Board Members
James Santa Maria
Los Angeles government affairs consultant; founder of The Santa Maria Group and former LA City Hall chief of staff, specializing in land use, housing, and public agency contracting.
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Officer
Kevin Acebo
Senior Consultant and longtime Democratic strategist; former LA County and City official with roles in redistricting, mental health policy, and AAPI political PAC leadership.
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Officer
Trisha Murakawa
El Camino College Trustee and Redondo Beach communications consultant; runs Murakawa Communications (infrastructure/public works PR) and has long service on Redondo Beach commissions and civic boards.
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Officer
Joe Sanberg
Co-Founder of Aspiration.com; former Tiger Global executive
Ryan Kavanaugh
Hollywood dealmaker
John R Saunders
Saunders Property Company, Core Pacific Advisors, London Coin
Picerne Group
Picerne Group is a privately owned, real estate investment company
Shangri-La Construction LP
General contracting and construction firm specializing in commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects, with experience in entitlements, sustainability, and large-scale development.
Thomas Hart
Business owner, real estate developer, and professional coach who has made political contributions in Torrance-area and local California races.
Dikran Elmassian
Owner of Dharma Jewelry
YF Synergy, Inc.
California-registered business entity possibly affiliated with the YFY Group, with limited public information on operations and activities in the United States.
Donations
Eli Vera
Eli Vera ran for election for Los Angeles County Sheriff in California. Vera lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Marina Torres
Marina Torres ran for election for Los Angeles City Attorney in California. Torres lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Tony Yeh
[Rep-leaning] Torrance Planning Commissioner, real estate broker, and former candidate for local office, with experience in land use matters and Torrance Unified School District elections.
Andrew Lee
[Rep-leaning] Educator and healthcare administrator who ran for Torrance City Council District 2, focusing on public safety, homelessness, small business support, and infrastructure.
David Ryu
Former Los Angeles City Councilperson
Jon Kaji
[Rep] Torrance City Councilmember (D1)
Sam Yebri
Sam Yebri ran for election to the Los Angeles City Council to represent District 5 in California. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Mitch O'Farrell
Los Angeles city council member
Gilbert Cedillo
Current LA City Council member, former California State Senator
Services & Transactions
Santa Maria Group
Los Angeles government affairs and land use consulting firm representing real estate and development projects before City Hall and regional agencies.
Upward Solutions, LLC
Los Angeles public affairs and political consulting firm specializing in issue management, community outreach, media strategy, and advocacy campaigns.
Robert Urteaga
Senior Consultant at The Santa Maria Group; public affairs strategist and former Montebello City Councilmember with deep LA City Hall campaign ties.
