The Honorable Ricardo Lara

Insurance Commissioner - California Department of Insurance

Ricardo Lara is California’s 8th Insurance Commissioner since voters created the elected position in 1988. As leader of the nation’s largest state consumer protection agency he protects Californians’ futures.

Raised in East Los Angeles by immigrant parents, Commissioner Ricardo Lara made history in 2018 by becoming the first openly gay person elected to statewide office in California’s history. Commissioner Lara previously served in the California Legislature, representing Assembly District 50 from 2010 to 2012 and Senate District 33 from 2012 to 2018. Commissioner Lara earned a BA in Journalism and Spanish with a minor in Chicano Studies from San Diego State University.

Assemblymember Mark González

District 54 - California State Assembly

Assemblymember Mark González was first elected to the California State Assembly in November 2024 and appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly to serve as Majority Whip.

González represents the 54th Assembly District — one of the most diverse districts in California. District 54 encompasses Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Westlake, Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, Pico-Union, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Historic Filipinotown, and the cities of Vernon, Montebello, and Commerce.

González is the son of a single mother and grew up in Section 8 housing — he understands the challenges working families face in trying to make ends meet. After his mother suffered a stroke two years ago, Mark became her sole caregiver — taking his mom to the grocery store, doctor appointments, and attending church with her every Sunday. In this role, he witnessed the failures of government, social programs, and the healthcare system to support vulnerable seniors adequately.

Chandara K. Phanachone

Chief, Office of Insurance Diversity & Innovation - California Department of Insurance

Chandara believes in the transformative power of community, and has dedicated more than 20 years to a career in public service that spans public policy & legislation, consumer affairs, strategic project management, stakeholder relations, and marketing communications. In 2024, Chandara was appointed by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara as the inaugural Chief to lead the newly-created Office of Insurance Diversity & Innovation where she spearheads policies & programs that advance consumer protection, economic inclusion, and responsible insurance innovation across California's $400B insurance market - the largest market in the nation. Along with overseeing CDI's nationally-recognized Insurance Diversity Program to propel access & opportunities in corporate governance within insurance boardrooms and procurement practices, Chandara is building out CDI's first-ever Insurance Innovation Program.

Chandara currently represents the California Department of Insurance on the Third-Party Data and Models (H) Working Group as part of the Innovation, Cybersecurity, and Technology (H) Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization.

Chandara previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the national civil rights organization - Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. She earned her MBA from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley. 

Melinda Yee Franklin

Board Director, Invest Ahead

Melinda Yee Franklin is a member of a global network of corporate, government, public, and private sector influencers and leaders. She has been twice named one of the most influential women in Bay Area business by the San Francisco Business Times.

Melinda currently serves as the Managing Director of the Siena Group, a global consulting firm focused on business development and strategic partnerships. Before joining the Siena Group, she was the West Region Executive Director of Community Engagement at JPMorgan Chase and Managing Director of Corporate & Government Affairs at United Airlines where she steered western regional corporate policy and crisis management. Her early career included ten years in federal and city government roles, including service in the Clinton White House and as Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

Melinda is a current, active board member of the National Association of Corporate Board Directors NorCal Chapter and was a panelist for the NACD’s 2019 Global Board Leaders Summit. She also serves on the Boards of Apricus Energy Partners, the San Francisco Opera, the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Invest Ahead. She is an Advisor to Hyde and Nerbio, both early stage start-ups.

Melinda holds an MPA from the University of Southern California and a BA in Communications from the University of California, San Diego.

Vikita Poindexter

CEO/President - Poindexter Consulting Group

Chair, Insurance Diversity Task Force - California Department of Insurance

Vikita Poindexter is the CEO and President of Poindexter Consulting Group, LLC, a trusted human resources consulting firm committed to helping organizations lead with integrity, accountability, compliance, and purpose. With more than 35 years of experience in human resources leadership, workplace investigations, employee relations, organizational development, DEI strategy, compliance, leadership training, and expert witness services, Vikita has built a career on helping leaders navigate complex people, culture, and employment matters with wisdom, clarity, and courage.

Her work is deeply rooted in both professional excellence and personal faith. Vikita believes that leadership is not simply about position, title, or influence, but about stewardship, service, character, and the willingness to stand in truth even when it is difficult. Her approach to leadership and consulting is grounded in honesty, grace, accountability, and the belief that every organization has the opportunity to build a culture that honors people while still upholding strong standards of performance and responsibility.

Clair Whitmer

Deputy Director - Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA)

Clair Whitmer is the Deputy Director for the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Whitmer also served for two years as a FUSE Corps Executive Fellow for the City of Fresno Economic Development Team during the pandemic shutdowns while running her own small business, UpBay Express. Her mission is to help grow California's entrepreneurial ecosystem in pursuit of an economy that works for everybody.

Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner

CEO - Veterans in Business Network

Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner is Vice President and Co-Owner of Diego & Son Printing, a second-generation printing business that is Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise certified. She has over 25 years of experience in

sales and marketing and has been essential in the continued growth of the 52-year-old family

owned business. She is also the CEO of the Veterans In Business Network, a nonprofit veteran business organization in California that advocates on behalf of the disabled veteran business community.

Dana C. Arnett

CEO - Wicked Bionic

Dana is Founder and CEO of Wicked Bionic, an award-winning strategic communications, advertising, and media buying agency headquartered in Los Angeles. Since founding Wicked Bionic in 2015, Dana has built the agency around the belief that the most effective communications begin with genuine cultural understanding.

The agency works at the intersection of government and community, partnering with public agencies across California and beyond to connect people with essential services, programs, and resources in the languages they speak and through the media channels they trust.

Dana also mentors women entrepreneurs and serves on the board of Fulfillment Fund, which works to make college a reality for students from educationally and economically under-resourced communities across Los Angeles.

Bob Crants

Co-Founder & Chief Investment Officer - Pharos Capital Group

Bob leads Pharos Capital Group's investment and risk management strategy. Mr. Crants has more than 25 years of private equity experience. Prior to founding Pharos, he worked at Goldman Sachs in the Equity CapitalMarkets group. He earned an A.B. in Economics from Princeton University (summa cum laude), where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received the Halbert White Prize. He is of Native American heritage and is based in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Anda Draghici

Branch Chief, Office of SB and DVBE Services - California Department of General Services

Anda joined the Office of SB and DVBE Services in 2015, managing the SB/DVBE certification programs and regulations. Her 23-year career with the State includes assisting small businesses in economic development, transportation, housing, and procurement arenas, beginning with the Small Business Development Center Program (SBDC) in 2001 and the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) in Caltrans.

Anda also worked in the Department of Housing and Community Development, managing the Community Development Block Grant program and as a specialist in the low-income housing policy development, before joining General Services. Since 2020, Anda serves as the OSDS Branch Chief overseeing the statewide SB/DVBE Programs outreach, certification, regulations, compliance, and reporting programs and, as of 2023, a new state advocacy support program. Anda holds a degree in Economic Planning and Forecasting from the Economic Studies University in Bucharest, Romania. She moved to the U.S. in 2000.

Julia Juarez

Deputy Commissioner, Community Relations and Outreach Branch - CA Department of Insurance

Julia leads the Community Relations and Outreach Branch at the California Department of Insurance. With over 25 years of public service experience, Julia oversees constituent outreach with federal, state, and local elected district offices and leads the Department’s expanded efforts to assist wildfire survivors, local governments, small businesses, and consumers in accessing the Department’s many services. 

Since her appointment in 2019, the Department has held more than 1,200 town halls, presentations and events, meeting with thousands of consumers throughout the state who have been adversely affected by the state’s insurance crisis due to unprecedented wildfires, floods, earthquakes and the pandemic. Julia holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English Literature and Political Science from Point Loma Nazarene University and a master’s degree in leadership and organizational studies from Azusa Pacific University.

Joseph Kamau

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer - CSAA Insurance Group

Joseph Kamau is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, where he leads cybersecurity and infrastructure operations and helps shape the company’s broader technology strategy. His leadership responsibilities span cybersecurity, cloud and infrastructure, technology operations, resilience, IT service delivery, and the secure adoption of emerging technologies.

With more than two decades of experience across technology, cybersecurity, and risk, Joseph has built and transformed organizations in complex, highly regulated environments. He has also served as interim Chief Technology Officer at CSAA Insurance Group, providing leadership across enterprise architecture and technology strategy.

Joseph is particularly focused on the opportunities and risks presented by artificial intelligence and how organizations can embrace AI securely and responsibly. He believes effective security should enable innovation rather than stand in its way—an approach that is especially important as small and diverse businesses look to AI to increase productivity, compete at scale, and create new opportunities.

Prior to CSAA Insurance Group, Joseph served as Vice President, Chief Security Officer and Head of Technology Risk Management at Achieve and previously held technology risk and information security leadership roles at American Express.

Leigh Kearns

Economic Development Specialist, Los Angeles District Office - U.S. Small Business Administration

Leigh Kearns works as an Economic Development Specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Los Angeles District Office (LADO), collaborating with resource partners to market and outreach within the LADO service area of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.  Prior to the SBA, Leigh worked for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service ( FNS ) to distribute grants funds for food programs.

Huy Ly

Chief Executive Officer - Meijun

Huy Ly is the Founder and CEO of Meijun, a global technology solutions company specializing in cybersecurity, digital transformation, software development, and emerging technologies. An entrepreneur, technologist, and business leader, he has spent more than two decades helping organizations leverage technology to solve complex operational and strategic challenges. His experience spans cybersecurity, infrastructure, governance, workforce development, and innovation across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. As an advisor and speaker on emerging technology, Huy brings a practical perspective on artificial intelligence, focusing on how organizations can balance innovation, security, and long-term business value.

Mark Morales

Senior Vice President, Community Lending & 504 Specialist - AmPac Business Capital

Member, Insurance Diversity Task Force - California Department of Insurance

Mark has over 20 years of business banking experience and specializes in SBA financing and Supplier Diversity for diverse and veteran owned businesses. Mark has produced programming on access to capital, creating an industry standard capability statement, the 5 “C’s” of Supplier Diversity, held multiple supplier diversity events, and connected suppliers to public and private procurement platforms, lending options and procurement opportunities. His experience as a commercial lender, business owner, a community leader, a supplier diversity advocate and an industry representative give him a unique perspective in all his endeavors.

Jose Plascencia

Owner - Jose Plascencia Allstate Insurance Agency

Member, Insurance Diversity Task Force - California Department of Insurance

Jose is owner of Jose Plascencia Allstate Insurance Agency in Reedley, California. He is a former Market Development Director and Media Spokesperson for AAA of Northern California, where he led, facilitated, and championed several diversity and inclusion initiatives over his 15-year career. He is also Chair Emeritus of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Foundation where he oversees the effectiveness of the diverse supplier program, which helps Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses to connect to companies with contracting opportunities. He is the Board Treasurer and former Chair of the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce. He is also the former Board Chair for both the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Valley PBS.

Cecil Plummer

Co-Founder - AI Ally Works

Member, Insurance Diversity Task Force - California Department of Insurance

Cecil Plummer is the Co-Founder of AI Ally Works, an organization committed to supporting small and medium sized businesses in their transition into the AI era and Founder of Cecil Plummer Consulting, which serves small business owners. Plummer serves as a Governor-appointed state Commissioner for the California Department of Healthcare Access & Information’s Hospital Diversity Commission, and as an appointee for the California Department of Insurance, and as a board member for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and CDFI Pacifica Community Ventures. Plummer was formerly the CEO for tech startup Fastr.ai and the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (WRMSDC). 

As CEO of the WRMSDC (2015–2023) Plummer delivered 400% revenue growth, three NMSDC Council of the Year Awards, and recognition among the San Francisco Bay Area's Top 100 Most Influential Leaders by the San Francisco Business Times. Plummer is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs survive and thrive and had built coalitions with Fortune 500 partners — including Amazon, Apple, Disney, the Golden State Warriors, Google, Meta, JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, and many other recognizable firms.

Ash Rai

Senior Director of Sourcing - Blue Shield of California

Ash Rai is the Senior Director of Sourcing at Blue Shield of California, where he leads enterprise technology sourcing, strategic supplier relationships, and commercial strategy initiatives. With more than 30 years of experience in procurement, technology, and business transformation, he has successfully led complex negotiations and large-scale sourcing programs across diverse organizations. Ash is a passionate advocate for inclusive leadership and believes that diverse perspectives strengthen innovation, improve outcomes, and create more equitable workplaces. He is honored to represent Blue Shield of California and contribute to discussions focused on diversity, leadership, and organizational excellence.

Sharon Senko

Business Development Officer - Inclusive Action for the City

Sharon is the Underwriting & Technical Assistance Associate at Inclusive Action. She spent several years designing and leading national acceleration programs for sustainable technology startups, and most recently served as a business counselor with a collaborative of six community-based organizations empowering low-income and immigrant entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. She is passionate about community-led development and ownership. Sharon holds a BA in Anthropology with a focus in Archaeology from New York University.

Tommy Smith

Manager, Economic Impact, Impact Spending - Kaiser Permanente

Member, Insurance Diversity Task Force - California Department of Insurance

Tommy leads the engagement strategy for measuring the economic and community impact of Kaiser Permanente’s supplier diversity spend. He is the custodian of the Kaiser Permanente’s National Supplier Diversity policy and oversees Kaiser Permanente’s prime supplier program for identifying contract and development opportunities for diverse suppliers throughout our its value chain. Prior to his current role, Tommy conducted policy analysis and program evaluation in civic engagement, economic development, education, supplier diversity, and workforce training.

Amanda Wang

Vice President, Enterprise Procurement - State Compensation Insurance Fund

As a multifaceted senior leader, Amanda brings more than 19 years of procurement experience to State Fund. She has driven operational excellence, developed cost-effective procurement strategies, identified innovative supplier solutions, and advanced sustainable and ethical procurement practices.

In 2013, Amanda founded State Fund’s award-winning Supplier Diversity Program, one of her most significant professional accomplishments. Within three years of its launch, the California Department of Insurance recognized State Fund with the Supplier Diversity Champion of the Year Award. More recently, in 2021, she established a centralized Third-Party Risk Management Program and implemented a risk-based contracting process designed to balance efficiency with the organization’s enterprise risk appetite.

Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, coaching her children’s soccer teams, and making time to relax and recharge.

Jessica Xie

BISO Program, AbbVie | Founder & CEO, Trust Issues Labs

Jessica Xie is a cybersecurity strategist, business leader, and Founder & CEO of Trust Issues Labs, where she explores the intersection of cybersecurity, human behavior, and emerging technology. She brings more than a decade of experience spanning enterprise security, strategic programs, and business transformation. At MUFG, Jessica was a key driver in globalizing the organization’s cybersecurity strategy and received a Future Mind-State Award from the MUFG Executive Committee for the Americas. She currently serves as a strategic partner within AbbVie’s cybersecurity organization, helping translate security priorities into business outcomes.

Jessica is particularly passionate about the intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and responsible technology. She believes emerging technologies can create meaningful opportunities for businesses of all sizes, while emphasizing the importance of building trust, security, and accountability into their adoption.

A longtime advocate for inclusive leadership and opportunity, Jessica views diversity as a catalyst for resilience and stronger communities. Her commitment to public service includes serving as Chair of the Human Services Commission for the City of Pasadena and Board President of Friends Outside Los Angeles, where she worked to expand opportunities for historically underserved communities.