The California Health Care Foundation has announced the first cohort of its Health Equity Fellows program.

Launched in May, the two-year program is focused on identifying, developing, and supporting emerging leaders who are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color and help them become local and regional catalysts for health equity across the state. Fellows will be full-time CHCF staff members through October 2023.

The inaugural fellows include Janet Boachie, who will work to expand the investment strategy of the CHCF Health Innovation Fund to include seed-stage companies, where traditionally underrepresented entrepreneurs — BIPOC and/or female founders — face disparities in access to funding; Kenna Chic, who will work with the State Health Policy Office to identify policy opportunities to foster better care and outcomes for Californians; Dalma Diaz, who will work with the Advancing People-Centered Care team to improve care delivery and outcomes for Californians experiencing homelessness; and Sequoia Hall, who will work with the Improving Access team to expand the workforce in areas not well served by the healthcare system.

"In my two decades in human resources and talent management, this has been the most impactful recruitment process I've ever led," said CHCF chief talent officer Charles Reader. "It introduced us to over five hundred exceptional candidates who are ready to increase their community impact, bring their lived experiences to philanthropy, and leverage the power of capital to drive change. In our selection process, the tenacity, resilience, and deep subject matter knowledge of our four inaugural fellows made them shine."