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Executive Director, Inclusive Action for the City

Rudy Espinoza has a bio update: https://www.civilsocietyfellowship.org/rudy-espinoza Rudy Espinoza is the executive director of Inclusive Action for the City, a non-profit, community development financial institution based in Los Angeles whose mission is to bring people together to build strong, local economies that uplift low-income urban communities through advocacy and transformative economic development initiatives. Rudy specializes in designing economic development initiatives in low-income communities, researching the informal economy, building private/nonprofit partnerships, and training the working poor to participate in the socio-economic revitalization of their neighborhoods. Under his leadership, Inclusive Action helped legalize street vending in Los Angeles, has deployed over $800,000 in low-interest micro-loans to under-served entrepreneurs, and co-created a unique commercial real estate initiative that preserves small businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods. He has also co-created initiatives to activate vacant lots in Los Angeles and helped design a purchasing cooperative to support small corner stores in food deserts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rudy and his team helped deploy over a $1,500,000 in cash assistance and grants to street vendors and working families throughout Los Angeles. Rudy is a Fellow of the Civil Society Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.