Rudy Espinoza

Rudy Espinoza

Executive Director

Inclusive Action for the City

Nominated David Diaz (2021)

Inclusive Action for the City

Rudy Espinoza is the Executive Director of Inclusive Action for the City, a non-profit, Community Development Financial Institution based in Los Angeles whose mission is to bring people together to build strong, local economies that uplift low-income urban communities through advocacy and transformative economic development initiatives.

Rudy specializes in designing economic development initiatives in low-income communities, researching the informal economy, building private/nonprofit partnerships, and training the working poor to participate in the socio-economic revitalization of their neighborhoods.

Under his leadership, Inclusive Action helped legalize street vending in Los Angeles, has deployed over $700,000 in low-interest micro-loans to under-served entrepreneurs, and co-created a unique commercial real estate initiative that preserves small businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods. He has also co-created initiatives to activate vacant lots in Los Angeles and helped design a purchasing cooperative to support small corner stores in food deserts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rudy and his team helped deploy over a $1,600,000 in cash assistance and grants to street vendors and working families throughout Los Angeles. Rudy serves on the East LA Area Planning Commission and the Board of the Center for Nonprofit Management and Abode Community Housing.