Wonderseed would not be complete without the experts and enthusiasts that help this program, particularly the board members. We would like to take this chance to acknowledge who all has played a part in our program.
Chairman
Joe Goodman serves as Regional Manager for Chicago Title Company, where he oversees the company’s major accounts in Southern California. These accounts include clients served by the Commercial, Builder Services, Time Share and Energy divisions. Joe attended National University and sits on the Executive Board for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the San Diego Sports Council. He is an affiliate with the Building Industry Association (BIA), and is an active member of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP).
Secretary
Steve Chucovich has almost four decades of experience in planning, architecture, and urban design, and spent 23 years as Principal of ArchitectureDenver, a Colorado-based award-winning design practice. His experience includes architecture, strategic sustainable planning & design, large-scale urban, infrastructure and transportation planning projects throughout the US, the Middle East, and China. Notable among the projects is the Denver Millennium Bridge, a downtown Denver landmark that received awards from the American Institute of Architects and The American Institute of Steel Construction as well as recognition in the national and international press.
Treasurer
A clinician by trade and Executive Director of Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles, Mark Casanova brings extensive expertise in development, outreach, fundraising, and managing community-led programs that aim to resolve the issues surrounding homelessness. Mark is an advocate for harm reduction and leads the Syringe Exchange Program at HHLA in an effort to decrease the risk of overdose within the homeless.
Executive Director and Founder
Founder, fierce mother, trailblazing seasoned executive, dedicated to empowering young minds. With a rich background in the entertainment industry and finance, her extensive experience in business, content creation, marketing, and finance has provided her with a deep understanding of industry dynamics. This enables her to lead initiatives with innovative strategies along with a fresh dynamic perspective that cut right to the core of transformation.
Board Member
Vice President, Director Developer Relations – Creators at AMD, Former Vice president of Interactive Experiences at NBC Universal.
Olivia Bennett
Liv, a passionate advocate for social equity, hails from Manchester and currently resides in Northview Heights, a HUD community, where she is an unwavering community activist. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Carlow University in 2018 and earning honors with a Master of Public Policy Management from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Liv is well-equipped for her role as a member of the County Council since January 2020. Her primary focus is on advancing policies that uplift marginalized individuals, particularly the Black community. Liv is a founding member of the Black Equity Coalition (BEC), dedicated to ensuring an equitable response to issues like Covid and beyond. She has spearheaded critical initiatives, such as banning conversion therapy, addressing hair discrimination, prohibiting fracking in parks, establishing Juneteenth as a Countywide holiday, recognizing racism as a public health crisis, and implementing a Countywide Independent Police Review Board, along with passing Paid Sick Leave and other impactful legislation.
In addition to her County Council role, Liv chairs the Committee on Public Safety and has been recognized for her outstanding contributions, receiving awards like the Run for Something Getting It Done Award, the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership (GPNP) Cross-Sector Award in Government, and being named one of The New Pittsburgh Courier’s Women of Excellence in 2021. She’s also listed as a 2023 Power of Diversity Black 100 in City and State. While serving part-time on the County Council, Liv dedicates her full-time efforts to developing a Maternal Health program as a Community Health Worker for Volunteers of America. She also serves as a consultant for Take Action Advocacy Group (formerly known as Take Action Mon Valley) and collaborates with community partners to provide vaccines and health education to vulnerable communities. Liv’s family includes her husband, Terrence, her 21-year-old son, and three other children, along with four grandchildren. She remains deeply humbled and honored to serve her community in any way she can.
Board Member
Harry Karidis is an accomplished producer, director and cinematographer with 25 years of national and international experience. He founded and is the CEO of his own production company and is a member of METal International, MENSA and the Singularity Executive Program. After over 30 years of work, his current focus is on the combination of the power of digital technology and persuasive storytelling to create meaningful relationships between brands and end users. Harry’s experience, talent and knowledge of current market conditions proves invaluable in the exponential change that is causing massive disruption in all areas of society.
Board Member
Peter Pang is the Founder, Chairman and Managing Partner of the IPO Pang Xingpu Law Firm, where he leads a team of lawyers with offices in Shanghai, China. Mr. Pang has over 35 years of experience as a practicing attorney in both China and North America. He has written numerous articles and blogs on Chinese law and legal issues and is a frequent speaker at international bar organizations.
Mr. Pang’s practice also includes helping Chinese businesses expand their reach and footprint throughout North America and Europe. His vast international network of attorneys, accountants and local partners can help Chinese businesses realize their outbound ambitions.Mr. Pang is active in the Shanghai Association of Lawyers, American Chamber in Shanghai and is a member of the bars in California, Texas, Washington DC, Pennsylvania and New York.
Board Member
Award-winning entrepreneur, founding principle and CEO of 180 South Group, overseeing the multimodal marketing and production efforts, as well as client relations amongst many of the world’s premier artists and brands.
Jeremy Boz is a seasoned professional in the health insurance industry, currently serving as a Partner and Senior Vice President of Broker Development at Tyler Insurance Group. With over 15 years of experience, Jeremy is dedicated to guiding consumers through the intricate Medicare market, ensuring they select plans tailored to their individual needs.
Chairman and CEO of Reven Capital, LLC a real estate investment management firm. He has 27 years of real estate investing and operating experience and been involved in over $3 billion in real estate transactions.
Currently serving as Vice Chair, Culver City Arts Foundation. Previously was Culver City Mayor and City Council member.
Dan Hughes is one of the most sought after and in-demand strategic business advisors – consulting, coaching and guiding numerous innovators, CEO’s, business owners and start-up entrepreneurs to develop their stories, identify and secure strategic partnerships and funding sources, and align with champions and influencers.
Collin Henderson is the founder and CEO of Master Your Mindset, LLC, a leader in the field of mental conditioning. Collin left his corporate role as a number one ranked medical sales professional and national sales trainer to now be considered by many, including acclaimed broadcaster, Jim Rome, “One of the best mindset coaches in the industry.” Collin has written seven books and two journals and his Master Your Mindset Podcasts has hundreds of thousands of downloads worldwide. Collin has personally trained #1 NBA draft picks, Heisman trophy finalists, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL athletes, and corporate executives looking to get that mental edge.
As the representative of the 15th district of California, Honda has served on the House Committee on Science and the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. He has also served as the regional whip for Northern California, Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam, and as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). In 2005, he became the vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Chief Qualitative Analysis Specialist
Multicultural Qualitative Researcher and Strategist.
Frank Jansen is a Senior Vice President of Chicago Title’s Special Projects Group in Los Angeles, and has been responsible for the national marketing and coordination efforts necessary to successfully close over 120 billion dollars in commercial and industrial real property transactions since 1978. This special group, headed by Frank, delivers elite, personal service to real estate attorneys, developers, brokers, lenders and investors throughout the United States.
Dr. Joseph received his MD from Tufts University. While in medical school, he published and presented several research projects. He then completed his surgical training at Harvard Medical School under Dr. Josef E Fischer and his fellowship in transplant and complex surgical oncology at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh under Regis Professor O. James Garden.
He has run basic science, translational, and outcomes research labs and has served as Section Chief, Vice Chair, and Chair of Surgery as well as rising to the rank of Professor of Surgery. Dr. Joseph has earned over $20M in grant funding, presented research throughout the world, and has published numerous peer reviewed articles. He has served as a medical advisor to politicians and private equity firms during his career. Dr. Joseph is the co-founder of Summit Specialty Physicians as well as serving as Professor and Vice Chair of Surgery at Touro University Nevada.
Greg Karns is a partner at Cox, Castle & Nicholson, one of the largest real estate law firms in the country, where here he manages the firm’s Pacific Rim Group. For over thirty years, international investors, lenders, and developers from Greater China and Asia have depended on Greg’s highly sophisticated real estate acquisitions and finance, construction and development, and entity structure and joint venture negotiation. He has a key understanding of his clients’ business needs and objectives, and has been recognized for his creative, effective, and efficient approach.
From his days at Thompson Reuters through philanthropic initiatives around the globe, Jason is a masterful curator of connections with an exceptional ability to foster high quality relationships.
CEO and Founder of Emotional Intelligence Financial and Insurance Services Corporation.
For the past three decades, Csaba has excelled as a holistic practitioner and coach, serving world-class athletes, Fortune 500 leaders, injured individuals, and those seeking personal growth. A sought-after speaker, he blends art, science, ancient traditions, and business into his work, emphasizing leading by example. Engaging in diverse sports like Tai Chi, barefoot marathon running, and adventure leading, Csaba’s coaching expertise, rooted in various fields including kinesthesiology, counseling, and nutrition, has been enriched by his education at the University of Economics of Budapest and the Business Marketing and Economy School Of ESA in Vienna. Additionally, his storytelling career, featured in Hollywood films, off-Broadway productions, and advertising campaigns, brings a creative dimension to his coaching approach, making him a multifaceted professional.
Paul Miller is the U.S. Country Manager for Whizz Education. Prior to joining Whizz Education, Paul spent more than a decade supporting education policy and program development as a Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Senior Advisor for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Executive Director of Teach for America- Los Angeles.
Paul also currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the National Board of Directors for Green Dot Public Schools, a charter management organization which serves more than 11,000 students in California and Tennessee. The U.S. Department of Education has featured Green Dot as a national leader in school turnarounds.
Mike Mumola is an Attorney, Serial Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Public Speaker, Personal/Business Coach, and Mentor.
Chief Academic & Clinical Consultant
Dr. Rizzo is the Director of Medical VR at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. Over the last 25 years, Skip has conducted research on the design, development and evaluation of VR systems across the domains of psychological, cognitive and motor functioning in healthy and clinical populations. In spite of the diversity of these clinical R&D areas, the common thread that drives all of his work with digital technologies involves the study of how Virtual Reality simulations can be usefully applied to human healthcare beyond what is possible with traditional 20th Century methods.
Managing Director at Meritage Group
Served as Senior Vice President of Sales for Warner Bros. Records, where he was employed for 32 years.
Kenneth Wesson is a former higher education faculty member and administrator. He delivers keynote addresses on the neuroscience of learning for educational organizations and institutions throughout the United States and overseas. His audiences range from early childhood specialists to university-level educators. Wesson’s international audiences have included educators and administrative officers from six of the world’s seven continents. His research is frequently published and referenced in Parents Magazine, HealthNet, and the journal Brain World.
Vice President of The Eurasia Center, Partner at International law firm IPO Pang Xing Pu.
