Alexis Rivas is the CEO and cofounder of Cover, a Los Angeles based technology company that designs, permits, manufactures and installs custom backyard homes. His passion for building started in preschool, where his teacher found it necessary to create building block height limitations as a result of his structures. Today, Alexis continues to push the boundaries of the built environment through Cover, using software and manufacturing technology to streamline the entire home building process – from design and permitting, to manufacturing and assembly. His, and Cover’s mission is to make thoughtfully designed and well-built homes for everyone. 

Cover is backed by top tier investors including Founders Fund, Lennar (the largest homebuilder in the USA), Valor Equity Partners, General Catalyst, and Fifty Years, and graduated from the Y Combinator Fellowship program, a leading Silicon Valley startup incubator. 

Brenda Aguirre is the Assistant General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.

Chloe Canton is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of Beach Cities Child and Family Therapy, a private practice located in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Her practice specializes in therapeutic services for children, adolescents and families. In addition to her clinical work, Chloe works with local school districts and community organizations to provide mental health education and support through speaking engagements, assemblies and workshops.

Dante Cornejo is a Captain in the Safe Community Project and is responsible for wildfire mitigation in Los Angeles. 

David Barrett is the Executive Officer of the Safe Community Project.

Dr. Christopher Potter is an Earth Scientist with 35 years of experience working at NASA Ames Research Center.  He has published more than 200 scientific articles in peer-reviewed research journals on wildfires, carbon cycling, and satellite data analysis.  He is currently a Principal Investigator on the NASA Soil-Moisture-Active-Passive satellite mission science team, and on NASA’s Climate Adaptation Science Investigators program, which was awarded the 2024 Blue Marble award that recognizes excellence demonstrated in environmental and energy management in support of NASA's mission.

A Southern California native and a dedicated mental health professional, Dr. Veronica Viesca has a deep understanding of the diverse communities she serves. With a profound commitment to helping individuals and families thrive, she provides personalized therapy experiences at The Center for Mental Health Excellence (CFMHE), guiding clients on paths of growth and healing.

Dr. Viesca earned a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego and a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Loma Linda University. As an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, she brings her research expertise and clinical acumen to both the classroom and her clinical practice, ensuring that her work is grounded in the latest advancements in the field. As the founder of CFMHE, she is dedicated to advancing the field of mental health through research and innovation.https://cfmhe.org/

Enid Arana is a wildfire coordinator for the MySafe:Riverside, a division of the Safe Community Project.

Eunisses Hernandez is a community organizer, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, and a lifelong District 1 resident. Since taking office in December 2022, Councilmember Hernandez has prioritized a Care First agenda that focuses on investing in community care, workforce development, social services, and harm-reduction programs that help make our neighborhoods safer and healthier places for all Angelenos.

Greg Doyle is a veteran wildfire photographer whose work has been featured in fire service magazines and websites. He is the official photographer of MySafe:LA.

Jessica Fernandez is a visionary storyteller at the forefront of cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation. Previously, as Head of Technology Communications at Amazon Studios, she led global campaigns showcasing groundbreaking advancements like Amazon's virtual production at Stage 15.

Jessica is deeply connected to her roots in Altadena, where she was born and raised. With the destruction of her family's home, she has experienced firsthand the devastation of the Eaton Fire. In response, she has dedicated herself to philanthropy, working with Lift International to spearhead relief efforts, support affected families, and preserve Altadena’s historically Black community. Passionate about both innovation and community resilience, Jessica is committed to shaping the future—whether through groundbreaking technology or meaningful social impact.

Jim Kniss was raised in West Covina, and after a stint in the U.S. Army he moved to Ventura and where he's been a resident for 50 years. Jim started his mapping career with the Ventura County Public Works agency in 1980. 

In 1995 he moved to the Ventura County Fire Department as the GIS analyst responsible for the integrity of the 911 centerline used for emergency response. Jim has responded to many wildfires, floods and hurricanes throughout his career.

In 2016 Jim started working with Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council designing and developing Ranch Plans. In 2020 Jim joined Team Rubicon, a veteran disaster volunteer organization. He is currently the Metro Administrator for the central coast. In 2023 Jim became the sales manager for Beacon Boxes. Jim feels very strongly that  Beacon Boxes can truly assist incoming engines with their situational awareness as they enter unfamiliar neighborhoods in a fire fight.

Joel founded Bright Harbor after witnessing a close friend lose their home in a wildfire, exposing the overwhelming challenges of disaster recovery. As Founder & CEO, he is using technology to transform how individuals and communities recover from crises. A seasoned entrepreneur, Joel has built and sold multiple companies and has invested in and advised more than 50 early-stage ventures across climate adaptation and resilience, health, and AI. His work is driven by a passion for leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges and build companies that create real impact.

Councilmember John Lee is a lifelong public servant, the son of Korean immigrants, and a resident of Council District 12 for over 40 years. He has dedicated his career to the City of Los Angeles and was first elected to serve as Councilmember for the Twelfth District of Los Angeles in a Special Election in 2019. He was elected to his first full term in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. John’s priorities for Council District 12 and its residents are to increase public safety, support local businesses, deliver core city services and bring quality of life improvements to the community.

Jon Brown is a long-time Pacific Palisades resident, entrepreneur, and community leader with deep roots in the area. A dedicated family man, he built his life here alongside his wife and two children, who attended Palisades Elementary and Methodist Preschool—both of which were tragically lost in the fires. When they weren’t at school, you could often find them at the beach, where Jon, an avid surfer, spent several days a week in the water. For 25 years, Jon has been a DJ, working with some of the biggest names in music and entertainment. He has also spent the past decade building a successful real estate business.

In January 2025, the Palisades Fire destroyed his home, along with 170 others in the Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park. Since then, he has stepped up as a leading voice for displaced residents, co-chairing the Palisades Bowl Community Partnership and working tirelessly to get his neighbors back home.

Justice Tricia Bigelow is a retired municipal and superior court judge as well as a Presiding Justice for the Court of Appeals, Justice Bigelow now works as a mediator for the company Signature Resolution.

CAL FIRE Aviation Public Information Officer

President of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles

Michele Steinberg is the Wildfire Division Director at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA®). Since 2002, she has guided the development and growth of the Firewise USA® recognition program, the Wildfire Community Preparedness Day campaign, and Outthink Wildfire™, a policy initiative to end the destruction of communities by wildfire. Michele served on the presidential Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission (2022-2024), developing comprehensive policy recommendations and strategies on better ways to prevent, manage, suppress and recover from wildfires. Michele is a past officer of the International Association of Wildland Fire and a co-founder of the Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Membership Division of the American Planning Association. She holds a Master of Urban Affairs degree from Boston University, has served as an adjunct professor of emergency management, and as a guest lecturer at numerous universities, including UCLA.

Nicole Vazquez is a wildfire coordinator for the MySafe:Riverside, a division of the Safe Community Project.

Passionate about aviation and driven by the desire to fight wildfires in Quebec, Duclos began his aviation career in 1998. To gain the necessary experience, he worked for several bush aviation companies across Canada, honing his skills and developing valuable expertise in the field. His ultimate goal became a reality in 2010 when he joined the Government Air Service. For eight seasons, he has served as an air tanker pilot, playing a crucial role in protecting Quebec’s forests from wildfires. His dedication and experience led him to join the training team, and by the end of 2022, he was promoted to Chief Pilot of the air tanker fleet.

His career has given him the opportunity to experience significant moments, including the 2023 wildfire season—one of the most intense in Quebec’s history—as well as the historic fires that ravaged Los Angeles County last winter. These events highlight the immense challenges faced by the aviation sector in wildfire suppression.

Anthony McFarland is a professional with more than 28 years of experience in corporate training, relationship counseling, and pastor. He teaches multitudes to live high-impact lives as a direct result of his educational and life journey. He is ordained and joined in ministry with his wife of over 34 years, Dr. Micheline McFarland, and pastors with her at Abundant Harvest Christian Center. Now known  as Lift International in Pasadena, CA. His aim is to support people interested in reaching a whole new level of sustainable success spiritually and mentally in their kingdom assignments whether that be ministry, family, personal and or marketplace business.

Pat Hanley is a real estate broker with Berkshire Hathaway, a Director with the California Association of Realtors, the Treasurer of the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council and a member of Team Rubicon.

Rich Thompson graduated from Penn State in May 1992 with a BS in Meteorology. He joined the National Weather Service in January 1993 as an intern at NWS Chicago. In June 1995, he became a forecaster with NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard  and has been at the Los Angeles/Oxnard office ever since. In 2006, Rich joined the Incident Meteorologist (IMET) program and has been an NWS IMET ever since. In his IMET career, Rich has been dispatched to over 80 wildfires, including the Thomas, Woolsey and Palisades fires. 

Sean Scott is a second-generation restoration contractor and disaster recovery consultant who has spent over 45 years in the construction and restoration industry.  Most of his experience has been involved in the rebuilding of homes and businesses damaged by fires, floods, storms, earthquakes and other natural or man-made disaster events.  Sean has witnessed first-hand the struggles people go through to rebuild their lives and how daunting this process can be, especially for those who have lost their home or become displaced.  Sean embarked on a mission to write a simple easy-to-read disaster recovery road-map to walk survivors step-by-step through the recovery process and raise awareness of the many pitfalls that accompany post-disaster scenarios. Now first responders and disaster relief organizations can have a tool to hand out to people after a disaster event that will not only expedite the recovery process, but also make communities more resilient.

Sue Larson Pascoe was raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. After graduating from the University of South Dakota, she moved to New York City where she did standup comedy. She moved to Los Angeles in 1992, and worked part-time for a local newspaper, while she raised her three children. In 2018, she started an online-newspaper Circling the News, which can be found at circlingthenews.com.