tubbs Ventures, Founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC); the Founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI); and the Special Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom for Economic Mobility and Opportunity. In 2016, he was elected Mayor of Stockton at 26-years-old. He was the city’s first African-American Mayor, and the youngest Mayor of any major city in American history. As Mayor, Tubbs was lauded for his leadership and innovation. He raised over $20 million dollars to create the Stockton Scholars, a universal scholarship and mentorship program for Stockton students. Additionally, he piloted the first mayor-led guaranteed [...]

Tom is the Founding Partner of one of LA’s leading venture capital firms, Rustic Canyon Partners. Previously Tom served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Times Mirror Company. Further, he was a partner of Morrison & Foerster and earlier, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Tom has served on the boards of The California Community Foundation (CCF), CalArts, Heal the Bay, MOCA (Life Trustee), and ProPublica, as well as a Trustee of the California State Teachers Retirement System. Tom has also been a board member of several Rustic Canyon portfolio companies, as well as Blackline Systems and Praedicat. [...]

Dr. Marilyn Wells is a clinical psychologist, philanthropist, and advocate dedicated to addressing homelessness, foster care, and domestic violence. She is Co-Chair of the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation, which focuses on ending homelessness, housing foster youth, and supporting women and children affected by trauma. The foundation also funds education initiatives and numerous entertainment industry charities. Stories From The Frontline, an initiative of the John and Marilyn Wells Family Foundation, is a storytelling platform that elevates stories of lived experience to raise awareness. SFTF promotes housing solutions that work and galvanizes communities to get involved in housing solutions. [...]

Karen Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles and the first woman and second African American to be elected as the city's chief executive. With an agenda focused on bringing urgency, accountability, and a new direction to Los Angeles, she will start her term with a focus on housing people immediately and increasing safety and opportunity in every part of Los Angeles. A daughter of our city, Mayor Bass was raised with her three brothers in the Venice/Fairfax neighborhood and is a proud graduate of Hamilton High School. After serving as a front-line healthcare provider as a nurse [...]