About Us
– We are located in Santa Rosa, CA
– Established 501 3(c) in 2022
– We serve ALL community members from throughout Sonoma County
– We are committed to support and empower Latinx and BIPOC communities
– We have connected with youth (8-18) young adults (18-24yrs of age) and older adults interested in changing their lives/livelihood
– We believe in STEAAM as a vehicle to change lives.
Our Team
Executive Director, President of the Board
Eliezer Navarro, Jr
Eliezer Navarro, Jr., is a business owner and Licensed General Contractor in the State of California.
JR was born in Napa and raised in Santa Rosa. First born son of Mexican immigrants of Michoacan, Mexico. First generation US Citizen . JR grew up in a single mother household and as a troubled youth, who was formerly incarcerated had the aptitude to learn of legal matters of the court, commerce, administrative law, administrative procedures, business structure, real estate, banking, and has become a pro se litigant .
As a father who understands the ever changing competitive markets technologies and economy JR believes that it is necessary to help empower young and old with the tools necessary to succeed not just today but tomorrow for a better future.
In his journey, he has worked with other nonprofits in the Bay Area where he mentored formerly incarcerated young adults, using legal administrative procedures rather than outburst through violence, being successful in their efforts.
As a student of the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) and Sonoma State University, JR is enrolled in SRJC Second Chance Program. He is also enrolled in the Sonoma County Cannabis Equity program as an equitable person.
With certification in construction safety mortgage lending, Mortgage Securitization and computer software.
His lived experience and personal journey have taught him the importance of education, awareness, and positive influence, and believes heavily in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAAM). This has also driven his passion for designing, creating, and manufacturing new technologies with current known knowledge and a hunger to explore how to help people to develop in these fields.
Jr Navarro is the founder of Infinite Learning and Resource Center to empower others in their journey and career development guidance in STEAAM fields .
Empowering others with exposure and hands on experiences.
Treasurer of the Board
Ramon Montes
Ramon Montes is an accomplished professional with a proven track record in developing and managing strategic partnerships. With a passion for sports cultivated since childhood, he brings a unique perspective on leadership, team building, and resilience.
Growing up on the Central Coast, he was a fervent supporter of local teams, having actively participated in football, baseball, basketball, and track and field. Throughout his career, Ramon has demonstrated a keen ability to identify growth opportunities and foster relationships that drive success. His extensive experience includes collaborating with team members, corporate leadership teams, and vendors to develop commercial strategies, integrating technical solutions with product teams, and working closely with marketing stakeholders to activate partnerships effectively. Notable achievements include spearheading business walk initiatives implemented across a network of over 1700 stores and fostering alignment between corporate and local teams.
Ramon is highly adept at analyzing past performance data to inform future strategies and establishing profitable relationships across various platforms and media channels. Moreover, his background in team management and KPI tracking equips him with the necessary tools to ensure the overall success of both teams and partnerships. He is deeply committed to community engagement, actively participating in grassroots campaigns and supporting organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The USO, and ReBuilding Together. With a blend of strategic acumen, relationship-building expertise, and a passion for community involvement, Ramon is well-positioned to make a significant impact in any role requiring strong leadership, partnership development, and strategic planning.
Beyond his professional pursuit, Ramon finds joy in exploring new cultures through traveling, indulging in culinary adventures, and golfing. As a devoted family member, he cherishes moments spent with his wife and two boys, finding balance and inspiration in their love and support.
Board of Directors, Arts
Rasun Jahmal DiNoto
Rasun Jahmal DiNoto , is an Artist , Musician , Singer, Song Writer.
Growing up in a musical household there isn’t an exact date that the duo known as Rasun, a combination of the group’s namesake and his brother Don Juan Cartel, was born. Rasun was playing professional drums by the age of 14 and his brother was close behind starting his career as a professional keyboardist at 15 years old for their father’s well-known group, Strictly Roots. In 2005 the brothers unleashed their first official full-length album onto the musical circuit with Rasun leading vocals and Don Juan Cartel overseeing the production. Shortly after Rasun’s first official album release, the group broke out with a particular stronghold in the Hawaiian Islands where they started playing major stadium shows and launched their worldwide touring career.
Following the beginning of their career known as Rawsun, the group evolved into their current name, Rasun with their second major album release coming in 2010. Since that date, Rasun has worked with major influences across the music industry including names like Shock-G, O.A.R., Beenie Man, and more. With heavy influences from reggae, R&B, and hip hop, Rasun is one of the founding groups behind Tropical Pop music that has since dominated mainstream music culture. The group’s most recent solo release, “I Need You Now” communicates this unique musical melody of cross-genre influence. Currently, the group is popular throughout the globe with a particularly passionate fan base throughout Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe, where they shot their latest music video in Amsterdam.
Rasun has released over half a dozen Albums, Two dozen singles .He started with their dad band professionally in as the lead singer in 1992 ,His first solo was in 1998 and hist first album in 2005.and has released till this day . He has also released more than several videos through out his career . He has collaborated with countless artist, and featured on many other artist songs including bay area rappers The Jacka, Ray Luv, plus Fat Joe, Mingo Lewis Jr and Fiji , to name a few. He has also worked with Mayor Industry Labels such as Warner Electric Atlantic aka Warner brothers ( WEA) and Universal Emi Sony .
Board of Directors, Arts
Don Juan DiNoto
Don Juan Dinoto is an Artist , Musician , Producer and Sound Engineer .
Growing up in a musical household there isn’t an exact date that the duo known as Rasun, Don Juan Cartel and Rasun , was born. Don Juan was starting his career as a professional keyboardist at 15 years old and Raun was playing professional drums by the age of 14 for their father’s well-known group, Strictly Roots. In 2005 the brothers unleashed their first official full-length album onto the musical circuit with Rasun leading vocals and Don Juan Cartel overseeing the production. Shortly after Rasun’s first official album release, the group broke out with a particular stronghold in the Hawaiian Islands where they started playing major stadium shows and launched their worldwide touring career.
Following the beginning of their career known as Rawsun, the group evolved into their current name, Rasun with their second major album release coming in 2010. Since that date, Rasun has worked with major influences across the music industry including names like Shock-G, O.A.R., Beenie Man, and more. With heavy influences from reggae, R&B, and hip hop, Rasun is one of the founding groups behind Tropical Pop music that has since dominated mainstream music culture. The group’s most recent solo release, “I Need You Now” communicates this unique musical melody of cross-genre influence. Currently, the group is popular throughout the globe with a particularly passionate fan base throughout Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe, where they shot their latest music video in Amsterdam.
Don Juan Dinoto has produced Music since 1992 starting with his dad’s group then produced his brothers Rasun solo in 1998 and their Album in 2005. Since then Don Juan Dinoto has produced over half a dozen Albums with Rasun . He has also produced music for the lights of Fiji, BennieMan Ray Luv , Shock G , Da Jacka and many more .
Don Juan Dinoto has now also professionally Mixed Music for Rasun , Big Mountain , Erric Cotton , Fiji , and BennieMan to name a few.
He as also worked with Mayor Industry Labels such as Warner Electric Atlantic aka Warner brothers ( WEA) and Universal Emi Sony .
Secretary of the Board and Director College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP) | Mendocino-Lake Community College
Mariana G. Martinez, PhD
Mariana G. Martinez, PhD, is a student-centered equity minded experienced student services administrator with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Graduate Recruitment, Student Retention, Outreach Services,
Gender Equality, Equity, and Academic Advising. Almost 20-years of experience working with first generation college students of low income/working class backgrounds in all systems of the California higher education institutions and out of state.
Dra. Martinez has lived majority of her life in Sonoma County. She attended the public school system in Santa Rosa, CA, and through the support of the Upward Bound programs, gained the necessary tools to be competitive to apply, be accepted, and graduate from a 4-year university, earning a BA in Chicano and Latino Studies and Spanish from Sonoma State University (SSU). Her dream was to become a teacher, but soon realized that there were larger structural issues that needed more attention.
After four years as an Outreach Coordinator/Advisor for the Upward Bound programs, she went on to University of the Pacific to earn a master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction. She received her Ph.D. in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May of 2016.
For over 2 decades, she has worked in the school setting, Kindergarten to doctoral education. She is purposeful in the population she works with and for, predominately students of color from low income/working class backgrounds, usually the first in their family to attend either formal schooling or graduate high school/college. In the last decade, she was the founding Coordinator for the UndocuResource Center at SSU and founded El Centro Latinx in the Chicano Studies Department where she taught. She is now the Director for the College Assistance Program (CAMP) at Mendocino College, supporting students from agricultural and farmworking backgrounds in their first year of college. She also brought back the Dream Center supporting undocumented, DACAmented, and mixed status students in reaching their academic goals at Mendocino College.
In 2016, she became the first Latina elected (and re-elected in 2020) on the board of trustees for the Santa Rosa Junior College. Finally, Mariana is the mother of 10-year-old, Xoaquin Yolotli, whom she has a scholarship named after for at her High School (Elsie Allen) alma mater. Mariana has awarded over 20 scholarships ranging from $250 – $1,000, supporting students academic goals.