Natividad Carrera is a Chicano from Los Angeles who is part of the community at Eastside Cafe. He has worked with the Son Jarocho collective and on various committees to safeguard the existence of the Eastside Cafe Echospace as well as the various businesses which are housed within the Maycrest building. He helped form the El Sereno Community Land Trust along with other members of the El Sereno community to safeguard community spaces and affordable housing.

Tina Orduno Calderon is a Culture Bearer of Gabrielino Tongva, Chumash, and Yoeme decent. She is wife, mother, grandmother, sister and auntie to many. Tina is a singer who also enjoys creative writing and composing poems and songs. To date, she has composed over a dozen songs in her ancestral languages of Tongvé and Chumash.

Additionally, Tina is a traditional dancer and storyteller who strongly believes in honoring her ancestors by sharing their history, educating others about Indigenous truths, and inspiring others to respect the land, waters, sacred elements, and environment.

Eddie Torres has devoted his entire professional career working in the public sector primarily focused on the area of social and housing justice. Eddie has held leadership positions at a wide variety of local and regional non-profit organizations. His most current community work involves co-founding the El Sereno Community Land Trust and then transitioning as the previous Director of Finance and Operations. Eddie currently provides financial literacy services to native american organizations in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of San Diego State University, where he earned his B.A. in Social Science. He is currently a professor at LA Trade Tech College in the Community Planning & Economic Development department where he teaches Community Organizing and Non-Profit Management.  Eddie is also involved in the labor movement in the Los Angeles Community College district as the Political Director of AFT 1521 faculty guild.   

I was born in Boyle Heights to immigrant parents from Mexico and grew up in East LA and Southeast LA areas. It was a working-class family of five. Both my parents worked in factory industry. Even though we struggled, homeownership was a possibility during that time. Although I am born and raised in this country and have a Bachelor’s degree, homeownership has not been possible for me as an adult.

Roberto (Beto) Flores was born on January 23, 1948 and raised in La Colonia, a migrant working barrio in Oxnard California. Beto currently lives in South Pasadena, California with his wife Cynthia Mata-Flores, academic advisor at USC. Beto has 5 daughters, 2 sons and 15 grandchildren. Roberto is a life-long community scholar and activist for human rights, especially the right of people of color to self-determination. Dr. Flores is an adjunct professor at Cal State LA and at Pasadena City College.

Sandra Saucedo is a housing Justice advocate and proud Reclaimer of Reclaiming Our Homes. She’s excited to be on the ESCLT team to ensure housing for the houseless and to obtain land to put in the hands of the people. In her spare time she likes to travel to her hometown in Zacatecas, Mx, take care of her family and she loves to cook, keep an eye out for her food cart, Doña Gorditas Sandra.