Meteorologist, ABC7 Eyewitness News

Leslie Lopez is the morning meteorologist for ABC7 Eyewitness News, providing weekday weather reports for the 4am, 5am, and 6am newscasts.

Leslie joined ABC7 in 2016 and received her Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University, where she studied broadcast meteorology. In addition, Leslie has also completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UC Riverside. She is also certified as a broadcast meteorologist by Mississippi State University.

Leslie is a SoCal native, hailing from Chino Hills, and graduated from Pomona Catholic High School. She joined ABC7 after spending several years at KUSI in San Diego, where she worked as a weekday morning weather/traffic anchor, fill-in anchor, and host. Before that she held dual roles at Bakersfield NBC-affiliate KGET, where she worked as a reporter and weekend weather anchor. Leslie has enjoyed all of her on-air roles, from reporting, to hosting, to anchoring, and to weather. But in her passion for science and the challenge of meteorology, Leslie has found her calling.

Leslie also assists in hosting “On The Red Carpet” at the Academy Awards with George Pennacchio, Karl Schmid, and Roshumba Williams.

Outside of work, Leslie enjoys spending time with her young son and husband. Her hobbies include travel, dining, golf, home improvement projects, reading, writing, and dreaming.

Principal, The Raben Group

Laura brought over a decade of congressional experience when she joined The Raben Group, having served as District Director, Legislative Counsel, and acting Chief of Staff to Congressman Xavier Becerra, former chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. As a top advisor in both the capitol and district offices, Laura provided keen insight for navigating complex public policy challenges and delivering results. Laura received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Law School. She maintains a personal commitment to community service by volunteering with advisory and fundraising committees working to promote education and environmental sustainability, as well as increase opportunities for underserved communities.

Executive Vice President and Head of Hispanic & Latino Affairs, Wells Fargo Bank

Patty Juarez has spent more than 29 years at Wells Fargo where she has held a variety of leadership roles. Currently, Patty serves as the Head of Hispanic/Latino affairs. She is responsible for building a Hispanic/Latino external engagement portfolio focused on national cultural engagement, executive recruitment, business development, and stakeholder relations.

She partners with Diverse Segments Representation & Inclusion, External Engagement, and Government Relations to curate national and local stakeholder activities to amplify Wells Fargo’s DE&I commitment. Patty has a long history of leadership in the Latino community. She is former chairwoman and current board member of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber, she is on the board of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and on the advisory board for the Latino Donor Collaborative. She is also on the board of Governors at Chapman University and on the Chancellor’s Council at the University of California, Berkeley. Patty is also involved in diversity and entrepreneurship initiatives at Cal, Stanford, and Harvard Universities.

Externally, Patty often speaks about topics such as Diversity and Inclusion, diverse segments, access to capital, multi-cultural marketing, and financial literacy. Internally, Patty is past president of the Hispanic & Latino Connection Employee Resource Network, which has 53 chapters and represents more than 35,000 Latinos at Wells Fargo. Patty lives in Orange County, California, with her children Isabella and Max.

Senior Manager, Global Communications, The Estée Lauder Companies

Jackie Martinez is currently Senior Manager, Global Communications at The Estée Lauder Companies, where she oversees integrated communications for the company’s Global Innovation and R&D function. In this role, she is responsible for amplifying ELC’s research & development efforts and reputation-driving environmental and social impact efforts such as green chemistry, packaging sustainability, ingredient transparency, and women in STEM. At the company, she has also served on the Hispanic Connections employee resource group leadership team, leading communications and business alignment in her role.

Prior to joining ELC, Jackie worked at Edelman, supporting medical and scientific communications within the agency’s Bioscience Communications team. She graduated from Iona College in New York with a BS in chemistry and an MBA in international business.

President & CEO of LAist

Alejandra Santamaria is the President and CEO of LAist. She most recently served as the interim President, General Manager and Vice President, Director of Sales for Univision Los Angeles, part of TelevisaUnivision, the leading Hispanic media company in the U.S. In this role, Santamaria ran sales and operations for Univision’s flagship local television station KMEX, UniMas KFTR, KLVE-FM, KSCA-FM, KRCD/V-FM and KTNQ-AM radio stations and a suite of digital properties in the Los Angeles market.

Santamaria has three decades of experience in the media industry. She also served as the President and General Manager of Univision Arizona where she led all station operations, sales initiatives and digital marketing solutions for the company’s local TV, radio and digital properties based in Phoenix for the entire state of Arizona.

Prior to that, Santamaria served in various roles at Univision Los Angeles, including director of local sales and senior account executive. Santamaria began her media career at Univision as an intern before being hired as a research analyst. She has also held several positions at Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation (HBC) where she last served as an account executive.

Santamaria is a founding member of Univision’s Women’s Leadership Council (WLC), an employee resource group designed to prepare the next generation of women leaders. She was also a part of the group’s steering committee. She most recently served on the boards of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the L.A. County Economic Development Corporation. Previous boards she served on include the Arizona-Mexico Commission, Arizona Broadcasters Association and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Santamaria holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Loyola Marymount University where she majored in Communications and minored in Business.

Founded in 2021, Mariachi Las Mariposas is the nation’s only all-female high school mariachi ensemble.  They have been fortunate to be recipients grants from the Mariachi Women’s Foundation and the Mariachi USA Foundation and have participated in the Mariachi Women’s Foundation concerts the last couple of years. Other notable performances include the LA County Fair and opening up for Mariachi Divas. 

Led by Director Guillermo Gonzalez, Mariachi Las Mariposas is comprised of over 16 members. 

Mariachi Las Mariposas is a symbol of inspiration for the entire mariachi community, motivating young women to pursue their passion and represent their culture. These student musicians are role models in and out of the classroom and are the pride and joy of East Los Angeles. The group embodies empowerment and grace, challenging traditional gender roles and highlighting the diversity within mariachi music. 

Anchor & Reporter, NBC4 News

Award-winning journalist Michelle Valles is a general assignment reporter weekdays for NBC4’s Today in LA and the NBC4 News at 11 a.m. She also reports for and anchors the weekend edition of Today in LA from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.  She joined the station in 2012.

Valles covers breaking news daily and interviews authors, filmmakers, dignitaries, and local experts to cover issues with more depth and clarity. She points to her coverage of Rodney King’s death as one of her most memorable assignments at NBC4. She anchored the station’s first breaking news report on that story, and continued reporting from the field until well into the evening the day the story broke.

Other career highlights include covering a two-part investigation on Americans being unfairly detained in a Federal Mexican prison; the notorious Juarez murders; Mexican orphanage conditions; U.S. Mexico border protests, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Lady Bird Johnson’s death and 9/11. She also was intrigued by her candid and exclusive interview with Willie Nelson regarding his marijuana use and his efforts to decriminalize the drug in the U.S.

Valles was honored with the prestigious National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism in 2017. She has also previously been voted Best Anchor by the Texas Associated Press, the Austin Chronicle and Rare Magazine. She was part of the news team that won the Best Newscast Award from the Texas Associated Press in 2007 and was selected by the Austin American Statesman to be included in their prestigious Fortunate 500 List for community service for seven consecutive years.

Dedicated to community service, Valles served as a national ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and has given her time to several local nonprofit organizations.

She is fluent in Spanish and an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Vice President of Gas Acquisition, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)

Elsa Valay-Paz is vice president of gas acquisition for the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated utility. She possesses a wealth of industry expertise and has held leadership positions across the Sempra family of companies. In her current role, Valay-Paz is responsible for procuring natural gas for SoCalGas’ and San Diego Gas & Electric’s residential and small commercial customers and delivering it to the utilities’ system.

Principal Manager Government Relations, Southern California Edison

Environmental Project Manager, Gateway Cities Council of Governments

Vice President Local Public Affairs, Southern California Edison

Karla Diaz Sayles is vice president of Local Public Affairs at Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. She leads the company’s efforts to build strong relationships with local governments and community leaders, representing SCE before local and regional government officials and their staffs, including district offices of state and federal officials, as well as local and regional business organizations.
Most recently, Sayles worked in the governor’s office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) as deputy director of the California Film Commission overseeing film permitting, tax incentives, location resources and on-location production support. Previously, she served as director of public affairs at Warner Bros. Discovery, managing public affairs strategies and stakeholder engagement. Before that, she was the health deputy for Los Angeles County’s second supervisorial district and held positions at various public affairs firms.

Sayles maintains her commitment to building strong communities through service on several nonprofit boards, including LA Mayor Karen Bass’ Entertainment Industry Council and the advisory board for Zócalo Public Square. She is a member of the Junior League of Los Angeles (president 2018-2019) and is an alumna of HOPE Leadership Institute.

Sayles holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies from Northwestern University.

Senior Manager, Career Infrastructure and Engagement, The Walt Disney Company

Dayana Falcon grew up in Miami, FL where the warmth and electric vibe of the city quickly grew on her at an early age. Being the first in her family to attend college as a Latina with Cuban roots, she chose The University of Florida. Dayana has been described as a pioneering, digital expert, visionary, connector, revenue driver, change-maker and her greatest strength is her ability to network.

For over a decade, Dayana has embodied the definition of #CareerFocused. She is a dynamic global leader with a proven track record of driving impact and success in the technology and media industry. Dayana’s business development mindset and digital marketing background has been instrumental in accelerating her efforts to create equal access to opportunity for the next generation. She understands that fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also good for business. By investing time and energy into igniting a culture of career and accelerating talent mobility strategies, she’s been able to drive innovation, creativity, and growth at scale.

Falcon has worked alongside Fortune 500 Companies from The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and Interpublic Group across digital analytics and media, chief of staff, sales marketing, and now Talent Management scopes.

In her journey to Human Resources, Dayana leveraged emerging technology such as Mixed Reality, Chatbots, Power Apps, and AI into their talent management strategies. She produced next-generation employee engagement experiences, including peer mentorship, career coaching, and employee showcase competitions, all designed to elevate the employee experience through their award-winning ESPN Career Center.

Today, Dayana Falcon has expanded her scope, and joins us as the Senior Manager, Career Infrastructure and Engagement at The Walt Disney Company.

Dayana’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, and she was honored with the University of Florida 40 Under 40 Young Alumni award, recognizing her as one of the top young professionals in her field creating impact. Dayana’s bold and innovative approach to business has earned her a reputation as a trailblazing leader with an unwavering commitment to the intersection of excellence and equity.

In addition to her impressive career achievements, Dayana is also a certified International Coaching Federation career coach and the founder of Gators UNIDOS, a non-profit focused on providing educational, mentorship, and sponsorship opportunities for the next generation of Latino University of Florida Gators. Her dedication to empowering and uplifting others is evident in her leadership, including the launch of the first-ever Latino merchandise line in partnership with The University of Florida.

Dayana resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband Jason and their fur babies Oliver and Bella.

Producer of Phineas and Ferb, The Walt Disney Company

Susy Campos was born in Mexico and raised in California. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Animation and has over 18 years of animation experience in Production. She’s worked on different animated series such as Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Cleveland Show, Samurai Jack, Jessica’s Big Little World, Craig of the Creek, and currently producing Phineas and Ferb at Disney TV Animation. Having worked in different areas of production, Susy combines her knowledge and passion for animation to assemble creative teams that can bring authentic stories and visual representation to our communities.

Director, Global Content Planning, The Walt Disney Company

Emily Dastoli grew up in Rhode Island, where her family has owned and operated a Guatemalan restaurant for the past 30 years. As the first in her family to attend college, Emily graduated from Brown University and moved to the city of angels to pursue a career in film and entertainment.
As her career continued to take shape, it quickly became apparent that her true north was maintaining an international focus. Emily now oversees the international arm of Disney+ Global Content Planning where she interfaces with colleagues from around the world, supporting global content distribution for audiences worldwide.
Emily resides in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children, the younger two being twins.

MJ Acosta-Ruiz is a TV Host and Sportscaster. Acosta-Ruiz is an anchor on SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship show. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish she is also the Monday Night Football sideline reporter for ESPN Deportes. The Emmy Award-winning journalist became the first ever woman of color to host a show at the NFL Network when she was named the host of NFL Total Access in 2020.

Acosta-Ruiz joined NFL Network in 2018 from NBC and Telemundo in San Diego where she covered the Chargers, Padres and international soccer for three seasons in both English & Spanish language broadcasts as the lead sports anchor. Prior to joining NBC and Telemundo, Acosta-Ruiz spent three years as a reporter for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, covering sports, entertainment and breaking news.

A former Miami Dolphins cheerleader, Acosta-Ruiz graduated from Barry University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. In 2024 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters Degree from her alma mater.

With nearly 15 years of experience in the industry, MJ continues her work as an advocate for representation and equality. MJ works closely with women’s empowerment groups such as A Seat at the Table, and is on the Board of Health in the Hood, a non-profit helping to close the gap of food inequity/insecurity in South Florida. She is dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.

Chair, Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles

Cecilia Rios-Aguilar is Professor of Education and Department Chair at UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies (Ed&IS). She serves as a faculty Co-Director of Policy Analysis of California Education (PACE), a Board Member of the Spencer Foundation, and a research affiliate of Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research at UC Davis. She previously served as Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCLA’s Ed&IS and Director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. Her multidisciplinary research employs asset-oriented conceptual frameworks—including funds of knowledge, community cultural wealth, and forms of capital—alongside sophisticated statistical approaches such as econometric models, multilevel models, spatial analyses, GIS, and social network analysis to study educational and occupational trajectories of underserved and racially/ethnically minoritized students. Dr. Rios-Aguilar’s current research examines community college students’ decision-making processes regarding majors, jobs, and careers. She is also evaluating the impact of California’s community college baccalaureate program on students’ academic and labor market outcomes. Additionally, she has received NSF funding to develop artificial intelligence tools that help Latine STEM students convert their assets into academic capital. Dr. Rios-Aguilar holds a Ph.D. in Education Theory and Policy and an M.S. in Educational Administration from the University of Rochester, as well as a B.A. in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

Deputy Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

President, Fullerton College

Dr. Cynthia Olivo, an established leader in higher education, began serving as the 10th president of Fullerton College in January 2023. Dr. Olivo’s career spans nearly three decades, serving as a champion for equity, inclusion and academic excellence for students. Her time in educational leadership is marked by a student-centered philosophy that aligns with Fullerton College’s mission to empower students to achieve their educational goals.

Dr. Olivo’s academic credentials include a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in urban leadership from Claremont Graduate University, as well as a Master of Science in counseling and guidance and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from California State University, San Bernardino.

Dean of Workforce, Los Angeles Harbor College

Sandra Sanchez is an experienced strategist, visionary, groundbreaking and student-centered education leader. As the former Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office she led the states efforts in improving career education for the largest system of higher education in the country. A former dean of Academic Affairs and current dean of Economic & Workforce Development at Los Angeles Harbor College, she has led workforce education and educational programs leading to certificates and degrees. Over the past two decades, Sanchez has held management positions at three of California’s largest community college districts: Los Angeles Community College District, Santa Monica College and Long Beach City College. She has successfully managed adult education, continuing education, virtual education, emeritus education, corporate/customized training and Intergovernmental agreements at every institution she has served. Sanchez remains continuously committed to developing accessible, affordable, quality education and life learning programs for nontraditional students and adult populations. She is most proud of her efforts to assist underserved populations, first generation college students, and other diverse populations needing support and college transition, retention and workplace opportunities.

A native of Southern California, Sanchez earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from CSU Long Beach, and an MBA from the University of Redlands.

CEO & Co-Founder, SUMA Wealth

Beatriz Acevedo is the CEO and Co-Founder of SUMA Wealth, a FinTech company dedicated to closing the wealth gap for U.S. Latinos. SUMA Wealth was founded in 2020 amid the disproportionate financial hardships faced by Latinos during the pandemic. The company’s vision is to bridge the wealth gap and foster financial inclusion within the Latino community. As founder & CEO of SUMA Wealth, Beatriz’s vision is to ensure Latinos have access to resources to build wealth. Beatriz believes that being represented in numbers is not enough and until Latinos have economic power, they won’t have true power in this country. Beatriz Acevedo has been recognized as a trailblazing Latina entrepreneur, honored as the Inc’s Top 100 Female Founders and LinkedIn’s Top Voices to follow. Beatriz is consistently featured on Most Powerful Latinas lists for Alpha and Hispanic executives for her outstanding contributions to the Latino community and driving positive change in her community.

Chief of Staff of Global Affairs, Open AI

Marisa is a seasoned leader with deep experience in global affairs, law, and corporate strategy. Over the past decade, she has helped fast-growing tech companies scale and operate responsibly in new markets. She currently is at OpenAI where she is the Chief of Staff of Global Affairs. Previously, Marisa was a Senior Director at Airbnb, Chief of Staff to San Francisco City Attorney Dennis J. Herrera, and a litigation partner at Nossaman LLP. She is an independent Director at Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company and serves on the Advisory Boards of Latinas in Tech, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Marisa is a graduate of Georgetown University and UCLA School of Law.

Chief Development Officer, Conectado Inc.

News Anchor, Telemundo 52 Los Angeles

Sandra O’Neill is the News Anchor for Telemundo 52’s award-winning weekday morning newscasts, Noticiero Telemundo 52 a las 5 a.m. y 6 a.m. Telemundo 52 is Telemundo’s West Coast Flagship television station, delivering nearly 30 hours of local news and programming each week to Spanish-speaking audiences in Southern California, including breaking news coverage, up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, and entertainment.

O’Neill is a seasoned journalist with nearly two decades of storytelling experience covering issues and significant events impacting the community. Her storytelling has earned her notable recognitions from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association, an Edward R. Murrow award for production and eight Emmy awards for coverage of the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, investigative reporting on consumer affairs, the 2015 San Bernardino massacre, live coverage of an unscheduled news event titled “Furia Por Justicia” surrounding the marches for social justice in 2020, and the live news special event titled “Kobe Por Siempre” covering the passing of basketball legend Kobe Bryant.

O’Neill joined Telemundo 52 in 2018 as News Anchor for the station’s weekend newscast Noticiero Telemundo 52 a las 6 PM y 11 PM and Reporter for the weekday dayside newscasts. Prior to joining Telemundo 52, O’Neill worked as a news anchor and reporter for Univision 34 Los Angeles and Univision 41 New York.

O’Neill, a native of Guanajuato, Mexico, earned her bachelor’s degree in Cinema and Television Arts from California State University, Northridge.

Vice President, Diverse Segments Market Consultant, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Agent, Farmers Insurance

Dean of Workforce, Los Angeles Harbor College

Sandra Sanchez is an experienced strategist, visionary, groundbreaking and student-centered education leader. As the former Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office she led the states efforts in improving career education for the largest system of higher education in the country. A former dean of Academic Affairs and current dean of Economic & Workforce Development at Los Angeles Harbor College, she has led workforce education and educational programs leading to certificates and degrees. Over the past two decades, Sanchez has held management positions at three of California’s largest community college districts: Los Angeles Community College District, Santa Monica College and Long Beach City College. She has successfully managed adult education, continuing education, virtual education, emeritus education, corporate/customized training and Intergovernmental agreements at every institution she has served. Sanchez remains continuously committed to developing accessible, affordable, quality education and life learning programs for nontraditional students and adult populations. She is most proud of her efforts to assist underserved populations, first generation college students, and other diverse populations needing support and college transition, retention and workplace opportunities.

A native of Southern California, Sanchez earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from CSU Long Beach, and an MBA from the University of Redlands.

Vice President, Hair Care & Color Research & Development, Estée Lauder Companies

Sr. Director of HSI National Initiatives, CSUN HSI Innovation HUB

Executive Digital Editor, Vogue México & Latin America

Atenea Morales de la Cruz is the Executive Digital Editor at Vogue Mexico and Latin America. She is a fashion journalist graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She joined Vogue in 2018 as an Editorial Coordinator and became Culture and Lifestyle Editor in 2021. In January 2022, started to oversee the digital platforms of vogue.mx

Atenea has been part of the Condé Nast Global Sustainability Council, advocating for sustainable practices in the fashion industry, as well as The Women’s Network to foster female empowerment within organizations. In 2020, she launched (Re)Vogue, the first 360’s vertical for Vogue Mexico, focusing on raising awareness about the impact the fashion industry has on the environment.

Statewide Policy Director, HOPE

María Morales is a proud daughter of immigrants and Latina from Orange, CA. She comes to HOPE after three years of service to the California State Legislature. Most recently, Maria served as a legislative aide for the office of Assemblymember Phil Ting (AD-19) during his tenure as chair of the Assembly Budget committee, working on various policy areas including human services, education and environmental issues. In her role, Maria was pivotal in securing $16.5 million in ongoing funding for foster youth supplemental housing in the state budget and successfully ushering over 10 bills to the Governor’s desk for a signature. Prior to that, she was an Assembly fellow in the office of Assemblymember Mark Stone (AD-29) where she helped secure $100 million in funding to develop in-state behavioral health services for youth with complex needs. During her time in Sacramento, Maria also served as the board treasurer for the California Latino Capitol Association Foundation (CLCAF) from 2021-2023 and was key in establishing a mentorship program for first-generation Latinx policy professionals. She started her professional career at HOPE as a research and communications fellow in 2019 and is an alumna of the University of Southern California.

President, Fullerton College

Executive Vice President, Campaign for College Opportunity

Senator, California State Legislature

Elected to represent the 25th Senate District in November 2024, Senator Sasha Renée Pérez has been appointed to serve as the Chair of the Senate Education Committee. She also serves on the Senate Committees on Budget, Budget Sub 1 (Education), Environmental Quality, Human Services, Public Safety and the Joint Committee on Arts. In addition, Senator Pérez will serve on a newly created Affordability Working Group to push forward an affordability plan aimed at improving the lives of working Californians and seniors.

Born and raised in Alhambra, her family has lived in the San Gabriel Valley for three generations. Her father is an electrician and her mother is a social worker. After graduating from Mark Keppel High School, Pérez became the first in her family to graduate from college, earning degrees in Political Science and Economics from California State University, Los Angeles.

In college, Pérez led a statewide campaign that successfully secured $97 million dollars to increase college access and affordability for all California students. During the same time, she was elected to her local neighborhood council and worked on issues such as neighborhood beautification and transportation.

Since graduating, Pérez has continued her work on pressing policy issues, led statewide campaigns, and educated constituents from across California on how to effectively fight for policies to improve their community. Over the last decade, she has played an important role in passing historic legislation that increased healthcare access, expanded government transparency, and provided protections for victims of violent crimes.

Assistant Vice President Financial Education Project Manager, U.S. Bank 

Program Educator, Girls Inc. Of Orange County

News Anchor, ABC7 Eyewitness News

Jovana Lara is currently weekday anchor for the 11am and 5pm and reports on solutions to community problems for Eyewitness News.

Jovana was raised in Glendale after her family emigrated from Cuba when she was a small child. Although she was always interested in broadcasting, Jovana graduated from Loyola Marymount University and originally pursued a career in business.

She started in Palm Springs working weekends for KESQ. After one year of reporting, Jovana was promoted to weekend anchor. Eager to hone her reporting skills, Jovana took on a second job reporting for the Orange County News Channel. She continued to work both in Palm Springs and Orange County until she was hired to report by KNSD in San Diego.

During her first year in San Diego, Jovana won an Emmy for a story about a small village near Tijuana washed away in the 1997 mudslides of El Nino. Two other stories were also Emmy-nominated that year. Later, she won commendations from the San Diego Press club.

Since joining ABC7 Eyewitness News in 2000, Jovana has won four Emmys for her role as co-host on Vista L.A. As a reporter, Jovana has covered everything from breaking news including fires, crimes and natural disasters to in-depth feature stories. She’s traveled to Mexico and Guatemala to cover earthquakes, immigration, and the Pope’s visit as well as ongoing quality of life issues facing both Los Angeles and Mexico City. Jovana is also active on behalf of the station at many community events.

Executive Vice President and Enterprise Head of Hispanic/Latino Affairs, Wells Fargo

Patty Juarez has spent more than 29 years at Wells Fargo where she has held a variety of leadership roles. Currently, Patty serves as the Head of Hispanic/Latino affairs. She is responsible for building a Hispanic/Latino external engagement portfolio focused on national cultural engagement, executive recruitment, business development, and stakeholder relations.

She partners with Diverse Segments Representation & Inclusion, External Engagement, and Government Relations to curate national and local stakeholder activities to amplify Wells Fargo’s DE&I commitment. Patty has a long history of leadership in the Latino community. She is former chairwoman and current board member of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber, she is on the board of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and on the advisory board for the Latino Donor Collaborative. She is also on the board of Governors at Chapman University and on the Chancellor’s Council at the University of California, Berkeley. Patty is also involved in diversity and entrepreneurship initiatives at Cal, Stanford, and Harvard Universities.

Externally, Patty often speaks about topics such as Diversity and Inclusion, diverse segments, access to capital, multi-cultural marketing, and financial literacy. Internally, Patty is past president of the Hispanic & Latino Connection Employee Resource Network, which has 53 chapters and represents more than 35,000 Latinos at Wells Fargo. Patty lives in Orange County, California, with her children Isabella and Max.

District Sr. Director, Target

Passionate leader dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture of belonging in both corporate and community spaces.  As a District Senior Director (oversees 10 Target locations in East LA Market), she leads with a people-first mindset, ensuring that teams are empowered, supported, and inspired to deliver on excellence.

Daughter of Mexican immigrants from Durango and Guadalajara, she deeply understands the power of culture, identity, and representation.  Growing up in Los Angeles area, while staying connected to her roots, she has navigated the complexities of “ni de aqui, ni de alla”  shaping her commitment to uplifting diverse voices.

She is an advocate for Latinx representation, a dedicated mentor, and leader of a diverse team members and leaders. Outside of work, she is a mom of 4- Adrian (16), Ava (9), Alex (5) and Ashton (5).  What brings her the most joy is celebrating family traditions, traveling, and exploring new ways to balance purpose and well-being.

Social Impact Strategist | Community Builder | Changemaker

Elsa Collins is a social impact strategist dedicated to empowering communities through advocacy and civic engagement. Raised between San Diego and Tijuana, she is a proud first-generation Latina with degrees from Stanford University (B.A., M.A.) and Columbia Law School (J.D.).

As the founder of The Ideateur, Elsa has led initiatives on voter engagement, immigrant rights, gender equity, and racial justice, partnering with organizations like Fair Fight, the NBA, I am A Voter, and Voto Latino. Since 2016, she has spearheaded efforts to mobilize the Latinx vote, driving significant increases in early voter participation.

Elsa has played a pivotal role in shaping influential advocacy communities cofounded This Is About Humanity (TIAH) in 2018. TIAH supports families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, providing 3,100+ meals daily and direct assistance to families in Los Angeles. This year TIAH launched our Emergency Fund to help immigrant families impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.

She also cofounded Poderistas with America Ferrera and Eva Longoria, this platform has mobilized 300,000+ Latinas through storytelling and civic engagement. As a Senior Advisor at Equis, Elsa has helped lead cultural campaigns celebrating Latino heritage, including the 2023 Flamin’ Hot initiative. Elsa advised the Harris-Walz 2024 campaign’s Latino Surrogate Engagement Strategy, working with influential figures in sports and entertainment to amplify community support.

Elsa’s impact has been recognized with awards from the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, the California Latino Legislative Caucus, and Communities in Schools. She is married to Jarron Collins, assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, and they are raising their three children in Los Angeles.

Chief Executive Officer, HOPE

As the CEO of HOPE for 23 years, Helen Iris Torres has strategically built a Latina leadership and advocacy infrastructure in California, composed of thousands of civically engaged Latina leaders serving in elected and appointed office, as business, philanthropic and community leaders. She has created robust pathways to leadership for Latinas in high school to Latinas across the United States, resulting in over 1,600 leadership positions being filled by Latinas. Helen was raised by a single mother outside of Detroit, Michigan. She is a first-generation college graduate. Her passion to fight for women’s rights stems from witnessing the sexual and racial discrimination her mother faced daily.

United States Ambassador to Croatia, ret.

Nathalie Rayes is a distinguished leader in public service, diplomacy, and advocacy. She served as the 10th United States Ambassador to Croatia, advancing economic prosperity, security, and cultural partnerships. Previously, she was President & CEO of Latino Victory, expanding Latino representation in leadership roles.

Earlier, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, overseeing intergovernmental affairs and major citywide initiatives. In the private sector, she was Vice President of Public Affairs for Grupo Salinas, leading corporate social responsibility and cross-border partnerships. She has held leadership roles on numerous boards, including the Hispanic Federation, Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program, Woodrow Wilson Center, and the U.S. Institute of Peace. She also founded and chaired the HOPE Binational Fellowship, fostering a pipeline of Latina leaders across the U.S. and Mexico.

Recognized for her impact, she was named UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Alumna of the Year in 2014. Fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in Arabic, Nathalie is a globally minded leader dedicated to fostering cross-cultural collaboration, strengthening democratic institutions, and driving meaningful change on an international scale.

MJ Acosta-Ruiz is a TV Host and Sportscaster. Acosta-Ruiz is an anchor on SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship show. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish she is also the Monday Night Football sideline reporter for ESPN Deportes. The Emmy Award-winning journalist became the first ever woman of color to host a show at the NFL Network when she was named the host of NFL Total Access in 2020. 

Acosta-Ruiz joined NFL Network in 2018 from NBC and Telemundo in San Diego where she covered the Chargers, Padres and international soccer for three seasons in both English & Spanish language broadcasts as the lead sports anchor. Prior to joining NBC and Telemundo, Acosta-Ruiz spent three years as a reporter for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, covering sports, entertainment and breaking news. 

A former Miami Dolphins cheerleader, Acosta-Ruiz graduated from Barry University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. In 2024 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters Degree from her alma mater. 

With nearly 15 years of experience in the industry, MJ continues her work as an advocate for representation and equality. MJ works closely with women’s empowerment groups such as A Seat at the Table, and is on the Board of Health in the Hood, a non-profit helping to close the gap of food inequity/insecurity in South Florida. She is dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. 

Principal, The Raben Group

Laura brought over a decade of congressional experience when she joined The Raben Group, having served as District Director, Legislative Counsel, and acting Chief of Staff to Congressman Xavier Becerra, former chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. As a top advisor in both the capitol and district offices, Laura provided keen insight for navigating complex public policy challenges and delivering results. Laura received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Law School. She maintains a personal commitment to community service by volunteering with advisory and fundraising committees working to promote education and environmental sustainability, as well as increase opportunities for underserved communities.

HOPE Board Chair

Government Affairs Manager, Pacific Gas & Electric

Erica Cabrera is a Central Valley native and HOPE Leadership Institute Alumnus, Class of 2013. She currently works for Pacific Gas & Electric as a Central Coast-Central Valley Local Government Affairs Manager servicing Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, & Tulare Counties. Erica earned a Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Fresno Pacific University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Fresno. She has 10 years of experience working in local and state government; which includes serving as District Director for former Assemblymember Henry T. Perea.