The mission of OCCares (Our Community Cares) is to grow compassionate, philanthropic social entrepreneurs through Project Y, a high school club-based, student-driven youth social entrepreneurship program with curriculum supplemented by UC Irvine and Pepperdine University. The nonprofit was founded in 2013 by Katherine Ahn Wallace, a full-time dentist who serves as board chair. Wallace says OCCares partners with individuals and organizations who work with them in bringing solutions to issues such as poverty and social injustice. The goal is to multiply the nonprofit’s impact by growing compassionate leaders who address global concerns by moving from concern to effective action by [...]

Born in East Germany the end of World War II, Ilona Martin’s mother saved her life by smuggling her on the Berlin Freedom Train. Coming to America as a teenager, she attended USD School of Law and, having learned to sew in the orphanages, she opened a small shop in Carmel that led to a career in manufacturing for Lands End and others to a 300-employee factory in Costa Mesa. Volunteering came naturally after Hoag Hospital saved her life from ovarian cancer. She co-chaired the Hoag Summer Fest, served as 552 Club president and raised major funds for Hoag Promise [...]

Born and raised in New York City, Laurie Zagon received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University and her undergraduate degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. As a fine arts professor at City University of New York for 14 years, she taught design, color and light theory, and painting. For more than 40 years, Laurie has facilitated Art & Creativity for Healing workshops. Using her method of Art4Healing®, she has helped tens of thousands of children and adults process stress, illness, grief and fear in hospitals and nonprofit community organizations throughout Southern California and [...]

Advance Beauty College ranks among the top beauty colleges in the United States with campuses in Garden Grove and Laguna Hills, Calif. More than 40,000 graduates have gone through the college’s innovative program in its 33-year history with award-winning training that includes educators who speak English, Farsi, Spanish and Vietnamese. The vast majority of graduates are proudly employed in the beauty-care industry with many becoming business owners and industry leaders themselves. Advance Beauty College was teaming with 50 faculty members and 400 students receiving hands-on training as manicurists, estheticians, hair stylists and barbers. But, then the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit [...]

FivePoint partners with many organizations that share common beliefs. It has been a major supporter of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation for more than a decade and recently made a $1 million donation as a recognition of the success of their partnership. Similarly, the company supports public higher education by providing opportunities for students without the financial means to have equal access to private colleges. To that end, FivePoint supports the Ross Minority Program at USC and last year established and funded a new program to define “Sustainable Communities” finding the balance between environmental justice and social equity. FivePoint also [...]

Founded in 2010 by CEO Anthony Hsieh, loanDepot is one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, funding over $248 billion since inception and delivering the American dream of homeownership to more than 27,000 customers each month. loanDepot’s success lies in its customer-centric approach; via its 8,000+ team members, the company delivers financial services in a way that is highly-personalized, straightforward and value-driven. loanDepot is equally committed to serving communities across the country. Since inception, loanDepot has donated millions of dollars and volunteer hours to charities nationwide. Locally, Second Harvest Food Bank of OC, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central [...]

Sixteen-year-old Karina Tarsadia is an Orange County native and Sage Hill High School sophomore. After having the opportunity to take service trips through her family’s Tarsadia Foundation to India, Cambodia and Africa, the poverty and an incredible community spirit she observed inspired her to create the Backpack Project to give back locally. In 2019, Karina’s efforts helped provide, along with nonprofit partners, 5,500 backpacks with school supplies, groceries, haircuts and food to low-income families. This fall, due to COVID19, Karina and her team have shifted plans to work directly with partners and schools to ensure that students are set up [...]

Nella Webster O’Grady was born in Panama and grew up in Guam where her father built power plants for the U.S. government. Following her B.A. in Economics and Business from Chapman University, Nella worked as a branch manager at Security Pacific Bank, where she observed elderly customers victimized by poor financial decisions. These experiences motivated her to the trust industry, where she served in senior management roles at U.S. Trust, Wilmington Trust, First American Trust, and Palo Capital. Nella is currently Managing Director at Miracle Mile Advisors, one of the country’s fastest growing Registered Investment Advisors. Throughout her career, Nella [...]