Kafi Blumenfield
Kafi Blumenfield most recently served as Executive Director of Discovery Cube Los Angeles, which inspires and educates young people through engaging science-based programs and exhibits. Prior to Discovery Cube Los Angeles, Kafi served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Hill Foundation, one of the nation’s most admired social change foundations. She has a lifelong track record as a bridge-builder, forging links across issues and between people of different demographic backgrounds. Kafi has direct experience working on an array of political issues, including voter empowerment, the environment, human rights and housing. She previously served as Deputy Director of Neighbor to Neighbor, a national organization dedicated to grassroots political empowerment of working families, Director of Programs for the Fair Housing Council of San Gabriel Valley and as an Associate with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Kafi currently serves as an appointee to the Los Angeles County Women and Girls Commission. She is a board member of Tides, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands and the James Irvine Foundation. She holds a law degree from UCLA and a B.A. from Pomona College. She and her husband live in Southern California with their two children.
Tanya Branch
Tanya S. Branch, CPA, CFP®, is the President and owner of Tanya S. Branch, CPA, PA, a public accounting firm specializing in providing accounting, tax, consulting, and financial management services to nonprofit organizations. With more than 34 years of experience in nonprofit accounting and financial management, Tanya has dedicated her career to strengthening mission-driven organizations through sound financial stewardship, compliance, and strategic guidance.
Since beginning her career in nonprofit accounting in 1992, Tanya has developed extensive expertise in nonprofit financial reporting, federal grant compliance, Uniform Guidance requirements, Single Audits, indirect cost allocations, budgeting, internal controls, and board financial reporting. Through her firm, she partners with nonprofit organizations of all sizes to help them navigate complex funding environments while maintaining strong financial practices and regulatory compliance.
Prior to establishing her public accounting practice, Tanya served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the North Carolina Minority Support Center from 1999 to 2010. In this role, she worked closely with community development credit unions and nonprofit organizations, providing technical assistance in accounting, financial management, and program administration to support underserved communities and economic development initiatives throughout North Carolina.
Earlier in her career, Tanya worked as an Audit Supervisor with Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, where she gained significant experience in auditing nonprofit organizations and financial institutions.
Tanya holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from North Carolina Central University and is both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner™ professional. She is recognized for her practical approach to nonprofit financial management and her commitment to helping organizations build strong financial foundations that support their missions and long-term sustainability.
Caty Padilla
Caty Padilla is the executive director of Nuestra Casa and has been guiding the organization since 2018. She is the daughter of immigrants who settled in the Lower Yakima Valley in 1990. She was raised like many farm workers’ children, migrating along the Yakima River throughout the valley as her parents looked for new job opportunities. She attended Heritage University and graduated with a degree in business administration. Through her work with Nuestra Casa, she has developed programs to help immigrant women in the community obtain learning opportunities and resources that help empower them to battle inequities in the community. Motivated by her strong belief that access to education has transformative effects and is the key to living a happier and healthier life, she has been able to grow the organization’s impact. In 2021, the Yakima Herald-Republic featured Caty in their “39 Under 39” publication, honoring her alongside other local leaders who are creating an impact in the nonprofit sector.
Gary Perez
Gary J. Perez has served as the President and CEO of USC Credit Union (USCCU) since 1988, guiding its growth from a modest $15 million limited service credit union serving USC employees to a full-service $730 million institution serving the entire Trojan Family—including faculty, staff, students and alumni—as well as residents and small businesses in the historically underserved and underbanked low-to-moderate-income communities of color surrounding USC’s urban campuses.
Under Gary’s leadership, USCCU has earned distinguished recognition as one of fewer than 100 credit unions nationwide simultaneously certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Minority Depository Institution (MDI) and Juntos Avanzamos Credit Union (a designation recognizing credit unions committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant communities). His strategic vision and dedication to financial inclusion have positioned USCCU as a leading advocate for accessible and equitable financial services.
Gary’s extensive career in the credit union industry spans nearly five decades, including key roles such as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Los Angeles Schools FCU, Regional Manager for Richards and Associates, CPAs, and Portfolio Manager at Loan Data Systems, Inc. His commitment to financial empowerment extends beyond USCCU, serving on the Boards of the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), the Education Credit Union Council (ECUC), the Southern California Credit Union Alliance (SCCUA) and Rightway Foundation, a non-profit supporting emancipated foster youth.
Gary, a native Angeleno, holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Azusa Pacific University and a Master of Leadership from USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, Planning, and Development. He and his wife Sally maintain deep personal and professional ties to the USC community, proudly noting that all three of their children are USC graduates.