Edgar Aguirre

Edgar Aguirre is a leader with 18 years of nonprofit experience in managing multicultural initiatives, fundraising, grant making, community engagement, marketing, and communications. Aguirre makes heavy lifts successful, especially in diversity and inclusion efforts centered around professional development and market growth in the media, entertainment, news, and nonprofit industries. A community builder and connector, he is dedicated, with expertise in engaging professional talent and rising stars, and coaching them for professional success.

Aguirre just concluded a two year engagement as Director, Talent Development and Inclusion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he was responsible for the successful launch of The Academy Gold Talent Development and Inclusion Program in 2017, and led the way by securing the commitment of 20 companies, including all the major studios. With a focus on supporting the development of young professionals from under-represented communities, this work was recognized by Variety's 2017 Inclusion Impact Report.

In 2018, Aguirre led the expansion of the Academy Gold program from 20 to 26 participating companies, and the launch of a new production track. This work was also chronicled by the Los Angeles Times.

Before joining the Academy, Aguirre was Managing Director of External Relations and Strategic Initiatives for Southern California Public Radio. His primary focus was leading a multi-year initiative aimed at connecting SCPR with the culturally and ethnically diverse populations in the region - an effort that resulted in exponential Latino broadcast and digital audience growth.

Prior to joining SCPR in 2011, Aguirre served as Vice President and General Manager of Los Angeles Public Media. From 2009 to 2011, he was the Director of Development for the Mexican American Alumni Association and Scholarship Initiatives at Loyola Marymount University. Before that, he was Gift Planning Officer at the California Community Foundation, an institution he served since 2001.

Aguirre currently serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Urban Renewal Network and the Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation. He is the former chair of the southern California membership chapter of Hispanics in Philanthropy. He also served on the California Lutheran University Alumni Board of Directors, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science in 1999. He gained his MPA at USC in 2005 as a Dean's Merit Scholar.