JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards recognize Californians who are implementing effective solutions to critical state issues. The awards advance innovative, proven and replicable solutions, and contribute to better public policies and practices in the field.
The Foundation provides each award recipient’s organization with $250,000 to support his or her work, and assists in sharing their promising approaches with policymakers and practitioners.
“For more than a decade Talking Eyes Media has helped bring The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards to life through their exceptional video production services. Their ability to distill complex stories into powerful and engaging visual narratives is truly remarkable. We are grateful for their partnership in highlighting the inspiring stories of the Award recipients and capturing the heart and soul of their impactful work.”
— Melissa Granville, The James Irvine Foundation
MEET THE 2024 GRANTEES
AMINA SHEIK MOMAMED & BLANCA MELÉNDREZ
UC SAN DIEGO CENTER FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH
Through the UC San Diego Center for Community Health, Blanca Meléndrez and Amina Sheik Mohamed have implemented a Community-Led Transformation Model to build community trust, address local needs, and promote health equity among immigrant and refugee populations in San Diego.
BRIAN POTH & NICK VARGAS
THE SOURCE LGBT+ CENTER
Brian Poth & Nick Vargas co-founded The Source LBGT+ Center to improve the lives of queer youth, the transgender community, and people living with HIV. The Source is now the largest LGBTQ+ center between Los Angeles and Sacramento, reaching thousands of people in Central California with over 30 programs and community events.
FRANKIE GUZMAN
NATIONAL CENTER FOR YOUTH LAW
As an attorney and Senior Director of Youth Justice at the National Center for Youth Law, Frankie Guzman advocates for youth justice reform and leads a coalition that works to reduce youth incarceration and ensure that children in the youth justice system receive effective, developmentally appropriate, and rehabilitative support in their communities.
ELIZABETH BAHAM & HÉCTOR CAMACHO
REACH UNIVERSITY
Through Reach University, Liz Baham and Héctor Camacho are delivering common sense, efficient solutions to California’s teacher shortage crisis. They offer job-embedded, apprenticeship-based Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs and teacher certification pathways so that the work school employees do every day counts toward their degree.
MANJUSHA KULKARNI
AAPI EQUITY ALLIANCE
AAPI Equity Alliance, a coalition of more than 40 community-based organizations advocating for the rights and needs of the 1.6 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders in LA County, works to improve the lives of the AAPI community through civic engagement, capacity building, and policy advocacy. Executive Director Majusha Kulkarni co-founded Stop AAPI Hate in 2020, which became the leading aggregator of hate incident reports against AAPIs.
MICHELE SIQUEIROS
THE CAMPAIGN FOR COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY
Herself a first-generation college student, Michele Siqueiros has spent her career eliminating barriers to higher education by producing compelling research and bringing together allies to demand public policy that improves equitable student access. Through her efforts, The Campaign for College Opportunity has grown into one of the most influential higher education research, policy, and advocacy organizations in California.