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California First Ones 2021

Wednesday, June 16, 2021
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PST

Virtual
California First Ones 2021

The California First Ones celebrate leaders who are first in their family to graduate college. 

Their stories demonstrate the transformative power of higher education and underscore the need for college to be affordable for all.

If you were unable to join us but wish to make a gift, you may do so here. We’re grateful for your support!

You can watch the celebration below.

Our Honorees

Simone Hill

Founder & CEO, Melanated Futures Group

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Read Simone's bio

Simone Hill is the Founder and CEO of Melanated Futures Group (MFG), a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) design firm that works with organizations to create and implement strategies to create a liberated future for all. She is a DEIB strategist and foresight practitioner with experience spanning across private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. 

Prior to founding MFG, Simone led the execution of DEIB initiatives at Omidyar Network and managed the organization’s new and growing pluralism and racial justice portfolio. Simone is passionate about helping organizations create scalable practices that foster open, reflective, and inclusive cultures. 

She previously led the recruiting and developing of diverse talent at Upstart, an online lending company, and created and implemented the DEI strategy for the Stanford Graduate School of Business MBA Admissions team. She also served as the director of programs at Beyond 12, a San Francisco-based college persistence organization, managing the personalized and peer college coaching programs. 
 
Simone earned her MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University and a BS in Finance from the University of Connecticut.

Gabe Santos 

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Homestead Capital

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Read Gabe's bio

Gabe Santos is Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Homestead Capital, a private equity firm investing in US agriculture. Gabe brings over 20 years of investment, asset acquisition and agricultural experience to Homestead. He was previously with the Global Natural Resources Group within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Prior to joining Goldman, he was a mergers and acquisitions attorney in private practice. 

Gabe currently serves on the Investment Committee of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. He also serves as the Chair of the Leadership Council of Tipping Point, a non-profit organization that fights poverty in the Bay Area. 

Gabe received a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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Our Sponsors

 

Presenting Sponsors

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Platinum Sponsor 

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Gold Sponsors

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Silver Sponsors

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Nam-Macgill Family Fund
 

Bronze Sponsors

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

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