Melissa Kham

In her role as Vice President of Strategic Relations, Melissa Kham oversees marketing and communications as well as vital relationships with LAEDC Board of Governors, Executive Committee, government, philanthropic organizations, members and the larger external business community to ensure ongoing revenue and community support. Melissa and her team are responsible for the recruitment and retention of valued LAEDC members, sponsors, and donors that represent the LAEDC the heart of our mission to collaboratively advance growth and prosperity for all. The strategic relations team curates and leads groundbreaking initiatives, programs, and events including the annual Eddy Awards, Select LA Summit, Economic Forecasts, Future Forums, and 88 Cities Summit. Melissa’s extensive experience of revenue generating activities and strategic planning will ensure LAEDC’s ongoing success and infrastructure. Melissa and her team create and implement long-term strategies for funding opportunities and ensure consistent corporate, and government growth.

Melissa has expertise in fundraising campaigns, donor cultivation, grant writing, event planning, marketing, external relations, public policy, and strategic planning. Throughout her career, Melissa has raised more than $45 million for grassroots and large nonprofit organizations that include PATH, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, Youth Speak Collective, and Southern California Grantmakers.

Melissa enjoys being an ambassador, recruiter and connector for the organizations with which she works. She also has considerable experience working with media in both English and Spanish. Melissa received her Bachelors of Art from Loyola Marymount University and her Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from the California State University Northridge.

Reach Melissa at: [email protected]

Sulaiman Kenyatta

In his role as Policy Manager, Sulaiman focuses on advancing LAEDC policy priorities on specific key industries and legislation at the local, state, and federal levels. As a member of the Strategic Initiatives team, he also supports LAEDC industry cluster development to strengthen the region’s global competitive advantage. He brings experience in business incubation, issue development, policy research and formation, and stakeholder engagement strategy.

Sulaiman was most recently an Associate at the International Business Accelerator, an early-stage startup incubator in Los Angeles, CA, where he developed an online curriculum to teach companies how to scale into global markets. He also helped cultivate strategic relationships with industry associations, community partners, and business leaders to participate in cohort seminars.

Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Sulaiman spent two years living in Southeast Asia. After backpacking across the region for several months, he settled in Singapore to conduct an independent research project analyzing the business issues and trade dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, upon finishing his undergraduate degree Sulaiman served as the Communications Manager at the US-China Business Council in Washington D.C.

Sulaiman sits on the Global Committee of the Los Angeles Venture Association to help create programming that highlights global opportunities and capital sources for companies based in or coming to the Southern California venture ecosystem.

An East Coast transplant, Sulaiman grew up in Richmond, VA and received his Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Morehouse College.

Larry Holt

Larry Holt serves as the Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development and is passionate about economic development as a driver for inclusive prosperity and equitable outcomes across LAEDC’s strategic priorities in the Business Assistance, Industry Cluster Development, and Workforce Development departments. Mr. Holt leads LAEDC’s effort to provide business technical assistance to the diverse business community in the Los Angeles region in partnership with key governmental, philanthropic and industry allies.

Barbara Levine

As the LAEDC district director, Ms. Levine provides strategic consulting to many types of businesses in south LA County, to resolve challenges and problems and keep companies in business. Many of the projects involve retention, energy efficiency, cost of doing business, permitting, city and state incentives, and site selection. She also assists companies with management and workforce development issues. In her downtime, she is an instructor of marketing management courses at some LA area colleges.

Ms. Levine brings about 15 years marketing management experience in both the private and public sectors, as well as both corporate and client relationship experience in manufacturing, creative services, and healthcare organizations. She has a BA in Economics from UCLA and an MBA in Entrepreneurial Organizations from Loyola Marymount University.

Leonard Barrales

Leonard Barrales joined the LA City WIB Layoff Aversion project as a Regional Manager in January 2011. He is a results-oriented professional with more than 15 years experience in recruitment, marketing, job placement, program management, and employee and business retention service programs for both private and public companies.

Recently, Mr. Barrales served as the Regional Business Services Manager for the Canoga Park and Van Nuys WorkSource Centers under ARBOR RESCARE with the City of Los Angeles to promote the WorkSource Center services to the local San Fernando Valley business community. He holds a B.S. in Political Science and has completed several courses and certifications in Economic Development, Real Estate, International Trade, etc.

Linden Johnson

Linden Johnson has been a part of the Business Assistance team at LAEDC since 2011, and has worked extensively in the administration of the program.  He provides field technical assistance and consulting to businesses in the City of Los Angeles, especially where he can help the business overcome challenges, as part of the pro-bono public-benefit mission of LAEDC.  Prior to joining LAEDC, he worked as an Executive Assistant/Project Manager for an entertainment company specializing in concert production.

Mr. Johnson graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Jermaine Hampton

Most recently, Jermaine served as the Program Manager of the D.C. Department of Employment Services where he advised the Deputy Director and Operations Manager on their federally and locally funded workforce initiatives while supervising and guiding over 30 workforce development specialists, case managers and administrative support staff. Prior to DC, Jermaine oversaw the Youth, Business and Adult programs at WorkSource DeKalb County Government in Georgia and was Director of Workforce Development at a forward-thinking non-profit, Frendship Place, in DC.

In 2015, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals recognized Jermaine’s visionary leadership with their Leadership Award.

Jermaine Hampton

Most recently, Jermaine served as the Program Manager of the D.C. Department of Employment Services where he advised the Deputy Director and Operations Manager on their federally and locally funded workforce initiatives while supervising and guiding over 30 workforce development specialists, case managers and administrative support staff. Prior to DC, Jermaine oversaw the Youth, Business and Adult programs at WorkSource DeKalb County Government in Georgia and was Director of Workforce Development at a forward-thinking non-profit, Frendship Place, in DC.

In 2015, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals recognized Jermaine’s visionary leadership with their Leadership Award.

Shannon Sedgwick

Shannon Sedgwick is Director of the LAEDC Institute for Applied Economics. In this capacity, Ms. Sedgwick oversees and executes the planning and design of economic research projects and develops subject-specific information and data interpretation for economic impact, demographic, workforce development, transportation, and industry and issue studies. She performs research, data collection and organization, analysis and report preparation in addition to managing a team of economists. Her work focuses on demographics, industry clusters and contribution analysis, and occupational analysis. She is also proficient at conducting geospatial analysis and working with IMPLAN. Ms. Sedgwick is a principal contributor to the Center for a Competitive Workforce reports prepared for the California Community Colleges and local Workforce Development Boards (WDB). Other notable works include, Aerospace: The Changing Face of Aerospace in Southern California, The Path Forward: Economic and Workforce Intelligence for Northeast Los Angeles, and Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 which quantified the economic impact of the series of exhibitions held across Southern California.

Ms. Sedgwick joined the LAEDC in June of 2008, serving in both Economic Research and the Consulting Practice of the LAEDC with data collection and research, managing multiple data sets covering the State of California, Southern California, its counties and their sub-regions.

Before joining the LAEDC, Ms. Sedgwick managed an industrial and steel supply company located in the Inland Empire. There she identified and targeted a diverse customer base, and analyzed product and customer patterns in the local industrial market to successfully increase revenues.

A Southern California native, Ms. Sedgwick received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Southern California (USC) with a minor in Architecture. She is a member of the national chapter of National Association for Business Economics (NABE) and the American Economic Association (AEA). In her free time, she is actively involved with local animal rescue organizations as a foster and volunteers annually as a mentor to undergraduate students selected for the USC Dornsife Gateway Internship Program.

Justin Adams

Dr. Justin L. Adams is the incoming Senior Economist at LAEDC. He brings over two decades of experience consulting to federal, State and local governments as well as private-sector organizations. Most recently, Justin served as President and Chief Economist of Encina Advisors, an economics research and analysis firm based in the city of Davis. Prior, Justin spent six years as an economist with the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica and worked at Sacramento-based management consulting firms. He has held positions in California state government at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Department of Transportation (CalTrans).

Justin received his Ph.D. in Business with a concentration in Political Economics from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also received his A.M. in Political Science and his A.B. in Economics and Political Science from Stanford. Justin currently lives in Davis with his long-time partner Gina and their three cats. He spends his spare time cycling and serving on the boards of the Sacramento Stanford Association and the Davis Arts Center.

Max Dunsker

Max Dunsker joined the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s Institute for Applied Economics as a Research Analyst in May 2021. He aids in the research, data collection and organization, and the production of economic research and consulting projects that focus on key issues and key industries in Los Angeles County and the Southern California region.

Before joining LAEDC, Max worked at the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles (StudyLA) as a Research Assistant. There, he played key roles in several projects, analyzing local survey data on COVID-19, police and community relations, and other topics, as well as leading geospatial (GIS) research projects.

Before his role with StudyLA, he worked as a Research Assistant for the California Center for Population Research, Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on projects related to food security and agriculture.

Max earned his Bachelor’s in Economics and International Development Studies, with a minor in Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Stephen Cheung

Stephen Cheung is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA).  As CEO of the LAEDC, Mr. Cheung brings together the capabilities of LAEDC’s mission-delivery department areas, including the Institute for Applied Economics (Research), Business Assistance, Industry Cluster Development, Workforce Development, World Trade Center Los Angeles (International), Strategic Relations, Communications & Marketing, and Public Policy, into a single team that delivers the LAEDC’s critically important, public-benefit mission – Reinventing our economy to collaboratively advance growth and prosperity for all.

In 2023, Cheung was elevated to President and CEO after serving as Chief Operating Office and Executive Vice President of LAEDC, and continues in his concurrent role as President of World Trade Center Los Angeles, a title he has held since coming to the organization in 2014.  Prior to that, Cheung was the Secretary General and Managing Director of International Trade and Foreign Affairs for Los Angeles Mayors Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa, and was responsible for managing policies and programs related to the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, International Affairs,  Global Trade and Clean Technology. In these roles, he was the lead organizer for the Mayors’ previous international trade missions to Mexico, China, Korea, Japan, Colombia, Chile and Brazil.  Furthermore, Cheung implemented the city’s strategic plan to make Los Angeles a global capital of clean technology by building the infrastructure to support research, development and manufacturing with key partners.

Concurrently, Cheung was the Director of International Trade for the Port of Los Angeles – the busiest container port in North America, and was responsible for developing programs to increase trade through the Port of Los Angeles, and facilitate goods movement through the Southern California region.

Cheung currently sits on the Board of Advisors of UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, UCLA Extension, Coro Southern California and Sister Cities of Los Angeles, while also serving on the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board.

Michael McClune

Michael McClune is the Senior Director of International Trade at the World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA), which attracts foreign direct investment into LA County, providing educational services while serving as the link between the region and international businesses looking to expand. All of which drives innovation, job creation and prosperity for the region’s communities and residents. WTCLA’s foreign direct investment (FDI) strategy is to attract, educate and connect foreign investors to ensure a smooth process for capital deployment. By combining robust research with deep institutional knowledge, WTCLA enhances the decision-making for foreign companies that has benefited the region by attracting over $1 billion in FDI since 1988.

Michael most recently led the Los Angeles based International Business Accelerator, a non-profit economic development organization helping high-growth companies create new jobs, innovation, and economic growth via their cross-border expansion.

Michael serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA), the oldest and largest regional investor organization. He helps lead the dialogue between internationally focused founders and investors and co-chairs the Global LAVA Community which presents expert panels and events delivering tools and actionable insights into successful global expansion. Michael is a federally appointed member of the US District Export Council of Southern California which supports our regional companies in exporting their products, services, and technology.