About Us

Tara Roth is the president of the Goldhirsh Foundation, a $60 million, 100% mission-aligned foundation that supports innovation via its financial, human, and social capital. Tara oversees all aspects of the Foundation, including assisting with sourcing and vetting investments that aim to advance human life and well-being and catalyze human potential. Last year, the Foundation named a new, all-female investment committee—believed to be the first such investment committee at an organization of its size and scope. Tara started her career at Franklin Templeton, and with a particular lens on marketing and sustainability, has remained purposeful in business and finance as the founding COO of GOOD, working with New Schools Venture Fund, and serving on myriad boards including the Ad Council and AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles. She received an MBA from Oxford University, where she was awarded a Skoll scholarship in social entrepreneurship. In 2024, the Los Angeles Business Journal named Tara one of the 20 Most Influential Civic Leaders in Los Angeles and one of the Most Influential 500 People.

Ben Goldhirsh is the chairman and co-founder of Matter Neuroscience. An entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, Goldhirsh has held leadership roles at GOOD, Upworthy, and Collaborative Fund. At Goldhirsh Foundation, Ben supports social entrepreneurs pushing the world forward across key areas of societal health. Ben graduated from Brown University, and has been awarded lifetime achievement awards from PEN USA and Liberty Hill for his work in social justice.

Claire Hoffman is a director of the Goldhirsh Foundation. She writes for national magazines, covering culture, celebrity, religion, business, and whatever else seems interesting. She has a Master’s degree in Religion from the University of Chicago, and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Her daughters, Josie and Vivian, sit firmly at the center of her universe.

Jeremy Rosenberg is director of communications at the Goldhirsh Foundation. Jeremy is an innovative communications executive and cross-platform storyteller with a wide range of non-profit, media, and civic-centric experiences. He served as assistant dean, Public Affairs and Special Events, at the USC Annenberg School; vice president, Communications and Marketing, at the LA84 Foundation; and as an online editor and columnist for the Los Angeles Times. His non-fiction books about LA include “Under Spring,” “Kickoff Concussion,” and “No Man is An Island.”

LeAnn Kelch Melendez is the director of grants and programs at the Goldhirsh Foundation. She graduated with a B.A. in International Development Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and received her Master’s in Urban Planning and Master’s in Public Administration from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. She currently serves as co-chair for the Los Angeles Chapter of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. LeAnn is passionate about grantmaking that advances justice and promotes the thriving of all people in Los Angeles.

Carla Fuentes is the social innovation manager at the Goldhirsh Foundation and holds a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis on Public Policy and Management. She serves on her neighborhood council board and the boards of the League of Women Voters Greater LA, LA Forward, LA County Young Dems, and Stonewall Young Dems. She is also a member of Latinas Lead California’s Young Professionals Network and the Steering Committee of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. She is passionate about equity, advocacy, and expanding access to resources.

Mariam Bagdady is the social media and communications assistant at the Goldhirsh Foundation. She is a USC Annenberg graduate and has a passion for journalism, having written for multiple publications including The Daily Nexus, The Garnette Report, TMZ, SCene Magazine, and Flaunt Magazine. She is devoted to being an advocate for all communities and aims to help Los Angeles become the best that it can be — whether it be addressing racial inequity or prison reform.

Jake Bishop is the special project manager at the Goldhirsh Foundation. He holds B.A. in both political science and sociology from Chapman University. Outside of work, Jake volunteers for Rainbow Labs, a queer youth organization, and is learning to DJ. Jake is passionate about creating a world where queer and trans people have freedom of expression and equal opportunities to succeed.

Dixie Lonergan is the assistant to the president at the Goldhirsh Foundation. She is a USC Dornsife graduate with a B.A. in Narrative Studies. Prior to joining the Goldhirsh team, Dixie was a songwriting and creative writing instructor for children. She is passionate about education equality and the development of community-based organizations throughout the Los Angeles area.

Alejandra Soler is the Costa Rica residencies program manager. She studied tourism at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, and has been in the hospitality industry for the past seven years, bringing to her work a deep understanding of guest experience and cultural connection. Alejandra is also the co-founder of a national design store that highlights local creativity and design. A creative at heart, she also enjoys photography as a means of storytelling and artistic expression.

Jen García is the AI executive in residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation. She is a social entrepreneur and former English professor with 19 years’ experience in education and training. Specializing in AI and digital literacy, she empowers social impact organizations and small businesses through comprehensive training programs, founding the 501(c)(3) Employ California to do so for underserved communities. Jen leads impactful networking events and teaches essential skills like networking, writing, critical thinking, and soft skills. She also enjoys training for triathlons, reading, and writing.

Marion Noble is the social impact and research fellow at the Goldhirsh Foundation, and a former LA2050 Youth Ambassador. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology and Minor in African American Studies. Marion is passionate about supporting Los Angeles communities through research and advocacy, and currently serves on Grateful Giving's Los Angeles Leadership Council. She is also a member of Made By Us National Youth250 Advisory Bureau.

Shana Barghouti is the co-chief investment officer at ReMY Investors, a multi-family investment firm based in Los Angeles. Prior to ReMY, Shana was a partner at Angeles Investment Advisors, where she managed the investment portfolios of several endowments, foundations and other non-profit organizations. Previously, Shana worked for Wilshire Associates, serving governmental pension funds. Before her career in finance, Shana was an advertising copywriter at BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi. Shana holds an MBA from UCLA and an AB in Philosophy from Harvard, where she was captain of the varsity women’s lacrosse team. She serves on the Board of the Griffith Observatory Foundation and on the Regional Advisory Council for KPCC/LAist. She lives in Los Angeles with her two sons.

Natasha Case is the co-founder and was the CEO of Coolhaus Ice Cream until its successful acquisition in 2021. Natasha co-founded Future Gin, the first all-queer and women-owned spirit in the US and is now the founder and CEO of Lunch Bunch enrichments + nutritious food for schools. She became a commissioner of cultural affairs for the City of LA in 2023 and joined the Victory Campaign Board in 2024. Natasha serves on the board of UCLA School of Arts & Architecture, Larchmont Charter School, Startup UCLA, and has served as a judge for Chopped, Top Chef Jr, Alex vs America, the Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream, Ad Age Awards, and Harvard-Westlake Venture Club/Inc. In 2019, she joined YPO (Beverly Hills chapter). Natasha has been named a Forbes 30 Under 30, Zagat 30 Under 30, LinkedIn 10 under 35, 10 Most Successful Women in Business by Leaders Globe, and UCLA’s LGBTQ+ 2019 Alum of the Year. She is a published author of the Coolhaus Ice Cream Book (2014) and was the co-host and executive producer of ‘Start to Sale’ podcast (Eater/Vox Media).

Celestine Schnugg is the founding managing partner of Boom Capital, an early stage venture capital fund. She is recognized as the first investor in Mammoth Biosciences, and early investor in Swarm (SpaceX), Astra (NASDAQ: ASTR), and Planet Labs (NYSE: PL). In addition to being the first check for frontier tech, Celestine convenes a scientific society. Prior to starting Boom, Celestine worked at Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors and Apple.

Ruth Wernig is the former chief investment officer of The California Endowment. The California Endowment is a private health foundation established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities. As CIO, she was responsible for a $3.5 billion endowment. She helped diversify the portfolio of investment managers to include person-of-color led investment firms. She helped steward TCE’s venture into mission and impact investing, all while improving the overall performance of the portfolio. She retired in June of 2021. Previously, Ruth was treasurer of the University of Southern California from 2004-2010. She was responsible for overseeing the investment management of the university’s endowment, working capital, pension and life income assets of $3.5B. Ruth has her undergraduate degree from Brown University and an MBA from Boston University. She is a CFA. She sits on the Board of St. Joseph Center in Venice and chairs the Finance Committee.