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Written By: Christopher Luna Editor-In-Chief: Rick Gibson At the USC Latino Alumni Association Scholarship Gala, alumni, students, and university leadership gathered to celebrate five decades of impact — and the responsibility of continuing to expand opportunity for future generations. “Scholarships are not charity. They are opportunity infrastructure.” — Ray López-Chang A sense of pride and optimism filled the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday Marc

Written By: Rick Gibson, MBA, CEC Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna Alann Russell Klumpp may have been a celebrated figure in the history of the Apollo space program; but, thankfully, he was also a non-compliant NASA employee. On the Apollo 11 moon landing mission, the crew had been trained to activate the rendezvous radar which mysteriously caused a back up of data, interrupting systems’ two-second guidance signals. When the data queue filled up, the computer flushed the co

A Strong Sense of Self to Guides Steve Gunther’s Leadership Style Written By: Ed Mauss Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna Steve Gunther's four-decade career offers a masterclass in knowing your limits, trusting your people, and steering a venerable institution into its boldest chapter yet. Many executives spend their careers accumulating titles and authority. Steve Gunther once gave his back—voluntarily, without another job lined up—because he deci

Photo Caption: The Normandin Family Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna On February 26, 2026, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce convened a sold-out Leaders & Legacy Dinner, bringing together top executives, public officials, and community leaders shaping Silicon Valley’s future. The evening spotlighted the region’s responsibility to lead in an era defined by rapid AI advancement and economic transformation. Through a forward-looking fireside chat wi

Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna The California African American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) Economy Summit convened on January 28, 2026 at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento, uniting business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and community partners around economic empowerment. The event centered on small-business growth, access to capital, infrastructure, innovation, and California's economic future, with panel discussions offering pract

Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna By: McKinsey & Company Ashwin Adarkar Hrishika Vuppala Tolian Gjika Lodovico Ferrario In January 2025, California faced two of the most destructive natural disasters in its recorded history. The Eaton and Palisades wildfires swept through more than 38,000 acres of Los Angeles, claiming at least 31 lives and destroying more than 16,000 structures, including approximately 11,000 homes. One year later, the question

By Ed Mauss Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna How a South Korean immigrant with no five-year plan built one of America’s top-rated workplaces—and why she says the key to great leadership is forgetting yourself. On her first day as the lowest-ranking member of a water agency’s public affairs department, Joone Kim-Lopez was handed a job description that left nothing to the imagination. “You are everyone’s peon,” her new colleagues told her. Her resp

An Entrepreneur Finds Energy for Her Business Through Tragedy By: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna Starting a business is difficult for anyone. It’s even harder for a female entrepreneur. Starting over after a sudden and devastating loss is almost impossible. In January 2025, the destructive Eaton Fire swept through Altadena, California. For many like Elizabeth Hall and her family, it was catastrophic. Not only did it claim her home, but also the entire inventory

California’s Higher Cost of Living is a Reflection of its Prosperity by Christopher Thornberg PhD Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna Will Rogers, one of America’s sharpest wits, once famously quipped: “It ain’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble. It’s what we know that ain’t so.” He was describing a deeply held human tendency—the ability to accept certain narratives as unquestioned truth even when the available evidence points in a very diffe

How the Son of Immigrants Rewrote His Story Written By: Rick Gibson Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna The road signs were not clearly marked. In fact, they were pointing in another direction. It would be unfair to blame young Juan De La Cruz for taking the well-worn path of sub-par grades and odd jobs with no prospects. When he began working at age 11, he was not surprised that life was difficult and unrewarding because that was the only expectati

Written By: Ed Mauss Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna There's a moment in every leader's story where someone decides to believe in them before they believe in themselves. For Dr. Thomas A. Parham – psychologist, scholar, and recently retired president of California State University, Dominguez Hills – that moment came on a walkway at UC Irvine, when a professor named Joe White put his arm around a bright but aimless young man and said, simply: "Y

Dr. Noel Hacegaba The CEO of the Port of Long Beach shares leadership principles forged through a blue-collar family, serving his teams, and navigating intense operational challenges Written By: Ed Mauss Photography by: Andrew Heiser Editor-in-Chief: Rick Gibson Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna The day his parents dropped him off at USC, his stepfather reached into his pocket and pressed a $50 bill into his hand. “Mijo,” he said in Spanish. “This is all I got for the whole w

Stephen Cheung and Ron Frierson are Redefining Economic Success in Greater Los Angeles Written By Rick Gibson Photography By: Andrew Heiser Publisher & CEO: Christopher Luna Hair & Make Up: Patrick Santa Ana Agency Videographer: John Kandalaft Location: City Club Los Angeles The story is told that three bricklayers working on a church construction project were asked to describe what they were doing. The first responded, “I am laying bricks.” The second said, “I am building a

"The people in flight from the terror behind—refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow unmoving hand; they all come to California. And they are one great snake moving along the road." —John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath Like the “Dust Bowlers” before them, the post-World War II wave of migrants from Oklahoma were attracted to California by a general sense that a better life was possible there. Burdened

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” — Proverbs 11:14 Behind every organization, every institution, and every major initiative shaping our communities are individuals whose experiences, decisions, and values guide the outcomes we see. Yet too often, the deeper journeys of those leaders — the lessons, challenges, and defining moments — remain untold. California Leaders was created to help capture and share such stori

Congratulations to Ron Frierson on being named the next President & CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. A well-deserved milestone for a leader who has dedicated more than two decades to building a stronger, more equitable, and more prosperous Los Angeles. Ron's journey is one of rare breadth — from leading the Business Team in Mayor Eric Garcetti's Office, shaping policy for one of the world's largest metropolitan economies, to driving large-scale economic development a

We welcome Babatunde Cole, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, whose leadership continues to expand the power of meaningful connection, strategic alliances, and long-term community impact. Babatunde has built his career at the intersection of financial strategy, legacy planning, executive relationship development, and ecosystem building. With a strong background in financial services and trust and estate planning collaborations, he has become known for bringing together

California Leaders Magazine Announces Official Launch in Los Angeles, Bringing Together Voices Shaping the State’s Economic Future Los Angeles, CA — April 15, 2026 — California Leaders , a new statewide media platform dedicated to elevating the voices and stories of influential leaders across California, will officially launch its inaugural issue with a live event at City Club Los Angeles on April 15, 2026. Founded by Christopher Luna, Publisher & CEO, California Leaders wa