Lande Ajose is the Managing Director at the Waverley Street Foundation, a start-up philanthropic effort that invests at the intersection of climate solutions and community priorities. Previously, she was vice president and Walter and Esther Hewlett Chair in Understanding California’s Future and a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. Her career has focused on improving the lives of Californians by working in state government, private philanthropy, and research institutions. Her research interests include addressing issues of inequality through education and employment. She formerly served as senior policy advisor for higher education for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Before joining the Newsom administration, she was executive director of California Competes, chaired the California Student Aid Commission, and served on the governance bodies of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, the Institute for College Access and Success, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. She currently sits on the PPIC Higher Education Center Advisory Council and on the Board of Trustees at Occidental College. She holds a PhD in urban and regional studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Betty Yee served as California State Controller from 2015 to 2023. She was elected in November 2014, following two terms of service on the California Board of Equalization. As chief fiscal officer of the world’s fifth-largest economy, she chaired the Franchise Tax Board and served as a member of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) boards. As chair of the State Lands Commission, she provided stewardship of public-trust lands, waterways, and marine resources through economic development, protection, preservation, and restoration consistent with the state’s environmental needs. Prior to serving in elected office, she served as chief deputy director for budget with the California Department of Finance, where she led the development of the governor’s budget, negotiations with the legislature and key budget stakeholders, and fiscal analyses of legislation. She also served in senior staff positions for several fiscal and policy committees in both houses of the California State Legislature. She currently serves on the boards of directors of Ceres, a global nonprofit organization working to mobilize investors to advance sustainability and take action on climate change; Golden Gate University; the College Futures Foundation, and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies. She also serves on the Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council. She served as a Fall 2023 Fellow with the University of Southern California Dornsife Center for the Political Future, leading a study/discussion group on governance and democracy. She earned a BA in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a MPA from Golden Gate University, San Francisco.