What is Enhearten Unseen Leaders?
Click on the image to watch a video:
Video produced by Mieke Cahyadi (Instagram: Miekeeunike).
About Enhearten
Enhearten envisions unseen leaders encouraged, resourced, and thriving—discovering their passion and calling, and then rising up to live it out.
The leaders with whom we collaborate are often overlooked by funding agencies because of their gender, ethnicity, ability, or socio-economic status. We long to see these leaders—people with a passion to uplift a community—dream, create, contribute, and powerfully impact our world.
Our Vision
Our vision is to inspire, encourage, and assist overlooked and marginalized leaders who have a passion and plan to help and uplift communities locally, nationally, and globally.
Our Mission
We fund microgrants for special projects, envisioned and led by unseen leaders, to uplift a community. We provide free one-on-one coaching to journey with unseen leaders as they clarify and live their passion and calling. We provide resources and recommendations for unseen leaders who have unresolved hurts and emotional healing needs.
Our Work
Enhearten team members and friends see people with sparks of calling as we work in academia and industry; as we serve among the poor, in nonprofits, and in prisons; as we network with nonprofits around the world; as we live enheartened lives.
We see those who are unseen—leaders walking in humility, integrity, and love, uplifting a community.
As we connect with these leaders, we serve them through:
Coaching: Enhearten journeys with unseen leaders as they explore their passion and calling in life. We coach these leaders through the process of clearly articulating their calling and walk alongside them to take action and begin living it out.
Learn more about Coaching.Giving: Enhearten connects unseen leaders to people, opportunities, and resources to serve these leaders in all they are called to be and do. We work towards a day when people freely share with and receive from unseen leaders nearby and around the world.
Learn more about Giving.Healing: Enhearten walks alongside those who have experienced trauma and wounding from abusive leaders and communities. We provide survivors with healing resources and recommendations for licensed counselors.
Learn more about Healing.
Our Team
Dr. Jenny Switkes
Founder and President of Enhearten Unseen Leaders, Chair of the Board (jenny.switkes@enhearten.life)
Jenny Switkes is a professor of mathematics at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she has the joy of mentoring many first-generation college students from diverse backgrounds. She also serves as a volunteer pastor at Rise OC Church in Costa Mesa, California. Jenny takes joy in walking alongside unseen leaders around the world, and has traveled to Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Thailand. She has a heart for prisoners and has visited prisons in the U.S. and Uganda. Jenny enjoys hiking, including some epic hikes with her brothers.
Dr. Cheryl Love
Enhearten Unseen Leaders Vice President, Board Member (cheryl.love@enhearten.life)
Dr. Love serves as the Arts, Humanities, Education & Public Policy Career Specialist, Student and College Engagement, at the University of California, Riverside. She has a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Studies and Master’s Degree in Counseling along with a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Pupil Personnel Service Credential from California State University, Fullerton. Her Doctorate is from the University of California, Los Angeles in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Counseling. Dr. Love has 40+ years of experience as a counselor and teacher in higher education, public schools, and the non-profit sector. She is a tireless advocate for opportunities for young and old to reach their full potential regardless of their background or circumstance. She works with students to not only help them survive but thrive. She leads with a passion for working towards gender and racial equality and African-American mobility.
Dr. Susan Siaw
Secretary, Board Member, Coach (susan.siaw@enhearten.life)
Susan Nakayama Siaw, Ph.D., (University of Southern California, 1982) has been a psychology professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, for more than 30 years. Her academic interests include critical thinking strategies and developmental changes in cognition across the lifespan. She serves as faculty advisor for several Christian clubs and co-leads the Christian Faculty Staff Movement on her campus. She received the Faculty Commons Erick Nilson Award for Christian Leadership in 2010. Dr. Siaw has been part of a Bible Study Fellowship class in Southern California for almost 20 years and serves as the Class Administrator. She has a passion for missions that impact students and professors at universities around the world.
Christie Yoo
Treasurer, Board Member (christie.yoo@enhearten.life)
Christie Yoo’s educational background is in physics and she works as a software QA engineer. One part of the vision of Enhearten Unseen Leaders that is particularly inspiring to her is that Enhearten Unseen Leaders connects with individuals who are dedicated to serving the community. She cares about food equity and other issues of societal inequity that impact the ability of children to experience a safe and loving childhood. Christie is a classically trained musician and loves playing violin in community orchestras. She and her husband live in Southern California and have two young adult sons.
Dr. Casandra Horner
Board Member (dr.casandra.horner@enhearten.life)
Casandra L. Horner, DBA, currently serves as the Lead Coordinator for the Academic Senate Office within the Division of Academic Affairs at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). In addition to her administrative leadership role, she has contributed to the academic community as a part-time adjunct faculty member in the College of Business Administration.
Dr. Horner is also an entrepreneur and the owner of CLH Notary Services, LLC, founded in 2022. Her dedication to service extends into union leadership as well; she serves as Chapter 319 President for the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) and is a member of the CSUEU statewide board, advocating for staff rights and organizational equity across the CSU system.
She is a lifetime member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) Honors Society and an active member of the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) at Cal Poly Pomona, supporting initiatives that uplift and empower underrepresented communities within higher education.
Dr. Horner earned her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with a specialization in Human Resources Management from Northcentral University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California State University, Northridge.
Cordell Jones
Board Member (cordell.jones@enhearten.life)
Cordell Jones is a student, mentor, and community advocate whose educational journey reflects resilience, growth, and a deep commitment to helping others. While incarcerated, Cordell began taking community college classes, where he discovered the power of education to transform lives. What started as a way to better himself quickly became a passion for learning and a desire to support others who have faced barriers to education. Cordell has since graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, Society, and Human Development and a minor in Sociology. He remains committed to supporting students and creating opportunities for justice-impacted individuals to pursue higher education and personal growth.
Dr. Ricardo Quintero
Board Member (ricardo.quintero@enhearten.life)
Dr. Ricardo Quintero is the Executive Director of TRIO Pre-College Programs at Cal Poly Pomona, California. He oversees nine TRIO Pre-College Programs, including Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, and Talent Search, managing an annual budget of $2.8 million.
Dr. Quintero has extensive experience in grant writing, including the writing of Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, McNair, and Student Support Services proposals. His professional interests focus on the intersection of Psychology and Education, Culturally Competent Counseling, Identity Development Models, and the role of Religion and Spirituality in mental health.
Carla E.J. Torrence, EdD
Board Member, Coach (dr.carlaej.torrence@enhearten.life)
Dr. Carla Torrence treasures her family: Husband Keith of over 40 years, 17-year-old son Makiah, and their daughter Candace, her husband Tommy, and their children: Elijah, Sianni, MaKaylah, Brooklyn, and Maliyah.
She has worked at Cal Poly Pomona for over 25 years in the Information Technology Division. She is an ordained and licensed minister who graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in December 2001 with her Bachelor of Art degree in Behavioral Science. In 2010 she completed her Master of Education with the emphasis on Rehabilitation Counseling from California State University, San Bernardino. In August 2021 she completed her Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Azusa Pacific University.
For more than 30 years she has served her community in churches, outreach to the elderly in convalescent homes, and in rehabilitation centers. For the Community Prison Mothers Program (CPMP) at Prototypes Women's Center, she helped prison women and their children. She hosted a radio broadcast "Time Well Spent" on Gospel860 radio in Phoenix, Arizona and KPRO 1570AM radio in Riverside. She has also hosted the “R” Time Getaways where women are learning how to rest spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Kathleen Wong Board Member, Coach (kathleen.wong@enhearten.life)
Kathleen is an IT consultant, focusing on the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. She enjoys providing guidance and support to help users develop a deeper understanding and make the most of the new system. She also volunteers with the Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Association and actively engages in her local community. Passionate about increasing gender equity in STEM, Kathleen strives to create a world where leadership is accessible to all and innovation thrives through inclusivity and collaboration. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, dabbling in math/science and has a deep curiosity for discovering and learning from different cultures.
Julian Carrillo Marketing and Social Media Intern Spring 2026 (julian.carrillo@enhearten.life)
Julian is a senior at California State University, Fullerton, majoring in Communications with a focus in Marketing and Advertising. He is excited to join Enhearten as the Spring 2026 Marketing and Social Media Intern, where he will help expand the organization’s digital presence and share impactful stories from the community. Outside of school and work, Julian enjoys creating content, following soccer, going to the gym, and exploring creative projects. He is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with the company, contribute and impact many individuals and grow while contributing to Enhearten’s mission.
Past Board Members
Richard S. Martinez, EdD Board Member 2022-2024
Secretary 2023-2024
Melissa Soo Hoo, PsyD
Board Member 2022-2025
Enhearten Unseen Leaders is a tax exempt nonprofit organization under 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. EIN: 86-1880008.