🌟 LCF Team Member Spotlight 🌟: As Communications Director, Ariana Andrade drives LCF’s external communication strategies for our programs, grantmaking, press, events, and more! She’s a storyteller who rejoices in sharing the stories of our partners and the communities they serve. Ariana is guided by LCF’s 'change, not charity' mindset and holds the trust of our community partners with great pride.
Prior to joining LCF, she served as the Deputy Director of Digital in the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom from 2019 to 2021. Managing the Governor’s Office social media channels, Ariana worked closely with senior staff in the Governor’s Office and throughout the administration to roll out nation-leading policies on climate change, economic justice, and equity, as well as coordinating crisis communications in times of emergency. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ariana worked towards a more inclusive public awareness campaign by curating Latino-focused messaging, Spanish-language PSAs, and engagement with high-profile public figures.
Our Communication’s Director also has NASA social media credentials! Thanks to her enthusiasm for all things space-related, she was invited to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for the historic announcement of the Artemis II crew in 2023. How many people can say they’ve interviewed the next astronauts who will step foot on the moon?!
Ariana began her career working for Steven Spielberg’s non-profit USC Shoah Foundation, as well as Michael “Flea” Balzary’s Silverlake Conservatory of Music. She has a master’s degree in Cinema and Media Studies from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Chicana and Chicano Studies from UC Santa Barbara.
When she’s not working, you can find Ariana at Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen concerts, exploring used bookstores in new cities, spending time with her dog Rubí, and watching high-quality television, like the Bachelor and Bachelorette.
