2025 ABMoC Data Fellowship

LeQuan Muhammad is a dedicated advocate for social change and the Lead Organizer
with the Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition. Their journey began in high school with the Social Justice Learning Institute, where they developed a passion for addressing generational trauma and creating lasting impact. After facing setbacks in higher education due to a principled decision, they persevered through housing instability and educational hurdles, shaping them into
a resilient leader. With a strong background in youth development and a keen interest in using data to highlight lived realities, LeQuan is committed to fostering transformative change and empowering others to navigate and challenge systemic barriers.

Angela Matthews is an organizer with Central Valley Movement Building Organizing Institue focused on education justice and equity. She works to empower Black parents, advocate for policy change, and create inclusive community spaces. Her organizing centers on building coalitions, amplifying parent voices, and developing strategies to challenge systemic inequities.

Josue (Swey) Pineda has been a youth Advocate since 2018. His work as an abolitionist started after he was facing 23 years to life in prison at the age of 19 in 2017. Post-incarceration Swey has been a mentor for transitional age youth both currently inside juvenile hall/jail/prison as well as those coming back into the community during his time with Resilience Orange County,Underground Grit and Hoops 4 Justice. He is certified in Seeking Safety (group and individual therapy that addresses both substance abuse and PTSD) and currently sits as a Young Adult Advisory through the ACEs Aware Initiative and is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives with Hoops 4 Justice where he mentors youth in custody and supports with current organizations initiatives. 

For more than 25 years, Osvaldo “Ozzie” Cruz, Sr. has worked with Latino male youth and young adults in the greater Los Angeles area to address issues of male responsibility, Latino male rites of passage, teen-pregnancy prevention, teen fatherhood, reproductive health, community violence, and youth leadership development. As Senior Manager of Education & Family Initiatives with the National Compadres Network, Mr. Cruz co-trains service providers to meet the growing demand for culturally-competent curricula that promote safe and secure spaces for young men to grow, heal, and develop and is the host of the Sacred Manhood Initiative: a series of webinars and presentations with an emphasis on sharing teachings, experiences, and life-learned lessons that support individuals in honoring, respecting, and caring for all their relationships while addressing wounded-based attitudes and behaviors that cause harm to themselves and their relationships. 

Kapri is a government affairs manager at Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), the state’s leading public safety advocacy organization. As a government affairs manager, Kapri plays a significant role in the development and execution of the organization’s annual advocacy, legislative and budget priorities. The responsibilities to ensure these priorities are met include, but are not limited to—research, writing, testifying, event planning, and thorough completion of all policy-related tasks and efforts. Kapri is a graduate of San Diego State University and was born & raised in South San Diego, CA.

Liliana Soriano Garista (She/They) is the Director of Policy & Fiscal Affairs at Youth Will, where she leads policy research and advocacy for solutions to youth issues in San Diego. Born and raised in City Heights, Central San Diego, Liliana earned a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Race, Ethnicity, & Politics from the University of California, San Diego. Throughout her career, Liliana has worked in non-profit youth programs, served as an intern for the San Diego District 9 City Council Office, engaged in mutual aid projects, and mentored youth to help them access workforce opportunities.

Her core values of community and youth empowerment were shaped through her involvement with Youth Will, and these values continue to guide her work as she advocates for positive change in the lives of youth across San Diego.