Bonnie Oliva-Porter

Hi, I’m Bonnie! (She/her/Ella)

I’m a Bronx born and bred, 1st-gen, Afro-Latinx woman who currently calls LA home. A daughter of Honduran immigrants who value family, education, and service. I am grateful to be able to build a career that allows me to intersect my passions in work and in life. I have multiple roles: People & Culture Strategist, consultant, coach, advisor, and investor. I’m also a mom, wife, daughter and sister. I've spent the majority of my career in roles that serve organizations and their most precious assets: their people.

I founded Margins: A Workplace Innovation Studio to amplify the voices of the most marginalized groups in the workplace. We are dedicated to building high-performing organizations that are committed to serving underrepresented groups and partner with companies taking bold steps toward workplace equity.

I believe that:

• People WANT to do their best work. “Poor performance” is usually linked to circumstances beyond one’s control.
• The most recent (pre-pandemic) workplace was not designed with today’s workforce in mind. A radical shift in organizational design is necessary to better support all workers.
• Companies that invest in building diverse, equitable, inclusive workplaces will thrive.

Some things I’ve done:

• Tala: Founding team member of a high-growth FinTech startup. Opened multiple emerging market offices, established People Operations and lead DEI efforts globally. Supported fundraising efforts that led to over $100M in total funding.
• NYC Dept. of Small Business Services:
  • Launched a Workforce Center in the Bronx in the area with the highest unemployment rate in the city.
  • Managed a $20MM portfolio of organizations that provided job training and placement to the most marginalized groups in the workforce, including but not limited to: Veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals and people with disabilities.
• SBA Women’s Business Center in Philadelphia: Worked as a consultant to immigrant business owners and helped them navigate city regulations and obtain micro-loans.

A few other things I do:

• PledgeLA Survey & Accountability Committee Chair
• All Raise LA Steering Committee
• Fika Ventures Scout & Portfolio Advisor
• Phillips Academy SoCal Regional Leadership Committee
• De La Salle Academy Board of Trustees

Bragging rights:

• BA, Government: Wesleyan University
• MPA, Finance Specialization: NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
• 2009 Startingbloc Fellow
• 2011 Echoing Green Fellow
• 2021 Laconia Venture Coop Fellow