Youvanna is a program associate at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She supports grantmaking to improve equitable outcomes in maternal health and support healthy development for children in their earliest years. Her role involves operations support and partnership with grantees to improve outcomes in maternal and child health development outcomes in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked as a legal assistant in Los Angeles. During her time there, she collaborated with a diverse team comprising attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and health care professionals. Together, they provided comprehensive support to adoptive and birth families nationwide throughout the adoption process. Youvanna also supported clients engaged in assisted reproduction, with a specific focus on managing surrogacy contracts. She brings strong collaborative skills to her role, fostering teamwork and delivering comprehensive support to a diverse team.
Youvanna has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Chicano studies from the University of California, Davis. She is deeply passionate about engaging in work that improves health outcomes in underserved communities.
When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors—hiking, gardening, and preparing meals with the homegrown vegetables she cultivates.