Who are the 2026 Sacramento Change Makers? Meet all 60 leaders shaping our region

The Sacramento Bee and Nehemiah Leaders Programs’ Change Makers class of 2026 includes leaders in community organization, education, arts and entertainment, entrepreneurship, law, medicine and healthcare, science, politics, nonprofit leadership and activism.

Here are snapshots of all 60 in no particular order, with links to their longer profiles. We’ll celebrate this diverse group at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Sheraton Grand hotel in downtown Sacramento. Buy your tickets or sponsor the event at sacramentochangemakers.com.

Brandon Gonzáles

Brandon Gonzales calls boxing the “greatest analogy for life” and uses that perspective to mentor Sacramento youth. His work shows how discipline, resilience and encouragement can help young people find their footing.

Joy Gonzales-Cabatic

Joy Gonzales-Cabatic sees an opportunity to help and acts on it. Her story celebrates the everyday choices that strengthen a community: noticing a need, lending a hand and making a difference.

Gloria Partida

Gloria Partida sees the connections between issues and works toward solutions in Davis. Her approach is a reminder that lasting progress often requires understanding how community challenges intersect.

Anthony Uribe

Anthony Uribe is “always getting involved” — turning concern into action and participation into progress. Communities move forward when people are willing to step up and help shape what comes next.

Maria Baptista Soria

For Maria Baptista Soria, golf is more than a game — it’s a business, a bridge and a way to bring people together. Her story highlights the power of relationships and connection in building opportunity.

Amagda Pérez

Amagda Pérez advocates for immigrants and farmworkers with kindness, respect and determination. Her work demonstrates how compassion and persistence can help create a more inclusive Sacramento.

Monica Jimenez

Monica Jimenez is building awareness, care and community around a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. Her advocacy reflects the power of turning a personal challenge into connection and support for others.

Jag Nagendra

“We are also leaders.” Jag Nagendra is challenging stereotypes by encouraging greater participation and visibility in the community. Leadership grows stronger when more people see themselves represented in it.

Adonai Mack

Following his parents’ example, Adonai Mack is investing in Sacramento’s youngest learners. Supporting children early means helping build stronger families, schools and communities for years to come.

Simon Yeh

Simon Yeh chose purpose over a traditional corporate path, finding fulfillment in serving neighbors at a food closet. His example shows that meaningful work is often measured by impact, not status.

Elizabeth Esquivel

Following her mother’s advice, Elizabeth Esquivel gives her time to advocate for local businesses. Her story shows how mentorship and volunteer service can strengthen the economic fabric of a community.

Ashley Randolph

Ashley Randolph transformed personal struggles into hope and support for Black families navigating premature births. Her story is a powerful reminder that lived experience can become a catalyst for meaningful community change.

Lora Anguay

Lora Anguay is working toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for Sacramento. Her story highlights the local leaders helping communities address one of the defining challenges of our time.

Tristan Buzzini

As a psychologist and advocate, Tristan Buzzini aspires to be a healing presence for others. His work underscores the importance of mental health care, empathy and showing up for people in difficult moments.

Yating Campbell

Yating Campbell is guided by a simple but powerful goal: to leave the world better than she found it. Her story celebrates service, responsibility and the long-term impact of consistent community work.

Anica Walls

For Anica Walls, fair wages and good working conditions are “bread and butter issues.” Her advocacy puts economic dignity and workers’ rights at the center of community progress.

Margarita Berta-Ávila

For Margarita Berta-Ávila, teaching is a political act — one that helps students understand their voice, their history and their power to shape the future.

Jenny Rodriquez

Jenny Rodriquez is focused on creating a “win-win” for Sacramento’s small businesses and professionals. Her work demonstrates how strong networks can help local entrepreneurs grow and thrive.

Aniesha Mitchell

When a Sacramento State student gets into their dream graduate school, they often call Aniesha Mitchell to share the news. When a student is experiencing a mental health crisis, Mitchell leads the school’s care response.

Shelton Yip

Shelton Yip doesn’t claim to have every answer. Instead, he sees his role as connecting people, ideas and resources — proving that collaboration is often one of the most effective forms of leadership.

Ramona Landeros

Farmworker advocacy has always been part of Ramona Landeros’ life. Her work reflects a deep commitment to standing with the people whose labor sustains communities across California.

Marie Mertz

At Todo Un Poco, Marie Mertz has created more than an Elk Grove restaurant — she’s built a gathering place rooted in community. Her story shows how small businesses can become important parts of neighborhood life.

Ashley Faison-Maddox

“Joy can disrupt trauma.” Ashley Faison-Maddox is building support for survivors of human trafficking while creating space for healing, dignity and hope.

Adeyemi “Ade” Ritchards

Adeyemi Ritchards found an unconventional path into the technology industry — and is working to keep that path open for others. His story highlights the importance of access, mentorship and creating opportunities beyond traditional routes.

Maryann Lansangan

Maryann Lansangan takes care of “the people who take care of the people.” Her work recognizes the essential role of caregivers and the importance of supporting those who support everyone else.

Sergio Robles

From Washington, D.C., to Elk Grove, Sergio Robles has continued looking for meaningful ways to serve his community. His story is a reminder that public service can take many forms — wherever opportunity calls.

Germán Ayon

At just 29, Germán Ayon is quietly reshaping how Sacramento cares for older adults. His story demonstrates that innovation in caregiving can make communities more compassionate, connected and responsive.

Derrell Roberts

Derrell Roberts created a family center focused on safety and community. His work shows how welcoming spaces can provide more than services — they can give families stability, belonging and support.

Tish Becerra

Tish Becerra believes acts of service can change the world. Her example is a reminder that meaningful progress often begins with ordinary people choosing to help, participate and lead by example.

Lauren Oto

Lauren Oto is advocating for Sacramento’s small businesses while working to broaden diversity in leadership. Her story highlights the connection between a strong local economy and inclusive representation.

Angie Balderas

Childhood radio memories helped lead Angie Balderas toward community engagement. Her story shows how early inspiration can grow into a lifelong commitment to connecting with and serving others.

Steve Martinez

Steve Martinez is guided by a simple belief: “Our children deserve the best.” His work reflects the importance of investing in young people and creating the support they need to thrive.

Toni Hoang

Toni Hoang believes leadership comes with a responsibility to open doors for others. Her story shows how mentorship, opportunity and a commitment to fairness can help create a more inclusive future.

Timothy Swaney

As a serviceman himself, Timothy Swaney found connection by helping fellow military veterans. His story highlights the importance of community, shared experience and making sure those who served do not have to navigate life alone.

Lilly Cortes Wyatt

Lilly Cortes-Wyatt is telling the story of a “fully bicultural” Sacramento — a community shaped by multiple identities, experiences and traditions. Her work highlights the power of storytelling to help people feel seen and connected.

Rolando Roberto

Dr. Rolando Figueroa Roberto has dedicated his career to caring for others. His story is a reminder that healthcare is not only about treatment — it’s also about compassion, trust and showing up for people when they need it most.

Diana Almendariz

Cultural practice is in Diana Almendariz’s passion and lineage. For generations, her family has been tending to the land and their community. Almendariz keeps Indigenous traditions alive through civic education and collaboration.

Clarissa Laguardia

Clarissa Laguardia wanted to make language services more accessible to everyone. To do so, she founded Laguardia Translation, a language service agency which offers translation, interpretation and cultural consulting services to the Sacramento region in more than 100 languages.

Zaire Harris

Growing up in Rohnert Park, Zaire Harris joined “every girls’ math and science program you could imagine,” on the belief that one day she’d become a veterinarian. It was a college instructor who urged Harris to switch from medicine to a political science track and Harris has pursued work in policy and advocacy ever since.

Annette Reed

Annette Reed believes everyone has a gift. For her, it’s teaching. Reed’s journey to higher education started when she was 19 years old. After serving in the last class of the Women’s Army Corps, Reed enrolled at San Francisco City College. She went on to become one of the first Native women to earn a PhD at the University of California.

Renatto Guerra

Looking back, Renatto Guerra points to the mentorship he received in high school for sparking his interest in supporting young men as they pursue college. When Guerra learned about Improve Your Tomorrow, he saw it as an opportunity to “pay it forward” by providing other young men with the kind of support he had received.

Tiyesha Watts

Tiyesha Watts is in love with public policy and the change that comes with it. “It allows me to create solutions for constituents that have my same background I grew up (in).” As an adjunct political science professor at Sierra College, she has advocated for policy initiatives for education, public safety and housing for the California Community Colleges.

Wendy Aguilar

Wendy Aguilar knows the value of a good story. Soon after emigrating from Guatemala at the age of 10, Aguilar saw the importance of up-to-date news during the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. That inspired her to pursue journalism and work for a few years as a broadcast reporter — including in Sacramento. Eventually, she pivoted to public relations for government agencies.

Larry Lee

Larry Lee grew up with The Sacramento Observer. The African American newspaper has served Sacramento since 1962, winning more than 700 local and national awards. It’s also a family business. Lee has photos of himself at around 6 years old, working in the newsroom that his father, William Lee co-founded.

Eugenia “Gina” Richardson

Eugenia “Gina” Richardson came from humble beginnings. She was raised by a single mother and started working at the age of 12, selling candy bars. After working job after job in her teenage years, she found a passion for financial coaching. “Money is the most emotional thing that we deal with,” Richardson said, “So I wanted to help people balance that emotion.”

Zenja Watkins

Dr. Zenja Watkins was working late at the hospital on Independence Day one year. In the middle of the night, she delivered a baby. Just then, fireworks went off. It felt reflective of the joy she finds in her work in obstetrics and gynecology. It is mostly, she said, a “very happy specialty, where good things are happening.”

Tak Allen

Tak Allen was always taught to give back to her community. Allen grew up in Sacramento as one of seven children, but when her father developed a drug addiction, she said the community wasn’t there for her family. So as an adult and a mother of five, Allen has made it her mission to change the way a community responds to young people in need.

JaNay Brown-Wood

JaNay Brown-Wood has published 32 books and counting. It’s an impressive body of work for any author — not to mention one who once disliked reading. Brown-Wood has come to understand her childhood aversion in a new light. Her goal is to help every child find themselves in the pages of a book.

Lisa Hafoka

Lisa Hafoka moved to Sacramento in 1996 from Auckland, New Zealand, and in her day job works as an analyst for the California Parks and Recreation Department. She is also president of TOFA, an organization that serves youth leaders of the Pacific. That includes teaching children financial literacy, career development, civic engagement and cultural arts.

Sam Starks

Sam Starks said he can’t walk into a room without thinking about how to empower his community and other marginalized groups. Starks brought the notion of solidarity and community to the nonprofit organization MLK365, which Starks founded and currently serves as executive director. The nonprofit honors the mission of Martin Luther King Jr. year-round.

Michaela Edwards

Michaela Edwards had ambitious goals, including becoming a United Nations ambassador, because she had always wanted to “change the world.” Spending one year of AmeriCorps service as a mentor altered her path slightly, but not by much.

Olivia Kasirye

Dr. Olivia Kasirye’s passion for public health began during her medical training in Uganda. During pediatrics rotations, she was required to do home health visits of patients. In some of the areas, communicable diseases were a major concern. Kasirye realized treating the individual in the clinic was not enough.

Shana Henry

Shana Henry sees opportunity in every student she meets. She first got involved with education working as a substitute teacher in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood. She then became a teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District, and later, a principal before moving to the Elk Grove Unified School District.

Nilda Valmores

Nilda Valmores has changed lives by investing in women’s and children’s health. For 18 years, Valmores served as the executive director of My Sister’s House, an organization that assists Asian and Pacific Islander women affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Jennifer Overbey

Dr. Jennifer Overbey has played a key role in establishing Methodist Hospital of Sacramento’s obstetrics emergency department — the first in the region for the health system, Common Spirit — where anyone 14 weeks pregnant or more, with a pregnancy-related concern, can be seen right away.

Jenny Tan

Jenny Tan guided Yolo County through the pandemic, showing a commitment to service without realizing that her work during that time, including her videos, was making her a bit of a local celebrity.

Malissa Tayaba

Malissa Tayaba’s work for the past decade has focused on one word, culture. Now, she is bringing back her community’s traditions, history and sovereignty so they won’t be nearly lost again.

Cirian Villavicencio

Cirian Villavicencio wants his students at San Joaquin Delta College to come away from the classroom as engaged citizens who use their voices to amplify their communities’ needs.

Giselle Garcia

Giselle Garcia made a commitment early on to continuing her pursuit of education. In college, she started working with immigrants and from there developed a commitment to the immigrant community.

Carolyn Veal Hunter

Carolyn Veal-Hunter always understood the importance of showing up and fighting for her community. Her role as a lobbyist has provided her a means to advocate for groups and interests that have made a direct impact on the daily lives of Californians.