2026 ILIA Awards | Celebrate Community Leaders – Join the Event — RISE San Diego

2026 RISE Inclusive Leadership in Action (ILIA) Awards

Monday, October 12, 2026 · 5:00–8:30 pm
Museum of Photographic Arts @ San Diego Museum of Art

2026 ILIA Award Honorees

Nyisha Green-Washington

COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE ADVOCATE AWARD

Nyisha Green-Washington is a San Diego-based organizer advancing health equity and racial justice. In 2017, she founded March for Black Womxn in San Diego (M4BWSD), leading marches for reproductive rights and protection from state violence. A former full spectrum doula, she works with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, whose mission is preventing breast cancer by eliminating toxic chemical exposures. She is the owner of Give Light Aquatics, teaching swim lessons to combat high drowning rates among Black and POC people.

Ronald Preston Clark

COMMUNITY CHANGE AGENT AWARD

Ronald Preston Clark is a compassionate, transparent, and relentlessly curious educator, writer, and mentor from San Diego. Shaped as much by his failures as his successes, he openly uses his own mistakes to teach accountability, resilience, and self-awareness. An award-winning author and Hampton University graduate, Ronald is devoted to helping Black boys and young men discover the transformative power of literacy, purpose, and authentic leadership.
LinkedIn • Club FBS

Alejandra M.
Chaldez

CULTURE SHIFTER AWARD

Alejandra Maria Chaidez is a transfronteriza shaped by her parents’ immigrant journey and their values of resilience, service, compassion, and justice. Her lived experience navigating visible and invisible borders fuels her commitment to belonging through her work with the County of San Diego. Drawing strength from communities that embraced her, she leads with honesty, love, and intention. A lifelong learner, her work spans global disability advocacy, County equity initiatives, and co‑creating the Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE) Racial Equity Evaluation Framework.
LinkedIn

Diego Sandoval

NEXT-GEN INFLUENCER AWARD

Diego Sandoval believes systematic change begins by equipping youth with the tools and knowledge to carry it out. By teaching elementary schoolers how to sort their food waste, or empowering his high school peers to be voices for climate justice, he is building the sustainable future he wants to see, one youth at a time. As a visible advocate for affordable housing, the climate, and human rights in his community, Diego’s goal is to show young people how to wield their passion for positive change.
Instagram

Mercedes Tiggs, LCSW

RESTORATIVE PRACTITIONER AWARD

Mercedes Tiggs is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), educator, consultant, professor, and social entrepreneur dedicated to advancing mental health, holistic healing, and community empowerment. A proud former foster youth, she has transformed her lived experience into a powerful platform for advocacy, healing, and innovation in therapeutic practices. Mercedes is the founder and owner of Eight16 Culinary Therapy, a transformative wellness practice that blends mindful cooking, trauma-informed therapy, and holistic healing.
LinkedIn • Eight16 Culinary Therapy

Casa Cornelia Law Center

ORGANIZATION FOR CHANGE AWARD

Casa Cornelia Law Center is a San Diego-based nonprofit public interest law firm providing quality pro bono legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations. Rooted in justice, compassion, and respect for the dignity of every person, we provide compassionate legal representation, uphold human rights, and ensure quality legal support for asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and survivors of serious crimes, restoring hope through due process.
Website • LinkedIn

dr. grace shinhae jun

VIET MAI ARTIVIST AWARD

Dr. grace shinhae jun 전신혜 is a mother, wife, scholar, educator, and dancemaker whose research and artistic practices are grounded in Hip Hop culture and cross cultural collaborations that honor her ancestral lineage. She founded bkSOUL (2001), a performance collective that merges movement, spoken word poetry, and live music to share the stories of our communities and co-founded the Asian Solidarity Collective (2016). Her scholarship includes publications in the Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Dance Studies and the Applied Theatre and Racial Justice: Care, Community, Change anthology. grace is an Assistant Professor of Dance at San Diego City College, teaches with transcenDANCE, and at UC San Diego.
LinkedIn • bkSOUL

Karrie “Erik’s Mother” Gonzales

ANTHONY M. MEDINA PEOPLE’S CHAMPION AWARD

Karrie Gonzales is a compassionate advocate whose life has been shaped by profound loss, personal resilience, and an unwavering commitment to helping others. Following the devastating loss of her son Erik to fentanyl poisoning, she transformed her grief into purpose by dedicating herself to raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. She believes that every conversation has the potential to save a life and that lasting change begins when communities come together with empathy, understanding, and a shared commitment to protecting future generations. ERIK FOREVER.
Instagram

N. Diane Moss

LEGLER BENBOUGH LEGACY AWARD

N. Diane Moss is a waymaker and womanist with more than 30 years of experience managing small community-rooted organizations in southeastern San Diego. Her community involvement includes the San Diego Food System Alliance, the advisory boards of Hunger Free San Diego and Neighborhood House Association Adult Day Center, Society for the Preservation and Promotion of African American Culture, Elementary Institute of Science board of directors, and the San Diego Continuing Education Foundation. Diane is an alumnus of UCSD and a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Alumni Network.
LinkedIn

2026 ILIA Nominees

A woman smiling outdoors with palm trees and a clear blue sky in the background.

Dilkhwaz Ahmed

A woman with curly hair sitting outdoors in front of a rocky background, wearing a black long-sleeve top.

Risa Bell

A man wearing a dark suit, red bow tie, and patterned shirt, sitting at a table with his chin resting on his hand against a plain light gray background.

Ronald Preston Clark

A woman with brown wavy hair and light makeup, wearing a black blazer, white top, and a gold chain necklace, standing in front of green plants in natural lighting.

Alejandra M. Chaidez

Young woman laughing with short curly hair, wearing a light-colored shirt, gold necklace, and rings, against a plain white background.

A woman smiling and relaxing outdoors, wearing glasses and a black top, with her hand behind her head, near a body of water and a brick wall.

Close-up of a man wearing sunglasses, a black headwrap, a blue shirt, a black vest, and a gray tie, outdoors with green trees in the background.

A smiling Black man with a beard and shaved head, wearing a light-colored shirt and gold jewelry, standing against a dark olive-green background.

A woman with medium skin tone wearing a white headscarf and attire, gazing upward, with black hair visible.

Close-up of a woman with shoulder-length hair that is blonde at the top and transitions to purple and pink at the ends, wearing glasses, smiling, against a plain off-white wall.

A smiling woman with short gray hair, wearing a black, white, and orange color-block sweater and earrings, standing outdoors in front of a wooden fence.

Portrait of a woman with curly black hair, wearing a navy blazer and white top, smiling in front of a brick wall.

Close-up of a young woman with long black hair, wearing glasses, a white collared shirt, and a beige vest, smiling at the camera. In the background, a man in a suit and a blurred purple sign with partially visible white text.

Close-up of a woman smiling outdoors with curly black hair and wearing a brown top in a sunny garden.

A woman with dark hair, bangs, red lipstick, smiling, wearing a white top, against a light blue background.

Close-up of a smiling woman with long black hair wearing a black polo shirt with name tag 'Natalie' and patches, standing in front of a blurred background of a building with hanging plant baskets.

A woman with blonde hair, wearing black glasses and a blue sleeveless dress with ruffled details, smiling in front of a plain light gray background.

A woman holding a steaming clay pot outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a colorful striped shawl and carrying a traditional earring.

A woman with dark hair styled in loose waves, wearing a red sequined dress, posing indoors.

A woman with dark curly hair wearing a turquoise sweater, smiling outdoors with greenery and a blue background.

Close-up of a woman with dark hair smiling outdoors, wearing a black blazer and a gold necklace, with a blurred wooden fence and green foliage in the background.

Close-up of a smiling person with short, curly dark hair, earrings, wearing a grey button-up shirt with dark stitching, against a plain white background.

A woman with braided hair outdoors, wearing a green sleeveless top and a gold necklace with a flower pendant, standing in front of green trees and a white dome building.

A young woman with long black hair, wearing a tan blazer over a navy dress with white botanical print, and a gold necklace, standing indoors near a window with a cityscape background.

Young man smiling outdoors wearing glasses, a green T-shirt, a wide-brimmed hat with colorful patterns, and a name tag that reads 'Diego Sandoval'. He is holding a green water container and is surrounded by yellow flowers and greenery.

Man in white traditional shirt posing in a lush green field of tall plants.

Pam Covarrubias

Sofia Myabel Cuevas

Brandon Flowers

John W. Edwards III

Cynthia Denise Gilliam

Erik’s Mother Karrie Gonzales

Nyisha Green-Washington

Kimberly Grady

Dennise Juarez Aguilar

Camille Grace Kelly

Janice Luna Reynoso

Natalie LeGerrette

Laurie Magulac, MSW

Alejandro Martinez

Tema Mercado

Mayte Mercado

Close-up of a smiling woman with dark hair, pearl earrings, and a pearl necklace, wearing a navy blazer and cream top, outdoors with green shrubbery and colorful background.

Miyu Oda-Deshotels

Nicole Milner, MPH, EMBA

Courtney Ochi

Angel Pippins-Lopez

Ashley Ordaz

The Saint

Diego Sandoval

Leland Simpliciano

Pastor Jesus Sandoval

A woman with dark hair, wearing heart-shaped earrings, a white collared shirt, and a black sweater, standing against a textured beige wall.

Close-up of a smiling woman with short hair, wearing earrings, outdoors with sunny sky and trees in the background.

Portrait of a smiling woman in a chef's uniform with long wavy hair with blonde highlights.

Portrait of a young woman with shoulder-length black hair, smiling softly, wearing a sleeveless embroidered dress, outdoors with blurred greenery in the background.

Chrystian Smith

Olivia Steadman-Oladipo

Mercedes Tiggs, LCSW

Nisa Thomas

A woman with long wavy brown hair, wearing a white collared shirt, standing outdoors in a park-like setting with green trees in the background.

Close-up of an elderly person with gray dreadlocks wearing a green shirt and a badge with a portrait and the word 'FREEDOM' on it, holding a pamphlet or flyer.

Young man in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie, smiling in front of a blue background.

Kasandra Valladolid

Gloria Verdieu

Daniel Zhang

Access, Inc.

Casa Cornelia Law Center

Karen Organization of San Diego

Community Resource Center

A graphic of a red heart with two white hands reaching toward each other inside it, surrounded by the text 'Doing Good Kind Heart Sam,'

Kind Hearts San Diego

LKW STEM Foundation

San Diego Futures Foundation

Project New Village

Text reading 'THINK DIGNITY' with a subtitle 'Hands-on Advocacy & Activism with People Experiencing Homelessness' in green on a black background.

SolPath Counseling & Holistic Wellness

Think Dignity

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors & partners

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2023 Nominee - Pacific Arts Movement.png