Meet The Executive Team
LEEAF Director
Elianne Rodriguez
Elianne Rodriguez is a serial entrepreneur with 17 years of experience in small businesses, education, and tech. She believes entrepreneurship and technology are great disruptors to build accessible and equitable ecosystems. Elianne fosters community and designs culturally competent programming to connect diverse talent to opportunities that reflect the intersectionality of Los Angeles across racial, socioeconomic, gender, education, sexuality, and immigration status. At LEEAF, Elianne leads the development, implementation, and oversight of all programs serving both business leaders and students.
Marla Parker
Dr. Marla Parker is a dedicated professional who plays a pivotal role in guiding organizations toward their diversity and equity objectives, fostering learning and development, strategic planning, and well-being. In addition to her organizational contributions, Marla brings a decade of research and practical expertise focused on the unique experiences of entrepreneurs of color, and she offers personalized and small-group coaching, dedicated to helping individuals in their journey of personal and professional growth. At LEEAF, Marla leads the research team and program evaluation.
Lead Faculty
Dimitri Seals
Dr. Dmitri Seals draws upon his extensive background in sociological action research and his role in founding and leading successful youth-serving nonprofits, Dmitri exemplifies a commitment to community-driven, research-based efforts aimed at advancing justice and fostering opportunities. His work centers around university-based models designed to empower students to critically analyze issues, create effective interventions, and persistently work toward achieving enduring and impactful change. At LEEAF, he leads community outreach and supports the student-facing and core institutional functions of the program.
Lead Faculty
Devika Hazra
Dr. Devika Hazra is a dedicated researcher with a passion for economic justice, focusing on issues such as housing segregation, the disparate impact of economic shocks on disadvantaged communities, crime in a socioeconomic context, violence against women, and the unequal effects of various policies. She leverages her expertise in cross-sectional, panel, and time series analysis using STATA, R, and Excel, as well as geospatial analysis with ArcGIS, and employs Matlab for quantitative analysis. Beyond her research pursuits, she is actively involved in fostering economic empowerment for students by spearheading the development of the 'Gateway to Employment' program at Cal State LA, which is an initiative that aims to equip undergraduate and graduate students with the skills needed to navigate the job market.
Lead Faculty
Mabel Sanchez
Dr. Mabel Sanchez is an assistant professor in the Management Department at the College of Business and Economics at Cal State LA. She is a researcher and mentor interested in deciphering complex issues that influence workplace dignity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Her experience growing up in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and navigating two worlds as she crossed the US border daily provides her a unique perspective on the contemporary issues facing the Latinx
Lead Faculty
Alejandra Orozco
Alejandra Orozco brings 15 years of unwavering dedication and is a driving force that empowers East LA's small business community. Her vast expertise spans business management, manufacturing, and the remarkable achievement of assisting over 600 Spanish-speaking small businesses in securing critical COVID disaster relief grants. Her tireless commitment to economic recovery and prosperity has left an indelible mark on the businesses she serves, solidifying her reputation as a beacon of support in the greater Los Angeles entrepreneurial landscape. At LEEAF, Alejandra oversees all accelerator, fellowship, and community engagement activities and oversees the programming team’s EMI academy development.
Associate Director Programming