Assemblymember Sade Elhawary is an educator, organizer, and advocate for social justice who represents the 57th Assembly District, including the communities of Exposition Park, South Los Angeles, and Downtown Los Angeles.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, the Assemblymember is the eldest daughter of Egyptian and Guatemalan immigrants who came to the United States seeking a brighter future. At Community Coalition for over 12 years, Elhawary was mentored by Mayor Karen Bass and City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and served as a youth organizer recruiting and developing future leaders of the social justice movement. Her achievements include helping establish the Fremont High School Wellness Center to reduce health disparities in a medically underserved neighborhood and securing the School Climate Bill of Rights to reduce racial profiling in schools.

Elhawary played a pivotal role in founding the Nelson Mandela School for Social Justice, shaping its curriculum and first graduating class. Her work reflects her deep commitment to improving outcomes for women and young people of color while fostering Black and Brown solidarity.

Assemblymember Elhawary holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She shares a home in South Los Angeles with her foster daughter Makailah.

Sol spent 16 years incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility, where she became a leader in nature-based healing and advocacy. She helped build gardens that became living memorials to victims of crime and spaces for reflection and healing for people inside. Today, Sol is the Reentry Coordinator at Land Together, the nature-based program she participated in while incarcerated. Since coming home, she has also served as Reentry Coordinator at Planting Justice, an Oakland-based food justice and urban agriculture organization, supporting others as they transition back into their communities through work at the nursery.

Sol’s story of transforming her life through horticulture is featured in the documentary Sol in the Garden. She has shared her journey at events including EcoFarm and in outlets such as The Guardian. Her testimony has helped raise awareness about the need for greater support and inclusive programming for incarcerated women across California. She is also a leader and advocate in campaigns advancing pathways to release and fighting for the rights of incarcerated people.

Ken Oliver is a transformative leader advancing social impact at the intersection of sports, business, and entertainment. As President and CEO of the Justice & Upward Mobility Project (JUMP), he leads a national effort to build stronger and safer communities by harnessing the cultural influence of these sectors to reshape narratives and catalyze access to education, employment, and economic mobility for youth and adults impacted by the justice system. 

Before becoming the inaugural President and CEO of JUMP, Ken served as Chief Innovation Officer at The Just Trust, where he spearheaded cutting-edge initiatives at the intersection of philanthropy, narrative change, and programmatic design. He previously held the role of Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Checkr, Inc., and was the founding Executive Director of the Checkr Foundation. Across these leadership positions, his work has consistently focused on innovation, coalition building, talent and leadership development, corporate training, inclusive hiring practices, and public policy. 

Ken’s personal journey is a powerful testament to resilience and transformation. After serving 24 years in prison, including a decade in solitary confinement, he successfully challenged the conditions of his confinement, securing an unprecedented settlement and his freedom through a landmark civil rights lawsuit in partnership with Stanford University and Mayer Brown. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as a paralegal at a public interest law firm, where he quickly rose to become the organization’s State Policy Director. In 2020, he co-founded and served as Executive Director of a nonprofit where he secured a historic $28.5 million investment from the State of California to build the nation’s first residentially based technology training campus for justice-impacted adults. 

Ken’s thought leadership and advocacy have been featured across leading media and global platforms, including The New York Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Reuters, Fox News, CBS News, Essence, HR Daily Advisor, Inc. Magazine, Scripps News, and the World Economic Forum.

This event is a ticketed fundraiser to support the next 20 years of UnCommon Law. Individual tickets are $250 (please note each table will have 10 seats). 

As an added benefit, conference attendees will receive a $25 OFF discount code for tickets to UnCommon Law’s Conference: Healing from the Inside when they register for the gala. The discount code will be provided in your conference registration receipt.

Thursday, October 8 or until we are sold out.

Cocktail or festive attire. Come dressed to celebrate! Ideas include: a cocktail dress, slacks and a button-down, a suit, a blazer, a jumpsuit, or any outfit that feels celebratory to you.

Gala Location Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704

Berkeley City Club | Hotels in Berkeley, CA 

Recommended Parking Garage:

• Telegraph Channing Garage

• 2450 Durant Ave

• Approximately 4-minute walk to Berkeley City Club

Additional Parking Option: Street parking is also available nearby.

• Metered: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (free after hours)

Public Transportation:

• BART- Downtown Berkeley Station — 0.5 miles (11 minute walk)

• AC Transit- Durant Avenue: Ellsworth St. Station — 150 feet (1-minute walk)

We are committed to creating an accessible and welcoming event for all attendees. The hotel follows ADA standards with an elevator leading to the main event space on the second floor.

We are happy to work with participants to support additional access needs whenever possible. Please let us know your accessibility needs when you register, or email convening@uncommonlaw.org. 

We will follow all current local public health guidance to help create a safe and healthy environment for attendees. We kindly ask anyone experiencing cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms to stay home and prioritize rest and recovery. Masks will be available on-site.

For any questions/issues, please contact our event planning team at convening@uncommonlaw.org