Who we are
preparing Los Angeles students for success in college, career, and life.
To improve academic achievement as well as college and career access and success for students in the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy, SLATE-Z and beyond
vision statement
Students are successful in college, career and life by reducing education inequities and opportunity gaps.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At the LA Promise Fund, we believe that education remains one of the most powerful tools to break century-old cycles of oppression, violence and poverty for students, their families, and communities. We believe education can chisel away at racism by teaching diverse histories and perspectives and by disrupting a predominately white male perspective that has excluded and actively erased the voices and contributions of people of color. Institutionalized racism and systemic injustice pervade many aspects of society today, especially for our African American students and families. We are committed to eradicating racism within our organization, raising our voice against racism, and uplifting our South LA community and beyond.
Click Here to Learn How We Have Put This Into Action
meet the la promise fund
Megan Chernin
Co-Chair of the Board
Stephen Prough
Salem Partners
Cathy Bender
Amazon Web Services
Paul de Bernier
Mayer Brown LLP
Donnell Beverly, Jr.
Russell Westbrook Enterprises
Christopher Davis
Amgen
Ivelisse Estrada
Univision, Retired
Andrea Foggy-Paxton
Entrepreneur in Residence
Education Leaders of Color
Mayor Eric Garcetti
Mayor of Los Angeles
Honorary Board Member
Sophia Garcia
Verizon
Dean Hallett
Hallett Leadership
Kathleen Kennedy
Lucasfilm
Elizabeth Mann
Mann Legal Team
Frank Marshall
The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Brian McNamee
Amgen, Retired
Simon Osborn
Goldman Sachs
Ali Powell
Microsoft
Melissa Stephens
Ares Management
Alison Temple
3AM/Wildcard
Jaime Ernesto Uzeta
Public Allies
Leadership
Veronica Melvin
CEO/President
Michelle Cheang Ed. D.
Chief Advancement Officer
Kyle Miller
Chief Strategic Officer
Donna Jacobson
Chief Academic Officer
Carla Yorke
Chief Program Officer
Liliana Vasquez
Chief Operations Officer
Team
Leslie Aaronson
Director of Career Pathway Connections
Gisela Ariza
Associate Director of School Improvement
Jonathan Guido-Avila
Director of People & Operations
Wendy Ayuso
Community Representative
Kristen Balagtas
Office Manager / Executive Assistant
Lawrence Berment
Director of Information Technology
Renee Bixby
ABE Lab Technician / Site Coordinator,
Orange County Distribution Center
Monica Cardona
Director of Family & Community Outreach
Charles Daroy
Technology Manager
Sarah Escajeda
Associate Director of Parent Engagement
Jasmine Evans
Black College Success Initiative Academic Advisor
Lori Hashimoto
Operations Manager
Janice Herbert
School Business Operations Manager,
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy High School
Luz Hernandez
ABE Lab Technician / Site Coordinator,
California State University, Channel Island Distribution Center
Mahsa Khatibeghdami
Site Director, Amgen Biotech Experience
Christina Korn
Associate Director of Arts Programs
Kirk Kirkwood Ed.D
Senior Director of College Success
Gina Lutcher
Principal,
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy High School
Yazmin Mendez
Associate Director of Youth Leadership
Camly Nguyen
Associate Director of Data & Analytics
Alex Rincon
Associate Director, Career Pathway Connections
Justin Shahbaz
Principal,
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy Middle School
David Spitz
Director of Finance
Karin Steinhauer
ABE Site Coordinator/Lead Lab Technician, Pierce College Distribution Center
Jade Stevens
Director of Communications
Giovanna Tomat-Kelly
ABE Site Coordinator/Lab Technician, Pasadena Bio Collaborative Incubator Distribution Center
Nina Torres
Black College Success Initiative Academic Advisor
Leslie Tresun Ed.D
Director of Grant Management
Chris Valenzuela
Data & Analytics Manager
Stacy Zamora
ABE Site Coordinator/Lab Technician, LA Trade Tech College Distribution Center
SPONSORS
The LA Promise Fund would like to thank all of its donors for their generous support and give special recognition to our partners that contributed over $10,000 in the last year. We are especially grateful to Amgen, a longtime sponsor that has made considerable contributions to the organization’s fiscal and organizational health.
$100,000 and over
20th Century Fox
AEG
The Albertsons Companies Foundation
Amgen Foundation
Annenberg Foundation
Marina Berti & Steven Prough
Louise Bryson Family Foundation
California Community Foundation
Chernin Family Foundation
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Food Research Action Committee (FRAC)
Getty Foundation
Guess? Foundation
JMB Realty Corporation
Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall
Kissick Family Foundation
Katie McGrath & JJ Abrams Family Foundation
Metro
$50,000 to $100,000
AT&T/DirecTV
California Emerging Technology Fund
The California Endowment
Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg
Cheryl Saban Self-Worth Foundation
County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors
Flora Family Foundation
Mellody Hobson & George Lucas
Goldman Sachs Gives
Ghada & Ray Irani Family Foundation
Joseph Drown Foundation
Kevin Sharer
NoVo Foundation
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
$25,000 to $50,000
Ares Operations
Boeing Company
Citi Bank
Disney
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
The Green Foundation
Susan & Robert Kozlowski of L.I.F.T. Foundation
Lazara
Jill & Brian McNamee
Microsoft
The Moriah Fund
Ralph’s
Ressler/Gertz Family Foundation
United Way
Wells Fargo
$10,000 to $25,000
Bain & Co.
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch
Frank Baxter
Allison & Bennett Rosenthal
Giancarla Berti
Bloom Hergott
Boston Consulting Group
CAA Foundation
Americo Cascella TTEE
City National Bank
Eos Foundation
Dean Hallett
Hauptman Family Foundation
Home Box Office (HBO)
Maria Hummer-Tuttle
JP Morgan Chase
Kaiser Permanente
Meredith & David Kaplan
Martha & Bruce Karsh Family Foundation
Latham & Watkins
Los Angeles Clippers Foundation
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
Lionsgate
Morgan Stanley
NBC Universal
Pacific Gas & Electric
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Robert Day Foundation
David Sachs
Samsung
Schultz Family Foundation
Southern California Gas (SoCal Gas)
Alison Temple
Uber
Univision
Vanguard Group
Verizon
William Morris Endeavor (WME)
Mark Zucker
$5,000 to $10,000
SoCal Edison