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Los Angeles, California

Breaking cycles.
Healing generations.

The Ripple Effect Foundation is a data-first engine for ecosystem restoration. We are building Los Angeles' first integrated restoration ecosystem — connecting frontline intelligence, nonprofits, government, research institutions and catalytic capital.

One ripple. Many generations.

Restoration that compounds — from the street to the family to the next generation.

23

years on the frontlines

4

council districts served

100

square miles covered

ZERO

contract defaults

Meet Yvette Neal

Yvette Neal, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Ripple Effect Foundation

Yvette Neal has been cleaning the city of Los Angeles since 2003.

Stats for the past 2.5 years:

3.3M+

square miles of graffiti

222,900+

individual locations serviced

90%+

completed within 24 hours


Now, she's going after the cause.

The Problem

  1. 1

    Problem appears

    Neglect shows up.

  2. 2

    City contracts for cleanup

    Public dollars fund removal.

  3. 3

    Symptom removed

    The visible issue is cleared.

  4. 4

    Conditions unchanged

    Root causes remain unaddressed.

  5. 5

    Problem returns

    The cycle repeats again and again.

We keep paying for temporary fixes that don't get to the root cause.

Reactive spending. Temporary fixes.
The problem keeps coming back.

What Yvette Learned

The system is broken.

  1. 1

    A place doesn't destabilize because of one isolated problem.

  2. 2

    Isolated interventions produce isolated results.

  3. 3

    Everything is interconnected.

Each makes the others harder to solve.

Environmental neglect

Decreases quality of life and investment.

Mental health

Erodes resilience, trust, and wellbeing.

Compound effect

One condition weakens the rest. Together, they destabilize a place.

Poverty & economic instability

Limits opportunity and strains resources.

Family and housing instability

Increases stress and weakens support systems.

Nutritional deficiency

Impacts health, learning, and productivity.

The Solution

We need an ethical system that puts the human first.

Bringing the public and private sectors together.

The Ripple Effect Foundation accelerates interconnected initiatives that align local insight, nonprofit action, government partnership, research, and catalytic capital to address root causes, not just visible symptoms.

  • Ripple Effect Foundation

    The connective infrastructure.

  • Nonprofits

    Deliver programs.

  • Social enterprises

    Create economic pathways.

  • Government agencies

    Hold jurisdiction.

  • Research institutions

    Hold method.

  • Funders

    Hold capital.

  • Communities

    Hold the truth about what's actually happening.

  • Workforce partners

    Build capacity & pathways.

The Ripple Model

A data-first engine for ecosystem restoration.

Seven repeatable steps that turn frontline intelligence into funded, measurable, and scalable restoration.

  1. 1. See

    Gather frontline intelligence, community voice, and public data.

  2. 2. Understand

    Identify the conditions driving recurrence.

  3. 3. Design

    Determine the combination of interventions required.

  4. 4. Assemble

    Bring together the partners capable of delivering them.

  5. 5. Fund

    Deploy philanthropic and catalytic capital.

  6. 6. Measure

    Determine whether the conditions actually changed.

  7. 7. Scale

    Expand what works.

The First Pilot

The first portfolio of interventions

Los Angeles is where we build the first one.

After more than two decades in the frontlines, Yvette knows what is needed for lasting restoration.

Environment

West Coast Coalition

The people who clean the city see what everyone else misses. West Coast Coalition turns decades of frontline knowledge from 14 Los Angeles organizations into a restoration intelligence asset, and integrates waste management and recycling into its operations.

Downtown Los Angeles skyline seen through palm trees A sanitation worker collecting waste on a Los Angeles street

Family + Youth Stability

Angels in the Orchard

Angels in the Orchard helps single mothers and youth aging out of foster care move toward stability and independence through housing, education, employment, and life-skills support. The goal is long-term economic security, career growth, and homeownership.

A mother embracing her daughter outdoors A student writing in a notebook

Healing + Wellness

Gaia Way

Gaia Way creates restorative spaces for holistic healing, connection, and personal transformation. Through private retreats and public wellness centers, it integrates ancestral mind-body-spirit practices with modern tools.

Griffith Observatory above the Los Angeles skyline at sunset Stacked stones used as a mindfulness practice

Food

The Roots Restaurant

The Roots Restaurant is a farm-to-table hospitality concept centered on workforce and community nourishment, gathering, and connection through restaurants and bed-and-breakfast experiences.

Freshly harvested vegetables from a local farm A community gathered around a shared farm-to-table dinner

The Vision

We are breaking generational cycles of brokenness and building a chain of restoration.

Visible restoration

Cleaner streets. Restored spaces. Healthier environments.

Human restoration

Work. Stability. Dignity. Nourishment. Healing.

Generational restoration

Stronger families. Stronger communities. Cycles interrupted.

When people are restored,
families stabilize.

When families stabilize,
communities strengthen.

When communities strengthen,
the next generation inherits a different starting point.

Why Los Angeles, Why Now

Los Angeles is the proving ground.

  • Enormous resources

    World-class talent, capital, and innovation alongside deep community knowledge and resilience.

  • Established infrastructure

    A strong nonprofit ecosystem with public and private partners ready to scale solutions.

  • Global visibility

    A global city with global influence. A model the world can learn from.

  • If we can build the model here, it can be built anywhere.

  • In 2028, the world will be watching.

  • LA28 gives us a global stage.

  • We choose to lead with hope.

    Turning today's challenges into a healthier, more equitable tomorrow.

The Los Angeles skyline under a clear sky

Roadmap

Build the first ripple.

A 24-month founding investment to build Los Angeles' first integrated restoration ecosystem.

  1. 0–6 months — Build the platform

    Establish governance, infrastructure, and the frontline intelligence network.

    → Los Angeles' first frontline intelligence network.

  2. 6–12 months — Understand the patterns

    Turn frontline knowledge and public data into an actionable restoration hypothesis.

    → Restoration evidence base + ecosystem architecture.

  3. 12–18 months — Activate the portfolio

    Assemble partners and deploy capital into the first coordinated intervention.

    → First funded pilot and partner network.

  4. 18–24 months — Measure and refine

    Determine whether the underlying conditions changed.

    → First body of evidence + Restoration Playbook V1.

Total: $10.4M over 24 months

One ripple.
Many generations.


These first 24 months will create the foundation for measurable, reproducible, and scalable restoration that transforms lives and communities for generations to come.

Concentric ripples spreading from a single water drop

The Ripple Effect Foundation Team

Deep expertise. One shared mission.

Yvette Neal

Vision + Executive Leadership

Yvette Neal, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Since 2003, has been leading environmental restoration with continuous operations with the City of Los Angeles as the founder of Pacific Graffiti Solutions (now West Coast Coalition). Has deep experience in public contracts, workforce management, and the realities of community neglect from the ground up.

Tiffany Quintero

Capital + Government

Tiffany Quintero, Executive Director

15 years across grants, government infrastructure, and community development. As Principal of CAP Contract Compliance, has worked with government agencies and underserved communities to secure millions in federal funding while building programs, navigating compliance, and developing sustainable funding strategies.

Marine Delorme

Strategy + Story

Marine Delorme, Director of Strategy & Communications

Brand strategist and creative producer with experience spanning brand development, storytelling, emerging technologies, and founder-led ventures. Turns complex, ambitious ideas into clear positioning and actionable marketing & communication strategy.

Nicole Roufs

Venture + Business

Nicole Roufs, Director of Business Development

Business strategist and founder of Olive & Oak Business Empowerment Coaching. Brings expertise in commercialization and execution as the Foundation evaluates, structures, and develops mission-aligned ventures.

Tina Sanchez

Programs + Community

Tina Sanchez, Director of Programs & Community Impact

20 years of experience developing community-centered programs. Brings a deep understanding of how to move from identifying needs to building initiatives that create meaningful, measurable change. Advocates building with communities to create the needed trust, ownership, and connection for lasting impact.

Join the Ripple

Start the next ripple in Los Angeles with us.

  • Founding Partner

    $250,000

    Build the foundation. Establish governance, infrastructure, and the frontline intelligence network.

  • Leadership Partner

    $500,000

    Strengthen the system. Advance research, systems design, and cross-sector partnerships.

  • Catalytic Partner

    $1,000,000+

    Scale the impact. Deploy capital to pilot solutions, prove what works, and scale what lasts.

Partners are not funding a program.
They are funding the infrastructure through which an entire ecosystem can address interconnected problems together.

Los Angeles at sunset, seen from the hills above the city

Become a partner
in the Ripple Effect Foundation

Every partnership starts with a conversation about what you want to change in Los Angeles.

One ripple. Many generations.

Partnership enquiry

Tell us who you are and we will open your email client with the message ready to send.