MALAKI AMEN (pronounced “ma-luck-eye / awe-men”) is Executive Director and founder of the California Urban Partnership (CUP), an organization working for economic justice through policy research, education and organizing community action (www.CaliforniaUP.org). A 25 year veteran in the community economic development field, Malaki has shaped businesses, public policy and programs as a social entrepreneur, as well as an appointed advisor in California's Legislature, Office of the Governor, Fortune 500 corporations and the University of California Office of the President. Malaki is a Community Change Maker who successfully led the design and passage of a cannabis equity ordinance (CORE), which opened up the Sacramento region’s $3B legal weed market to entrepreneurs who are survivors of the Drug War. CORE is now a national model for repairing the economic damages of racialized marijuana policy enforcement.

During the early 90’s as a staff member of the Al Geiger Center for Business Incubation (now known as The African Marketplace), Malaki coordinated the business development skills training and microloan program, as well as created Sacramento’s first printed directory of Black businesses, professionals and community organizations. He later became the architect of ARIZE.org, a mobile Black business search engine app and website. Malaki is a fellow of the Community Economic Development Institute at Harvard University.