The Purple Gavel Group

Born and raised in Northern California, Lauren is a licensed attorney and owns an intellectual property law practice in Berkeley, CA. Lauren attended Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (LLS) where she was exposed to the intricacies of the Constitution of the United States. This exposure, combined with the political tensions and racial injustices of the 2016 presidential election, sparked her desire to educate fellow “Millennials and first gens” on the intersection of law and politics in America. As a law student, Lauren worked as a clerk in the areas of criminal defense, civil litigation, and corporate law. She also served on the Board of Directors of the LLS chapter of the Black Law Students Association. In addition, she was elected to and briefly served on the Board of Outward Bound Adventures, a nonprofit located in Pasadena, CA. In founding Purple Gavel, the ultimate goal changes. Lauren seeks to empower underrepresented groups to exercise their rights and participate in our nation’s democratic process.

Born and raised in Inglewood CA, Allison has worked in education for just over 9 years. She jump-started her career as an academic advisor and program manager for the University of California, Riverside Extension- International Programs. She then moved on the pursue a masters and career in school counseling where she discovered her true passion in educating, supporting, and developing underrepresented youth from communities just like her own. Taking invaluable experience from her counseling role in the Watts community and her role as Partnership Management for one of the largest educational servicing companies, Allison looks to provide strategic developmental counseling programs and content for youth and young adults that will promote learning and growth.

Whitley Porter is a daughter, friend, ordained minister, life coach, and entrepreneur. Whitley is an activist for inspiration. She has been featured as a speaker at conferences, podcasts, and events within the area. Whitley currently resides in the Inland Empire where she is often found inspiring women and people at large to DREAM OUT LOUD! She has recently launched her production company (Whitley Porter Productions) and looks forward to creating content that will charge her sphere of influence to empower minorities at large.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Andrew is currently serving on Active Duty with the U.S. Army Reserve. Andrew earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of California, Davis. Some of his experiences include financial services advisory, team development, management and military law. Andrew's passion for helping underserved communities developed after spending one quarter of his undergraduate studies teaching English in Peru, specifically at-risk youth. This experience brought to light some of the obstacles faced by children growing up in developing countries. For example, basic necessities such as food, clothing, school supplies, and even a hug were rarely available to the children. 

As a Los Angeles native, Michael lives and breathes everything branding and marketing. He has a passion for helping people and companies find their brand identity and grow their business. Experienced in developing B2B and B2C marketing plans to increase new customer acquisition and sustain long-term retention and growth rates. Helping start-ups and medium-sized level companies develop an online presence through proper SEO utilization and digital media channels including social media and email marketing tactics. Consistently focused on developing strategic integrated marketing communications strategies to develop a strong online brand reputation and management through product placement, advertisement, and communication to satisfy the customer’s needs.

Coming Soon!

As a life long resident of the North Sacramento region, she hopes to bring equitable change to the community that raised her. Her innate desire to make the world a more compassionate place led her to study Sociology in college and receive a bachelor’s degree from Sacramento State. At Sacramento State, she learned about the intersections of oppressions and the magnitude of obstacles faced by marginalized groups. As a first-generation college student from a working-class, single-parent household, she recognizes the many obstacles faced when trying to make change for one’s community. One of her long-term goals is to conduct social research that will help guide policymakers to create a more equitable world for marginalized groups. Driven by compassionate action and guided with a social justice framework, she seeks to participate in projects that help bring lasting change to the people.