Felicia Carbajal (they/them) is a queer Latinx, values-based community organizer, social entrepreneur, abolitionist and manifestor who founded the Social Impact Center. With more than two decades of movement building experience within intersectional communities, Felicia has led in medical and nascent social equity movements in cannabis and LGBTQ+ liberation in California. As a formerly incarcerated person they know first hand the failings of the injustice system and actively work to dismantle all systems of oppression. Felicia’s honors include Cannabis Legacy Woman of the Year @ the California State Fair 2023, Social Justice Partners LA 2023 Fellow and Advocate 40 under 40. 

Daniel Rodriguez (he/they) is an authentically proud and compassionate organizer. He is the Community Engagement Manager at the Social Impact Center who helps tailor the organization’s inclusive programming through a restorative justice lens. Daniel builds sustainable networks in San Fernando Valley by empowering BIPOC communities to be more visible and build relationships with the community as a co-leader of the SFV #Out4MentalHealth Task force and a dedicated member of the SFV CAP Alliance.

Madison Hernandez (she/they) is a cannabis justice activist, artist and researcher. They are currently a surveyor and outreach specialist at the Cannabis Worker Collab, housed at the UCLA Labor Center. Prior to joining, they worked for numerous years at a femme/queer centered dispensary that served patients across Los Angeles, where Madison was a UFCW Local 770 union shop steward. As an artist, Madison’s focus on cannabis justice is focused on both critiquing and engaging with current marketing of cannabis and towards reclaiming the BIPOC and queer lineages of the plant and the experiences of patients.

Traz Co (he/she/they) is a proud, queer, Filipino immigrant whose purpose is to serve and celebrate the community in every way. Through education, training, and effective organizing, Traz has directed their energy in meaningful service for others because they, like many others, yearn for the opportunities and equity that we all strive for. Traz is currently the Volunteer Coordinator for the Social Impact Center and helped launch operations for one of South Central’s first community-based cannabis microbusiness. They have worked in the cannabis industry across various positions for more than 7 years and are a cannabis patient.

Alex Tron, JD (he/they) is an attorney with The Social Impact Center and is the 2022 USC Irmas Fellow. Sitting at the intersection of cannabis and the law, they have spent their career unwinding the harms of the War on Drugs through expungement and reentry. They’ve struggled with addiction and homelessness, and as someone who views cannabis as not only a social justice issue but also as a potent medicine, Alex is proud to also cultivate their own cannabis and teach community lessons about the topic.

Rob Chlala, PhD (he/him) is Assistant Professor of Urban Sociology at California State University, Long Beach & Visiting Researcher at UCLA Labor Center. His work seeks to support the ways queer and trans communities create value amidst state violence and market dispossession. He co-founded the Cannabis Worker Collab, a research and media project co-led by California cannabis workers. Rob has developed numerous creative projects to share learnings, including a 3-part cannabis docuseries for We are Mitu and writing for LA TACO. He came to engaged research based on abolitionist work and time in the underground and service economy.