The belief that economic justice is social justice has long shaped Veronica Vences’ service and commitment to the comunidad. As the Latino Community Foundation’s first Entrepreneurship Director, she is eager to scale LCF’s efforts in unleashing the economic power of Latinos across the state.
Veronica has built her career around examining the circumstances that create social inequities and creating ways to achieve transformative change. She spent four years with the Sonoma County Human Services Department’s Economic Assistance team where she played a critical role in deploying safety net programs that our community relied on during the 2008 recession. She has contributed to research and evaluation efforts domestically and internationally, including at 826 National and at Kari Grande in Cusco, Peru.
Most recently, Veronica served for seven years at La Luz Center, Sonoma Valley’s leading Latino advocacy organization. During the Northern California Wildfires of 2017 and COVID-19 pandemic, she witnessed the devastation of these events first-hand and led the culturally aligned distribution of more than $1.5 million in direct relief services through both crises.
Veronica received BA degrees in Economics and Urban Studies from San Diego State University and a Master’s degree in applied Economics from San Jose State University.
Born and raised in Sonoma County where her parents settled after emigrating from Mexico, Veronica knows that she stands on the shoulders of many who have sacrificed a great deal to pave her a path towards a better future. Her father is originally from Michoacan, and her mother is from Toluca. She visits often and hopes to one day have a home in Mexico with her husband and son where they will continue nourishing the roots they are ever so proud of.
