Chief Executive, Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce

Hoffman Vanyek has served as the president and chief executive of the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce since 1993. She first joined the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1987 as a communications manager. Hoffman Vanyek is committed to helping small businesses thrive and takes a collaborative approach to problem solving, bringing together chambers and business organizations to tackle local, regional and national issues. She is on the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board, where she chairs its policy and oversight committee and is on the board of the Western Association of Chamber Executives and co-chairs the Small Business & Employment committee at BizFed.

Scout Executive, Chief Executive, Western Los Angeles Council, Boy Scouts of America

Harrison is the Scout Executive and chief executive of the Western Los Angeles Council, Boy Scouts of America, which will soon be renamed Scouting America. In his role, Harrison oversees the management of camps, offices and retail stores for the organization. He also works on risk management, fundraising and membership activities. The Council impacts roughly 4,500 youth and has roughly 2,000 adult volunteers spread across its Cubs, ScoutsBSA, Venturing and Exploring programs. The operating budget is almost $10 million. Harrison attended California State University, Humboldt, where he earned a degree in Theater Arts and Computer Technology. He previously worked in the television industry.

Founding Chief Executive, LA County Business Federation

Hernandez is the founding chief executive of the LA County Business Federation (BizFed), a nonprofit alliance of 240 organizations representing 420,000 companies with 5 million employees throughout Southern California. BizFed advocates for policies and projects that strengthen the regional economy and spur job creation. Its sister organization, BizFed Central Valley, unites another 80 groups. Hernandez founded the nonprofit BizFed Institute and BizFed PAC, the only business political action committee focused on local elections in all 88 cities in L.A. County. She also co-founded and serves as CEO of the New California Coalition, which serves as a non-partisan political voice for over 9 million voters across the state.

President, Chief Executive, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Laugharn is president and chief executive of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which was established in 1944. It has awarded more than $3.2 billion in grants, distributing nearly $290 million around the world in 2023. Laugharn has 25 years of foundation and nonprofit experience internationally. From 2008 to 2014, he was the executive director of the Firelight Foundation. Prior to Firelight, he was the executive director of the Netherlands-based Bernard van Leer Foundation. He began his career at Save the Children, where he worked for 11 years in a variety of roles. Laugharn was based in Bamako, Mali for 8 years, assisting in the development of the Village Schools model, which helped 45,000 children attend school.

Executive Director, United Chambers of Commerce

Jocz is the executive director of the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley and Region, a position she has held since 2010. A coalition of 19 member chambers, the nonprofit mutual benefit corporation represents over 154,000 businesses Valley wide, advocating on their behalf at the state and federal levels and promoting the Valley’s overall welfare, progress and economic prosperity. Jocz previously served as the executive director of the Greater Montrose Chamber of Commerce. She’s currently on the boards of the Valley Economic Alliance and the Fernando Award Foundation, where she is the secretary.

Chief Executive, Tierra del Sol Foundation

Lienhard is the chief executive of Sunland-based Tierra del Sol Foundation, which provides education, workforce development and other assistance to people with developmental disabilities. Since joining the agency in 1990, she has served as the key spokesperson at local, state and national venues. Lienhard is a member of the StandOut Client Advisory board at The Marcus Buckingham Co. and serves on the board of the Valley Economic Alliance. She is also a member of three California Department of Developmental Services Workgroups. She has a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC and a master’s degree in special education from California State University, Northridge.

President, Chief Executive, MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity

Marinaccio has been the president and chief executive of MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity since July 2017. During her first two years, she led MEND’s financial turnaround, establishing an operating reserve and board-designated investment fund. In 2022, the nonprofit launched the Here We Thrive Resource Center, which addresses everything from basic needs to offering essentials like diapers and wipes for families and care kits for the unhoused along with employment assistance and care management for Medi-Cal recipients among other things.

Prior to joining MEND, Marinaccio was the chief operating officer at Koreatown-based Extraordinary Families, which provides safe homes for children and youth who’ve experienced abuse or neglect. She also spent over 16 years at Goodwill Industries, working in a variety of capacities including as vice president of workforce and career development. In 2022, she was recognized as a SFV Woman of the Year by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. A certified Poverty Simulator facilitator and a National Career Development Association career development practitioner master trainer, Marinaccio has a master’s degree in psychology/marriage and family therapy from the Phillips Graduate Institute.

Chief Executive, California Business and Industrial Alliance

Manzo started the Sunland-based trade organization in 2017 in opposition to California’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA). CABIA sued the state, arguing PAGA was unconstitutional. In addition, the organization opposed AB 5, the law that defined independent contractors as employees. Manzo has become one of the leading advocates for labor law reform and has been cited in numerous articles and opinion pieces, made national TV appearances and testified on behalf of business owners in front of numerous legislators. His firm recently launched CABIA HR to help employers ensure that their policies and procedures comply with federal and state laws.

Chief Executive, President, Junior Achievement of Southern California

McCabe has served as president and chief executive of Junior Achievement of Southern California since September 2017. Junior Achievement, which was founded nationally in 1919 and locally in 1954, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, reaching more than 10 million students across the globe. This year, JASoCal received the Business Journal’s Nonprofit of the Year Award (Emerging). Prior to joining Junior Achievement, McCabe was the president and CEO of Global Green USA in Santa Monica. From 1987 to June 2014, he served as president and CEO of the Institute for Shipboard Education in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Founder, President, Children’s Hunger Fund

Phillips is the founder of Children’s Hunger Fund, a Sylmar-based nonprofit that helps children and families. The organization was founded in 1991. It has since grown to 32 countries. Its main product are Food Paks, which are shoebox-sized packages filled with non-perishable items distributed to people CHF helps. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, CHF distributed more than 120,000 domestically and another 200,000 internationally. The organization has been expanding, and in April announced that it acquired land in Prosper, Texas, to house a facility. It is expected to cost $35 million.