Meymuna Hussein, CEO and Founder of The Tiyya Foundation & Flavors from Afar, was recently featured in The Guardian. The story explains the synergy they’re trying to create in Orange County and Los Angeles.



Coincidentally, they opened their first pop-up for their venue in East Hollywood. As renovations continue, they look forward to having both organizations operate under the same roof. They will host community programs for asylum seekers and refugees by day and will be open to the public at night for meaningful dining. Their headquarters are in Santa Ana and they are looking forward to the expansion.

Please check out the article here.

Meymuna participated in the 2014 Executive Learning Group.

Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF) reached a BIG milestone – surpassing $100 million in total grants and program support provided to Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) since its founding in 1996. Since the organization’s humble beginnings 27 years ago, thanks to a steadfast and expanding community of supporters and partners, IPSF has grown into one of the most impactful education foundations in the country. IPSF’s core values of commitment, collaboration, and creativity guide them to continue to raise the bar for educational excellence for more than 36,000 students annually at 44 school sites.

Keegan Bell, Executive Vice President of IPSF, participated in the 2013 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group, was coached in the 2021 Executive Coaching Program, and was a member of the 2022-23 Leadership Reading Group.

The Arab American Civic Council celebrated the first anniversary of the formal designation of Little Arabia. After two decades of community engagement and advocacy, the Anaheim City Council voted last year in favor of designating a portion of Brookhurst Street, from Broadway to Ball Road, as Little Arabia. 

Read more here.

Rashad Al-Dabbagh, Executive Director, was coached in the 2021 and 2023 Executive Coaching Program and participated in the 2022 Executive Learning Group.

The Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL) received a $25,000 grant from PNC Bank to support its mobile exhibition, Your Baby’s Amazing Brain: Don’t Drop the Ball, debuting at the start of 2024. Your Baby’s Brain will share the astounding attributes of young brains in children between the ages of zero to five. Engaging electronic activities will reveal how the positive actions of parents and caregivers impact the lifelong success of the children in their care.

The traveling exhibition is now in fabrication and thanks to a California state grant, a 48-foot moving van is being transformed into a comfortable space with fifteen exhibits within. Your Baby’s Brain will begin to visit key sites throughout Orange County in 2024.

A link to the prototype can be found here:

Greta Nagel, Founder and Executive Director, was coached in the 2018 Executive Coaching Program.

Girl Scouts of Orange County’s (GSOC) mission is to reach as many girls as possible from all cultures, faiths, and backgrounds who can benefit from its extensive, enriching leadership development program. GSOC recently expanded its footprint by opening a new Girl Scout center in Santa Ana, CA to serve even more girls in communities that have been under-engaged. The facility has a dedicated area for Girl Scouts, Troops, volunteer meetings, and recruitment events, as well as computer resources and STEM-related educational equipment, and the onsite staff is bilingual and bicultural. Through programs reaching girls in every zip code in Orange County, GSOC is 25,000 strong— nearly 15,000 girls and 10,000 volunteers and adult members who bring girls’ dreams to life and work together to build a better world. 

Vikki Shepp, CEO, is currently participating in the 2023 Leadership Reading Group. Wendy Weeks, Corporate and Institutional Giving Director, participated in the 2016 Executive Learning Group and is a trained Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitator.

Emilie Dang will start a new position as Vice President, California Community Engagement at JPMorgan Chase & Co. to continue her passion and commitment of empowering communities. For more than five years, Emilie spearheaded the development of dynamic partnerships for Innovative Housing Opportunities, Inc.

(IHO)'s services and programs equip residents for self-reliance and amplify housing's long-term impact on individuals, families, and communities.

Emilie participated in the 2020 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

Robyn Willis will soon start a new position as Chief Operations Officer at Mercy House. Their mission is to be a leader in ending homelessness by providing a unique system of dignified housing opportunities, programs, and supportive services; and their goal is simple: to end the cycle of homelessness of those who enter their system of care.

Robyn participated in the 2017 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and was coached in the 2020 Executive Coaching Program.

Orange County Grantmakers recently toured Share Our Selves' Newport Beach location to see the incredible work they are doing in the community. Not only do they provide medical services to children, their implementation of wrap-around services such as dental, mental health, and a food pantry, can be utilized by the whole family. Christy Ward, Chief Executive Officer and her team highlighted what they can do to make systems change in our communities.

Christy participated in the 2021 Executive Learning Group and and Taryn Palumbo, Executive Director of Orange County Grantmakers participated in the 2023 Executive Learning Group. Rudy Ramos, COO, is in the Summer

FLN's Board Member, Valerie Amador, Associate Vice Provost, UCI Graduate Division, sponsored and promoted their A2i (Accelerate to Industry) program at the Orange County Business Journal Innovators event!

With A2i, graduate students can explore the ample employment opportunities with industry companies here in Orange County and across the US. They develop the business, leadership, and communication skills and key competencies that companies seek.

Congratulations to Jenny Castro on her promotion to Director of Operations at Innovative Housing Opportunities! She participates in the Policy Committee for the San Diego Housing Federation and recently spoke on a panel at the 6th Annual Middle-Market Multifamily Forum (West) regarding Centralization vs. Regioal; 3rd-Party Management vs. Taking Management In-House.

Jenny is currently participating the 2023 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group

Monique Davis, President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County shared Habitat's mission and vision with a group of fantastic female leaders at the Dynamic Woman of Orange County luncheon sponsored by Modern Luxury Riviera of OC. Leadership, Empowerment, and Encouragement were the themes.

Monique participated in the 2023 Executive Learning Group.

We are so excited to welcome Vivienne Clark to the Fieldstone Leadership Network! Congratulations to Shana Buxser of Buxser Consulting on the arrival our her beautiful daughter.

Shana participated in the 2001 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group, was coached in the 2013 Executive Coaching Program and is one of our esteemed Executive Coaches.

We are so thankful for our new Fieldstone@4 sponsor, Sunwest Bank! With their support, we hosted an engaging presentation offered by Bonni Pomush, CEO of Working Wardrobes. Her expertise shined and everyone walked away with the key factors of creating a strategic plan.

Bonni participated in the 2023 Executive Learning Group.