Pictured above: Julie Aguilar, Boyle Heights’ hometown hero.

CCB’s secret weapon has always been the amazing young professionals who spend time with us, be it for a few months or a few years. This summer/fall we’ve been lucky enough to have Julie Aguilar, Senior Research Fellow, as a (semi) new addition to the team! Here are a few quick facts about Julie:

Education: Master of Public Policy from UCLA and B.A. in Sociology from Grinnell College  

Hometown: Boyle Heights, CA

Professional aspiration: To expand homeownership opportunities for under-resourced, historically excluded communities.  

Favorite concert, currently: Natalia Lafourcade!  

What Julie’s working on at CCB: I have been working on a policy brief that explores how and why developers of color have limited access to capital. I am also supporting the organization’s other research efforts, including an upcoming report on the state of moderate-income housing in California.  

Something Julie has been up to outside of CCB: I am proud to have recently graduated from the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Leadership Institute, which provides leadership training to professional Latina women across California.  

Something Julie is better at than most people: Singing Beyonce's "Love on Top" off-key for karaoke!

The impact Julie wants to make on the world: I am passionate about advocating for economic mobility initiatives for disenfranchised communities that move people—especially low-income, women of color—towards financial independence and financial freedom.