The role of the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Leadership Council is to develop the next generation of Latinas who are committed to electing and appointing Latinas to office. To that end, the YPN identifies and prepares exceptional young leaders under the age of 35 to support the efforts of Latinas Lead California.
Ashley Olmeda, Chair
Ashley Olmeda is a proud first-generation, Mexican American from Alhambra, California. She currently works as an environmental scientist under the scope of stormwater quality for Los Angeles and Ventura counties. She obtained her BA in Government from Smith College and MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. She treasures her family and is the eldest of four children. Her hobbies include traveling, exercising, exploring boba spots, and enjoying the Harry Potter series.
Carla Fuentes, Vice Chair
Carla Micaela Fuentes is a Los Angeles-based philanthropy, outreach, and civic engagement professional born and raised in San Pedro and now based in North Hollywood. Having lived at both edges of Los Angeles County, she brings a deep understanding of the region’s diversity, complexity, and community needs.
Carla currently serves as Social Innovation Manager at the Goldhirsh Foundation, where she works on LA2050, an initiative that supports organizations and ideas shaping a better future for Los Angeles through grantmaking, public engagement, and cross-sector collaboration.
Carla serves as the President of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats, and holds leadership roles with the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, LA Forward, and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy LA. She previously served on the Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission, where she helped review and recommend updates to the City Charter.
Her work is rooted in women’s leadership, racial equity, civic participation, and building pathways for communities to shape the decisions that impact their lives.
Mayra Valadez, Political Director
Mayra Valadez was born and raised in Pacoima. Mayra works at Actum, supporting various leading nonprofit, government, and business clients. Her professional background is as an organizer, and she has worked at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), DCCC, and CA State Assembly. She currently serves as the President of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, an organization she has been a part of for the last five years. As someone who has been interested in joining the YPN for several years, she regrets not getting involved sooner!
Yaritza A. Gonzalez, Political Director
Yaritza Gonzalez was born and raised in Inglewood, CA to Mexican immigrants from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and is a proud role model to her two younger sisters. Yaritza earned her BA in Geography with a minor in Public Policy from Dartmouth College and MPP from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. She currently works as a Policy Manager at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA) in Los Angeles, CA, where she advocates for immigrant rights at the federal, state, and local level. Yaritza is also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the ING Fellowship, whose goal is to inspire, nurture and guide young people in Inglewood, CA, to organize, mobilize and address different issues that affect the Inglewood community. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and running throughout Los Angeles with her husky: Oreo.
Carola Sanchez, Director of Engagement
Carola Sanchez is a public servant, community leader, and advocate committed to expanding opportunities, strengthening communities, and advancing representation. As a proud first-generation college graduate and daughter of Peruvian immigrants, Carola believes every community deserves access to the resources and opportunities needed to thrive.
Carola began her career in education, working with students and families in underserved communities before earning her Bachelor’s degree and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University, Los Angeles. She later earned a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach, furthering her commitment to creating positive change through public service.
Today, Carola serves as a Senior Grant Administrator/Consultant at ICF, where she supports public-sector initiatives focused on infrastructure, energy, disaster recovery, and building more resilient communities. Her work centers on helping government programs deliver meaningful, lasting impact.
Beyond her professional work, Carola is engaged in civic leadership and philanthropy through the Los Angeles Latino Giving Circle, part of the Latino Community Foundation’s Giving Circle Network. She has also collaborated with healthcare organizations, community-based organizations, and local arts institutions to foster connection, culture, and community.
Carola is passionate about uplifting Latino voices, investing in communities, and empowering the next generation of leaders to shape a more inclusive future.
Cynthia Valencia, Director of Operations
Cynthia Valencia is a proud daughter of immigrants, born and raised in Southern California. She is a Legislative Advocate at the ACLU California Action, managing the immigrant rights legislative portfolio. She has spent nearly 6 years at the ACLU of Southern California as a Senior Policy Advocate and Organizer, leading the ACLU’s Civic Engagement Program in Orange County by organizing volunteers to engage and inform low-propensity, highly impacted voters on their voting rights. She worked on local redistricting advocacy, ensuring that historically marginalized communities are accurately represented. She has worked on several high-priority ACLU campaigns and is particularly proud of her first campaign at the ACLU, leading local advocacy for the CA Values Act, which ensured no state or local resources are used to assist federal immigration enforcement in California.
Prior to her time at the ACLU, Cynthia spent 3 years as a legislative aide for Long Beach City Councilmembers performing legislative and policy research analysis, drafting legislative items, and managing daily constituent service duties for the council offices. Cynthia is a first-generation college graduate, who received a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Political Science and Business from the University of Southern California and studied Government at the London School of Economics. She enjoys swimming, reading, paddle boarding, and spending time by the ocean.
Erika Cervantes, Fundraising Director
Erika Cervantes (she/ella) is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Alliance for a Better Community (ABC). She advances ABC’s policy initiatives on issues including higher education, digital equity, workforce and Latino/a civic participation in Los Angeles. Erika maintains and strengthens relationships with civic leaders, elected officials, coalitions partners and partner advocates across ABC's issue areas. She is dedicated to civic engagement and is passionate about social justice and grassroots movements.
Previously, Erika has worked with local governments and nonprofits in Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles counties, addressing workforce and economic development, civic engagement, and sustainability. She also served as the Outreach Coordinator at UCLA, assisting in recruitment programs for first-generation graduate students.
Born and raised in the Inland Empire, Erika is a daughter of Mexican-born parents, and a first-generation college graduate. She holds two B.A.s in Economics and Urban Planning from UC Irvine and an Masters in Public Policy from UCLA.
Jacqueline Aguilar, Director of Communications
Jacqueline is based in the Central Valley and currently serves as the Director of Community Development at Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation and consults on public relations and communications. She is deeply committed to advancing underserved communities, serving on various boards and committees, mentoring emerging leaders, and fostering civic engagement rooted in equity and purposeful leadership.
Vacant, Director of Professional Development
Alexandra Leal, At-Large
Alexandra is a proud first-generation Latina American who is passionate about serving her community. Alexandra is Operations & Development Associate at California Common Cause. In this role, she helps lead various programs designed to outreach to communities, cultivate small-donor donations, and keep the internal operations of CCC running smoothly.
One of her proudest accomplishments is co-creating and hosting “Democracy Is”, a podcast dedicated to exploring Democracy issues throughout California and how they affect communities.
Alexandra is also proud to have served as the Southern California Fellow for IGNITE National from 2022-2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History of Public Policy & Law from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She enjoys making a small dent in her reading list, traveling, learning new skills, and trying new cuisines.
Brenda Contreras, At-Large
Brenda Contreras serves as a Policy Advisor at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where she works at the intersection of policy and government affairs, advancing initiatives that address California's most pressing public policy challenges.
Prior to joining Brownstein, Brenda served as Legislative Director to CA Latino Caucus Vice Chair Assemblymember Juan Carrillo. She also held the roles of Senior Legislative Aide and Communications Director to then-Democratic Caucus Chair Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson. Over the course of seven years in the California State Legislature, she led numerous legislative initiatives including establishing California's first ADU amnesty program and creating a statewide task force to connect immigrant seniors with critical resources.
Brenda began her public service career as Communications Assistant and Field Deputy to Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr., where she developed a strong foundation in constituent services, strategic communications, and the intersection of state and local government.
In addition to her professional work, Brenda was recently appointed to the City of Sacramento's Animal Well-Being Commission, where she continues her commitment to public service and community engagement.
Diana Medel, At-Large
Diana’s commitment to lifting up the voices of the community began in Wilmington as the youngest community organizer and Honorary Mayor of Wilmington. Diana continued organizing with the California State Assembly where worked with leaders in various cities and neighborhoods to advocate for the advancement of education equity, immigration justice, supportive services, and reentry programs.
Her experience in the public and non-profit sector led her to serve as Neighborhood Revitalization Manager with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles leading the implementation of an innovative framework to improve the quality of life of residents in the city of Long Beach through sustainable partnerships and creating a model for collaboration across neighborhoods. Today she serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson overseeing the organization's government and public relations, expansion, and sustainability efforts. Her passion lies in her creative ability to connect people and showcase the assets each community, organization, and city has to thrive.
Diana Ponce, At-Large
While at UCLA, she served as the UCLA Student Risk Education Committee Vice-Chairperson, UCLA Community Programs Office Student Association Health Caucus Representative, and External Chair for Latinx Chicanx for Community Medicine at UCLA. As External Chair for LCCM, she founded Aspire Learn Mentor Achieve (LCCM-ALMA), a collaboration with a non-profit in Santa Ana to support a K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) based higher education pipeline program. Her work experiences, combined with her life experiences, have inspired her to work with communities of color to enact collective power among community members to create the changes needed in our communities.
Her mission is to work with underserved communities to create positive changes. She previously worked as a Community Organizer in Santa Ana, CA, working with a group of residents on a community-based participatory research project centered on community safety, housing affordability, and environmental justice. There she met with local organizations and city officials to advocate for the needs of the community.
She is currently pursuing a Master in Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with loved ones.
Genesis Coronado, At-Large
Genesis Coronado (she/her/ella) is a public servant of over ten years with experience in government relations, community outreach and policy analysis and holds a Masters in Public Administration. She currently serves as the Legislative Analyst for the Office of Government Relations at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Additionally, Genesis has extensive experience in campaign management and field operations, and most recently ran as a candidate for California State Assembly in the March primary. Genesis is passionate about building political power in marginalized people through promoting civic engagement and advocating for true representation for unincorporated communities.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, traveling and discovering the best matcha lattes across Los Angeles.
Genesis Discua, At-Large
Genesis Discua (She/Her/Ella) currently serves as a Public Affairs Specialist for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, where she fiercely advocates for sexual and reproductive health justice. Her work is driven by a commitment to amplifying Latinx voices and addressing the intersections of immigration status, skin color, and socio-economic class in accessing quality healthcare. In her previous role at Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), she focused on building solidarity among Latinas who were often first- and second-generation workers in white-collar spaces.
Genesis currently serves on the board of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, giving back to the community that raised her. She is the proud daughter of Central American immigrants and a first-generation graduate from California State University Northridge with a degree in Political Science.
Griselda Melgoza, At-Large
Griselda Melgoza was proudly raised in the Inland Empire by her Mexican father and Guatemalan mother to believe in the transformative power of hard work, education, and community. Currently, she serves as the Public Affairs Manager for California 100, an initiative incubated out of UC Berkeley and Stanford University dedicated to promoting vision and strategy for the next century of California policymaking that is equitable, innovative, and transformative for California's most underrepresented communities.
Prior to joining California 100, Griselda served as Deputy Director of Advance for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. At the Governor's Office, she was responsible for implementing the Governor's vision for public programming that focused on connecting the real-life impact his policy agenda has on communities across the State. Notably, she led programming and planning for the first-ever State of the State address hosted at Dodger Stadium and the Governor's first international trip to El Salvador, which focused on bringing attention to the root causes of migration. Previously, she worked on Governor Gavin Newsom's successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
Griselda received her B.A. in Political Science/International Affairs from UC Riverside. Currently, she lives in Los Angeles with her Yorkie-poodle, Canela. In her free time, she enjoys hiking through the beautiful landscape of Southern California, practicing yoga, and finding the best taco stands.
Jessica Lopez, At-Large
Karen Coronel, At-Large
Karen Coronel is a public affairs and project management professional focused on clean transportation, emerging mobility, and community-centered innovation. She has experience building partnerships across government, nonprofits, startups, and technology organizations. Karen brings a thoughtful and relationship-driven approach to every project. She is committed to helping ideas move from vision to implementation while centering the communities they serve.
Laura Garcia, At-Large
Laura Garcia was born and raised in the city of Fresno and is a proud graduate of Fresno State. She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a double minor in Sociology and Philanthropic and Community Based Leadership. Laura currently serves as an elected board member to the Calwa Recreation and Park District and has served as a Chief of Staff for the 5th largest city in California since 2021. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her loved ones.
Luz Castro, At-Large
Luz Castro currently serves as the Associate Director of Policy at Inclusive Action, leading their worker justice, safety net, and financial systems policy portfolios. Additionally, she serves as the policy co-chair at the Immigrants are Los Angeles (IRLA) Coalition, where she ensures the inclusion of immigrants in the LA County budget process. Inclusive Action is a non-profit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to advancing economic justice through research, policy, and advocacy.
Motivated by a desire to understand the impact of policies on her everyday life, Luz began her career in the offices of Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Rep. Linda Sanchez. In her previous role at CHIRLA, she spearheaded the federal policy portfolio and played a crucial role in national campaigns to reform the US immigration system, including 'We are Home,' 'Value our Families,' and the 'Fair Immigration Reform Movement.' Luz also initiated CHIRLA’s 'All in for Registry' campaign, aiming to create a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals through an update to the immigration registry.
In the 117th and 118th Congress, Luz played a key role in introducing one of the most straightforward and comprehensive legalization bills: Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929. This bill proposes updating the immigration registry statute, allowing immigrants to qualify for green cards after residing in the U.S. for at least seven years. Luz brings expertise in immigration policy, coupled with extensive experience in advocacy, civic engagement, and organizing.
Monica Medina, At-Large
Monica is a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in the Los Angeles area and the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She has served in various roles in nonprofit organizations working to empower communities and further develop leaders. She is passionate about mentorship, advocating for her community, social justice, and the political process. She currently serves as a Senior Program Manager at Hispanas Organized for Political Equality(HOPE) managing the organization’s youth and college programs. Prior to HOPE she was at IGNITE where she helped empower young women to use their political power and at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) where she helped provide professional development opportunities for Latino Elected Officials. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Studies and a minor in Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, rollerblading, running and spending time with friends and family.
Stephanie Nava-Angeles, At-Large
Stephanie Nava-Angeles was born and raised in the City of El Monte. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainability Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of California at Riverside. In her current role, she is the Program Manager of Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL). Ms. Nava-Angeles has been involved in a variety of organizations and projects, all aimed at supporting her community.
She is currently a Commissioner for the City of Pasadena. Her passion for water conservation and community engagement is what led Ms. Nava-Angeles to join WELL. She believes access to clean water is a fundamental human right and that the lack of access to clean water highlights a variety of environmental injustices in minority communities.
Felipa Peñaloza, Chair Emeritus
Born and raised in Orange County, Felipa Peñaloza is Vice President, Public Affairs at GrassrootsLab, a California-based political consulting firm, where she works with a wide array of clients, aiding with political campaigns and other legislative efforts. She specializes in data analysis and looking at Latino political representation across the nation. Since she joined the firm in 2015, Felipa has worked on ballot measures, council and mayoral races, supervisorial races, legislative races, and a governor’s race, for candidates across the political spectrum. That same year, Felipa released “The Politics of Prosperity,” a landmark report in conjunction with the California Legislative Latino Caucus and the Leadership Institute California, which took a look at Latino political representation at all levels.
Previously she worked for the American Diabetes Association in Orange County where she managed the bilingual Passport to Health/Pasaporte a La Salud health program, partnering with community organizations and health experts to host educational workshops across the County targeted to the high-risk Latino population. Felipa graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a specialization in Public Relations and a minor in Sociology.