Spring Into Action,
a garden party fundraiser supporting LA Forward
Saturday, May 3, 3-6pm
LA Forward is incredibly proud to be honoring Charlotte Milner-Barry and Otha Cole, both of whom are long-time collaborators in our work to transform Los Angeles into a fair, flourishing place for everyone. Spring Into Action supports LA Forward’s work to build the people power needed to advance justice.
Join us for a celebratory afternoon of food, drinks, and time to connect with members of the LA Forward community and progressive leaders from across Los Angeles. We’ll gather in a beautiful backyard in Central LA.Please RSVP before tickets sell out!
HONOREES
Charlotte Milner-Barry
Charlotte is a seasoned consultant with a decade-long track record of driving social impact through strategic philanthropy, policy reform, and public-private partnerships.
She is a partner in the firm, Makers Strategies which does social impact and philanthropic advising work with high-profile and high-net-worth individuals in the entertainment industry specializing in social impact advising, cause-based advocacy, and engaging next-generation philanthropists. Previously, Charlotte worked at the public affairs firm Gonring Lin Spahn, where she advised high-profile clients on philanthropic impact, guided private foundations in strategic programming, and supported nonprofits in board development and visibility.
Prior to her time in the U.S, Charlotte spent nine years working in London, UK, making a mark as a philanthropic advisor and community builder at The Funding Network. Her accomplishments include collaborating with the UK government and successfully implementing one of the first social impact bonds (SIBs) in a groundbreaking public-private partnership with a national nonprofit, aimed at helping at-risk teenagers secure employment. An expert on engaging young philanthropists, Charlotte has been a featured speaker at international conferences focused on multi-generational wealth. She actively contributes to the philanthropic landscape as a member of the Los Angeles Advisory Board of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) and Resource Generation LA. Charlotte, a certified trainer in family philanthropy, holds a bachelor’s degree in history with honors from the University of London (SOAS). Raised in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London, she brings a unique global perspective to her work.
Charlotte has been part of the LA Forward community since 2020 and a great champion of our work in many different spaces.
Otha Cole
We’re fortunate that Otha Cole served the Chair of our sister organization, the LA Forward Institute from 2021 through 2024 and remains a member of our board today. He’s been an invaluable part of our leadership as we navigated transition and growth and we’re grateful to be able to honor him!
A true generalist and a talented relationship-builder, Otha currently runs his own social impact consulting practice. Previously he served as a Director at Play Equity Fund and a Program Manager at Community Partners, and a Development Associate at Shelter Partnership. A native of Los Angeles, he earned his BA at UCSB and his Masters of Urban and Regional Planning at San Jose State.
Otha is a graduate of the Coro Lead LA project and an active member of the LA Chapter of Emerging Practitioners of Philanthropy (EPIP-LA).
