JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards recognize Californians who are implementing effective solutions to critical state issues. The awards advance innovative, proven and replicable solutions, and contribute to better public policies and practices in the field.
The Foundation provides each award recipient’s organization with $350,000 to support their work, and assists in sharing promising approaches with policymakers and practitioners
For 16 consecutive years of the Award, Talking Eyes has produced videos and stills that document the recipients’ work. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the award, we produced this video.
“For more than a decade Talking Eyes Media has helped bring The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards to life through their exceptional video production services. Their ability to distill complex stories into powerful and engaging visual narratives is truly remarkable. We are grateful for their partnership in highlighting the inspiring stories of the Award recipients and capturing the heart and soul of their impactful work.”
— Melissa Granville, The James Irvine Foundation
MEET THE 2026 GRANTEES
CELINA ALVAREZ
HOUSING WORKS OF CALIFORNIA
Celina Alvarez has addressed the high turnover rate for homeless service providers by providing training and support for frontline workers. Through her efforts, Housing Works of Los Angeles now offers wellness sessions, mental health support and ongoing training for staff members. She has also developed the first certificate program in California at Santa Monica College for people who want to enter the field.
CHRIS CHATMON
KINGMAKERS OF OAKLAND
Chris Chatmon founded Kingmakers of Oakland in 2018 to center the beauty, brilliance, and innate greatness of Black boys and all students furthest from opportunity. He developed the Crowns curriculum, which teaches history through the lens of the African diaspora, and created programs that offer mentorship and teacher training. Kingmakers centers self-esteem, skills building and culturally affirming spaces that benefit students across the Bay Area.
LIAN CHEUN
KHMER GIRLS IN ACTION
For over 15 years, Lian Cheun has helped train and empower Southeast Asian youth in Long Beach to become a powerful voice in their community. KGA has become a force in local youth organizing, founding the Invest in Youth Coalition and co-governing Long Beach’s participatory budgeting process, which mobilizes nearly 2,000 young people annually to allocate around $550,000 in city funds toward youth priorities.
DARLA COOPER
THE RESEARCH AND PLANNING GROUP FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Darla Cooper recognized that too many community college students were being failed by a system not designed for them. Since joining the RP Group in 2009, she has transformed traditional research by centering student experiences and asking how systems can better serve them. She is responsible for collecting input form over 100,000 student to improve their chances for academic success.
ADRIANNE HILLMAN & ERIN GARNER-FORD
SALT + LIGHT
Adrianne Hillman and Erin Garner-Ford are re-imagining how rural communities respond to homelessness. The organization has helped more than 250 people move from homelessness into stable housing by actively engaging the broader community and prioritizing dignity at every turn. In 2024, Salt + Light opened its Neighborhood Village, California’s first-of-its-kind rural permanent supportive housing community.
VIRGIL MOOREHEAD JR. & AMY MATHIESON
TWO FEATHERS NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY SERVICES
Virgil Moorehead Jr. and Amy Mathieson help over 400 youth per year through Two Feathers Native American Family Services, the largest mental health provider for the tribes of Humboldt County, California. Together, they grew Two Feathers from a single-therapist operation to an organization delivering over 7,900 counseling sessions annually across 12 school districts. They also implemented the Youth Leadership Program, which combines mental health services, cultural practices, and paid employment for youth ages 16-22.