About INSPIRE
We empower young adults to reach their full potential.
Founded with a mission to support foster youth in their journey towards independence, we provide critical resources, guidance, and mentorship to help bridge the gap from foster care to self-sufficiency. Our approach is personalized, addressing each individual’s unique strengths, goals, and needs to foster long-term success in personal, academic, and professional life.
About Our Team
Our team comprises dedicated professionals and compassionate mentors committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of our participants. Each team member brings unique expertise and a deep sense of purpose to the Inspire community, working tirelessly to ensure that every young adult in our program is equipped with the skills and resources they need to thrive.
Kristi Perez, MAOL, ACC – Executive Director
Kristi is the Founder and Executive Director of Inspire Life Skills, where she has led with dedication and vision since 2004. With a strong background in organizational leadership, Kristi wears many hats—she spearheads community awareness and fundraising efforts, interviews and carefully selects participants, drafts policies, creates programming, and collaborates closely with staff and volunteers. Kristi also oversees the budget, manages Inspire’s five homes, and makes strategic plans for expansion, all while ensuring that each participant receives the support they need to thrive
Mayra Gonzales - Program Director
As Program Director, Mayra supports young women in housing and oversees the mentoring program. She brings 19 years of social work experience, primarily in Los Angeles County’s child welfare system, with a focus on helping foster youth transition to adulthood. She also contributed to creating a policy and training program promoting higher education for social workers. A first-generation college graduate from Pomona, Mayra is passionate about education and helping foster youth pursue their academic goals. She’s a mother of twin teens, a certified Master Food Preserver, and enjoys volunteering on weekends to teach food preservation.
Eleno Zepeda - Student Coach
Eleno Zepeda brings both professional expertise and personal insight to his role as Student Coach at Inspire Life Skills Training. Holding a master’s degree in social work, Eleno has worked in group homes, adult mental health services, and immediate response investigative social work. He also coaches young adults with lived experience in the foster care system—a population he understands firsthand, having grown up in care himself. This lived experience drives his passion for supporting and advocating for underserved youth as they navigate life’s challenges and opportunities. Outside of work, Eleno values quality time with family and friends, finding balance and inspiration in those close relationships.
Why Give?
As former foster youth exit Child Welfare Services, the challenges are stark: 50% will experience homelessness within five years, 50% remain unemployed by age 25, and only 4% earn a bachelor’s degree. Nearly 40% face incarceration, and over 40% become parents within two years. These outcomes reinforce cycles of poverty, abuse, and instability.
But with united action, we can rewrite their futures. By investing in these young adults, we build a stronger, more compassionate community for all.