Jose Corona

José is a social entrepreneur who has built a reputation as a visionary CEO and leader, strong manager, innovator and coalition-builder. Over his professional career, Jose has held C-level and other senior leadership roles in organizations spanning the non-profit, philanthropic, private and public sectors. He has been recognized for building mindful and creative organizational cultures and convening public, private and community people and resources to solve complex community, business and public sector problems.

Currently, Jose serves as the Director of Agricultural Projects. In this role, Jose leads the flagship initiative administered by the Office of Kat Taylor — The Agricultural Platform Collective (APC). The APC is focused on transforming the agricultural sector by bolstering the economic viability, sustainability, and resilience of farmers, ranchers, and rural communities at-large. The APC aims to create a cohesive and inclusive network of agricultural producers in California, providing small-scale, under-served, and environmentally conscious producers with the necessary training, tools, and resources to expand their businesses and access stable market opportunities.

Before joining the office of Kat Taylor, Jose led the grantmaking and partnership efforts for Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. José also served as the Director of Equity and Strategic Partnerships under Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, where he co-founded and launched the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation.

José served as Chief Executive Officer of ICA.fund from 2004 to 2015, leading the organization to become a nationally recognized, award-winning non-profit for its work on investing in and scaling small businesses and entrepreneurs as a way to create good jobs.

Jose is an Aspen Fellow, a Ricardo Salinas Scholar and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Unity Council. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Giants Community Fund.

Jose is the son of immigrants, raised in the farming town of Watsonville, CA to a loving, tenacious mother and an ambitious farming entrepreneur father. He lives in Oakland with his family.

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