Opportunity Fund – a leading not-for-profit headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley – has expanded to Southern California. Its newly formed Southern California Regional Board convened last week for the first time. “We are thrilled to have such dedicated, talented and passionate members of the community championing our cause in Southern California,” said Founder and CEO Eric Weaver.
There are nine members on Opportunity Fund’s newly formed Regional Board, including leading business people, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and innovators. The members are:
Parker Hudnut, CEO, ICEF Public Schools
Sylia Obagi, Executive Director, Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation
Tara Roth, President, Goldhirsh Foundation
David Greco, Partner, Social Sector Partners
Shauna Nep, Director of Community and Innovation, Goldhirsh Foundation
Patrick Sinclair, Vice President of Deveopment & Communications, Para Los Ninos
Arnulfo Ventura, Vice President, Business Development, Califia Farms
Vivienne Lee, Regional Director, REDF
Natasha Case, Founder/CEO, Coolhaus
Opportunity Fund’s Regional Board is an advisory body in support of our Governing Board. Bios of each Regional Board Member can be found here.
Opportunity Fund’s mission is to advance the economic well-being of working people by helping them earn, save, and invest in their future. The organization relies on donations from the community to support its work in Southern California, and across the state. “We believe in the power of entrepreneurs to reshape their own lives. By providing microloans to make the small investment these entrepreneurs need, Opportunity Fund can be a catalyst that transforms someone’s life for the better,” said Regional Vice President, Ranie Lambe. Opportunity Fund is California’s largest nonprofit microlender, investing 40% of its microlending in Southern California. Last year, the organization helped 559 small business owners pursue their dreams throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
“I’m thrilled to join Opportunity Fund’s Southern California Regional Board,” said Tara Roth, President of the Goldhirsh Foundation. “I have tremendous respect for the leaders of this high-impact non-profit. And I’m so moved by the passionate entrepreneurs we are supporting in our community. We can drive economic mobility for some of our region’s most talented and undercapitalized entrepreneurs, spurring a ripple effect of positive economic activity and creating jobs in communities that need them most.”