Belinda Barragan is part of HOPE’s Executive Team and serves as the founding Director of Community Engagement. She leads HOPE’s community engagement team in executing the organization’s events and flagship conferences that build relationships with HOPE’s key stakeholders, non-profit organizations, community members, and local, state and federal elected officials. She is an accomplished non-profit director, public affairs, and political management professional, with over 30 years of experience. Her campaign accolades and experience working at the State Capitol have made her a highly regarded leader and has opened doors for her to position many of HOPE’s participants on boards and commissions. She is a proud lifelong resident of the San Fernando Valley.

Fernanda builds and maintains relationships with key stakeholders, community leaders, and elected officials throughout California. She supports the Latina Appointments Collaborative, the Energy Toolkit, and Latina Empowerment Days. Fernanda has a background in community organizing and fundraising. She is a first-generation college graduate and earned her B.A. in political science from UCLA.

As a Community Engagement Associate at HOPE, Emelly supports the planning and execution of the organization’s events and conferences, notably the Latina Empowerment Day series. In her role, she connects with community partners, elected officials, and key stakeholders to deepen HOPE’s impact within the community. She is a first-generation college graduate from UCLA (Go Bruins!) with a B.A. in International Development Studies.

As a Community Engagement Coordinator at HOPE, Jasmine is involved in the planning and execution of the organization’s events, programs, and conferences. She has a background in community work and has formed part of several humanitarian aid organizations. Her passion for helping others (specifically minorities, women, and immigrants) comes from her personal life experiences being raised by immigrant parents and having to leave her home, family, and friends at a young age to pursue an education in the U.S. Jasmine grew up in Cancún, México and she is a first-generation college graduate from UCLA with a B.A in Anthropology.

An accomplished administrator and educator, Dr. Olivérez brings a wealth of higher education and CSU experience to her role as Vice President for Student Affairs at CSUSB. Prior to serving as the associate vice president and dean of students, she served as the interim vice president for student affairs at Stanislaus State. Before that, she spent eight years at California State University, Dominguez Hills, where she held several administrative positions including associate vice president for student success. Olivérez’s leadership experience in higher education includes oversight of programs that support student development, student engagement, and student success. She holds a Ph.D. in educational policy from USC, a Masters in School Counseling from CSU Long Beach, and a Bachelors in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz.

Founder and CEO of AlphaX RE Capital. A real estate entrepreneur skilled in researching and analyzing investment opportunities in cutting-edge markets. Stephanie holds a Ph.D. in Biology and founded a biotechnology company, which she successfully sold to a publicly traded company. She later served as a fund manager, accumulating extensive experience in fund management. In 2019, Stephanie officially ventured into the real estate industry and achieved remarkable success within a few years. Her unique and inspirational entrepreneurial background enables her to keenly identify business opportunities. Moreover, her extensive experience in fund and company management, combined with her real estate knowledge, allows her to quickly recognize and mitigate various risks in the investment market.

Sandra Magaña Cuellar is the Director of Government Affairs- Inland Empire for Charter Communications. She is responsible for the communities in both San Bernardino & Riverside County. She oversees federal, state, and local government regulations in addition to community efforts and political outreach.

Sandra began her career with Charter in 2000 handling Public Relations efforts for the company. Over time she transitioned to Government Relations in various territories including the Los Angeles County communities, the North-Central California Communities, and the Inland Empire Communities. In 2016, post the Time-Warner, Bright House Network, and Charter Communications merger, she was promoted to her current position as Director of Government Affairs.

As an active member of her community, Sandra has donated her time on the boards of organizations such as California Cable & Telecommunications Association, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Congressman Ken Calvert’s Science, Technology and Education Partnership (STEP). She served on the California Respiratory Care Board from 2006 to 2013. She also serves as Treasurer to a local School Board candidate.

Sandra is a native Californian. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley where she attained her BA in Mass Communication and USC where she attained her MA in Communications Management with an emphasis in Telecommunications policy. Sandra, her husband Dan, and their four-year-old daughter live in Corona, CA.

Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. has represented San Bernardino County’s 5th District since 2020. A Rialto native with a diverse background in law enforcement, teaching, coaching, and public service, he prioritizes infrastructure, public safety, and affordable housing. Committed to youth investment and community revitalization, Joe is passionate about supporting the next generation. As a proud father of three daughters and husband to Jennifer, Supervisor Baca values family and community spirit, carrying those principles into his public service.

Maria Molina Solano is the Executive Director for the National Latina Business Women’s Association, Inland Empire, a non-profit organization. She maintains an innate passion for the growing Latina Entrepreneur and the Latino Business Community in which she thrives at building the financial platform of community sponsorships to enable the success of the organization. Maria is also known for her diverse well rounded professional background in the banking industry with over 20 years of experience to speak of.

Maria began her 20-year banking career with Wells Fargo as a teller working in two locations; Pasadena, and El Monte, California she then earned her way up to a personal banker, business banker then branch manager. As a branch manager, she was tasked with the oversight of operations, sales, and a staff of 30. While working on sales, she exceeded sales expectations which placed her in the Top 10 within the district and Top 25 statewide.

Maria’s team successes include working as part of a team while at the Latin Business Association Institute (LBAI). The LBAI is a grassroots organization that serves as an advocate for Latino Business of which she was a part of ascertaining funding in excess of $283 million in contracts for the Latino Business Community and $65.45 million for client business loans for expansion or start-up businesses. Was part of the team that worked to develop member programs through education increasing membership from 75 to over 1,600 members.

Communally she has participated as an advocate for the Hispanic population, having served on the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, Procurement & Education Committees, Los Angeles Unified School District, Procurement Advisory Board, Los Angeles Minority Business Opportunity Committee, Procurement, Access to capital, and Education Development, Chaired the Transportation Board Advisory Committee for the Los Angeles County MTA and served as an Advisory Board Member focusing on procurement and access to capital for the Women’s Transportation Coalition.

Ana is a first generation Chicana/Latina born in the Bay Area and raised between borders. Her childhood experiences with her grandmother in Michoacán, Mexico, not only shaped her identity but her everyday work as a community leader, activist and mama scholar. Ana has worked both in the public and non-profit sector with youth and community development programs in leadership, advocacy, and cultural awareness. Ana is the new Executive Director for El Concilio of San Mateo County. She is excited to continue working directly with the community to address the needs of our most underserved and vulnerable populations. Her community leadership includes serving in a steering committee for New Voices for Youth, seating in an Art Advisory Board for the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space, and organizing an annual Latinx Youth Conference. Ana has her doctorates in Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco and is also an adjunct faculty at Cal State University East Bay in the Ethnic Studies Department.

Xiomara Peña is a passionate mission-driven leader with over a decade of experience and a keen interest in power building efforts to restore power to community members who have been locked out of wealth building opportunities through policy and programmatic interventions. As Vice President of Innovation & Community Engagement at HOPE, Xiomara works to lead and inspire a team to achieve organizational goals. Her role provides strategic insight in collaboration with the CEO and other senior leaders to execute HOPE’s strategic plan, inclusive of overseeing national and regional expansion of HOPE’s programs. She develops targeted engagement strategies for various stakeholders including community leaders, funders, partners, elected officials and others. She’s recognized as an effective public speaker having been invited to over 500 conferences, panels, and presentations. Xiomara has nearly 250 media mentions in national, state, and local media markets including the Wall Street Journal, Univision, Telemundo and many others. She serves in an advisory capacity to several thought partners promoting a level playing field for POC and marginalized communities.

Deana Ng is vice president and chief risk and compliance officer for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility. She is responsible for the policy, governance, structures, processes and guidelines for the company’s risk-management and compliance practices.

Ng joined SoCalGas in 2011 as a senior regulatory attorney and has held roles of increasing responsibility in legal and operations. She was promoted to director, major programs, and project controls of SoCalGas in 2014.

Ng currently serves on the board of directors of Jovenes, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to helping homeless youths in Los Angeles County obtain housing, healthcare, education, employment, and trauma recovery. Southern California Super Lawyers recognized Ng as a “Rising Star” in the legal profession in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and American studies from California State University in Fullerton and holds a law degree from New York University.

With over 15 years of experience as a Financial Advisor, Elizabeth Cervantes recognizes her pivotal role in guiding clients through investment complexities. As a first-gen Mexican American, she is dedicated to empowering families through financial education, drawing from her family’s challenges as immigrants. Understanding the significance of financial stability, Elizabeth tailors’ investment plans to match clients’ unique financial needs, aligning with their long-term goals and risk tolerance.

As a small business banker, I am dedicated in helping your business succeed financially. I will help you keep up to date with different products and services that cater to your industry.

I have been with Wells Fargo for 10 years, with focus in business banking for 6.

Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco represents California’s 64th District, covering parts of southwestern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County. Elected in 2022, she chairs the Assembly Rules Committee and serves on several key legislative committees. Before her election to the Legislature, Blanca made history as the first Latina Mayor of Downey and she continues to be a strong advocate for her community. Blanca is a UCLA and Loyola Law School alumna, and has been an attorney since 2003.

Erica Cabrera is a Central Valley native and HOPE Leadership Institute Alumnus, Class of 2013. She currently works for Pacific Gas & Electric as a Local Public Affairs Representative 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.

Theresa Kumar is a private wealth advisor in San Diego. Theresa is responsible for providing a comprehensive wealth management strategy tailored to her clients’ specific needs. She coordinates a team of specialists to implement custom comprehensive wealth plans to help her clients accomplish their goals. These strategies include Investment Management, Private Banking, trust and estate services, Wealth planning and Philanthropic Services. Theresa has been in the financial service industry since 2003. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Bank, Theresa worked at US Bank Private Wealth Management as a Private Wealth Advisor. In addition to Wealth Management, Theresa has also spent several years focusing on consumer and business banking/lending. Theresa’s professional background includes extensive experience in business development and relationship management while provide an exceptional client experience and advocacy.

Theresa enjoys participating in groups tied to arts, education, environment, housing, and anything that impacts her community. Theresa serves on Birch Aquarium’s advisory board and involved with the Employee Impact Team at Wells Fargo. Theresa is active in Women United through United Way. Theresa also serves as the San Diego Chair for Women Connection and serves as a mentor in the Women Connection and Pride Connection at Wells Fargo. Theresa earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from
University of Illinois Chicago, her hometown. Theresa resides in San Diego with her husband and daughter. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and loves to host social gatherings. Theresa is a Padres season ticket holder and enjoys attending sporting events. She also appreciates physical fitness, traveling and reading.

Jorge is a seasoned banking professional with 18 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 10 years in leadership roles. He began his career in 2006 as a Teller and has since held various retail bank positions. In his twelve years with Wells Fargo, he has supported eleven branches in the Southern California region. He is currently a Regional Banking Manager at The Galleria at Tyler branch, where he leads and supports 15 Team Members. His passion for motivating and developing his team has always driven his vision for success. Jorge has served as President and Executive Advisor for The Hispanic and Latino Connection in Southern California, an Employee Resource Group (ERG) within Wells Fargo. As a strong advocate for the community, he serves as the Vice President and Board Member for Habitat for Humanity Riverside, a community support organization that provides resources and programs to provide access for affordable housing.

He earned a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and Human Resources from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In addition,
he also earned a Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in June of 2017.

Jim Perry was elected to serve as the Council Member for Ward 6 in June 2013. He is currently serving his third term in elective office. In his first two elections, he received over 60% of the vote. He ran unopposed in his recent 2021 election.

Jim has over 30 years of public service experience. He started his law enforcement career with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department. He worked a majority of his career with the Fountain Valley Police Department. Jim worked his way through various assignments and promotions. In 2008, he retired at the rank of lieutenant.

Jim has been a resident of Riverside for close to 30 years. He and his wife, Kathie, live in La Sierra South. They have raised two adult children, both of whom graduated from the Alvord Unified School District. They have five grandchildren which includes a set of twins.

He has focused and committed much of his time and attention on improving the quality of life within the individual neighborhoods located in Ward 6. This includes needed infrastructure, roadway maintenance and working collaboratively with the Alvord Unified School District on numerous youth programs.

Jim continues to work with multiple public and private partners in bringing economic development opportunities to the Ward so the community, and the residents, can thrive and be successful.

Esther Portillo has worked on numerous campaigns to help pass legislation at the state, local, and regional levels to protect the environment, such as eliminating perchlorate contamination from drinking water in low-income and disadvantage communities. She has vast experience in coalition building, the legislative process, and campaign management. She is the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships, including a human rights award from the Petra Foundation and a research fellowship with Race Forward. She was also named as the 2018 Woman of the Year for California’s 61st State Assembly district. Portillo holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is based in NRDC’s Santa Monica office.

Norma Rojas-Mora serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs and Development for Kern Community College District. In this capacity, she works in collaboration with municipal, state, and federal agencies, educational institutions, and community service organizations to promote workforce development and educational initiatives for underserved populations in Kern County. During her tenure, she has spearheaded initiatives such as the Rural Health Equity and Learning (HEAL) Collaborative, focused on addressing healthcare needs in rural areas, the High Road Training Partnership, dedicated to diversifying Kern’s economy and providing high-wage jobs with benefits to residents, and Project Hire Up, which assists Kern County’s unhoused population with pathways to housing and employment.

In addition to her professional role, Norma Rojas-Mora has been active in promoting leadership development for youth and professional women as the past president of Latina Leaders of Kern County. She is involved in programs such as the Youth Leadership Program and the Latina Leadership Institute. Norma Rojas-Mora holds a Master of Science degree in Administration from California State University Bakersfield and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Chicana/Chicano Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also serves on several boards, including the Local Workforce Development Board, Latina Leaders of Kern County, Bakersfield College Foundation, the Women’s and Girls Fund Advisory Committee, and the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Education Foundation.

Ivette Chavez immigrated from Mexico with her family at the age of 7. Growing up as a migrant worker’s kid, her family settled in Tulare County in the 90s. She became the first in her family to graduate high school and attend a university, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology at Southern Columbia University.

Ivette has diverse experience, including over a decade of running a successful financial services brokerage and later becoming a State Peace Officer. Following an off-the-job injury, she transitioned to real estate with Park Place Real Estate. In her free time, Ivette enjoys being with her blended family and volunteering in her community. She is married to Captain Emmanuel Chavez of FFD, and they have four children and a beautiful granddaughter.

With over a decade of experience as a successful financial services broker, Ivette Chavez transitioned into real estate in 2019, bringing her expertise in training and developing licensed agents from 2002-2012. Her commitment to community and professional development is demonstrated through her service on various boards and committees. From 2019-2020, Ivette served as Education Director on the Board of Directors for Women’s Empowerment Central California. In 2021, she joined the NAHREP Board of Directors as Education Director, served on the NAHREP GAD committee in 2022, and graduated from the F.A.R. Leadership Academy the same year.

In 2023, Ivette took on the role of YPN Membership Chair and contributed to the League of Mexican American Women Adelante Mujer Conference committee. Currently, in 2024, she is co-chairing the Leadership Academy and serving as YPN Vice-Chair on the Fresno Association Leadership team. Ivette is currently working on helping more families obtain homeownership and build generational wealth through real estate. She is the CEO of Ichavezteam Inc., along with CFO Emmanuel Chavez. They created this corporation to provide educational tools and resources to help more families obtain the keys to homeownership.

Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2022 to represent the 35th Assembly District. She is the first Sikh American elected to California State office and the first South Asian woman elected to the California legislature.

As a dedicated representative of Kern County, Dr. Jasmeet Bains has made a significant impact in her first year as a legislator. Her efforts have resulted in more than $20 million being allocated to enhance public safety and combat fentanyl. She has also championed legislation that provides a $100 million tax cut for nursing mothers, protects good Samaritans, tackles catalytic converter theft, and fights against unfair taxes.

Dr. Bains is not just a legislator but also a working physician in her community. Her work as a physician includes family medicine and addiction care, providing primary to families throughout the Valley. Dr. Bains also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for the Central Valley with the California Medical Assistance Team (CAL-MAT) to help respond to disasters and regional emergencies, standing up COVID-19 surge hospitals and providing medical care at firebases for firefighters and evacuees during significant wildfire events.
Dr. Bains’ commitment to public service goes beyond her medical practice. She actively volunteers with Global Family, an organization that she passionately supports in its mission to combat human trafficking and child abuse.

The daughter of immigrant parents from India, she grew up in the Valley. After graduating from medical school, she returned home to complete her residency at Clinica Sierra Vista in Kern County. Her desire to increase access to healthcare drove her choice to work in underserved healthcare settings.

In 2024, Crime Victims United honored Dr. Bains as Legislator of the Year for her work on getting resources to improve public safety and combat illicit drugs.
Other awards and honors she has earned include 2024 Legislator of the Year from the Alzheimer’s Association, the 2023 Medical Education Service Award from the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine, she was the 2023 Physician of the Year from the Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce, a 2023 recognition of a “trailblazing achievement” from the American Sikh Council as the first Sikh American Assemblywoman, the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce chose Dr. Bains as the 2021 Beautiful Bakersfield Award winner, in 2019 she was named ‘Hero of Family Medicine by the California Academy of Family Physicians, and in 2017 Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Dr. Bains to Chair the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission.
Dr. Bains now chairs the California Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and sits on Business and Professions, Government Organization, and Revenue and Taxation Committees.