OUR TEAM

Our executive leadership, staff and consultants share a steadfast commitment to helping build a more economically just and inclusive society. They come from a variety of economic development and cultural backgrounds, and are skilled at research, coalition building and facilitation.  Our work teams are intentionally structured to foster interdisciplinary thinking and take advantage of this diversity of thought. Our training, technical assistance and policy work is data driven, rigorous and practical, and grounded by our experience of working directly with the communities we serve.

​MALAKI AMEN

Executive Director
CALIFORNIA URBAN PARTNERSHIP
MALAKI SEKU AMEN (pronounced “ma-luck-eye / say-coo awe-men”) is executive director and founder of the California Urban Partnership (CUP).  A 25 year veteran in the community economic development field, Malaki has shaped businesses, policy and programs as a social entrepreneur, as well as an appointed advisor in
California's Legislature, Office of the Governor, Fortune 500 corporations and the University of California Office of the President.
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During the early 90’s as a staff member of the Al Geiger Center for Business Incubation (now known as The African Marketplace), Malaki served on a regional economic response team formed to address the closure of military bases in Sacramento County.  At the Incubator, he also coordinated the business development skills training and microloan program for low to moderate income residents, as well as created Sacramento’s first printed directory of Black businesses, professionals and community organizations.  Later on, he would lead independent projects to publish four other versions of the award winning directory.

In roles as partner of a public affairs and visual media firm (intermittently from 1995 to 2012), Governor’s appointee and staffer in California’s Legislature (2001 to 2007), and state lobbyist for the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization (2008 to 2011), Malaki led and coordinated the development of numerous legislative proposals, negotiations and forums to shape economic justice and growth in California.  This includes providing management support in a California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency division’s programs responsible for awarding $72 million in business and community support grants, which created and retained over 18,000 jobs.

After founding the CUP in 2010, Malaki became the architect of two flagship programs for the organization; the Community Investment Initiative (CII) is a policy and organizing laboratory to address racial wealth gaps, and ARIZE.org is a search engine website and smartphone app for finding and conducting research on Black owned businesses.  Malaki is recognized statewide and nationally as an expert and influencer in crafting policies for equitable access to the new $73.6 billion dollar U.S. legal marijuana market.  After California voters legalized recreational weed in 2016, Malaki was the lead agitator, community organizer, negotiator and designer of the City of Sacramento’s Cannabis Opportunity, Reinvestment and Equity ordinance (CORE) and $2M technical assistance program.  CORE is the inspiration for federal legislation (the MORE Act), and is often referenced across the country as one of the early best practice models for delivering economic justice to entrepreneurs who are survivors of racialized marijuana policy enforcement in America. 

Malaki is a fellow of the John F. Kennedy School’s Senior Executive program, and the Community Economic Development Institute, at Harvard University.
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LATASHA JOHNSON

Director of Finance and Administration
CALIFORNIA URBAN PARTNERSHIP
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Latasha Johnson is director of finance and administration for the California Urban Partnership (CUP).   She was the former Project Manager for the California Department of Transportation’s (CalTrans) Northern California Support Services Program for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).  Latasha successfully managed two of Triaxial Management Services, Inc’s multi-million dollar three year contracts, with responsibilities for service and staff oversight in the company’s Oakland and Sacramento offices.  Under Latasha’s leadership, the Triaxial team      provided technical assistance, application review and consultation services to help prospective applicants apply for and procure federal contracts.  This included providing services to numerous large prime contractors to help them identify and recruit qualified DBEs as project subcontractors.  Latasha is a former member of CalTrans Small Business Council. 
For 7 years, Latasha worked for Citigroup in North Texas as a Commercial Risk Analyst, underwriting millions of dollars of business credit for their brand portfolio, Home Depot.

DIANA RAMSON

Manager of Digital Media
CALIFORNIA URBAN PARTNERSHIP
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