Shalaya Morissette(she/her) is Chief of the Minority Business and Workforce Division at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), located within the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. She is a highly sought-after collaborator and co-conspirator in the clean technology space. Most recently she hails from the utility sector in safety and compliance. In 2022 she took on an additional role at Dearborn STEM Academy in Boston, Massachusetts as a teacher to 11th and 12th graders - delivering a curriculum for engineering with energy in mind. Previously she held various roles in higher education, including enrollment services project manager and in global transportation as the Director of Affiliate Relations. She is the former president of the Greater Boston chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. Serving as the first African American board member of the New England Women in Energy and Environment, she has been devoted to elevating and engaging women and people of color in the energy space. As a Georgia Gwinnett College Alumni Association board member and a committee member for Browning the Green Space, she has been engaged in the nonprofit and higher education space as a strong advocate for elevating minorities in the energy transition. Morissette’s passion for bringing young people into the clean energy industry has also been supported with her work with Girls Inc and WriteBoston. Shalaya received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia Gwinnett College and her Master of Education degree from Cambridge College.

Tara Lynn Gray was sworn in on April 26, 2021, as the 5th Director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. She serves as the voice for California’s 4.2 million small businesses in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

Under Director Gray’s leadership, the California Office of the Small Business Advocate focuses on helping to bring about Governor Newsom’s California for All vision through further development of the state’s small business ecosystem and by ensuring that questions about equity and inclusion are the starting point for all of the state’s small business programs.

Gray’s first model of economic development was learned in her grandmother’s beauty shop. Her grandmother instinctively understood that her patrons needed credit as well as beauty services and she let them pay after services were rendered. This way, she kept the money circulating in the Black community and built a community of trust. She also imbued her granddaughter with her sense of compassion and indelible determination.

Running her own business for two decades, working with two small business development centers, and running a business association and a foundation has given Director Gray the requisite experience and expertise to advocate for small businesses.

Immediately prior to her appointment by Governor Newsom, Director Gray led the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce (FMBCC) and Chamber Foundation (FMBCF) as CEO. In her adopted city of Fresno, Director Gray engaged, educated, and empowered small businesses across California’s Central Valley. At the same time, she became deeply engaged in community service, leading the initiative “Betting Big on Small Businesses Owned by Women and People of Color” on behalf of the DRIVE Investment Plan, with the goal of increasing economic mobility for entrepreneurs in disinvested neighborhoods.

Closing opportunity gaps, the role of women and BIPOC business leaders, and diversity in procurement opportunities are recurrent themes in her advocacy work. She has also led green economy initiatives, employment & training programs, and working to advance electric vehicle ownership.

Julie Clowes is the Director of SBA's Los Angeles District Office where she oversees delivery of SBAs programs and services within Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Prior to joining the LADO, Julie held numerous positions within SBA, including Acting Deputy Associate Administrator - Office of Entrepreneurial Development, Director of the San Francisco District Office, Deputy District Director of the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office, Chief Marketing & Outreach attorney in the Office of General Counsel and Public Affairs Specialist with the Michigan District Office.

Julie also volunteers her time for colorectal cancer advocacy efforts and was a Board member of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

Rene Cota is the founder and principal owner of CMG Alliance, a government contract and business development firm specializing in government contract acquisitions for small and diverse businesses. He has over 15 years of experience in government contract management and program production and implementation, with expertise in government procurement policies and program development.

Rene is a proud Marine Corps combat veteran with two tours of duty in the Middle East. In addition to his work with CMG Alliance, he served as the Executive Director of the Disabled Veteran Business Alliance from 2016 to 2017 and sits on the Board of CalVet.

Rene’s contributions to the veteran and small business communities have been recognized through numerous awards and recognitions. He was awarded the 2015 Lou Zamperini award for Veteran entrepreneurship by the Disabled Veteran Business Alliance, named the 2015 Veteran Champion of the year by the Los Angeles SBA, and invited to be a judge by California DGS for the State Agency Recognition Awards (SARA).

Under Rene’s leadership, CMG Alliance has represented clients across all industry sectors, providing them with small business action plans and contract negotiation services. He has also developed training and small business programs for various organizations, including PTAC (Riverside Ca.), PTAC (Los Angeles Ca.), SBDC, Ascend LA, LA Area Chamber, Southern California Edison (VETS Program), LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority (DVBE Program, Mentor Protégé Program, and Metro Academy), Consulate General of Canada, and the Department of Labor (Veterans Economic Outreach Program).

With his diverse background and extensive experience, Rene is a valuable asset to the government contract and business development industry.

Babita Nayak oversees the loan programs at PACE. She joined PACE as a Credit underwriter in 2020. She is a CPA equivalent with over 12 years of experience in the finance & banking industry. Growing up in a small business family, she has valuable life experiences and can relate to the challenges small micro-enterprise owners face.

Shalaya Morissette(she/her) is Chief of the Minority Business and Workforce Division at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), located within the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. She is a highly sought-after collaborator and co-conspirator in the clean technology space. Most recently she hails from the utility sector in safety and compliance. In 2022 she took on an additional role at Dearborn STEM Academy in Boston, Massachusetts as a teacher to 11th and 12th graders - delivering a curriculum for engineering with energy in mind. Previously she held various roles in higher education, including enrollment services project manager and in global transportation as the Director of Affiliate Relations. She is the former president of the Greater Boston chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. Serving as the first African American board member of the New England Women in Energy and Environment, she has been devoted to elevating and engaging women and people of color in the energy space. As a Georgia Gwinnett College Alumni Association board member and a committee member for Browning the Green Space, she has been engaged in the nonprofit and higher education space as a strong advocate for elevating minorities in the energy transition. Morissette’s passion for bringing young people into the clean energy industry has also been supported with her work with Girls Inc and WriteBoston. Shalaya received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia Gwinnett College and her Master of Education degree from Cambridge College.

Timothy Alan Simon, Commissioner Emeritus, (Simon) was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on February 15, 2007 ending his term on December 31, 2012. During his time as commissioner, Simon served on the Board of Directors of the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley Energy Collaborative ( BERC) and the Energy Imbalance Market  ( EIM) Regional Taskforce. Prior to this appointment Simon served as Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor, the first African American in California history to hold this post.  Simon also served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Golden Gate University School of Law and the University of California Hastings. Prior to public service he was in-house counsel and compliance officer with Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Robertson Stephens.

In 2013 Simon created TAS STRATEGIES and serves as an attorney and consultant on utility, infrastructure, financial services and broadband projects. He is a frequent public speaker and panelist on topics including energy, infrastructure, diversity and inclusion.

Simon served as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)  Gas Committee, Chair of the LNG Partnership between the Department of Energy (DOE) and NARUC, member of the Gas Pipeline Safety Taskforce with the U.S. DOT, member the NARUC Board of Directors and also served on the Critical Infrastructure and Consumer Affairs Committees,  the NARUC Wireless Task Force, and Vice Chair of the Utility Marketplace Access Subcommittee.

In February 2019, Simon was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the California Black Chamber of Commerce. He was also appointed to the University of San Francisco (USF) Board of Trustees in June of 2019. Simon also serves on the North American Energy Standards Board Advisory Council and member of the California Green Jobs Council and Advisory Board of the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC) at U.C. Berkeley.  He also serves as a member of the American Bar Association and on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE).

Timothy Alan Simon, Commissioner Emeritus, (Simon) was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on February 15, 2007 ending his term on December 31, 2012. During his time as commissioner, Simon served on the Board of Directors of the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley Energy Collaborative ( BERC) and the Energy Imbalance Market  ( EIM) Regional Taskforce. Prior to this appointment Simon served as Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor, the first African American in California history to hold this post.  Simon also served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Golden Gate University School of Law and the University of California Hastings. Prior to public service he was in-house counsel and compliance officer with Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Robertson Stephens.

In 2013 Simon created TAS STRATEGIES and serves as an attorney and consultant on utility, infrastructure, financial services and broadband projects. He is a frequent public speaker and panelist on topics including energy, infrastructure, diversity and inclusion.

Simon served as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)  Gas Committee, Chair of the LNG Partnership between the Department of Energy (DOE) and NARUC, member of the Gas Pipeline Safety Taskforce with the U.S. DOT, member the NARUC Board of Directors and also served on the Critical Infrastructure and Consumer Affairs Committees,  the NARUC Wireless Task Force, and Vice Chair of the Utility Marketplace Access Subcommittee.

In February 2019, Simon was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the California Black Chamber of Commerce. He was also appointed to the University of San Francisco (USF) Board of Trustees in June of 2019. Simon also serves on the North American Energy Standards Board Advisory Council and member of the California Green Jobs Council and Advisory Board of the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC) at U.C. Berkeley.  He also serves as a member of the American Bar Association and on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE).

Simon received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco (Distinguished Alumni), and a Juris Doctor from the U.C. Hastings College of the Law.  Simon is an active member of the State Bar of California and serves on several non-profit and educational boards.

Noemí  Gallardo is serving her first term on the California Energy Commission. She was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2023 to serve as the CEC’s attorney member. She is the first Latina appointed as a CEC commissioner.

Gallardo joined the CEC in 2019 as its Public Advisor. She later became chief of staff for CEC Chair David Hochschild.  

Before joining the Energy Commission, she was senior manager of public policy at Sunrun Inc. Her professional experiences include serving as a program fellow at the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, a consultant at Gallardo Law and Policy Consulting, an energy and telecommunications legal fellow at the Greenlining Institute, and a principal investigator at the Public Law Research Institute at the University of California College of the Law,  San Francisco (UC Law SF, formerly known as UC Hastings). Gallardo is also a state-certified interpreter in Spanish who established and ran a translation and interpretation services business in her native Ventura County.     

She is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a proud mother of two. She is a first-generation college graduate who earned a Juris Doctor degree from UC Law SF, a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University.

Mr. Silva is an experienced energy industry professional with focus on government relations, capital Infrastructure, renewable projects and community grants. Throughout his career, he helped license and secure major transmission and substation regulatory approvals. Mr. Silva currently advises Virginia’s tobacco commission and is leading the effort in building and rolling out their $12 million energy fund and outlining guidelines for energy projects to be funded in both the Southern and Southwest regions of Virginia.

Mr. Silva co-founded his own consulting firm, Right Energy Group, focused on all of the above energy, permitting, government relations, and infrastructure approvals. Served as a Senior Advisor and manager of compliance for Southern California Edison (SCE) , a Fortune 250 company with 30+ years of combined operational, external and public affairs, community relations, and project management experience. Mr. Silva has a proven leadership track record as a top manager, change agent and industry thought leader in mission-critical roles. 

Mr. Silva was intimately involved with the restructuring of the energy industry meeting with state-wide legislators to support legislation changing the industry. He led direct initiatives to engage employees, retirees and community organizations to serve as advocates on behalf of SCE legislation. Mr. Silva also served as the Senior Project Manager securing licenses and permits from federal, statewide, and county agencies for the largest renewal project located between Nevada and California. Altogether, Mr. Silva secured approximately $500 million in approved licensing projects for SCE.

Mr. Silva’s 30+ years of combined operational, external and public affairs, community relations, and project management experience led him to serve as a Senior Advisor at the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of Energy to execute the Workforce Development Pillar of the Initiative ‘Equity in Energy’ and identify grant opportunities. 

Currently, Mr. Silva serves as a Board member of the Hispanic 100, International Visitor Council of Los Angeles, and served 10 years as a Governor Appointee to the Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor Commission, and the prestigious leadership ‘White House Fellows program’. Mr. Silva also served for over 10 years as a regional judge and chair for the Los Angeles panel. Finally, Mr. Silva has been recognized by many organizations for his public affairs, community outreach, advocacy programs and the renewable project completed at the Nevada/California state line.

Sandra Hrna is vice president of supply chain and operations support for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility. She is responsible for leading the company’s supply chain, supplier diversity, operational fleet, and real estate strategies to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America.

Previously, Hrna was vice president of customer solutions. Before that she held the positions of vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion and vice president of accounting and finance for SoCalGas. Since joining SoCalGas and SDG&E in 2001, she has held various positions of increasing responsibilities at the Sempra companies, including assistant controller and director of financial planning for both utilities, assistant treasurer for SDG&E and director of supply management for SDG&E. Prior to this, Hrna held several corporate tax roles with experience in the high tech, biotech and real estate industries.

Hrna holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting with an emphasis in tax from the University of Texas. She also is a certified public accountant.

Tamika Tyson is the Co-Founder of TGC Impact and is responsible for deal structuring/execution, portfolio management, and value creation. With over 25 years of risk management experience, she formerly was the Global Head of Credit at Noble Energy (Fortune 500) managing a $5B portfolio, achieving zero credit losses in during her tenure.  She has worked with small businesses to multi-national enterprises across various industries, including energy, oil and gas, transportation, manufacturing, pulp and paper, infrastructure, and business services, completing over 100 transactions. Tamika is a lifelong member of the National Black MBA Association and a Non-Resident Scholar for the Insurance Information Institute, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Elissa Y. Ouyang is Chief Procurement & Lead Continuous Improvement Officer of the California Water Service Group. Formerly, she was Interim Procurement Director (2013-2016), Acting District Manager - Los Altos (2013), Interim Vice President of Information Technology (2012-2013), Director of Information Technology - Architecture and Security (2008-2012), Business Application Manager (2003-2007) and Project Lead/Senior Developer (2001-2003). Elissa has held various business consulting positions at KPMG Consulting/BearingPoint (1998-2001), and RR Donnelley (1996-1998).

Mario Munoz is a supply chain executive with over 20 years of experience across various industries including energy, utilities, health care, financial services and consulting.  In his current role as Director of Procurement at Southern California Edison he leads the Procurement department with an annual spend base of $7B across all categories including direct services, direct materials, and indirect goods and services.   Prior to this role Mario led procurement organizations through transformations at City of Hope and Anthem, Inc.   Preceding his tenure with Anthem, Mario was a manager at Accenture’s supply chain practice where he led consulting engagements in multiple industries.  Mario actively participates in efforts to improve diversity with suppliers and in the workplace.   Mario holds a Masters in Business Administration degree with a concentration in Supply Chain Management and Business Information Systems from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach.  Mario is married and has 3 children.  

Mark Morales is Vice President - SBA Loan Specialist at City National Bank and Co-owner of Charles Jacobsen, Inc. – A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise. He is the SBA Los Angeles District Office – 2016 Financial Services Champion of the Year and the recipient of the 2018 Insurance Diversity Trailblazer Award. He serves his community as the LGBTBE representative to: Community Advisory Panel of Southern California Edison, Leadership Council of the Los Angeles Business Council, President Emeritus of the Los Angeles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Advisors of Equality California.

He continues on the Task Force as an advocate/representative for LGBT business enterprises.

Teresa Macias-Ruiz currently serves as a Bilingual Business Outreach Liaison at the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services, California Department of General Services. In this role, she educates business owners about the benefits and opportunities of pursuing a Small Business (SB) certification, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) certification, and contract opportunities with the state of California. Teresa worked in various capacities in banking for about 20 years. Later on, Teresa worked as a substitute teacher for 5 years at Washington Unified School District.  Her background is in business and she holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Sacramento State University. 

Vanessa Torres is a Vice President in J.P. Morgan Chase’s Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries (MMBSI) group with 15 years of experience in financial services. She supports business owners and community stakeholders in the Greater Los Angeles Area. She is dedicated to leveling the playing field for mid-sized companies to provide access, network expansion and opportunities to diverse business owners. Vanessa is a dedicated ambassador for JPMorgan Chase’s Global Supplier Diversity Program supporting diverse companies navigate contracting and procurement opportunities as part of their business development strategy. 

Coming from a multigenerational family of entrepreneurs, her purpose algins with providing financial insights an strategies for our local communities to chart a path to building multigenerational wealth through business enterprises. In her prior role, she led the foundational framework of Chase for Business’ Coaching for Impact division and scaled the program across the U.S. Through thoughtfully curated mentorship, the team of Senior Business Consultants support small businesses to expand their operations and strategically build pathways for small businesses to grow into mid-sized companies. 

Vanessa is an advocate in the push for corporate diversity through serving in three internal advisory programs that empower employees with career advancement opportunities and encouraging increased diversity in senior level positions. With a deep-rooted passion to give back, she volunteers as a community leader and board member for organizations that focus on providing resources to entrepreneurs. In addition, she is entering her 12th year as a mentor of The Fellowship Initiative, a three-year program which provides young men of color in Los Angeles with access to the education, skills and resources they need to help them navigate their way into college. 

Vanessa is currently in the process of obtaining Masters in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She attended CSU Fresno where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus in Economics and Urban Land Development and a Minor in Economics. She is a 2021 graduate of the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Program from the USC Marshall School of Business and Dr. Yasmin Davidds Institute. 

Elizabeth Martinez is the Vice President of Government Relations & Business Development for Meruelo Enterprises, Inc. (MEI). MEI is an affiliate of the Meruelo Group, a privately held company that provides strategic consulting and business support services. The Meruelo Group’s affiliates vary from Construction and Engineering, Hospitality and Gaming, Television, Radio, Real Estate, Food Services, Financial Services, to Private Equity and Sports. 

Elizabeth started at MEI in 2019, as Director of Government Relations. Her role focused primarily on identifying, developing, and maintaining key relationships with new and existing clientele. Her regular meetings with key decision-makers are designed to bring value-added services to the working relationship. Elizabeth also maintains awareness of political and social issues that most influence her customers, and those communities served by MEI. Partnered with MEI’s leadership, the team is able to design events and social causes that make the most impact. She is responsible for tracking market dynamics, political campaigns and movements that impact the construction industry, and those competitors that are also changing the industry.  Elizabeth can often be found at industry trade shows or participating in local or state associations.  Her tenacity for the industry, coupled with her intelligence and her gift for building positive relationships, are primary reasons why she was promoted to Vice President in 2021. 

Before joining MEI, Elizabeth was in the Waste Industry for over 20-years. Her experience includes overseeing contracts for large municipalities, school districts, and major commercial accounts. Elizabeth is a five-time winner of the prestigious, Republic Services Chairman Awards. 

Elizabeth’s secret to success is her passion for providing exceptional customer service, and understanding the needs of her clients. Elizabeth grew up in El Monte as a first-generation Mexican-American. She attended Cal State Los Angeles and studied communications. 

Kirby Hays is a prominent leader in the construction sector, serving as the President & CEO of both Hal Hays Construction, Inc., and sister-company Cal Pacific Constructors, Inc. His career, initiated in 2002 as a continuation of his father's legacy, has been marked by a series of significant achievements. Under Kirby's strategic leadership, The Hays Companies continue to flourish and make a positive impact throughout the Western United States. Kirby's innovative approach on the industry was recognized in 2023 when he received the Inland Empire’s Corporate Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Spirit of Entrepreneur awards. That same year, under his stewardship, Cal Pacific Constructors was honored as the Southern California Minority Supplier of the Year by the SCMSDC, reflecting the company's notable growth, service excellence, and commitment to community support.

Kirby's list of accolades is extensive and includes being named the NMSDC National Minority Supplier of the Year in 2018, a national recognition of his leadership and company performance. Additionally, he has been honored four times as the SCMSDC Southern California Minority Supplier of the Year, affirming his consistent excellence in the industry. His early career achievements were also highlighted with his inclusion in the NCAEID Native American 40 under 40 list in 2022, celebrating his substantial contributions at a very young age.

Apart from his business successes, Kirby is deeply engaged in philanthropy. He notably serves as the vice chair of the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire, contributing significantly to the mentoring and support of youth. His commitment to positive societal impact extends to his role on the board of directors for the SCMSDC, where he promotes diversity and inclusion within the business community. Kirby's educational foundation is robust, with diplomas from prestigious programs at the Northwestern Kellogg School of Business, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and the UCLA Anderson School of Management for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. These educational accolades have provided a strong base for his leadership and entrepreneurial endeavors, establishing Kirby Hays as a visionary leader, and committed philanthropist in the construction industry.

She is responsible for strategic sourcing, supply chain responsibility, supplier quality assurance, and materials functions across the company.

Reilly was previously the chief of staff to PG&E's CEO and, before that, the senior director of PG&E's New Revenue Development and Finance and Planning teams. Since joining PG&E in 2009, Reilly has held leadership roles across the company's strategy, energy procurement, regulatory, and customer-facing functions. She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and was at a small economic and financial consulting firm before joining PG&E.

Reilly holds master's degrees in business administration and public policy from the University of Michigan. She earned her bachelor's degree from Duke University.

Daniel Baker is the manager of Power System Contracts for the Los Angeles Water and Power (LADWP). He is responsible for overseeing the development and administration of specifications and contracts. In this role, he works closely with LADWP’s Supply Chain Services and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to promote procurement related policies to meet the strategic goals of LADWP’s Power System. Daniel has a background in electrical engineering and has held various roles at LADWP since 2010.

Prior to his work with LADWP, Daniel worked as an electrical engineer in the oil and gas industry supporting various major projects and initiatives related to pipelines and logistics infrastructure in the United States.

Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and is a licensed electrical engineer in the state of California.

Jennifer Jett is vice president of operations support for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), one of Sempra's regulated California utilities. In this role, Jett oversees supply management, supplier diversity, logistics, fleet, real estate, land services, tribal relations and facilities.

Prior to her current role, Jett served as vice president, governance, and corporate secretary for Sempra. In that role, she was responsible for advising the board of directors and senior management on a broad range of governance matters.

Over the past 17 years, Jett has held various positions of increasing responsibility within the law and finance departments at Sempra, where she worked on a wide range of securities, transactional, governance and financing matters for Sempra and its subsidiaries.

Jett serves as a board member of the Corporate Directors Forum and Alzheimer's San Diego.  

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and anthropology from the University of Vermont, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jay works as consultant with the Department of Energy with the Loan Programs Office on the Outreach and Business Development team. He is responsible for creating relationships and opportunities with external stakeholders and others within the clean and renewable energy ecosystem to assist with the equitable transition and implementation of energy infrastructure. 

Mr. Peck brings more than 10 years of experience in Transactions and Advisory Services, specializing in financial due diligence and advisory on strategic and pragmatic decision-making for acquisitions, renewable and solar financing, debt and equity financing, and real estate financing. Mr. Peck also works in the Clean Energy & Infrastructure (CE&I) Group with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). There he supports public and private organizations with creating a streamlined process transitioning new developments and the built environment to make buildings energy efficient assisting organizations in reaching their sustainability goals.

Edgar Darole is a seasoned Commercial Loan Advisor at Genwest Capital with a wealth of experience in securing, arranging, and originating diverse financing solutions up to $15 million. 

His primary focus revolves around on SBA financing, commercial real estate loans and working capital including asset-based loans, account receivable financing, factoring and SBA Capline.  

Furthermore, he offers alternative business financing to near-bankable clients with his exclusive Private Money Short-Term Business Loan Program. 

With a dynamic career spanning major financial institutions like Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Union Bank, he brings over two decades of expertise in commercial real estate and small business lending.

Edgar is currently a member of the Asian Business Association and was a past chapter board member, secretary, and treasurer of the Risk Management Association (RMA). He pursued an undergraduate degree in Business Administration at the University of La Verne.

Mr. Robert Medina is the Acting Associate Administrator, for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) at NASA Headquarters (HQ). Prior to this position, he served at the Deputy Associate Administrator, since December 2023, and previously served as a Small Business Program Manager, at NASA HQ OSBP, from September 2019 to December 2022. Mr. Medina was a Senior Procurement Analyst and Small Business Specialist at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California from March 1994 through September 2019.

Mr. Medina is a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico and graduated from New Mexico State University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Accounting degree. After graduation he continued to work with NASA. He began his career with NASA in 1977 as a cooperative education student.

During his forty-five years with NASA, Mr. Medina has worked in many different procurement positions and at different NASA Centers. He has worked as a purchasing agent, price analyst, contract specialist, contracting officer, procurement analyst, and small business specialist.  In addition to his procurement background, he worked three years at NASA Headquarters in the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, as an Institutional Program Manager, having oversight over NASA’s three Research Centers (Ames, Langley, and Glenn). Most recently, Mr. Medina served on a detail at NASA Headquarters in the Office of Small Business Programs, from December 2016 through December 2017, serving as a Small Business Program Manager with oversight of the small business programs at NASA Stennis Space Center, NASA Shared Services Center, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.

Mr. Medina has been a long-time supporter and member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). He is a NCMA Fellow and has held a number of NCMA chapter office positions, as well as national functional positions. Mr. Medina also is a member of the Department of Defense (DoD) Western Regional Council for Small Business Education and Advocacy and has served on the Executive Board for the council, as well as a chairperson of the council’s Interface Committee. In 2008 and 2013, he was selected as NASA’s Small Business Specialist of the Year.

Tiffany is the Office Chief of Construction for Caltrans District 7 covering Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.   In this role, she oversees the contract administration support of the construction projects in District 7.   

Tiffany began her career at Caltrans after college graduation.  After completing District 7 Rotation Program, she worked as a Project Engineer for several years and was promoted to District Claims Engineer.  She was then selected as the Office Chief of Construction Engineering Management Office in 2014.  

Tiffany’s 28 years of engineering experience at Caltrans working in the Divisions of Design, Traffic Operations, Maintenance, and Construction have equipped her to be instrumental as the district-wide contract administration manager for Claims resolution, Contract Change Order, Contract payment, Construction stormwater support, and Construction administration.  

Tiffany also serves as District 7 Construction Partnering Coordinator and the Transportation Engineer Rotation Program Coordinator for Construction Division.  She has been involved as a mentor in the Caltrans Employee Mentorship Program.  

Currently, she is District 7 Construction Mentor Protégé Program Coordinator. 

Tiffany earned a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from UCLA and is a licensed Professional Engineer.  

Valerie Rivas is a Vice President, Small Business Community Officer at Bank of America who is dedicated to Los Angeles County. Valerie went to Cal Poly Pomona and graduated from University of Phoenix in 2012 with a Bachelors in Business Management, and a professional certification in Human Resources. Valerie is a Small Business advisor who specializes in women owned, multicultural owned, and emerging businesses. Valerie understands a business owners’ unique needs and focuses on recommending financial solutions tailored to help clients save time in managing their finances and grow their business. She also provides financial literacy and resources to her communities. Valerie has over 20 years of experience in the finance industry, she’s been serving small businesses for 14 years and with Bank of America for a total of 10 years. Valerie was born in East Los Angeles and both her parents were born and raised in Nicaragua giving Valerie Spanish as her first language. She loves volunteering and supports various nonprofits. Valerie is also part of five boards which include Executive board for Employee Benefit Planning Association (EBPA), Executive Board for ONE Inland Empire, Advisory Board for Multicultural Business Alliance (MBA) Advisory Board, Executive Board for OMG W.O.W and Board Member for Better Money Habits. In addition she serve in the Latino Business Council at Bank of America to help serve Latino businesses in the Los Angeles County area.

Mr. Salcedo has extensive experience in developing and managing supplier diversity programs. He is instrumental in managing certification programs and managing technical assistance and supportive services projects. He is responsible for managing DEI assessments and developing equity action plans.

As president of GCAP Services, his recent focus has been in providing solutions for minority, women, veteran, and LGBT-owned businesses, small businesses and other business enterprises with certification and compliance related programs. These include the implementation of new certification and compliance systems, developing or reengineering diversity and small business practices, developing and conducting training programs, designing technology-based systems and software, and operating certification units. Mr. Salcedo is a licensed attorney and a member of the California Bar Association. He holds a B.S. from Southern Illinois University, a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and an advanced certificate in Contract Management from the University of California, Irvine. He served in the United States Air Force.

Mr. Salcedo is the Deputy Project Manager for the Supplier Clearinghouse and is directly responsible for it's operations.

Steven Rodriguez is husband, father, and servant leader who has a passion for helping and mentoring others so that they can develop, grow, and ultimately succeed. He is the California Program Director for Energy & Utilities for Parsons Corporation supporting teams and programs from Redding to San Diego and has done so in various roles since 2018.

He was raised in Bakersfield, CA where he developed a strong sense of family, community, education, and hard work.  He was a student athlete at Bakersfield High School and is a proud BHS Driller as it set him on the path to then graduate Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s in both business law and marketing, followed by his MBA at Cal Stat University Bakersfield where he focused on operations and finance.  While at LMU, Steven was blessed to volunteer at soup kitchens and homeless shelters as part of his educational journey. These experiences had a major impact on his heart and spirit and are a part of his foundation of being servant minded.

Steven’s work ethic started early as he worked with his grandfather and father in the summers growing up on construction sites in Orange County as well as at Bakersfield College. His first internship was with Cintas Corporation in Los Angeles while attending LMU where he appreciated the 5am starts; learning and soaking in how operations helped and supported industry.  Post graduation, he cut his teeth in the energy sector with Lufkin Industries as a management trainee in Bakersfield, CA which ultimately catapulted his career where he grew from a project manager to a national/international sales and operations director leading teams in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe/FSU (Former Soviet Union), and the U.S. 

In his current role, Steven focus’ is on his teams’ safety, quality, and service, so that they can continue to deliver best in class project delivery solutions in engineering, design, program and project management, construction management, and SME/consultative services for infrastructure projects in the energy and utility sectors.  His team’s ability to continue to deliver consistently with all critical project aspects in mind is the result of a their strategy that begins with Parson’s vast expertise, is combined with vetted and approved DBEs, and ends with project and client success.

Last, Steven loves spending time with his wife and kids, coaching youth rugby and soccer, supporting non-profits, and struggling on the golf course!

As Regional Director of the USPTO’s Silicon Valley Regional Office, Mary Fuller carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO and is responsible for leading the USPTO's Western regional office in San Jose, California. Focusing on the region and actively engaging with the community, Ms. Fuller ensures the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the region's unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.

Ms. Fuller began her career in Silicon Valley as a patent attorney at law firms, including Pennie & Edmonds, Carr & Ferrell, and Bingham McCutchen. Later she joined Santa Clara-based Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. as a senior patent litigation attorney, rising to become Director and Managing Counsel for Litigation. She then served as Managing Director and Associate General Counsel at Maxim Integrated Products as the company’s first Chief IP Counsel. She later became General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment, and after that, served as Vice President, Chief Policy Officer and Head of Legal at Kudelski Intellectual Property and Innovation.

In 2022, Ms. Fuller served as the first Head of Legal at Jupiter Intelligence. In 2018, with decades of experience as an engineer, patent attorney, general counsel and corporate advisor, Ms. Fuller founded Fuller Tech Law to provide intellectual property and fractional general counsel services for growth-minded technology companies.

Additionally, since 2018, Ms. Fuller has taught in the Entrepreneurs Law Clinic of Santa Clara University’s School of Law in roles including adjunct professor, and from 2020-2022, Senior Clinical Fellow.

Since 1998, Ms. Fuller has been a member of the San Francisco Bay Area IP Inn of Court. She served as an officer of the Inn from 2004-2012, and from 2010-2012 was elected as its first female president. Ms. Fuller has also been active in Upward (previously Hipower), ChIPs, and The Club Silicon Valley. 

Additionally, Ms. Fuller received Watermark’s Emerging Leader Award in 2015, was recognized as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 100 Women of Influence in 2020, and she received the Northern Arizona University President’s Alumni Award for the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences in 2022.

Ms. Fuller graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in electrical engineering. After working at Hewlett-Packard as an engineer, she earned her Juris Doctor, graduating cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Eugene "Mitch" Mitchell is senior vice president, chief legislative officer for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). He oversees state legislative activities and advances the California utilities' strategic policy objectives.

Mitchell has held various senior executive roles at Sempra, SoCalGas and SDG&E.

He was Sempra’s senior vice president, diversity, and community partnerships. In this role, he advanced the company's high-performance culture by leading a collective effort to enhance diversity and inclusion within Sempra, its operating companies and in the communities it serves. Mitchell also previously served as vice president of state governmental and external affairs for SoCalGas and SDG&E.

Prior to his work with Sempra's California utilities, Mitchell served in a variety of roles in governmental affairs and community relations for the City of San Diego, labor, and business entities.

Mitchell holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Redlands. He serves on the boards of the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, San Diego Housing Commission, and Sharp Hospital Board of Trustees.

Julian Cañete serves as the President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. Through its network of over 80 Hispanic chambers and business associations, the CHCC is a leading voice on issues impacting business in California. The mission of the CHCC is to foster economic growth, creating and sustaining prosperity benefiting California’s economy and communities.

Julian previously served as the Director of Public Policy and Strategic Partnerships for the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and as President and CEO of CHCC from 1999 – 2006 and again from 2009-2012.

He is currently a member of the California Department of General Services Small Business Advisory Board, Californians for Affordable & Reliable Energy (CARE), CalTrans Small Business Council, CA Secretary of State Voters’ Choice Act Task Force, the SBDC Northern CA Network Advisory Board, and the CalVet Foundation. 

In 1988, Tracy Stanhoff founded AD PRO, an advertising and graphic design firm located in Huntington Beach, California.

Ms. Stanhoff served as Tribal Chair of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation from 2006-‐2007. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach and was honored as co-‐Outstanding Graduate in the Journalism/Public Relations department.

She completed executive programs from: Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College; University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management; Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; and Marshall School of Business at University of Southern California. She also serves as: President of American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California; Vice President of Southern California Indian Center; on the board of directors of Prairie Band, LLC; and on utility company advisory boards.

Cristina Espiritu, a distinguished professional with a dual JD/MBA degree from Penn State University, brings over two decades of experience in finance, strategic consulting, contract negotiation, and business and asset valuation. She has offered her expertise to organizations ranging from startups up to publicly-traded companies, helping them develop and identify strategies to propel growth and maximize value. She has also been an entrepreneur and sold her first business in college. Since then, she has founded several companies and organizations in diverse sectors including technology, marketing, and health and wellness. She has served and held leadership roles, on the board of director positions in non-profit organizations, as well as served as a mentor for incubator programs in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Cristina is also a trained mediator, certified by the Orange Human Relations Mediation Program.

Thomas Jones has more than 30 years of experience in the utility industry across sectors ranging from gas operations, communications, and power delivery. He is a proven leader in business operations, strategic planning, growth and business development, engineering, and construction management.
At Primoris Services Corporation, Thomas is responsible for delivering premier services to its clients, safety performance, growth, and industry and community involvement for the company’s gas operations business.

Julian Cañete serves as the President and CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. Through its network of over 80 Hispanic chambers and business associations, the CHCC is a leading voice on issues impacting business in California. The mission of the CHCC is to foster economic growth, creating and sustaining prosperity benefiting California’s economy and communities.

Julian previously served as the Director of Public Policy and Strategic Partnerships for the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and as President and CEO of CHCC from 1999 – 2006 and again from 2009-2012.

He is currently a member of the California Department of General Services Small Business Advisory Board, Californians for Affordable & Reliable Energy (CARE), CalTrans Small Business Council, CA Secretary of State Voters’ Choice Act Task Force, the SBDC Northern CA Network Advisory Board, and the CalVet Foundation. 

Stephanie Green is from the  Executive Division of the California Public Utilities Commission, where she  oversees the General Order 156 Utility Supplier Diversity Program. She also has responsibility for CPUC local government & community affairs activities. She came to the CPUC from the private sector industries of telecommunications and technology. Prior to joining the CPUC Stephanie was a Product Manager with AT&T and AT&T Wireless where she led   multi-disciplinary teams in preparing products for market. In addition, Stephanie worked as a strategy and policy consultant for KPMG, specializing in the energy and communications area. Her experience includes positions at an internet music start-up and a digital multimedia firm. Stephanie holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College. 

Gail is responsible for Partnerships and Proposals program management and enabling the overall business and proposal development process.

Prior to joining SPO, Gail was an innovation and transformation leader at AIG, working on the launch of their innovation centers and developing their innovation portfolio and network to meet client needs across industry sectors through partnerships with start-ups, VC’s, accelerators, and universities.

Gail has spent over a decade in global biotech leadership positions at Roche and Genentech with expertise spanning across multiple disciplines including strategy, planning, operations, product manufacturing, and technology. She has also led an R&D council as a Technical Program Manager at Hewlett Packard and served as a management consultant for Accenture’s Strategic Technology Labs.

She is both an entrepreneur and industry expert, establishing her own consulting firm advising nonprofits on process improvements. She has a passion for providing mentorship and hiking national parks.

Ronald M. Butler serves as CEO of ESSPI (Energy Storage Safety Products International, LLC) which provides specialized safety consulting interventions for the energy storage and battery industries. ESSPI is involved in the design and development of systems for the safe transport and storage of battery technologies including technologies for battery logistics support. ESSPI is proud to be funded by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) to identify safe battery packaging solutions for industry. Ron has served as a consultant on hundreds of battery fire safety interventions, training, and system design contracts with the automotive, aerospace, marine, consumer electronics, and battery manufacturing sectors. He serves as a subject matter expert for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and many others, for battery-related safety concerns. He has written extensively on the lithium (ion) battery fire safety subject with much more to come. He holds Master’s degrees in Instructional Systems Design and Human and Organizational Performance Improvement from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Ron’s background includes 25 years as a Detroit Fire Department officer

Tyra is Deputy Director – Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization at the US Department of Transportation, at the US Department of Transportation, where she creates policies and promotes the inclusion of a diverse range of businesses, including minority, women-owned, small, and disadvantaged, ensuring a fair and inclusive environment to support a more diverse landscape. Formerly, Tyra served as Senior Advisor to the Director of the Departmental Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Transportation, where she led implementation of initiatives related to civil rights compliance, monitoring, and cross-cutting equity commitments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Tyra coordinated with the Office of Transportation Policy to deliver DOT-wide technical assistance to states, Tribal governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and local communities. She ensured the infusion of equity in the business of transportation, making sure the community work on the bill created wealth so there is generational wealth in historically excluded communities.

As Regional Vendor Diversity Director for multinational construction and development company Skanska, Tyra led the DEI educational focus group as part of the company’s four-year strategic planning and built a regional supplier diversity program, including a training program. Prior to Skanska, Tyra served as Transportation Equity and Inclusion Officer at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), where she led agency-wide initiatives resulting in 25% increase in women new hires and promotions and 50% representation of women in mid-management and senior management roles. Tyra integrated equity and inclusion initiatives in all DDOT programs, services and activities and had oversight of the agency’s Federal Disadvantage Business and Small Business inclusion programs. Tyra spent 6 years as a defense attorney practicing employment and civil rights litigation in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She began her career in the transportation industry as Executive Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Small Business Development at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spearheading the civil rights compliance and minority-owned business participation for the Louisville Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project.

Tyra sits on the Board of Directors of Girls Inc. Washington, is an advisory board member for the Enterprising Women of Color DMV Business Center, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and was recently appointed to the LEED Equity Working Group for the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). She formerly volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters and past Board roles include Maryland CASA Association and the Philadelphia Chapter of Professional Women in Construction. Tyra holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Kentucky and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky, College of Law. She completed an Executive Certificate program in Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management and Project Management at Georgetown University. She is a Certified Diversity Executive.

Since 2001, Dennis Huang has served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Asian Business Association, a non-profit organization that has been proactively assisting Asian American small businesses gain access to economic opportunities and advancement since 1976. He helps connect many members that are now doing business with major corporations. Membership continues to grow and is currently over 1200 members strong.

Dennis is very active in the community and supports many organizations.

• Nielsen – External Asian Pacific American Advisory Council, Past Chair
• California Utility Diversity Council – Member
• Greenlining Institute – Board Director, 2017 & 2018
• L.A. County Business Federation – past Co-Vice Chair of the Transportation /Trade committee
• Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ACE) – Founding Board Member and Current Foundation Chair
• City of La Palma – Development Committee 2015 & 2016
• Norwalk Youth Sports – Basketball Coach
• Cerritos BSA Troop 693 – Assistant Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor

Dennis is a proud dad of 2 Eagle Scouts. He received his BS in Hospitality Management from California Polytechnic University of Pomona and his MBA from Peter F. Drucker & Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.