LEAP’s founder and director is a recently retired California Deputy Attorney General and Loyola Law School alumna. After observing an acute need for this type of programming in Southern California, Cindy has drawn on her wealth of leadership experience in the legal arena and in the nonprofit college access field to spearhead the development of LEAP. Prior to founding LEAP, Cindy served in the California Attorney General’s Office for more than 33 years representing a variety of licensing agencies. There she also contributed to the Attorney General Honors Program and authored a bill that protects consumers from doctors convicted of serious sexual assault.
Cindy was Board President for MOSTe, a mentoring and college access nonprofit working with young women from underserved backgrounds. In her various roles with MOSTe, Cindy created, developed, and ran the college access and success programs while working as a full-time attorney. In her free time Cindy loves to travel, run at the Rose Bowl, listen to live music under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl, and cheer on LA area sports teams.
Sara Raquel Roschdi serves as LEAP’s Executive Assistant, where she provides high-level administrative and operational support to ensure the organization runs smoothly. She plays a key role in coordinating logistics for fellows’ workshops, managing communications, supporting leadership initiatives, and assisting with research and organizational priorities.
Sara is deeply committed to serving as a trusted resource for LEAP fellows as they navigate their journey to becoming lawyers. As a product of college access programs similar to LEAP, she is passionate about advancing educational access and equity for students of color, first-generation students, and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
She earned her BA from Pitzer College in Sociology and Latin American Studies, and went on to complete her Master’s in Latin American Studies at UCLA, graduating summa cum laude.
Raised in a union household, Sara carries forward strong values rooted in worker rights, social justice, and equity. These principles continue to guide her work and fuel her dedication to supporting the growth and impact of LEAP.
A freelance grant writer and fundraising consultant, Ellen provides development writing support to LEAP. In addition to her freelance grant writing work, Ellen serves as Director of Development Strategies in the philanthropy consulting firm Skylark Strategies where she provides fundraising training and strategic planning services to nonprofit organizations. Ellen also provides development and sponsorship support to the nonprofit festival, Reimagine End of Life. Prior her freelance and consulting work, she managed fund development for the Human Rights Foundation and One Heart Worldwide. Since 2016 she has been a co-chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) Mentoring Program where she provides professional development programming and operational support to program participants. Outside of work, Ellen enjoys painting, sewing, board games, and all things crafty.
Dr. Kristan Venegas is the Chief Learning, Data, and Evaluation Officer at the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. Prior to this role, Kristan was an Associate Provost and the LaFetra Endowed Professor for Excellence in Teaching at the LaFetra College of Education at the University of La Verne. For over 10 years, she served as a Professor of Clinical Education and a Research Associate in the Pullias Center for Higher Education in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. There, she was also appointed the Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation. Her research focuses on college access and financial aid for low-income students of color. Her work has appeared in American Behavioral Scientist, Urban Education, American Academic, Educational Studies and the Journal of Student Financial Aid. Kristan designed the evaluations methodology to track LEAP’s program outcomes and conducts the program’s evaluations.
A consultant from Spivey Consulting with a decade of experience in legal practice and law school administration, Paula Gluzman lends her expertise to LEAP as an advisory board member. Gluzman is passionate about working with students on their law school journeys, and her consulting firm, Spivey, specializes in admissions work with both prospective law students and law school admissions departments. As the Assistant Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at the University of Washington School of Law and later at UCLA School of Law, Gluzman has read and evaluated hundreds of admissions files, interviewed applicants, and has worked directly with candidates all over the country and abroad to advise them on the law school admissions process.
In addition to mentoring and advising pre-law students and traveling the country to present on law school admissions topics, Gluzman also has experience in law school career services, employer outreach and recruiting, and professional development training. She has reviewed and edited hundreds of resumes, cover letters, and other application materials, as well as graded California Bar exam practice tests.
As Program Coordinator, Lila Mendoza provides logistical and administrative support for LEAP’s programming. A Los Angeles native, she holds a bachelor’s from Pitzer College and a master’s from the University of Southern California. She knows firsthand the power a postsecondary education holds along with the challenges it presents for a first-generation college student. Fortunately, throughout her educational journey, she benefited from a college access program similar to LEAP, along with countless mentors willing to provide support and guidance.
Her passion for educational equity has welcomed a decade of experiences in K-12, two and four-year colleges, both private and public. When she’s not supporting LEAP and its mission, Lila is doing admission work at the undergraduate level. Her desire to increase enrollment of students that are representative of California’s diverse landscape aligns with LEAP’s mission to diversify the legal profession.
As an Outreach Coordinator, Camille assists with the outreach and communications between Fellows, Mentors and Attorneys associated with LEAP. Prior to joining LEAP, Camille served at many non-profit organizations across California, Texas and Washington D.C. Her background in higher education, policy and strategic communications is what drew her to be part of LEAP’S mission to educate and guide the next generation of youth in the legal profession. Camille earned a Master of Education with a minor in Counseling and Guidance from Texas State University in 2022. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in African American Studies from California State University, San Bernardino. Her long-term goal is to keep educating the communities and youth while engaging in policy making decisions to better serve the children who want to pursue higher education. She also hopes to one day be part of a change that will empower leaders to keep elevating and diversifying our education institutions.
Derek Meeker, a partner with the Spivey Consulting Group, has over 20 years of experience in law school admissions and legal recruiting. He has served as the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid for the University of Pennsylvania Law School, as a global recruiting manager for Paul Hastings LLP, and as an admissions reader for the University of Chicago Law School. As a consultant for Spivey, he guides law school applicants through the admissions process and has advised law schools on their admission, financial aid, and career services strategies.
Todd Thaxton has deep experience in philanthropy, having led initiatives at USC, Columbia, and UCLA with a focus on transformational gifts and strategic donor engagement.
He is the Founder of Theseus Ventures, which invests in real estate and early-stage startups in precision medicine, and Co-Founder of Centerprising, an advisory firm supporting global business families with $1B+ in assets on wealth preservation, succession, and purpose-driven philanthropy.
At LEAP, Todd leads philanthropic partnerships with law firms, individual donors, and foundations—securing transformational support and advancing LEAP’s mission.
He holds an MBA from USC and an MPA in Energy Policy from Columbia.
Mena Pirone is the creator of The Logic Pro System for the LSAT. She attended Brandeis University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a double major in Sociology and Chinese Language. After attending Harvard for law school, she worked in Intellectual Property Litigation for several years before pivoting to LSAT Tutoring and founding LSAT Logic Pro. Mena specializes in developing customized Logical Reasoning strategies that accentuate the individual student's learning style and strengths. She has been tutoring for over 17 years, helping primarily non-traditional students achieve their law school goals.
Mena works with LEAP by providing targeted ancillary courses to introduce advanced and creative methods for approaching the LSAT.
Laura Damone is instrumental in creating the current LSAT programming for the LEAP Fellows. She is the founder of Rise LSAT and the Director of Partnerships at LSAT Lab. Laura began teaching LSAT in 2007 after receiving a 177 on her first official exam. She spent 16 years in the boutique LSAT Prep industry, including 11 with ManhattanPrep, eventually leading the LSAT Curriculum team there.
During those years, despite the joys of helping so many students succeed, she was deeply troubled by the way the test prep industry cements racial and class divides, leaving students without means both underserved and underrepresented. In 2021, she founded Rise LSAT so she could teach the material she loved to the students being disenfranchised by the LSAT industry, and joined the team at LSAT Lab who share her commitment to excellence and access. The Rise LSAT and LSAT Lab partnership is the main support for LEAP's LSAT Programming.
As the Development and Donor Relations Associate at LEAP, Kiki cares to build relationships with people who understand the importance of representation and provide them with meaningful opportunities to increase representation where it matters most, our legal system.
Kiki came to LEAP after nearly a decade of pre-law advising at the University of Southern California. She became keenly aware of the racial and socio-economic inequities in their undergraduate experiences as well as the law school application and admission process. Kiki fought tirelessly to address inequity and injustice on campus, across the globe, and especially in the surrounding South Central community, where she lives and loves. She sees her role at LEAP as a continuation of these efforts.
Kiki holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Temple University in Philadelphia and a master's degree in Educational Counseling from USC. Prior to education, she worked in business development for professional and collegiate athletics. When she's not working, you can find her at the boxing gym, church, a local cafe, restaurant, farmer's market or protest, or visiting any of her friends and family around the world, especially her beloved niece and nephew in Northern California.
Jessica Guzman serves as LEAP's Data and Programs Operations Manager, where she supports program operations, data management, and fellow communications. She is passionate about building systems that empower students to achieve their educational and professional goals.
As a proud first-generation college graduate, Jessica understands firsthand the importance of access, mentorship, and community. Throughout her career, she has coached and mentored diverse student populations, led retention and engagement efforts, and developed student success initiatives. During her time at UCLA, Jessica coordinated campus-wide programs for first-generation and commuter students and launched the university's first social media page dedicated to the first-generation community. At Arizona State University, she expanded holistic support services and implemented data-informed strategies that increased student persistence and success.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys going on matcha runs, watching sports, and spending time outdoors. Jessica holds a Bachelor's degree and a Master of Education in Student Affairs from UCLA.
