CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR INDIVIDUAL HONOREES
First Name: Patsy
Last Name: Ayala
Title: Planning Commissioner
Company: City of Santa Clarita
Bio: Patsy Ayala is a true American Dreamer success story. Born and raised in Mexico, she relocated to California and became a U.S. citizen. She started Our Valleys, a local magazine promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ayala is a leading advocate of DE&I in the Santa Clarita Valley, a planning commissioner, president of the Latino Business Alliance, and supporter of the Black Business Council and AAPI causes.
Last Name: Bloom
Title: Sales Agent
Company: The Agency
Bio: Known for his entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic, Michael Bloom specializes in LA’s Hidden Hills and Woodland Hills neighborhoods. Fluent in Spanish and Japanese, Bloom represented a Japanese buyer in purchasing a Hollywood Hills estate formerly owned by Mary Astor and Charlie Chaplin. He serves as a Hidden Hills Safety Commissioner and tennis instructor, connecting with and contributing to the diverse fabric of Los Angeles County.
First Name: Angèle
Last Name: Cade
Title: Founder, CEO
Company: Executive On the Go
Bio: Angèle Cade focuses on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through her company, she connects with professional firms to build a strong local network. She founded Executive On the Go and A Kid Like Anouk, a nonprofit supporting disabled children and families. Cade has provided guidance, legal counsel, and strategic support to local businesses.
Last Name: Gurney
Title: President & CEO
Company: Mission Valley Bank
Bio: Tamara Gurney began as an executive assistant at American Pacific State Bank and rose to executive vice president and COO. Now, she is the founding president and CEO of Mission Valley Bank, a $510 million community-based business bank. Gurney has been influential in rebuilding the local banking and community sectors, often lobbying in Washington, D.C., on behalf of her industry.
First Name: Crystal
Last Name: Leonard
Title: Assessor, Autism Services
Company: Easterseals Southern California
Bio: Crystal Leonard is a board-certified behavior analyst with expertise in working with diverse families. She conducts diagnostic assessments and designs intervention therapies for individuals with autism to enhance their social, communication, and adaptive skills. As a director of Easterseals’ DEI team, Leonard worked to reduce healthcare disparities and advance health equity.
First Name: Greg
Last Name: Martayan
Title: Vice President of External Affairs
Company: The Valley Economic Alliance
Bio: Greg Martayan prioritizes compassion and overcoming adversity, drawing from personal experience. As vice president of external affairs for The Valley Economic Alliance, he supports workforce development in the San Fernando Valley. Previously, as a director of public safety for LA, Martayan supported infrastructure projects and food drives, collecting 10,000 cans and providing over 20,000 meals.
First Name: Laurel
Last Name: Mintz
Title: General Partner
Company: Fabric VC
Bio: Laurel Mintz has demonstrated a commitment to increasing accessibility for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women entrepreneurs, building a diverse team to support this mission. By educating and deploying venture capital, Mintz has empowered the next generation of underrepresented investors. She has worked with over 200 companies, ranging from startups to global brands like Facebook, Verizon Digital Media, and Zendesk. Mintz supports organizations such as Women Founders Network and Women Business Enterprise National Council.
First Name: Jamie
Last Name: Muñoz
Title: Program Manager II, Family Preservation
Company: Child & Family Center
Bio: Jamie Muñoz has played an active leadership role at the Child & Family Center, improving DEI initiatives and enhancing the representation of art in the agency’s facilities. She has been a champion for the agency’s pronoun campaign, fostering a more inclusive environment. With a mental health background, Muñoz oversees a Family Preservation Program, offering mental health assessments, advocacy, and foster care support for children.
First Name: Louis
Last Name: Perry
Title: President & Founder
Company: Kadima Security Services, Inc.
Bio: Louis Perry, as president of Kadima Security, has provided security services for politicians, former presidents, court security, and beyond. Perry serves on Sylmar’s Neighborhood Council and Neighborhood Watch Chair for Stevenson Ranch. His commitment to family and community includes participation in youth programs, sports, and the Chabad Telethon for thirteen years.
First Name: Danone
Last Name: Simpson
Title: CEO & Founder
Company: Montage Insurance Solutions
Bio: With two decades of insurance experience, Danone Simpson is recognized for client satisfaction and service excellence. As CEO of Montage Insurance Solutions, she promotes diversity and inclusion within her company. In 2020, Simpson launched HealthEfair, a platform enhancing client resources for health and safety. She also spearheads funding initiatives to provide resources and educational support.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ORGANIZATION HONOREES
ARMENIAN WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION
THE ARMENIAN WOMEN’S Bar Associ-ation is dedicated to the professional advancement of Armenian women in law, and seeks to create a community committed to inspiration, empower-ment and support. The Association promotes a diverse membership consisting mainly of women of color who are experts in their field. It has established mentorship and internship programs, providing guid-ance, resources, and opportunities to young professionals and students while fostering a more diverse environment. It has organized educational panels and webinars on topics related to the unique challenges of Armenian women.
CALIFORNIA CREDIT UNION
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & Inclusion (DE&I) is an important strategic ini-tiative for California Credit Union as it works to create an innovative work-place where differing viewpoints, life experiences, cultures, traditions, and mindsets come together to create a meaningful work environment, extraor-dinary member experience and healthy, successful credit union. Every employee at the credit union participates in a diversity training program, and in 2023 it launched a new manager training program aimed at building the skillset of credit union managers in every department in the areas of diversity of staff and members.
CHILDREN & ADULTS WITH ADHD (CHADD) OF GREATER LOS ANGELES
CHILDREN AND ADULTS with ADHD of Greater Los Angeles is a leading nonprofit organization with a mission of providing support, advocacy and education to people with ADHD, their fami-lies, and the broader community. The organization offers a wide range of services, including peer support groups, educational workshops, webi-nars, and community events. These groups are facilitated by trained volunteers who bring their own lived experi-ences and expertise to the table, creat-ing a compassionate and understand-ing environment for all participants. The team strives to create an inclusive and supportive community.
DIGNITY HEALTH
A MULTI-STATE NONPROFIT network of physicians, employees, acute care hospi-tals and care-centers, Dignity Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality and affordable patient-cen-tered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. With DEI central to its mission, Dig-nity Health strives to improve health access and equity for everyone in its communities. The organization con-ducts educational focus and awareness training programs for staff, provides fresh produce every month to commu-nity members, and offers medical and mental health treatment to victims of human trafficking.
EIDE BAILLY LLP
A REGIONALLY CERTIFIED CPA and consulting firm dedicated to helping clients grow and embrace opportu-nities and innovation, Eide Bailly is driven by a belief that a diverse work-force is the best workforce. By creating an annual DEI Road map, the organi-zation provides formal inclusion and diversity training that includes identi-fying and managing unconscious bias. Eide Bailly ensures that its job postings reach diverse candidates with identity- and location-based job boards and community outreach to thousands of DEI organizations per month.
ELEVATE MY BRAND
ELEVATE MY BRAND (EMB) is a dynamic, award-winning marketing agency that specializes in providing innovative and creative solutions for both business-to-consumer and busi-ness-to-business brands. As a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certified agency, EMB is dedicated to developing and executing tailored marketing initiatives that align with the values, vision, and passions of its clients. With a diverse and vibrant team spread across the country, EMB empha-sizes a positive company culture that celebrates achievements and fosters a collaborative environment.
EQUINOX STRATEGY PARTNERS
EQUINOX STRATEGY PARTNERS provides professional development training and coaching to service professionals—law-yers, accountants and business man-agers. Its curriculum includes specific training and coaching for minority pro-fessionals who are often overlooked and difficult to retain in professional ser-vices firms. By investing in their person-al development, professionals feel more connected with their organizations, build critical networks and thrive. The founder and managing partner, Jonathan Fitzgarrald, is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community who has created specific curriculum to combat this struggle.
EXCEPTIONAL MINDS
A NONPROFIT ACADEMY And working production studio, Exceptional Minds trains young adults on the autism spec-trum for careers in animation and the digital arts. It develops a diverse and inclusive workforce of thoughtful peo-ple, fostering dignity, hope, and a com-mand of the skills and tools necessary to lead successful careers. Exceptional Minds has developed multiple internal and external initia-tives to drive and embrace DEI, while highlighting the many benefits of neurodiverse inclusion. This includes a partnership with nonprofit Reel Start, that provides filmmaking training to marginalized high school students.
HUE YOU KNOW
HUE YOU KNOw is a production resource group for media professionals of color, founded by television execu-tive Bree Frank in 2017. Comprised of international members of multiple eth-nicities, its principal focus is to create a safe space for professionals of all levels to post employment opportunities, seek mentorship and community. Hue You Know is dedicated to equi-ty, empowerment, inclusion, and the elimination of barriers. To embrace DEI into company culture, the organization provides a mentoring program, in addition to a Wellness & Empowerment event series for executive women in leadership.
MONTAGE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
MONTAGE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS is a full service insurance brokerage and human resources consulting firm specializing in employee benefits pro-grams, human resources consulting, commercial property & casualty, and workers’ compensation. With DEI woven into its culture, Montage fosters a workplace of flexibil-ity, integrity, and inclusion. The firm is known for establishing an atmosphere of respecting all people’s beliefs, cele-brating different cultures with respect and openness. Founder Danone Simp-son built an agency around the ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The staff represents a diverse blend of ages, races, and backgrounds.
RAISE A CHILD
AS AN ORGANIZATION that recruits and prepares prospective parents to care for youth in the foster care system, Raise A Child specifically focuses on the LGBTQ+ community, providing resources and support. Its interim co-executive director and board member, Maggie Bohlman, has prioritized an embracing of DEI within the organization, and has taken on a heightened role to ensure its ongoing success. She volunteers hundreds of hours a year toward the mission of Raise A Child—overseeing staff, connecting resources, making introductions, renewing contracts, writ-ing grants and ensuring the financial health of the organization.
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, INC.
FOUNDED IN 1970, San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center provides behavioral health services to individuals and families of all ages and ethnicities in the San Fernando Valley regardless of their ability to pay. In 2020, the Center established a DEI committee that created policies to sustain a culture of belonging for all employees, promoting a workplace free of discrimination and bias. The Center employs a consultant who specializes in DEI to help advance its initiatives and training.
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
THE SANTA CLARITA Valley Chamber of Commerce is the oldest and largest business membership organization in the Santa Clarita Valley. Founded in 1923, the Chamber works to advocate for, edu-cate and connect the business communi-ty, while creating spaces for underserved and minority groups. Integral to the Chamber’s inclusivity efforts are its specialized councils – The Black Business Council, Asian Pacific Islander Council, and Latino Business Alliance, which ensure diverse voices and perspectives are heard, and create a more inclusive and equitable business environment.
THE VALLEY ECONOMIC ALLIANCE
THE VALLEY ECONOMIC Alliance is a strategic private-public collaboration made up of government, corporations, small businesses, educational institu-tions, and community organizations whose mission is to engage and unite behind the principles, policies, and practices necessary for economic vitali-ty and prosperity. The Alliance’s DEI Committee works to better reach and serve a broad spectrum of audiences through a vari-ety of initiatives, which connect diverse businesses to resources and investment opportunities, promote inclusivity in the local economy, and address the needs of residents.
