Spotlight on Success - Leilani Reed & Maria Oliva

Welcome to the Board, Leilani Reed and Maria Oliva! 

Imagine LA is thrilled to recognize our two newest Board Members, Leilani Reed and Maria Oliva – both graduates of Imagine LA’s program and Ambassadors for our mission! 

In her Ambassador video, Leilani says, “It’s okay to start over and over and over.” Leilani always knew she and her family would “make it,” and they did, coming full circle to give voice to those who have gone unheard for too long. “I'm excited to have a seat at the table,” she says. "I lived through it [homelessness] and now I am in the position to be a voice for others.” 

Jill Bauman and Maria presenting to members of the Wilshire Rotary Club at Canter’s on July 20.

Maria, our first mom to become a homeowner, loves recalling her and her son’s time with their mentors. She says her experiences with them helped her grow as a person and as a mother. Leilani and Maria echo similar sentiments about joining the board. “I’m very excited to join the board to help other families and give them what was given to me,” she says. “I've been in their shoes I want to make their next steps in this journey as easy as possible.” 

Both Maria and Leilani give back to their communities often and generously. Leilani serves as an executive board member and bargaining committee member of SEIU Local 2015. She volunteers regularly at Door of Hope in Pasadena and provides pastoral care at Open Door Worship Center in Long Beach. Maria volunteers and is a member at St. Joseph's Church in Hawthorne and, for fifteen years, has provided mentorship and support for struggling women in her community. It’s this heart of service that Imagine LA is built on. 

Leilani and Teddy Kapur at our Spring Board Salon.

CEO & President Jill Bauman could not be happier about having Board members with lived expertise of poverty and homelessness to help steer Imagine LA forward. “Their wealth of knowledge and understanding is vital as we grow as an organization. The more families we serve, the more we need that representation at our highest levels of leadership.” 

Thank you, Leilani and Maria, for being an inspiration to us and paving the way for our future!