In honor of the Black Equity Collective’s three-year anniversary, our Founder and Chief Architect, Kaci Patterson, has shared her reflections about our journey together over the past few years as well as lessons she’s learned as a new founder along the way.
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Michele is honored to be the fiscal consultant for the Black Equity Collective. She is the owner and founder of Woodson Fiscal Consulting, LLC, providing bookkeeping and fiscal management consulting services to small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations.
Michele brings to the Collective 16 years of accounting experience, including auditing, consulting, and internal accounting. 15 of these years have focused solely on nonprofit organizations. She has worked with multiple nonprofit organizations to prepare and/or oversee their monthly close, provide audit-support services, provide training on accounting policies and procedures and new staff onboarding, supervise internal accounting teams, assist in developing annual budgets, set up systems to track restricted funding, assist in managing cash flow, and prepare cash flow and budget projections amongst other internal financial statements. She has a sound understanding of GAAP, strong analytical and communication skills.
Michele originally hails from Baltimore, MD, where she graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Financial Economics and a Certificate in Accounting from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She has completed a number of graduate-level accounting courses at Rutgers University.
Michele has made Southern California her home since 2015, along with her husband and three young kids, and is thrilled to be a part of a dynamic team focused on building black equity and power and helping to change the culture for generations to come.
Mae Gates is a seasoned organizer, fundraiser, consultant, and former Chief of Staff in the California State Senate. She has served in various staff and campaign positions for CA State Senator Sydney Kamlager (D-30) and Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-54). A native to Wisconsin and Mississippi, Mae moved to Los Angeles to pursue her studies at USC.
After supporting the work and candidacy of two progressive champions, Mae entered the non-profit sector. Mae served as the Government Relations Manager at Chrysalis, a premiere 501(c)(3) offering workforce development and job placement for underrepresented, unhoused, and reentering Angelenos. Mae supported the organization in maintaining over $7 million in government funding, focusing on procurement contracts and grant management. Mae left her position at Chrysalis to begin consulting full-time at her firm, MGA Consulting. Mae continued to work in the political consulting space, managing various statewide and local campaigns and building a political fundraising portfolio.
In her former role as Chief of Staff to Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-28), Mae oversaw the district and capitol offices with a team of over 10 legislative staffers. Mae is the youngest Chief of Staff in the history of the California legislature and was one of only two Black female Chiefs of Staff in the California State Senate.
In 2024, Mae made her return back to philanthropy. She now serves as the Director of Philanthropy at Social Good Solutions, a Black woman owned and operated consulting firm with a client base in philanthropic institutions, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and institutions of higher education. Mae leads the fund development for the Black Equity Collective, a philanthropic fiscal intermediary organization for Black-led and Black-empowering organizations across southern California. In this role, Mae identifies and cultivates new corporate partnership opportunities, manages relationships with institutional and individual funders, and secures six and seven figure gifts. Mae’s role is focused on fund development of BEC to ensure institutional permanence.
Mae is a prominent leader and organizer in the food justice and racial justice movements. She is an active member of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles where she organizes for police accountability and an end to all state sanctioned violence. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first Black sorority. She has completed several certifications and professional development programs such as the United Leaders Project, Leadership California, Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellowship, and is a certified Chief of Staff with membership to the Chief of Staff Association. Mae was elected as the President of the Black Women’s Democratic Club in 2022 and is a member of various democratic clubs and civic organizations across LA County.
Mae is passionate about supporting progressive and people-centered organizations, and creating cooperative relationships between government, philanthropy, civic organizations, labor organizations, and direct service providers.
Caché is a dedicated administrative and project management professional with strong analytical reasoning skills and a passionate commitment to advocacy. She excels at leveraging data-driven insights to drive meaningful systemic changes that ensure equitable access for disadvantaged groups. Caché’s drive is rooted in her lived experiences with policy impacts during her college journey and her upbringing in the foster care and adoption systems.
Prior to her role as Executive Coordinator with Social Good Solutions, she was one of ten Judicial Fellows serving the California courts in a nationally recognized judicial administration graduate program. As a fellow, she worked full-time as an administrative analyst at the largest trial court system in the country, Los Angeles Superior Court where she contributed community engagement, research, policy formation, and strategic best practices recommendations to improve executive level management and administrative operational responsibility to ensure efficient, equitable, and accessible justice for Los Angeles County court users.
Caché’s work experience spans both public and private sectors in Alameda County and Los Angeles County. She has served in administrative roles with the Office of Equity and Inclusion at UC Berkeley and with the LA County Department of Mental Health’s Anti-Racism Division and Inclusion, where she supported efforts to utilize data to drive initiatives. Caché has also held managerial and support positions focused on advancing at-risk women and youth development within low-income communities through nonprofits, city government, and school districts.
Caché has a BA in Political Science with an emphasis in Race Relations, Pre Law. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Applied Policy and Government.
Caché is a dedicated administrative and project management professional with strong analytical reasoning skills and a passionate commitment to advocacy. She excels at leveraging data-driven insights to drive meaningful systemic changes that ensure equitable access for disadvantaged groups. Caché’s drive is rooted in her lived experiences with policy impacts during her college journey and her upbringing in the foster care and adoption systems.
Prior to her role as Executive Coordinator with Social Good Solutions, she was one of ten Judicial Fellows serving the California courts in a nationally recognized judicial administration graduate program. As a fellow, she worked full-time as an administrative analyst at the largest trial court system in the country, Los Angeles Superior Court where she contributed community engagement, research, policy formation, and strategic best practices recommendations to improve executive level management and administrative operational responsibility to ensure efficient, equitable, and accessible justice for Los Angeles County court users.
Caché’s work experience spans both public and private sectors in Alameda County and Los Angeles County. She has served in administrative roles with the Office of Equity and Inclusion at UC Berkeley and with the LA County Department of Mental Health’s Anti-Racism Division and Inclusion, where she supported efforts to utilize data to drive initiatives. Caché has also held managerial and support positions focused on advancing at-risk women and youth development within low-income communities through nonprofits, city government, and school districts.
Caché has a BA in Political Science with an emphasis in Race Relations, Pre Law. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Applied Policy and Government.
Kamina Smith brings nearly 20 years of experience in Strategy, Equity, Talent Transformation, Human Resources, Project Management, and Organizational Development at the global, national, and local level within, and in partnership with, nonprofits, local governments, universities, social initiatives, and corporations. As an MBA certified in Integrated Talent Management, 360 Degree Assessments, Instructional Design and Agile Methodology, she has developed a truly diverse and unique perspective on tackling challenges and developing innovative solutions.
Fundamentally, Kamina believes that it is imperative to lead by exploring and holding space for the “why” and “how” we work together while harnessing the power of purpose, empathy, and insights to realize sustainable social impact and growth.
Kamina is a California native and obtained her BS in Business Administration and MBA with a concentration in Management from Florida AandM University.
Titiana Hamilton brings over 15 years of expertise in Accounting, Finance, and HR to her role as an Operations and HR Consultant at Social Good Solutions. Her diverse experience spans both Non-Profit and For-Profit sectors, covering everything from bookkeeping to budget management. Most recently, she excelled as a Senior Finance Manager, overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets. Titiana’s passion for financial health is deeply rooted in her upbringing in a single-parent household with limited financial literacy. Her pursuit of financial knowledge led her to earn a degree in Accounting from West Georgia Tech. She has also successfully run her own bookkeeping service, catering to clients across various industries, including
entertainment, real estate, home improvement, and law. In addition to her professional achievements, Titiana is a notary public in Georgia, where she resides with her husband and their eight children. In her leisure time, she enjoys gardening and writing.
Jennifer C. Gregg (she/her) founded GRG Strategies after more than 20 years of working with nonprofits. Jennifer has supported C3, C4, and 527 organizations in executive leadership and development positions.
The child of a deaf parent, Jennifer’s first nonprofit leadership experience was as a teenager and junior board member of the Hearing Loss Association of America’s (formerly known as SHHH) Northern Virginia Chapter. Jennifer’s board and committee service have included the Westside Family Health Center, Los Angeles, CA; Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s Campaign Board, Washington, DC; and Franklinton Arts District, Columbus, OH. For Jennifer’s leadership, she was recognized by the California State Legislature and 53rd Assembly District for promoting equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
Jennifer honed her finance, operations, fundraising, and grant writing skills through advanced training and certifications from The Center for Nonprofit Management and The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Jennifer is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has supported the professional development of its members as a mentor. Jennifer is also a member of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. Jennifer collaborates with Mida Associates as a Sr. Advisor for Grants and Organizational Capacity.
A native of Alexandria, VA, Jennifer resides in Los Angeles, CA, with her spouse, Cj Mitchell, Founder and CEO of Campfire Spices, and a menagerie of rescue animals. Jennifer is the proud parent of their daughter, who is pursuing her career.
Rob McGowan is a husband of 26 years and a father of four. Born in Los Angeles, but grew up in Alabama, Rob’s Southern sensibilities served him well as an organizer in South Los Angeles. He has been in the social and racial justice movement for over two decades. In 2017, he transitioned from being the Associate Director of Organizing at Community Asset Development Redefining Education (CADRE) to, along with his wife, Emilee, start a coaching and consulting practice. Since then, they have worked with dozens of individuals, couples, companies, and organizations locally and nationally.
Most recently, Rob was a Project lead for the Community Based Public Safety Collective, which was one of the four organizations tapped to provide training and technical assistance to grassroots community violence intervention organizations nationwide as part of the White House’s Initiative on Community Violence Intervention.
Rob brings his gifts and talents of active listening, personal development, leadership development, and facilitation to identify and organically increase organizational capacity, efficiency, and performance.
Diamond Lee, MSW is a racial equity advocate, trainer and consultant. She has over 10 years of experience working in clinical direct practice, non-profit, and government settings focusing on a range of systems change efforts including, criminal injustice reform, Black infant and maternal health, homelessness, mental health, and other social problems. Diamond has extensive experience managing a portfolio of projects that leverage government, philanthropy, and community resources to advance racial justice. She has conducted equity audits, led organizational capacity building projects, and facilitated the development of racial equity strategic plans for several organizations and initiatives. In collaboration with community partners, Diamond co-created and implemented a racial equity framework to develop the Los Angeles County Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Initiative and is the co-founder, former co-lead and current Policy Workgroup Co-Chair of a regional Community Action Team in the countywide African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative.
Diamond received her M.S.W. from the University of Southern California and her B.A. in English and History from Emory University. She is the founder and principal consultant of Liberation By Design and leads maternal health equity work for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. She is also a clinical therapist trainee at Open Paths Counseling Center a non-profit providing affordable counseling services primarily to communities of color.
Dr. April Harris Akinloye has over 16 years of experience in leading diversity and inclusion initiatives and training. She is the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at Vanguard University, where she oversees all institutional diversity initiatives, international enrollment services, veterans’ services, intercultural student programming, and multicultural academic support.
As the CDO she collaborates with senior leadership to provide the university with a clear vision toward inclusive excellence. In addition, she provides counsel to the presidential cabinet on strategic implementation of intercultural competence development techniques and the institutional structure required to best serve the institution’s diverse community.
April’s passion lies in helping others understand that diversity and inclusion mean more than respecting people from a different race. Through individual and group analysis, Dr. Akinloye assists teams with cultivating an inclusive work environment. Ultimately, she strives to demonstrate how knowledge, empathy, compassion and a global perspective can lead to greater impact and success.
Dr. Harris Akinloye holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and a Master of Arts in education psychology from Pepperdine University. She earned a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in cultural perspectives from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Ranisha Gray (She/Her) is a dedicated advocate for diversity and social change, whose passion for fostering inclusivity has been a driving force throughout her career. With a background in technical recruitment, Ranisha honed her skills with a special focus on diversity and inclusion, working tirelessly to ensure equal opportunities for underrepresented communities.
In a pivotal career move, Ranisha transitioned into the non-profit sector, serving as a Program Coordinator at Social Good Solutions. In this role, she is vital in supporting transformative initiatives like the Black Equity Collective and the African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) program. Ranisha’s commitment to these causes is evident in her unwavering dedication to addressing systemic disparities and advocating for positive change.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Ranisha is a graduate student pursuing her Master of Science (MS) degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Her academic endeavors underscore her commitment to understanding and implementing effective strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion in both the workplace and broader society.
Ranisha Gray’s journey exemplifies her unwavering dedication to promoting diversity, inclusion, and social equity, making her a passionate and valuable asset in the fight for a more just and inclusive society.
Sierra Smith is the Administrative Coordinator at Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective. Growing up in the Los Angeles area, she was exposed to activism in its many facets. With this interest in activism, Sierra dedicated herself to using her communication and administrative skills to support underserved communities.
In her young career, she has assisted many small Black-owned businesses as a project manager and has interned for many nonprofit companies, including the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), offering creative insights into ways to reach audiences using strategic communication. Sierra also devotes her time to activism and volunteering in various areas of social justice, including providing access to the arts, gun violence prevention and environmental justice.
In her spare time, Sierra enjoys reading, listening to music, planting succulents with her dad, and visiting every free museum she can. One day she hopes to join a writer’s room, create her own children’s show, and travel the world eating like Anthony Bourdain.
Miaya May is the administrative coordinator for Social Good Solutions, where she provides administrative and project management support, tracks and records various project performance, and conducts general correspondence on behalf of the company.
Miaya is a recent graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where she received her B.A in Comparative Ethnic Studies with a minor in Event Planning and Experience Management. As part of her senior project, Miaya conceptualized, proposed and implemented the “I Am First” website, the first and only university-wide collection of resources for first generation students at Cal Poly. Miaya is passionate about social justice and seeking community centered solutions to today’s challenges. She loves connecting with people through music, travel and the outdoors.
Eboney Pearson is a Southern California native, a second-generation immigrant, and first-generation college graduate. Her professional background includes working in the corporate nonprofit sector, local government, and in workforce development. Throughout her career she has helped build and expand diverse networks, supported countless underserved youth, and aided in local campaigns as a Political Operative. Outside of work she has served as a Commissioner in the City of Long Beach on the Homeless Services Advisory Committee and volunteered on several Political Action Committees for close to a decade.
Owning her identity and leading with a desire to build coalitions, Eboney challenges people to break barriers in efforts of being more inclusive. She is an alumnus of several leadership development programs i.e., The African American Board Leadership Institute, CORO’s Workforce Leadership Network Fellowship, and the Anti-Defamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute.
As a graduate of the California State University system, she obtained a B.A in Family and Consumer Sciences and a certificate in Management and Leadership for Community Benefit Organizations from Fresno State. In addition to several certificates in Leadership, she holds a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Pat Parker is a strategic leader who cultivates relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders and cross-functional teams to drive policy and systems change. Pat’s work at Centinela Youth Services (CYS) to advocate, inspire, and instigate systemic and policy change within school districts and as the Founding Pastor and Senior Leader of The Value Series Ministries (TVSM), which hosts The Value Series Conference (TVSC), an annual women’s conference that focuses on developing faith-filled disruptors is at the heart and intersection of her current role as Senior Leader, Policy and advocacy for Social Good Solutions.
Before joining Social Good Solutions, Pat was an active Black Equity Initiative (BEI) member and served as a Data workgroup member and CATALYZE Grant Review committee for the Black Equity Collective (BEC). Ms. Parker is a 3rd generation native of Los Angeles, a graduate of Antioch University Los Angeles, and a 2008 Community and Economic Development Fellow of Harvard Divinity School’s Summer Leadership Institute.
London Jones (she/her) is a nonprofit strategist, community facilitator, and racial equity leader from Los Angeles, California. She possesses over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector uplifting historically marginalized populations and supporting both internal and external organizational equity efforts. Motivated by a vision of an equitable and responsible society, she has dedicated her career to those very communities.
In 2020, London joined Social Good Solutions, a racial equity focused consulting firm, as its first Leader of Network Engagement. There she works within the firm’s initiative management portfolio, supporting the efforts of two multi-million dollar initiatives, the Black Equity Collective and Inland Empire Black Equity Initiative. Under her direction, London has cultivated the development of a network of Black-led organizations working at the collective interest of social justice.
Prior to joining the Social Good Solutions team, London worked in leadership roles at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, Awaken Arts, and Good+ Foundation. She has managed teams, hundreds of volunteers, and spearheaded programs that have created lasting change for people. In 2019, she co-founded Black Being, a community organization with the mission to share mindfulness-based practices for Black residents of South Los Angeles.
London holds a MA in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University Los Angeles, is a Certified Nonprofit Professional with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, and a partner at Social Justice Partners LA. She lives in South Central Los Angeles with her partner and her rescue pup, Squirrel.
Laresha Franks is an organizational development and change management professional with over a decade of experience improving the functionality of small to mid-size nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles and New York City.
Franks is the former Director of Organizational Efficacy at Community Coalition, a South Los Angeles based nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the social and economic conditions in South LA that foster addiction, crime, violence and poverty, through the vehicles of community organizing and public policy change.
One of Franks’ past projects include the management of a $3 million multi-year federal contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to implement community informed programs to reduce health disparities in two South Los Angeles communities. Franks’ other roles at Community Coalition have included providing strategic direction and leadership over the organization’s fundraising and development efforts, including grants research, grant writing, partner collaboration, performance management, donor cultivation, sponsorship management, and event production.
Franks serves as an organizational ambassador in social justice, youth development, and public health spaces, sharing best practices in these respective areas in various settings, including national conferences, international learning exchange programs, and peer-reviewed journals.
Franks earned her B.A. degree from UC Santa Barbara in Psychology with a minor in Black Studies and M.S. degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School for Public Engagement in New York City.
Felicia Jones is the Associate Director with Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) in San Bernardino, CA. She cut her teeth in faith-rooted community organizing Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches leading a number of school improvement efforts. She continued her work in family engagement and policy advocacy as the Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy with Families in Schools and served as Board Chair and Deputy Director with Community Asset Development Re-defining Education (CADRE).
Driven by a deep sense of community empowerment, Felicia is a founding member of Building Leaders and Cultivating Change (B.L.A.C.C.), a giving circle for professionals in supporting organizations empowering the African American community through education, jobs and leadership development. Felicia is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles College.
Kaci launched Social Good Solutions (SGS) in 2014 after nearly 18 years of working in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Always with an eye toward human and community development, Kaci has designed SGS to work with philanthropic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and public entities to co-create, operationalize and manage strategic initiatives from concept to implementation, using a racial justice and inclusive, democratic framework to guide the work.
Prior to consulting, Kaci held entry-to-executive-level roles within the nonprofit sector, leading capacity building, education advocacy and social justice initiatives where she facilitated networks of organizations and served over 1,000 civil society leaders and public officials worldwide. In addition to managing multi-million-dollar grant-making portfolios in the United States and abroad, Kaci has created programs recognized as breakthrough contributions in her field: the School Boards and Community Engagement Initiative (2011) and B.L.A.C.C. (Building Leaders and Cultivating Change), a grassroots social activism fund (2014). She was named a California Community Foundation Unsung Hero of Los Angeles for her work with the fund (2016); named to the first 40 under 40 class by the Empowerment Congress (2016); honored with the Wally Marks Change-Maker of the Year award by Liberty Hill Foundation (2017); chosen as a LA CAN Freedom Now award recipient (2019) and was selected into the 2019 inaugural class of The Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellowship.
She has served as the Chief Strategist of the Black Equity Initiative since its inception in 2017, a racial justice philanthropic initiative she designed, and now serves as the Chief Architect of the Black Equity Collective, which launched in 2021 under her leadership.
Kaci sits on the board of Social Justice Partners—Los Angeles, Tides Advocacy, and was a state commissioner in the Department of Consumer Affairs from 2014 to 2022. She is a certified mediator, a graduate of Pepperdine and holds an MBA in Organizational Management and Leadership from the University of LaVerne.
