Brenda Gonzalez Ricards Email & Phone Number

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

As Director of Social Impact and Engagement at VPE Communications, I provide strategic communication consultation to clients that are focused on social justice and community impact. This includes guidance on all matters of external communication for one of Southern California's biggest racial justice foundations where we lift up issues such as homelessness, immigrant integration, BIPOC leadership, and nonprofit capacity building.

Oprah Magazine recognized Tamarindo Podcast as one of the leading podcasts discussing race in America. Founded in 2016 and formalized as an LLC in 2021, Tamarindo is a Latinx empowerment podcast and platform that leverages media to inspire, inform, and impact the community. Tamarindo hosts have been hired to lead workshops on a variety of topics such as: Hispanic Heritage Month, DEI, Wokrplace Wellness, Stepping into Your Voice and Power, Nonprofit Board Development, and more.

Revamped operations of Los Angeles’s sole bilingual, outdoor performing arts destination, Levitt LA, a nonprofit serving a low-income community.Established organization’s infrastructure including payroll, benefits, board governance, and internal policies. Directed team in planning and marketing of fifty concerts planned for summer 2020. (Cancelled due to Covid). Successfully pivoted to executing an instagram-live concert series gaining recognition in La Opinion, LA Times, and other local publications

Greater Los Angeles Area

• Develop capacity building content for Affiliates through the coordination of national and regional summits that elevate Affiliate voice and ability. (Affiliates are community-based organizations of various sizes, focus-areas, and geographies that belong to the UnidosUS National Affiliate network).• Oversee alignment with regional and institutional goals in two priority-state regions, Texas and California. • Management of day-to-day operations of UnidosUS California Regional Office in Los Angeles, including supervision of the California-based Affiliate Engagement team members.• Management of UnidosUS’s Digital Innovation program, which provides grants to Affiliates to increase program outcomes through the expanded use of digital tool. This involves coordination with a team of five issue-area leads and 22 grantees. • Responsible for membership management and communication with UnidosUS Affiliates in California, Texas, and a multi-state region called the Far West. This is half of UnidosUS's Affiliate footprint. • Engage UnidosUS Affiliates with the national Affiliate Network and connect them to UnidosUS funding and leadership development opportunities.

• State-wide management of Wells Fargo's industry-leading financial education program Hands on Banking ® / El futuro en tus manos ®.• Provide financial education tools and resources to internal lines of business. • Serve as program content expert for collaboration with internal and external business partners and provide consultative guidance in integrating the program into their business initiatives and strategies.

• Responsible for representing the company in community and economic development activities in low- to-moderate income communities within Orange County. • Drive the company's volunteer and financial education initiatives including reputation management, event coordinating and training of employees.• Participate in prescreening and approval of grants and loans to non-profit organizations.• Maintain relationships with multiple levels of management in various organizational settings, both public and private.

Lectured sections of Political Science 100 American Government.

• Manage the organization's education program strategy.• Develop partnerships with local universities, public schools, and American Indian tribes.• Responsible for donor relations, data management, and general office support.

Santa Ana, Californa

• In-home visitor to assess babies age 0-3 for developmental delays.• Present findings to a board of experts for recommended services.• Coordinate services to help babies achieve milestones.

M.A., Political Science

Activities and Societies: Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society)

Bachelor Of Arts Degree, Political Science

Activities and Societies: CSUF Award Wining Model United Nations Club,President of College Democrats