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.

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.

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.

Maribeth Annaguey’s practice involves class action defense, real estate disputes, Talent Agencies Act disputes, and matters involving breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, fraud, securities violations, and defamation. Prior to her current role as Managing Partner at Annaguey McCann, she was Partner at Ellis George Cipollone O’Brien Annaguey where she lead the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Under her leadership, the firm initiated cultural events and educational programs. She also strategized ways to respond to the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Call to Action Challenge of promoting the advancement of women.

Nora Dominguez has served University of Laverne for the past twenty-one years as Regional Marketing Director, Admission &Corporate Education Specialist, Associate Director of Recruitment, and currently as Regional Campus Director for the Kern County Campus in Bakersfield. Dominguez earned her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership at University of La Verne. She is a graduate of Leadership Bakersfield and The HOPE Leadership Institute. She and her husband own two small businesses and support several non-profits. She currently serves as a member on several Boards and as President of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Kern County.

Anabel Giron is the director of investments at Cal Wellness, responsible for overseeing the foundation’s endowment with a focus on aligning the investment strategy with the foundation’s mission. Before joining Cal Wellness, she spent seven years as director of investments for the California Community Foundation. Currently, Giron is board chair of DIY Girls and an advisory member of the Hispanics in Philanthropy Investment Committee. Giron earned a Bachelor’s in Finance from Cal State Northridge and a Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Columbia University.

Sandra Magaña Cuellar is the Director of Government Relations for the Inland Empire at Charter Communications. She oversees federal, state, and local government regulations in addition to community efforts and political outreach. Sandra has donated her time on the boards of organizations such as the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Chamber of Commerce, and Congressman Ken Calvert’s Science, Technology and Education Partnership (STEP). Sandra received her master’s degree in Communications Management with an emphasis in Telecommunications policy from USC.

Nicolina currently serves as Regional Director of State Government Affairs for Toyota Motors North America. She has 15 years of state legislative advocacy experience previously lobbying for various transportation infrastructure and corporate retail interests. Nicolina is Chair of the City of Sacramento Planning and Design Commission, and serves on various boards including the Institute of Governmental Advocates, and the Aggie Square Public Financing Authority. She is a HOPE Leadership Institute alumna and started her career as a California State Senate Fellow. Nicolina graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota where she became the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree, and was a McNair Fellow at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Community Services, Lisette Islas is a transformational leader with an extensive track record spanning more than twenty-five years of experience working in the fields of community and economic development. She has dedicated her career to furthering the economic and social strength of the San Diego region, while developing innovative strategies that uplift individuals, families, and communities. Lisette is recognized for her exceptional ability to build strategies, forge relationships among diverse groups, and develop innovative and impactful programs. Her expertise is sought after by organizations seeking to engage hard-to-reach populations, build partnerships across sectors and drive organizational change. Previously, she held the position of Executive Vice President & Chief Impact Officer at MAAC, a nonprofit that has offered programs and services throughout San Diego County for nearly 60 years.

Elsa Valay-Paz is vice president of gas acquisition for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated utility. She is responsible for procuring natural gas for SoCalGas’ and San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) residential and small commercial customers and delivering it to the utilities’ system. Previously, Valay-Paz served as director of supply management for SDG&E, also a Sempra regulated utility, where she oversaw supply management, supplier diversity and logistics. Before that, she was director of origination and energy supply and dispatch for SDG&E, where she directed the energy procurement department. Valay-Paz serves as the board secretary of the Reuben H. Fleet and Science Center in San Diego and is a board member of the American Heart Association in Los Angeles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and a master’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine University.

Lennies has been the Director of Government Affairs for Comcast for the South Bay and Southern Peninsula areas since2010 and previously worked on legislation for 10 years at the California State Capitol. She is an active board member of the Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Leadership Alliance. Previously, she was a board member for the Silicon Valley Organization and was an advisory council member of the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project and the
Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley. She is a graduate of the University of California at Davis and the Lorenzo Patino Law School of Sacramento.

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.

Diana Amaya oversees the implementation of HOPE’s flagship leadership development programs and the design of new programs with the goal of preparing Latinas for civic and career leadership. Diana and the programs team train over 170 women annually through the pipeline of leadership programs that serve Latinas at various stages in their lives. Under Diana’s leadership, HOPE formalized college initiatives into the HOPE College Leadership Program, a national training hub for first-generation Latinas. Diana describes her work as Latina power building, and her passion for it stems from her upbringing, having been raised by a single mother and witnessing the struggles and triumphs of immigrant women in her working-class community.

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.

Johanna provides leadership and strategy in various administrative functions crucial to ensuring the efficient day-to-day operations at HOPE while growing organizational capacity and scaling of our operations. She implements cost-effective results in support of HOPE’s mission and creates innovative and efficient systems that help increase the team’s productivity. In her role as Director of Administration, Johanna oversees the organization’s Human Resources and Organizational Development including onboarding and orientation for all staff and internships, Fundraising Operations, and Finance and Budgeting as well as serving as the liaison for IT support. Johanna is a proud Golden Eagle having earned her MPA and BA from Cal State Los Angeles. Her free time is spent with family and raising her two sons.

Mayahuel “Maya” manages HOPE’s original research efforts and communications strategies with the goal of elevating Latina-centered data and storytelling. She helped establish HOPE’s communications department where she leads all aspects of HOPE’s communications strategies, coordinates original research including public opinion polling, survey design, and data analysis, and produces evaluations which inform HOPE’s educational programming and outreach. She has been a contributor to HOPE’s flagship Economic Status of Latinas reports over the past five years driving narrative and policy change to increase equity for Latinas. Maya has a background in strategic communications and community-centered research.

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.

As Senior Program Manager Lea Gonzalez is responsible for HOPE’s Leadership Institute and the organization’s adult programs. She is a professional with over 10 years of civic engagement, governmental relations, and political experience. Lea has demonstrated her commitment to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles by working for a variety of non-profit organizations and elected officials. A lifelong resident born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Lea graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts in Central American Studies with a devoted passion to improve the community she was born in. In her spare time, Lea loves to travel.

Lauren Salaiz is the Youth Program Manager at HOPE, leading the organization’s youth initiatives that empower first-gen Latinas. She manages the high school and college leadership programs, which aim to bridge the gap for young Latinas as they navigate the often complex journey of higher education and enter the workforce. Lauren also fosters alumni engagement through innovative online programming and engagement, an annual conference for young professionals, and a monthly resource-filled e-newsletter. Lauren received her bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in global studies from UCLA.

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.

Natalie supports the fiscal management of HOPE’s finances including the processing of payables, donations, and grant tracking. She also leads the implementation of the organization’s internship programs and maintains donor relations databases up to date. Natalie is a first-generation college graduate who witnessed every year the inequities underdeveloped communities in Mexico face. This sparked her desire to act. In 2017, she led a group of student engineers in building a library for a village in Ethiopia. Concurrently, she traveled to Nicaragua and supported the construction of a schoolhouse there. Her lifelong goal is to continue implementing programs and delivering resources to underserved communities.

As a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in marketing, Anahi brings a solid foundation in marketing strategy and data analytics. As a marketing expert who has grown her career working in the nonprofit sector working with diverse groups, she has displayed her leadership and creative skills in solving problems within fast-paced work environments that promote cultural diversity. Anahi’s experience includes being brand strategist, analytics enthusiast, event promoter, and social media master.

Natalie Aguilar serves as the Marketing and Development Associate at HOPE. As a first-generation college graduate from Southern California, Natalie is fueled by her passion for sustainability and social impact. She earned a master’s degree in International Affairs from UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, specializing in international environmental governance with a focus on Latin America, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies from UC Irvine’s School of Social Sciences. Her experience includes data analysis and interpretation, community engagement, digital and content marketing, business development, and energy policy analysis.

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. 

Kimberly “Kim” Salinas leads all the logistics and administrative work for HOPE’s leadership programs. She also leads HOPE’s Pop-Up Coach, a web-based online mentoring program created to connect first-generation Latinas with working professional Latinas. She is a first-generation college graduate and earned her B.A. in Business from Cal State Fullerton.

Arianna Morales is a fourth-year Communications student at California State University, Fullerton, with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. Her experience includes content creation, mass media writing, event planning, and social media marketing. As the Vice President of DEI for CSUF PRSSA and a former Social Media and Outreach team member for Tusk Magazine, Arianna has gained valuable insights into diverse storytelling and communication strategies.

Melissa Ruiz is a current Political Science student at Cal Poly Pomona, entering her final year. She has an interest in public policy and local government. She hopes to enter this field after graduating and eventually pursing a law degree.